Does God Have Ears?

It was an innocent question from a child who was quietly listening, asked with deep sincerity after overhearing the weight of adult conversation. We had been talking about the devastating flooding in Texas, the heartbreak of a shooting during a 4th of July gathering, and the sudden car accident that took the life of a friend. As the grief hung in the air, he quietly asked: Does God have ears?

We all paused.

The question pierced deeper than any news report or social media post could. In a world flooded with tragedy, where is God? Does He hear? Does He care? And if so, why is there so much evil?

The Bible is clear: God is not a detached force, far removed from our pain. He hears, and He hears with the compassion of a loving Father.

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”
— Psalm 34:15, ESV

“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
— Psalm 5:3, ESV

While God is spirit (John 4:24) and not bound by human form, Scripture uses human language—ears, eyes, hands—so we can grasp the nearness of His presence. His “ears” are not symbolic of distance but a declaration of intimacy. He hears the unspoken cries, the questions whispered in the night, and the tears that fall without words.

The Word of God itself is alive and powerful, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit:

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
— Hebrews 4:12, ESV

God’s Word reveals Him fully to us—He knows our hearts and hears our deepest cries.

The question of evil isn’t new. It’s as old as Eden. The Bible tells us that God created everything good:

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
— Genesis 1:31, ESV

But when sin entered through Adam and Eve, so did death, suffering, and separation from God.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
— Romans 5:12, ESV

From that moment, everything changed. Creation itself became tainted. It groans with the weight of sin:

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
— Romans 8:22, ESV

Floods, violence, accidents—they are not just natural events or freak tragedies. They are reminders that we live in a fallen world, groaning for redemption.

But God’s desire is not that we remain unchanged by this brokenness. Instead, He calls us to be transformed:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
— Romans 12:2, ESV

Recently, I painted our ship a deep black. I’d seen the white sail before—many times, in fact—but I had never noticed how striking it was until it was framed against the darkness of the hull. The contrast was so vivid, it demanded my attention.

Sometimes, that’s what evil does. It gets our attention. Not because God causes it all—but because He allows us to see light more clearly against the dark.

“When your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”
— Isaiah 26:9b, ESV

God doesn't waste pain. While He doesn’t always shield us from suffering, He uses it to stir our hearts, to awaken our souls, to call us back to what matters most. He allows us to feel the full weight of a broken world so we will long for the hope of restoration.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
— Hebrews 12:6, ESV

It’s not punishment—it’s invitation. The sound of pain can become the trumpet call to return to God.

In the midst of suffering, we have a great High Priest who understands our weaknesses perfectly:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
— Hebrews 4:15–16, ESV

When evil and suffering threaten to overwhelm, God’s comfort is real and tangible. The apostle Paul reminds us that God

“comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:4, ESV

This is a comfort that passes understanding because it flows from the heart of God himself.

Our vision is limited. We see through the keyhole of time, but God sees the full narrative. We see snapshots of loss, but He sees the arc of redemption. He sees the eternal. We see what’s in front of us; He sees what’s ahead of us.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
— Isaiah 55:8, ESV

We ask “Why?” but God is always working on the deeper “Who.” Who will you turn to? Who will you trust? Who will redeem what feels lost?

In the moments when we don’t understand, we can rest in the character of the One who does. He is not absent. He is not silent. He is Emmanuel—God with us.

That question—“Does God have ears?”—still echoes in my heart. It’s a question of pain. But it’s also a question of hope. It’s a belief, hidden within the ache, that if God does hear… then maybe He will act.

And He has.
He came.
Jesus entered our pain, bore our sin, and suffered evil’s worst blow so we could be made whole.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities.”
— Isaiah 53:4–5, ESV

So yes, dear child—God has ears. He hears more than we can speak. He sees more than we can understand. And in the middle of a dark and broken world, He is still pointing us to the white sail—the hope of Christ—shining bright against the black canvas of a fallen creation.

A Lesson from our Pond

 

Not long ago, I stood at the edge of our pond, watching the frog. A tiny tadpole wriggled in the water—soft, fragile, and undeveloped. I marveled at their journey: how these small swimmers, through a God-designed process of metamorphosis, slowly take on legs, lose their tails, and rise above the surface as full-grown frogs.

But as I watched, a sobering thought settled in:
What if something went wrong?
What if the lungs never formed?
What if the tail never receded?
What if the legs didn’t develop?

Without each stage of transformation occurring in its perfect time, the tadpole would die—trapped in a body not suited for life above water. And suddenly, I wondered how many people get stuck living a life they were not suited for?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
— Romans 12:2, ESV

Just like the frog, we were not created to remain in our old state. To stay spiritually stagnant is to suffocate. God has made us for something greater—but it requires a full transformation.

• Let’s get a little deeper:
• Transformed = metamorphoō (μεταμορφόω) — to change into another form, to transfigure.
• This is where we get our word metamorphosis—a complete, essential change.

This same word describes what happened to Jesus on the mount when He was transfigured (Mark 9:2). It’s not about polishing up our behavior—it’s about becoming something entirely new.

