GOD GIVES US EARS
“Ears to hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both.”
Proverbs 20:12
Did you ever stop to think about those two flaps on the sides of your head called ears? The ear is a marvelous miracle of God’s creation. We use our ears to hear large or small sounds from a jet engine to a whisper.
What makes our ears work? The ear has three important parts, the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear is what we see on the sides of our heads. Ears are shaped that way to funnel sounds into the inner ear. Just inside our ears is a short canal that sends the sound waves to the eardrum. The canal is lined with wax. At the end of the canal is a membrane that looks like the top of a drum. We call it the eardrum. Sound waves cause vibrations of the drum that are sent to the middle ear.
The middle ear is made up of three tiny bones named the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. These bones make the sound much stronger through amplification. The amplified sound is sent to the inner ear where we find a bony chamber shaped like a sea shell. By using liquid and special hairs, the sound vibrations that entered the chamber are miraculously turned into messages that are swiftly sent to the brain where the sounds become something we hear and understand.
Ears can be used to hear many wonderful things. We can hear birds singing or a rushing river. We hear many pleasant sounds every day. Some people are very good at listening. Are you a good listener?
One way we can use our ears is to hear what God has to tell us. Jesus once said: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). He also said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). How can we know God’s Word if we don’t listen to it?
As we go through our day today, we should think about the different sounds we enjoy with our ears. What a remarkable blessing God has given us. Although our hearing might sometimes be lacking, we can be sure that God always hears us no matter when or where we might call on him. God never closes his ears to our prayers.
Listen, sisters! Listen, brothers!
To the news that we proclaim.
Spread the word, and tell your neighbors
We have life in Jesus’ name.
From Living for Jesus by Reynold R. Kremer