I spent my two final years of high school in the city of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio. During those years I was pretty fond of Ted Nugent, KISS, and Rush. No, Barry Manilow did not make it on my “playlist” in those days! Ever been to a concert like that? It defines the word LOUD.

As I mentioned several posts back, we live in a loud world. The noise that distracts and overwhelms us is not just “noise” that can be measured in decibels. “Noise” comes in many shapes. Sometimes it is visual “noise,” or schedule filling “noise”—but in every case it drowns out what is really important.

The Old Testament prophets used the imagery of ears and eyes to highlight Israel’s spiritual health. Jeremiah had hard words for God’s people:

“Listen to this, you scatterbrains, airheads,
With eyes that see but don’t really look,
and ears that hear but don’t really listen.
Why don’t you honor me? (Jeremiah 5:21,22 MSG)”

See the rest of this passage here.

Clearly, God desires his people to have ears that hear. What “noise” in your life keeps you from consistently hearing what God is trying to say to you?