“He saved us... by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…”
— Titus 3:5, ESV
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV

The metamorphosis of the frog is not optional if it is to survive. The same is true for us: to remain untransformed is to remain enslaved to sin, unable to live in the fullness of who God created us to be.

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us:

“We all... are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

This is not about behavior management; it’s about becoming alive in Christ.

“For freedom Christ has set us free…”
— Galatians 5:1, ESV

Just as the frog is free to leap, croak, and breathe fresh air, we are made to live in freedom.
Not freedom to sin, but freedom to joyfully walk in righteousness—to want what is holy.

• Transformation changes our loves.
• What we used to resist, we now embrace.
• What we used to chase, we now flee.

True freedom is when we love to do what we ought to do.

“…They are darkened in their understanding... due to their hardness of heart.”
— Ephesians 4:18, ESV

Just like the tadpole would die if the transformation stalled, we too suffer spiritual death when our hearts grow hard and refuse God’s renewal.

• More Greek:
• Hardness = pōrōsis (πώρωσις) — a calloused, unfeeling heart.
• Futility = mataiotēs — emptiness, vanity.

To resist transformation is to live in futility—a state of inward deadness masked by outward motion.

“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers…”
— 2 Corinthians 4:4, ESV

If Satan can keep us from seeing the glory of Christ, then he can keep us in our old state—unaware, unchanged, and unsuited for eternal life.

The enemy fears what will happen when you:

• See Jesus for who He really is.
• Allow the Spirit to reshape your mind and heart.
• Begin the transformation that leads to life and freedom.

The frog cannot survive unless it undergoes its God-ordained metamorphosis. Neither can we. We must be transformed in mind, renewed in heart, and reborn by the Spirit.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV

Let the Holy Spirit change you. Don’t fight the process. Don’t fear the loss of your old ways.
They cannot carry you into the life God has planned.

So You Think You Can Get to Heaven If You Follow the Ten Commandments?

 “The only thing you need to do to get to heaven is follow the Ten Commandments and be a good person.” It’s a phrase many people have heard—and maybe even believed. It sounds spiritual, moral, and even rooted in the Bible. But this belief is a subtle and dangerous lie. It replaces the gospel of Jesus Christ with a gospel of human effort. It denies the central truth of Scripture: that no one is good enough, and only Jesus can save.

It bothers me people we know and care about really say this popular lie and I want to tell the truth of God’s Word (ESV), expose the root philosophies that feed it—such as humanism and self-worship—and shine a light on how cults like Freemasonry, Mormonism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses promote these deceptions. Most importantly, we will point to the true gospel: salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

The Ten Commandments was never a ticket to heaven.  The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, were given by God to reveal His holiness and to expose our sin. They are good, but they were never meant to be a checklist for earning salvation.

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20, ESV)

The commandments show us what a righteous life looks like—but they also make it painfully clear that we fall short.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, ESV)

The law was meant to lead us to Christ—not to become our Savior itself.

The standard of God’s law is perfection. Missing it in even one area makes us guilty before God.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10, ESV)

Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly—something we could never do.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” (Galatians 3:13, ESV)

Trying to earn heaven by law-keeping leads to pride or despair. The law was never the way to be saved—it’s what shows us our desperate need to be saved.

The lie that “being a good person is enough” is rooted in secular humanism—the belief that humans are inherently good, self-sufficient, and capable of moral perfection without divine intervention. Thinkers like Rousseau and Kant built philosophies on the idea of human goodness without God.

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22, ESV)

But the Bible is clear:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

Humanism flatters the ego and feeds self-worship. But it offers no true solution for sin, guilt, or eternal life.

Many modern cults teach salvation by effort and moral performance. While using religious language, they deny the sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

Freemasonry Freemasonry teaches that men can attain a form of spiritual enlightenment and reach a “celestial lodge above” through good works, rituals, and moral uprightness. Jesus is optional, and their beliefs are often cloaked in secrecy and universalism.

Mormonism (LDS Church) Mormons teach that Jesus’ death opened the door for resurrection, but full salvation requires baptism, temple ordinances, and lifelong obedience to church laws and leadership. Grace alone is not sufficient in their theology.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the full divinity of Jesus and teach that salvation is obtained by obedience to the Watchtower Society, evangelizing, and moral living. Like the others, they deny salvation by grace alone.

All of these distort the gospel:

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, ESV)

Our culture idolizes the concept of “being a good person.” It’s often based on self-defined morality, personal feelings, and relative comparisons. But Scripture makes clear that self-justification is a form of rebellion.

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Romans 1:25, ESV)

“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25, ESV)

This belief is self-worship in disguise. It glorifies human effort and denies our need for a Savior.

The Bible is clear: we are saved by grace through faith in Christ—not by our works, rituals, or moral attempts.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” (Titus 3:5, ESV)

Jesus fulfilled the law and took the punishment for our sins. We don’t earn salvation—we receive it.

