Attend to His Voice and Hear Him More

Deuteronomy 29:2–9 (ESV) And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 3 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. 5 I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 7 And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. 8 We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. 9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Deuteronomy 29 serves as a summary of the Covenant stipulations for Israel. There's an interesting statement in Verse 4: But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. 

First, we realize there's a heart God can give us which empowers us to see and hear more of what He wants to tell us. 
Second, we realize that when we don't pay attention to the things He's shown us already, we will start losing our ability to hear those things He wants to tell us. 

What was Israel's problem? They saw the signs and expereinced His constant care yet failed to heed and draw closer for more of Him. 

When you consider this passage particularly, it's quite challenging. I don't know about you but I don't want to miss what God wants to say to me. Could it be there are things I haven't given myself to that would open my heart to hear more from Him? I think this text makes it clear that is so.

There's a book for us New Testament Christians that challenges us in the same way. It's called Hebrews. And the hearers of that word of exhortation are cautioned about neglecting this great salvation. They are warned to pay attention to His voice TODAY and grow more in the knowledge and understanding of God...

Hebrews 4:6–8 (ESV) Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Then consider the fact that they should have been teachers:

Hebrews 5:11–12 (ESV) About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

Christian, there IS more God wants to reveal to you and FOR YOU. But you MUST attend to what you've already been given. You must take the events of your life, the pain of your rebellion, the goodness that flows from obedience and learn from them as guideposts on a road to a more informed reality - a reality informed by the God of all wisdom and power! 

There is even the same warning in Hebrews 2 that is found here in Deuteronomy 29...

Hebrews 3:12 (ESV) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

And the counterpart:

Deuteronomy 29:18 (ESV) Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,

The point is to remember the privileged position you have as a child of the Most High God. Don't neglect what you have! It has great rewards in store for you. Attend to this relationship, pour your heart into time with Him and listening to His voice. These minor things of life around us are terrible distractions from the truth that empowers and transforms.

I close with the words of Christ Himself:

Matthew 25:29 (NKJV) ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Grow in God's word and grace today... watch more pour out upon you tomorrow and beyond!