The Lord Hears You

Will Smith and Gene Hackman star in the 1998 movie, Enemy of the State. The concept is that whether you deserve it or not, the Government has immense capabilities to spy on every minute detail of your life. As unnerving as the film was, technology has only grown more sophisticated. Satellites, GPS, cameras, email, smart phones, Alexa, and Siri all can be hacked and monitored. Later there was a hit TV series, Person of Interest, that featured a fictional machine that could intercept all the metadata out there and flag dangerous behavior and situations. in 2013 Edward Snowden leaked classified information revealing our government’s unconstitutional monitoring of private citizens routine phone calls with no specific probable cause. The Government really is like the fictional “Big Brother” in George Orwell’s novel 1984. About a year and a half ago I was involved in a passionate political debate with a ride share customer and I quoted a statistic… all of a sudden my phone interrupts the conversation by saying “Actually the real numbers are...” Not only was my phone listening, it was actively involved in solving a political debate! We would do well to realize that in America there are very few places where we can have private communications any more.

As unnerving as that seems, there is an even more invasive listener than Uncle Sam. You see what ever we say in public, on Facebook, in private texts, even whispered in dark corners of the world, God hears! Let that sink in… there is no privacy setting, no mute, no encryption code that will stop this. Whatever you are saying, the Lord Hears You.

I. The Lord Hears You Murmuring and Complaining

Deuteronomy 1:27 KJV

And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

Deuteronomy 1:34–36 KJV

And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, 

Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, 

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

Exodus 16:9 KJV

And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

Exodus 16:12 KJV

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

II. The Lord Hears the Whispers of Bigotry

Numbers 12:1–2 KJV

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 

And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

**The Lord Also Hears When You Need Him**

III. The Lord Hears Cries of Affliction

A. Hagar

Genesis 16:11–12 KJV

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 

And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Leah

Genesis 29:31–35 KJV

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 

And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. 

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. 

And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

B. The People of Israel

Deuteronomy 26:7 KJV

And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

Exodus 3:7 KJV

And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;