Recently I felt a dramatic decrease in my hearing. I went to an ear specialist. The woman doctor was about my age and had a rather serious demeanor. She looked in my ear. Then she pulled out a primitive instrument, something like a letter opener, and said, “This might hurt a bit.”
She dug the pointed object into my right ear and moved it around in a circular motion while I squirmed and gritted my teeth. She did the same with my left ear. Then she said, “This is getting a little tough, but I want to get it all out.” She scraped and I screamed. After about a minute on each ear she held out two small, nut-sized plugs of dirt and wax that had been in each ear. I sat there shaking and wiping my eyes, recovering from the experience.
But then I noticed something. All my hearing had returned – Instantly! It was wonderful, beautiful I felt like dancing! I went over to my “Dr. Serious” and gave her a big hug and kiss. Finally she grinned. I walked out and have never had a problem since.
Yeshua said, “I have many more things to tell you, but you are not able to bear them now” – John 16:12.
What a shocking statement! We ask God to speak to us. But the problem is not with His speaking but with our willingness or ability to hear what He wants to say. The problem is not with God’s mouth but with our ears–or more properly, with our hearts.
Why can we not bear to hear what God wants to tell us? What does He want to tell you that you are unwilling to hear? Are there areas in which we really don’t want to know the truth about ourselves? Yeshua said there are “many more things” like that.
For this reason God gives us the Holy Spirit on the inside, so that He can lead us into all the truth that we didn’t want to hear (John 16:13). He tells it to us gently and lovingly on the inside, circumventing our tendency to want to “kill” the messenger who brings bad news. Let’s pray, “Lord, help me to listen to the Holy Spirit on the inside. Help me to hear and bear up under the things you are trying to tell me. Amen.”
Asher serves as president of Tikkun Global family of ministries and congregations, dedicated to the dual restoration of Israel and the Church. He is founder of the Revive Israel five-fold ministry team, and oversees both Ahavat Yeshua and Tiferet Yeshua congregations in Israel.
He and his wife Betty share a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew, and unity of the Body of believers worldwide.
Asher was raised in a conservative Jewish home and holds degrees from Harvard University, Baltimore Hebrew College and Messiah Biblical Institute. He has authored numerous books, tracts and articles.