Recently I woke up and had trouble hearing out of my right ear. My right ear is the good ear, and the left is the one I have trouble hearing out of. I touched my face and felt pressure in my right ear that was not present in the left. I knew something was wrong and wanted to get my otoscope out and look into my right ear, but my eye was not on a stalk like that of a snail, so I had to rely on someone else to look for me. Fortunately, I was able to secure an appointment with my ENT doctor that day and he found my ear canal was clogged and obstructed with cerumen or ear wax, for those of you who are not familiar with medical terminology.
He removed the cerumen and I immediately felt relief and my hearing was restored to normal. This was the first time in my life that this had happened to me. It was a simple procedure and was quickly accomplished.
We often have spiritual cerumen build up in our spiritual ears until it obstructs our ability to hear the word of the Lord through the still small voice of the Holy Ghost.
When I was in high school our choir sang this song which repeats the words “Hear the word of the Lord”.
In instructing the church, the Lord says in the Doctrine and Covenants 46: 17-19 that we will receive information through the Spirit. We must then have ears to hear before our hearts receive understanding.
What is this spiritual cerumen that dampens our hearing of the spiritual whisperings? It is the roar of the crowd and the mocking of the great and spacious building. It is the praying and not listening. It is the failure to read, ponder and pray. Just as our body builds up and secretes earwax (cerumen) little by little until it obstructs the ear canal and interferes with our physical ability to hear, the ability to “Hear Him” is impaired by spiritual cerumen. Thus, we have ears to hear, but hear not.
So, my grandchildren, keep your ears clean!
Love,
Grandpa
