For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 (KJV).

REFLECT:
Whose ears do you have and whose attention do you capture? Usually, when people want to describe how closely knit two people are, they would use phrases like – ‘He or she has the ears of so and so,’ or ‘such a person is particularly attentive to so and so.

It is quite a wonderful privilege to be in a place where you are given special attention, and every one of us would like to be allowed to experience such unique and special privileges.

On the other hand, we can also imagine when we are constantly sidelined and are not shown any form of special favors or goodwill. This feeling could be quite heart-wrenching, devastating, and distraught. A lot of us could very well say we have been in such a place once or perhaps quite often in our lives.

So, one would wonder why some people have quite several favored and graceful moments in their lives, while for others it takes such a long time and a struggle to even achieve an opportunity to enjoy one moment of grace and favor.

The answer we may be looking for could very well be in our Bible verse of the day text. Our Bible verse presents two categories of people to us. It goes on to tell us how God relates to each of these people groups and why.

The first group of people mentioned is considered to be righteous, and the second group is referred to as evil. Furthermore, we notice a distinction in the treatment they receive.

Those in the righteous group seem to enjoy more preferences and privileges. We may say that they have the ears and attention of God. While the second group does not count as such. The question we may wish to ask is, why this very distinct demarcation? Why is one group called righteous and the other evil? What qualifies them to hold this status?

The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. However, God has ordained that we will obtain mercy, salvation, redemption, righteousness, and grace through His son Jesus Christ. Romans 3. Therefore, it is in His Son Jesus Christ that we, all of mankind can be qualified to be called righteous.

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we move from the evil category or group of people to the righteous category.

The question to ask at this point now that we know what the situation is, is which category or group should we be identifying with? This is a decision that must be taken very seriously if we are going to succeed in life and we should also bear in mind that our success can only come when we have the ears and attention of God.

When we strive to constantly have God’s ears and attention, He makes certain that His goodwill will always be our prerogative.

Ebimobo W. Obasi

PLEASE PRAY ALONG:

A Prayer for Pursuing Righteousness

FATHER GOD, thank you for promising to always be there for the righteous. I am so grateful for allowing me to enjoy your goodwill. Please teach me to always solicit your attention and your presence. I want to continue to be able to have your ears and your attention. When I feel weak, remind me that You are strong, and when I feel like giving up, give me the strength to persevere. Show me what it means to pursue righteousness, and then help me to live well. I want every aspect of my life to glorify Your name. In JESUS MIGHTY NAME AMEN.