Do You Have Clean Ears?

I find it soothing to clean my ears with a hairpin, even though it's recommended that we place no foreign objects in our ears.  I like knowing my ears are clean - because I don't want to miss what's directed at me. 

One of my children suffered from wax buildup to the point where it was painful.  One Sunday afternoon I took her to urgent care since our regular doctor was not available.  The nurse on duty reminded me of Broom Hilda in appearance; she was sturdy and no-nonsense, and she was determined to get the wax out of my daughter's ear.  To do so, she literally pinned my child down with her body on the examining table, so that she was steady, and used a device that resembled a crochet hook to quickly remove a massive wad of wax.  This all happened so quickly I didn't have time to react, but I was relieved that my daughter was no longer in pain. By the end of that visit, we resolved to be more vigilant with watching her ears.

I have ears on my mind because spiritually, I want to be open to what God has to say to me.  I want to hear his commands and desires and be able to respond appropriately.  I don't want to have a wax buildup of all the world's gunk that requires the equivalent of extraordinary measures to remove wax buildup where I am flattened so that He can remove the gunk. These extraordinary measures often appear to be painful, but they are often necessary so that we can hear clearly.

In Psalm 40:6, David declared, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” The word opened in this verse can be translated “cleared out,” and it speaks of what God desires for us. He wants our ears to be open and ready to hear Him as He speaks to us through His Word. Sometimes, however, our spiritual ears may be blocked by the background noise of the surrounding culture or the siren songs of temptation and sin. Keep your ears clear so that extraordinary measures are not required to remove your wax buildup.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.  Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.  I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalms 40: 6-8

Are your ears opened to hear God's desires for you?