Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If any one has ears to hear, let him hear". Then He said to them, "TAKE HEED WHAT YOU HEAR. WITH THE SAME MEASURE YOU USE IT, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever HAS, to him more will be given; but whoever DOES NOT HAVE, even what he HAS will be taken away from him.
It is imperative for those of us in the kingdom of God to develop to the place where we are willing to obey His word and will. The way to obedience to His word and will is to give yourself to those things you know He has made real to you. The process begins with the measure of faith that God has given. It is from this measure that the individual responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ to receive God's salvation through Jesus Christ- to be born again (or born from above as the scripture references). From here one develops through increased faith (the apostles asked Jesus for this) and eventually to great faith (the centurion possessed this in knowing that whatever Jesus said would come to pass). Notice! The centurion knew that anything Jesus said would come to pass! When you are convinced that everything that Jesus says will come to pass, you will be more likely to give your attention to Him, to seek Him. As you seek, knock and ask, you will begin to hear more clearly, more often.
The scripture reference noted above clearly divides between those who hear and use it, receiving more, and those who hear and will not use it (essentially like the servant who took the master's talent and hid it in the ground, not working with it). As I had mentioned in a previous discussion, the measure of faith given to each one is a priming of the pump so to speak; like the given's in geometry, it's in each of us. God created us with it. If an individual passes through life without using it, that one will have even the measure taken away. That one wasted the opportunity that God had given. They took the opportunity to HAVE light for themselves and be a blessing with that light to others and hid it under a basket, a bed or buried it!
The good news is, if you want to hear you will. When you hear and are willing to use what you have heard (in other words, give corresponding action to what you have heard), the Lord will give you more to use. Eventually this truth leads you to a place where you are walking just as He walked because of your intimacy with Him!
