A Deaf Ear

Friday 2/1/19 5:06 AM

Psalm 28:1 reads, “To you, Lord, I call; you are my rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me.” I’ve read this verse many times before, but I’ve never thought of the image of someone turning a deaf ear toward someone else, let alone God doing so.

I have a friend who lost the hearing in her right ear a number of years ago due to a viral infection. Whenever I speak with her, she always cocks her head, turning her left ear toward me, which allows her to hear me speak. In my experience, she has never turned her deaf, right ear toward me. The only time I can envision her doing that would be if she didn’t want to engage in conversation, or if she wanted to tune me out when I’m droning on about inconsequential matters.

My grandchildren can be very persistent. Occasionally when I am in a conversation with someone else one of my grandchildren will come into the room excitedly, saying, “Papa, Papa, Papa, …” They persist by calling my name until I acknowledge them in some manner, either by ending my conversation or by reminding them to wait until I have finished my conversation with the other person. However, from their perspective it may seem as if I have turned a deaf ear toward them.

I’ve had similar feelings about God when I am going through difficult times and it seems as if he doesn’t hear my pleas for help. I begin to doubt if he is really there at all or, even worse, he is there, but doesn’t care. Perhaps God is trying to teach me to patiently live with uncertainty, or pain, or anxiety, trusting him to either step in to deliver me from it, or to console me in the midst of it in due time.

The shoe can also be put on the other foot. How many times does God speak to me, asking me to encourage a friend, to console someone who is grieving, or to seek justice for someone who is powerless, but I turn a deaf ear to God? Does he repeatedly call my name, “Mark, Mark, Mark, …”, trying to tell me of his love for me, while I go about my daily routine with my deaf ear turned to him.

Lord, forgive me for turning a deaf ear toward you, and toward others with whom I have contact. Give me the grace to hear your voice and the voices of those around me and give me the courage to act in a way that will bring healing to me and to others.