There’s a sow who lives on my daughter Brianna’s farm named Gertrude. Because of her trim figure, she has avoided being a pork chop, and become a pet. A while back dogs attacked her and ran off with her ears.  Yea, that’s right, her ears! Oh, don’t feel too sad for Gertrude, she’s still one Happy Oinker, daily feasting on a pile of slops.  Pig paradise!  Anyway, the other day as I hung on the fence and we chatted, a thought came to me.  Gertrude has no ears, but that doesn’t stop her from nearly running at dinner time, waddling a mile a minute, grunting all the way to the waiting pile of dinner scraps.   I thought, Lord, am I like Gertrude?  Do I settle for filling my stomach, and forget that you have given me ears to hear?  Do I feast on your word, but don’t take time to pause for anything you want to underscore, or surprise me with? 

Isaiah 64:4 has always inspired me to press through whatever stands in the way of going beyond a casual reading of Scripture. “From ancient times no one has heard, no one has listened to, no eye has beheld a God except you, who acts on behalf of the one who waits for him.” The word ‘wait’ in its original language means to get into position to receive.  Much like a wide receiver does to anticipate the quarterback’s toss.  There are myriads of reasons and excuses and unexpected crisis’ that keep me from getting into that position. But the fight to get there and stay there is where and how love grows love.  It’s what separates casual friendship with a fiery godly passion, and what David distinguished when he said, “unless I hear from Him, I’ll be no better than those who go down to the pit.’

Through our birthright, we’ve received ears that can hear how God wants to act on our behalf. No hounds of doubt, or dogs of disappointment, or even rottweilers of selfish pleasure will ever tear those spiritual ears from us, as our hearts run with hunger to Him.