The enemy wants you to believe that you can be your own savior. The world, cults, and even your own heart may tell you that being “good” is enough. But the cross of Christ tells another story: that we are not enough—but Jesus is.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, ESV)

Have you been trying to earn your way to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments or being a “good person”? The truth is, you can’t do it. But Jesus already did.

Come to Him in faith. Trust not in your efforts, but in His finished work. Lay down your striving and receive the gift of grace.

He is the only way. He is the only Savior. And He offers eternal life to all who believe.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31, ESV)

Freedom with Eyes Wide Open

 

As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy this 4th of July, let us not only wave flags and light fireworks—but also open our eyes. A true love for one’s country includes both gratitude and honest reflection. Blind nationalism is not patriotism. True love must also correct and protect, especially when we see moral erosion in the name of liberty.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
—Philippians 3:20, ESV
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God…”
—Romans 13:1, ESV

As Christians, we live with dual citizenship:

• We are Americans by birth or naturalization.
• We are citizens of heaven by the grace of God.

We are commanded to respect our government (Romans 13:1–7), while also remembering it is temporary and imperfect. When governments function justly, they are God's servants for our good. When they do not, we are called to stand firm in truth, never compromising the values of Christ.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
—Romans 3:23, ESV

C.S. Lewis warned of the “chronological snobbery” of assuming our generation or nation is morally superior simply because it is modern or powerful.
Charles Spurgeon echoed similar concerns, saying,

“It is not humility to underrate yourself. Humility is to think of yourself rightly, and not more highly than you ought.”

America has done much good in the world, but it has also made grievous errors—some perpetuated by a false sense of being “chosen” or “exceptional.” These failings, whether rooted in racism, economic greed, or political corruption, reveal our shared human condition: we are fallen, and we need God's direction.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
—Genesis 1:27, ESV
“He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth…”
—Acts 17:26, ESV

Let us be reminded this 4th of July:
We are not divided into multiple races. We are one human race, with different pigments, cultures, and stories—but all made in the image of God.

Prejudice and division distort this divine image. National pride should never exalt our identity over our unity in Christ or our shared human dignity.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights provide a beautiful structure for liberty and justice. But these rights are not license to do as we please.

The First Amendment protects speech, religion, press, and assembly—but not when they threaten the life, liberty, or safety of others. This aligns with Scripture:

“For you were called to freedom... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
—Galatians 5:13, ESV

Your rights end where another’s begin.
This legal truth echoes God’s moral design:

• Freedom is not unrestrained self-expression.
• Freedom is the ability to choose righteousness without compulsion.

Our legal system, grounded in biblical ideas of justice, understands that freedom without accountability leads to chaos.

“If you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.”
—Romans 13:4, ESV

Those who violate the law forfeit certain rights to protect the common good. This is not oppression; it is justice, rooted in the dignity of all people and the protection of the vulnerable.

Let us be grateful for the rights we enjoy as Americans:

• Freedom to worship.
• Freedom to speak.
• Freedom to build a life without fear of tyranny.

But let us also be watchful. The freedoms our Constitution guarantees are only safe if we, the people, are governed by virtue and truth.

Spurgeon once warned:

“When a nation glories in its shame, the end is near.”

Lewis added:

“The most dangerous ideas in a society are not the ones being argued, but the ones that are assumed.”

May we never assume we are beyond correction. May we hold tightly to both gratitude and truth, to patriotism and repentance.

We are privileged to live in this country. And we must be willing, if the day comes again, to stand for the original foundations—not merely of land and politics—but of liberty guided by God’s truth.

We are one race, created in one image, in desperate need of one Savior.
Let us be a people who reflect that in how we celebrate, how we vote, how we speak, and how we love.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
—Proverbs 14:34, ESV

 

“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
—1 Peter 2:17, ESV

This verse comes in the context of Peter's teaching about living as sojourners and exiles (v. 11) in a world that is not our eternal home, yet still being respectful, honorable citizens who reflect Christ’s character even under unjust rulers. To “honor” in Greek, timaō (τιμάω), means to assign value, to esteem or respect. This is not about agreeing with or liking everyone, but treating all people with dignity as image-bearers of God (Genesis 1:27).
It reflects universal human dignity, regardless of status, belief, or morality.  This love is not emotional but sacrificial, agapē-type love—committed, intentional, and covenantal. While we are to honor all, we are to deeply love the Church, our fellow believers--ἀδελφότητα (adelphotēta) = “brotherhood,” community of believers (John 13:34–35).  This is reverent awe, not terror. The verb phobeomai (φοβέομαι) can mean fear, respect, or reverence depending on the context. To “fear God” means to live in holy awareness of His power, authority, and holiness—submitting all other allegiances to Him first (Proverbs 1:7).  This is the same word used earlier for “honor everyone,” but it’s specifically applied to the head of state here. In Peter’s time, this likely referred to Nero, a tyrannical and anti-Christian ruler. Yet even then, believers were told to respect the position, if not the person, unless doing so contradicted God’s law (Acts 5:29).