Can we hear? Will we respond?

The reading for today in Oswald Chamber' My Utmost for His Highest is entitled "Called of God" and references Isaiah's hearing of God's call.

"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)

The idea is that God is talking to everyone, yet Isaiah heard His still small voice and chose to respond based on that hearing. Oswald says,

"Whether or not I hear God's call depends on the state of my ears; and what I hear depends on my disposition."

This fits wonderfully in the discussion of the understanding of perspectives. Isaiah was responding, but it wasn't necessarily to a personal call (though that could be argued) but a general call. He was responding because of, as Oswald puts it, the state of his ears and disposition.

Oswald's quote is interesting because he says that "whether or not I hear" is a result of the state of his ears. Presumably his ears are that part of him which has the capability of truly hearing the call. This would be his spirit. It presumes that he was hitherto walking in the spirit and not the flesh; that he was not living a life blaspheming the Holy Spirit and thus hindering the work of the Spirit in his life. The state of our heart, or willingness to submit to the authority and love of Christ in our lives, then determines whether or not we can actually hear the still small voice of God when He speaks. If we are living in the flesh or at the leading of another master (like ourselves) it will be hard for our spirit to hear through the din of the carnal static. If however, our "disposition" is one that is submitted, one that is walking under the Lordship of God and His Christ, then not only will we hear, we will also hear the "what" of His call.

What we hear, the specifics of God's call and our place in it, can only be heard through a willing heart ("Who will go?") that is poised and ready for action. It is about having a continual relationship of building and mentoring by the Holy Spirit; it is about being willing to introspect and "let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God" as Oswald puts it; it is about having our hearts prepared so that when the moment comes, we have the opportunity to say "Here am I, send me."

If we neglect the Spirit of God and his leading, and aren't able to hear his voice through our flesh, and can't hear what He is calling us to do through our fallen disposition - will we be able to respond? Clearly the answer is no, and clearly the answer is straightforward, though the way may be difficult depending on how much we hang on to the flesh and walk under our own lordship.

Can we hear? Will we respond?