THE BELOVED SON IS HERE : HEAR HIM!

THE BELOVED SON IS HERE: HEAR HIM!

“Did you hear what happened?”

“I heard the rumour but I don’t know how true it is.”

“They heard it from the horse’s mouth. They were there.”

The above three are reactions following certain news or information that were passed on to others through hearing.
Thank God for the sense of hearing. It is a great blessing that most people (like me) take for granted. 

What then are we doing with this blessing that God has generously bestowed on us? What or who are we hearing? And what do we do with what we hear? 

I remember someone who “heard” two people plotting to kill a king. He did not keep what he heard to himself and he did not join in their evil scheme. He reported the matter to the appropriate authorities and the culprits were apprehended and punished. This was Mordecai, in the book of Esther who uncovered a plot to kill the king. He was later rewarded for this. “That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.  His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”  Esther 6:1-3 & 6a NLT. When we use what we hear to avert evil against others, it pleases the King. And when the King is pleased, a reward follows. 

I remember also some people who “heard” glad tidings of great joy. They were shepherds in a field and an angel of the LORD  brought them the good news of the birth of Jesus. And they shared the good news with all their family and friends. “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,” Luke 2: 16-17 NIV  Whenever we hear good news let us share with other people too. Spread the joy!!! 

Everyday, we hear things. Some of the things we hear, we deliberately go out of our way to listen to them. Other things we hear, we stumble on them by accident. But there is one thing that is needful, the better part, and that is the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 KJV  Jesus is the Word of God and we need to be hearing Him all the time. At the Transfiguration, when Jesus went up a mountain to pray, with Peter, James and John, God announced Him thus:
“And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” Luke 9:35 KJV
For as many as will ever come accross those words, we owe it to ourselves to always listen to Jesus.
When Jesus’s friends, Mary and Martha, hosted Him, Martha was more concerned with playing the perfect hostess while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to hear Him. “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 41-41 KJV The good part being to hear/listen to Him.

Listening to Jesus is therapeutic amongst other things. Whenever we are overwhelmed, listening to Jesus can bring calm to our unease.
How do we hear Jesus? Reading the bible and it’s as simple as that. Sometimes we do not fully understand what we are reading and then suddenly a line, a passage or a verse just jumps out at us. That is Jesus for sure. It’s as if at that time He is raising His voice to catch our attention. If that happens let us go back and read again. Read again and again until it makes sense. We must hear Him.
When we hear Jesus, the information could be for us or for others. So when we hear Him, we either do what He asks us to do or we share the information with others.

When the wine at a wedding ran out, Jesus’s mother asked Jesus to help. And she instructed the waiters to do as Jesus told them. And as they heard Him and did as He said, they witnessed an outstanding miracle where water was turned to wine.

Jesus is the One to be listening to. Technology has made it easy for us. We can listen on the go. So we cannot even say there is no time. There are audio bibles, there are great messages, there are praise and worship medleys that can lift our spirits when we are down. We must be listening to Christ centered teachings. Keeping our focus on Jesus, the beloved Son, will make all our worries pale into insignificance.

We are celebrating another Christmas in a few days. Let us know that Jesus, the beloved Son, came for us. It will help us and do us all the good we need if  we keep hearing Him.

OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©