Hear Ye Him

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. Matthew 17:1-5

I think Peter had a reaction that is common to many. There are many monuments/religious “sacred” sites that man has created because he felt something important happened there. However, it seems clear that God was not interested in that kind of distraction from His people. His statement is really clear and clearly heard by those that were there. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

So then, the question is: are we hearing Him? Maybe more succinctly, are we listening to Him? Or, are we too distracted by our own ideas and desires, even if they be “religious.” Being able to listen to someone requires some closing of our own mouth and concentration on the person speaking.

When the disciples heard the voice from heaven, it caused them to fall on their face, and I think they were very quiet at that point. What is the effect on us when God speaks? Falling on their face is a sign of absolute reverence. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,” Psalm 95:6-7.

The first thing needed to be able to truly hear Him speak to us is reverence – the fear of the Lord. If we do not believe that He is who He claims to be, how are we going to listen to Him? “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9. We must believe that this is true, and so then, whatever God has to say is of extreme importance and not subject to our conclusion about it’s truth. It is absolute truth.

Secondly, we must be quiet (mouth and mind) to concentrate and meditate on what He has to say to us. Halfway listening is not listening at all. There is so much noise today from the world around us that distracts us from listening to the Lord. So many are listening to the latest thing that is posted on Facebook or some other social media that they cannot hear the truth of God’s Word. Just remember that only God’s Word is truth. Everything else is based on some person’s interests and desires. Be careful what you hear, and more importantly, who you hear.

Gordon Crook