The Ear of a Man is a series of short stories which capture the craving in a man to quest, conquer and control. His nemesis is the resistance in his mind and the resilience of his heart. Man keeps coming back for more. Returning to the scene of his crime, seeking justice in his soul, man slowly learns from the mistakes he often fails to admit. Man searches for success, strives toward his legacy and sears his dreams into each day.
A small excerpt from the book
Man made religion does more damage than a God made relationship with Him. Miss Maudie told Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, ‘a Bible in one man’s hand is worse than a bottle of whiskey in the hand of another man’. God changes lives not men. His Word is plain to the simpleminded and confusing to the scholars. This is because scholars seek to know God’s Word while the simpleminded seek to be known by it.
To be known by God’s Word is to humbly seek His thoughts and ways. God’s Word reads us and exposes motives not truly for His glory and His Name sake. The Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control trains us to godliness. We cannot muster self-control on our own (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit teaches us all things (John 14:26), bringing Jesus’ Words to our minds. He transforms us by renewing our mind with God’s Word (Romans 12:1-2). The Holy Spirit is our strength to take captive every thought and bring it in line with God’s Word (II Corinthians 10:5). Every belief not lining up with God’s Word is a lie. Every lie corrupts a thought. Every thought guides a feeling. We are either led by God’s Word or by our feelings.
God’s Love in us stops us from having to prove a point. God’s Word humbles us to our flaws, revealing to us our intentions and motives (Hebrews 4:12). His Holiness makes our need of a Savior clear to us. We lack nothing through the provision of ‘His Word and His Holy Spirit’. Meditations on His Word lead to His Word reading us.
At times something in me resists responding to God’s Word. Demons enjoy my delay. This disobedience is un-crucified flesh, for I am dead to sin and count it so yielding to the truth of God’s Word (Romans 6:6, 11, 13). Tugs from all sides beckon me to be at home with my old nature but I myself no longer live, I was crucified with Christ and I live by faith in Christ who exchanged His life for mine (Galatians 2:20). The Lord’s voice is calling to me through His Word and His Spirit.
If I am not mindful of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit my noisiness misses His call. His sheep recognize His voice and follow Him (John 10:4). To decipher the Lord’s voice I must spend time with Him. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). I need to be still and know He is Lord (Psalm 46:10). It is not the noise from the world which defiles me but the noise in my own head (Matthew 15:11).
Noisiness is usually me helping others in my own strength and then being too tired to care for my spirit. I call others “takers” when I chose their agenda over God’s. I resent not giving to myself the way I give to others. I get irritated because I leave my expectations on the side of the road to help them carry theirs. My irritation comes from not wanting to leave my expectations. I get mad when their way becomes my way and there is no signs showing God’s Way. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger and his glory is to overlook a transgression (Proverbs 20:20).
-Cindy Steck (The Ear of a Man)
