Have you ever had the experience of trying to make a fine adjustment in the reception of a radio station and you turned the dial ever-so-gently with no result, so you turned a bit more only to have the dial jump way past the point you intended?
Ok, put God in your shoes and you become the radio dial. God is trying to get his message across and you’re supposed to carry his message.
He’s tried to move you gently to say or do the right things but you acted like you didn’t hear him…you had other fish to fry…you promised to do it later and when the promptings of the Holy Spirit continue you over react and create another mess for God to clean up. I won’t bother asking if you’ve been there. We all have.
He’s been having this problem for centuries. No culture is immune to this problem. You don’t have to look hard to know why. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony are everywhere and we have even turned our judgement of these sins into entertainment by which we amuse ourselves by telling stories of others who we secretly, surreptitiously admire but self righteously condemn to punishment. Self righteousness and the tendency of everyone to correct what is wrong with everybody else before fixing what is wrong with ourselves is universal.
When I read Bible stories of prophets who responded immediately to God’s call, I am amazed (and challenged) by their instant obedience.
If a Dad says STOP! and you step off the curb anyway, no amount of remorse will bring you back to life. No doubt about it “instant obedience” is best.
God needs a PERFECT receiver. From the very beginning God knew he would have to “do it himself” and so he kept dropping hints of what he had in mind by 1) telling us through his prophets that it took the death of animals to make the coverings for Adam and Eve, 2) providing the substitutionary ram for Isaac, 3) protecting the Israelites by the blood of the Passover lamb.
Even as he made his righteous demands clear he knew we couldn’t keep the laws so he said, “Look I know you’re going to mess up so if you’ll admit it to me when you do and “circumcise your heart” drawing the blood of (killing) the sinfulness in yourselves and show the same degree of mercy to others that you ask of me for yourself, I will not only let you live but will bless you.”
Oh, the kings of Israel sometimes “got it”, along with the prophets and poets but most of the advice to do good, love mercy and walk humbly with God fell of deaf ears. King Saul is a clear lesson in what NOT to do and if the point was missed Samuel pressed it home with the statement that God wants obedience not sacrifice.
It’s no wonder that when Jesus came he kept asking us, “Are you deaf?” Well he was more courteous than that. He just left it open to us with “If you have ears, then HEAR what the Spirit is saying.” We're not perfect but we'll come much closer to that standard if we let Christ take control when we know we're not up to it. Do what He wants to do, and say what He wants to say. He never makes a mistake.
Ok, put God in your shoes and you become the radio dial. God is trying to get his message across and you’re supposed to carry his message.
He’s tried to move you gently to say or do the right things but you acted like you didn’t hear him…you had other fish to fry…you promised to do it later and when the promptings of the Holy Spirit continue you over react and create another mess for God to clean up. I won’t bother asking if you’ve been there. We all have.
He’s been having this problem for centuries. No culture is immune to this problem. You don’t have to look hard to know why. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony are everywhere and we have even turned our judgement of these sins into entertainment by which we amuse ourselves by telling stories of others who we secretly, surreptitiously admire but self righteously condemn to punishment. Self righteousness and the tendency of everyone to correct what is wrong with everybody else before fixing what is wrong with ourselves is universal.
When I read Bible stories of prophets who responded immediately to God’s call, I am amazed (and challenged) by their instant obedience.
If a Dad says STOP! and you step off the curb anyway, no amount of remorse will bring you back to life. No doubt about it “instant obedience” is best.
God needs a PERFECT receiver. From the very beginning God knew he would have to “do it himself” and so he kept dropping hints of what he had in mind by
1) telling us through his prophets that it took the death of animals to make the coverings for Adam and Eve,
2) providing the substitutionary ram for Isaac,
3) protecting the Israelites by the blood of the Passover lamb.
Even as he made his righteous demands clear he knew we couldn’t keep the laws so he said, “Look I know you’re going to mess up so if you’ll admit it to me when you do and “circumcise your heart” drawing the blood of (killing) the sinfulness in yourselves and show the same degree of mercy to others that you ask of me for yourself, I will not only let you live but will bless you.”
Oh, the kings of Israel sometimes “got it”, along with the prophets and poets but most of the advice to do good, love mercy and walk humbly with God fell of deaf ears. King Saul is a clear lesson in what NOT to do and if the point was missed Samuel pressed it home with the statement that God wants obedience not sacrifice.
It’s no wonder that when Jesus came he kept asking us, “Are you deaf?” Well he was more courteous than that. He just left it open to us with “If you have ears, then HEAR what the Spirit is saying.” We're not perfect but we'll come much closer to that standard if we let Christ take control when we know we're not up to it. Do what He wants to do, and say what He wants to say. He never makes a mistake.