Growing Numb

I have a couple questions for you this morning. Have you ever been talking with someone but you
weren’t really listening & after the conversation you were clueless as to what was said? What about when you hear the same thing over & over it becomes a routine or loses its value? How about when we sweep problems under the rug so we don’t have to face them? Out of sight; out of mind, right? I’d have to say these things happen more than I’d like to admit. When I see starving children on TV from 3^rd world countries, I change the channel because I don’t want to see their saddened faces.

Has God ever convicted you of something & you run the opposite direction instead of seeking Him for forgiveness & guidance? Matthew 13:14-16 explains that our hearts can become calloused, our eyes blinded, & our ears deaf to what God’s trying to reveal to us. Even then He reminds us of His grace & forgiveness. Thank you Jesus!!! What has God been dealing with you about; & better yet how long have you been running away? Below I’ve attached Matthew 13:1-17 (The Message) because it’s just so good, but I also want you to read your normal version as well. I pray you find some encouragement in this & want to thank the sweet lady that brought this to my attention. :0) I love you & hope you have a wonderful weekend! Remember to Praise God Always!!!

Matthew 13 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at
all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. ^3-8"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell
on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. ⁹"Are
you listening to this? Really listening?" ¹⁰The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"  ^11-15 He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday
and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face, and let me heal them. ^16-17"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.