Modern medicine has progressed a long way since the days of bloodletting and snake oil that were used to treat everything from a fever to infectious disease. Man's understanding of the intricate mechanisms of the human body has become so extensive that today we see specialists of specialties. It was formerly sufficient for ophthalmologists to treat all eye disorders, but now we have retina specialists, cornea specialists, glaucoma specialists, cataract specialists, etc. There are specialties for just about every organ of the body: brain, heart, stomach, lungs, shoulders, hips, knees, feet, ears, noses, throats, and even toes. Powerful instruments have been developed to aid these specialists: X-ray, CAT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, ultrasound, and procedures such as angiograms probe the internal working of the body. All of this diagnostic equipment and information is useful in modern medical technology. But there is one instrument that is used by every doctor and every nurse, and it hangs around the neck; it's a stethoscope. Why is the stethoscope such a necessary piece of equipment that every doctor and nurse feels the need to have it always handy?
The stethoscope is used for listening, listening to the sounds that various parts of the body make as they function. It aids the ear in hearing the heart beat, the lungs breathe, the stomach gurgle, the pulse throb, so that the discerning ear can detect any abnormality. Body sounds are important as an indication of the state of health.
How about your spiritual health? Are there sounds that indicate a healthy or unhealthy spiritual life? Does God have a spiritual stethoscope? We know that He has attributes of omnipotence and omniscience, and that, even though He is sitting on His throne in heaven, He is able to be omnipresent. He accomplishes this through the Holy Spirit and the ministry of angels. The angels are the eyes of the Lord (Zech. 4:10); He is everywhere present by His Spirit (MH 417); and the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work through the ministry of angels (DA 352). Thus, the angels play a vital part in this divinely ordained communication network. God is watching and listening night and day by His Spirit and the angels "to hear some sinner pray." Prayer is the means by which we let God know of our spiritual needs, and He is prompt to diagnose and remedy the problem. How is our spiritual heartbeat, is it throbbing with courage and faith? How is our breathing, are we inhaling deeply of the fresh, pure air of the gospel? How is our digestion, do we daily eat the bread of life, or is it gurgling on a diet of forbidden fruit and false doctrine; God is listening with His angelic ears as His "divine stethoscope."
