Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK
Aug. 8, 2011

“Tunnel-Hearing!”
“I’m giving you good counsel; don’t let it go in one ear and out the other." – Proverbs 4:2 (MSG

) One of the reasons why I like the The Message version of the Bible is in its ability to help me capture its “Word Pictures.” The language is so vivid and it truly helps to understand what the author is trying to get across. However, if you need more of a visual example—the picture below should pretty much sum it up: I believe I was around 14 when one day my mother—obviously overworked simply flat-out asked me, “Are you on drugs?” Well, that question certainly caught my attention but I should have not been surprised by her frustration—she had been talking to me and I simply was not listening. I was just simply doing my thing—lost in my own world and oblivious to the things around me. And at the time—not listening at all to the voice of the Holy Spirit. No doubt you have heard the term, “tunnel-vision.” Medically speaking, tunnel-vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision. More simply stated—you can see in front of you and that is about it. You are virtually blind to everything else. Another definition perhaps better fits what this verse is trying to get across to us. It can describe, “An extremely narrow point of view…narrow-mindedness.” “Tunnel-Hearing” can have the same effect. It simply means listening only to those things that are pleasing—acceptable to our understanding and shutting out everything else that does not fit our thinking. My mother would certainly have agreed with that! Jesus certainly faced this dilemma with the religious leaders of His day. The words He spoke were directly from the Father’s heart and mind and yet they were both blind and deaf to the truth. This would lead Him to say: “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” (Matthew 13:14-15, NIV) James in his epistle reminds us: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19, NIV)
One more thing to note here—just because you think you’ve heard it all—seen it all and that you are exempt from what God has to say—think again!! He never stops instructing us and as long as we have a heartbeat He will continue to instruct us. Are you listening? Did you hear me? Are you listening?
Pastor J. T. Carnell