To Encourage You

Hebrews 5:11 “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”

Sometimes I wonder what it must have been like for Jesus, Who is omniscient, to speak to people that weren’t interested enough to listen to what He was saying.  So much of what He said didn’t make sense at first blush.  No wonder, when you think of the fact that here was One Whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:9).  So, instead of sitting at the feet of this One Whose wisdom was greater than that of Solomon, so many paid no heed to the things He said. 

One of the things I’ve come to understand from the Scriptures is how much they have to say about anything and everything that matters. God’s Word is filled to overflowing with things to teach us. Its scope is infinite for it comes to us from the infinite mind of our infinite God.  But are we listening?  Do the Scriptures bore us?  Is the Bible nothing more than just another book on our shelf?  And when we do read it, because it can be difficult to understand, do we tend to give up and neglect it even more? 

Well, one of things that the verse above tells us about all this is that although the Bible has much to teach us, that teaching often doesn’t break through upon our mind and heart because we are “dull of hearing.”  The Greek word from which the word “dull” is translated can also be rendered “lazy.”  In other words, the problem isn’t that the Bible can’t be understood, but that we’re too lazy to have it explained.  Just as Jesus was available to those whom He taught and although He was very willing to explain the full meaning of His teaching to those who would take time to sit at His feet, so the Holy Spirit is more than willing and available to each of us if we are willing to be taught. 

Speaking from my personal experience, so often when I read the Bible, I feel clueless at first blush concerning what I have read.  But as I persist, as I pray, as I work and study because God has told all of us that every word He has given us is profitable for us (2 Timothy 3:16), sooner or later God is faithful in opening my eyes to wonderful things in His Law (Psalm 119:18). 

I remember a Christian friend many years ago talking about the devotional “Our Daily Bread.”  It’s a devotional booklet that is prepared by Our Daily Bread Ministries that he liked to read every day.  It consists of short devotional thoughts on a verse of Scripture – something a person can read in 5 minutes or less.  And although my friend enjoyed reading this publication, he facetiously referred to it as “Our Daily Crouton.”  I believe what he was saying was that our Bible study should not be limited to a five minute “snack” each day.  The Word of God is a treasure and to study it should be likened more to a feast.  And mining a treasure or eating a feast takes time.  God has wonderful, life-changing things He wants to teach us, but if we are too dull or lazy to be taught, it’s to our great loss. 

Yes, our infinite, omniscient, eternal God has much to say to us.  He wants to thrill our hearts with the wisdom of His Words.  But are we interested enough and willing to sit at His feet to listen? Do we want more than anything to learn?