The Voice in Their Ears

While I was in the car waiting at a stop light, a young man on a skateboard went by on the sidewalk, earbuds in each ear. Just after he had passed two other men walking the other direction, he experienced a slight incident with his board. The two made some comment aimed in his direction. Although I had the car windows open, I couldn't quite understand what they said, but their body language made it appear it was probably something like, "Bummer, dude!" The young man, however, was unaware of their notice of his mishap. He continued forward to push the crosswalk button. As he did so, a car with young people in it drove by and the driver honked at him. Again, he was oblivious.

The voice in his ears was so powerful that it had his full listening attention even to the effect that life around him just sort of all blended together into a neutral environment. He missed the possible empathy of the two men who'd seen his slip up with his skateboard. And he missed the friendly honk of those in the car. When the light changed, he went his way ignorant of what had transpired. All voices but the one in his ears were muted with even his sight "blind" to much of what was happening around him.

Do you feel like your child is oblivious to your voice? That perhaps he or she has ears attentive to the voice of the world, but your voice goes unheard? That what your child is hearing has affected even what he or she sees?

There is Someone who does hear your voice. And that Someone has the power to speak His voice, then, into your child's ears in a way that mutes all others'. That Someone is the Lord.

The voice of the Lord in their ears, that's the voice I want my children to pay attention to.

When they listen to His voice, they are no longer like the young man with his skateboard, just traveling the sidewalk of life from point A to point B in his own little world. Instead, God's voice has a way of opening up their eyes to see so He can guide their life along the right path.

And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying,

This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.

Isaiah 30:21 (AMP)

Isaiah goes on to write that when our children listen to the Lord's voice in their ears, they will turn away from the idols of the world and what is unclean. And, the Lord, in turn, will bless their way.

That's all because when the Word of the Lord speaks into their ears and our children hear Him speak, His voice will drown out other voices. And that is when faith comes. (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

So how do we get them to hear His voice?

We saturate their lives in His Word. We read it to them. We speak it to them. We use it in our lives. And—

We pray God's powerful Word over them using verses like Hebrews 4:7 (NKJ), "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." This is from the same chapter that reminds us that the "word of God is living and powerful." (4:12) In fact, the Greek word used for "word" is logos, which in its first defined usage refers to actual speech—a word, uttered by a living voice. God's voice is living and active. Your words, mom, may pass away. But God's words do not. As Matthew Henry wrote, "Saints die, and sinners die; but the word of God lives."

Keep lifting your voice to the One who hears. Pray His living and active Word over your children so His will be the voice in their ears.