(Plugs ears) "Lalalalala, I can't hear you!"
Did you ever pull this move when you were younger? We would say this is childish because normally we find this happening between two children. One child gets fed up with the other and tunes them out...but to make their "voice heard" they will plug their ears and make noise so that even if the other child speaks, they will not hear them.
What ridiculousness...what foolishness. I am sure we have all grown up from that move, haven't we?
Most of us would not stoop to that level any more. We understand that it does no good and brings harm to that relationship.
But this morning I want to caution you to really make sure you are not guilty of not hearing.
Proverbs 5:1-2a My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: that thou mayest regard discretion.
If we are not careful, we can find ourselves making the same childish move with the Lord. We need to be ever so careful that we keep our ear turned (inclined) to the Lord and not plugged. Inclining our ears means that every time the Lord speaks (church services and personal study time) we are "all ears."
The benefit to listening to the Lord is that we will have discretion.
Discretion - is the individual's ability to make responsible and wise decisions.
If inclining our ears brings discretion into our lives, then what happens when we tune God out?
Discretion decreases when we decline to incline our ears.
Proverbs 5:13-14a I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil...
Are you closing your ear towards the Lord? Do you find yourself paying attention when the Word of God is being taught? Do you find yourself opening the Word of God and reading it for yourself?
Incline your ears - Grow in your ability to make wise decisions
Close your ears - Find yourself making irresponsible and unwise decisions
The outcome in your life is as simple as a finger in your ear.