WHY WOULD GOD HEAR YOU?
TEXT
"Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear;
so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:" (Zechariah 7 verse 13, King James Version).
The Scripture reading for today is the account of Israel's recalcitrance towards God. He had sent His Word through His prophets, "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets:" (see Zechariah 7 verses 11 to 12). The result, according to the Scripture reading for today, was that as He cried, and they would not hear; "so they cried, and I would not hear," says the Lord.
The relationship between God and man is largely reciprocal. We have it written in the Holy Scriptures that, "Because the midwives feared God..." (Exodus 1 verse 21); "because thou hast done this thing ...", "because thou hast obeyed my voice, ..."
(Genesis 22 verses 16 and 18). For instance again, in Proverbs 3 verse 9, the Bible records, saying,
"Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, ..."
Truth is, God will respond to you in the same manner that you respond to Him. To those that fear and obey Him, He responds with blessings. But the reverse is the case with those that do not fear and obey Him.
On this, the Book of Proverbs chapter 1 from verse 24 to 28 is very instructive. It says,
"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"
This is very serious! To call on God without Him hearing and responding to us is to say the least, devastating! Truth is, to not fear and hear the Lord attracts serious consequences. In Isaiah 66 verse 4, because the people of God had chosen their own ways and delighted not in the Lord, He said,
"I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
Dear beloved, understand that you cannot expect God to hear you and show up for you when by your way of life, you have proclaimed yourself wicked and unworthy. The Bible says that "God is angry with the wicked everyday" (see Psalms 7 verse 11).
It's interesting to note further that for being wicked, God forbids you to declare His Word in your mouth. In Psalms 50 verse 16, the Bible says,
"But unto the wicked God saith,
What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?"
But the good news is that with God's gift of Jesus, no one should continue to remain alienated and in enmity with Him. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to reconcile Himself with humanity (see 2nd Corinthians 5 verses 18 to 20). In Colossians 1 verses 21 to 22, the Bible says,
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" Therefore, "we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2nd Corinthians 5 verse 20).
So, what are you waiting for? It's only when you are in Christ that you are made righteous before God (2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21). Have you been struggling with God not hearing you? The good thing is that with Christ in your life, God sees you and hears you the same way as if you are Jesus, His Son. As God always heard Jesus (John 11 verse 42) so He will hear you always because you are in Him.
Why not give God a trial by accepting Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life? If so, pray the following simple prayer.
PRAYER:
Father, today, I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe that He died for me and was buried. I believe also that on the third day, You raised Him from the dead and that He's currently seated at the right Hand of Majesty on High, for me. Thank You for always hearing me.