How many times has this happened to you? You are going about your day, doing your own thing; then BAM! You realize it's your wife's birthday... It doesn't have to be your wife's. It could be your husband's or your siblings, or your great aunt on your mother's side. The point is, you realize you were supposed to buy them a present and now you are stuck. It isn't you didn't care about them, or that you don't feel they are worthy of your time and energy. It's just that the cares of this world and the distractions of life just; well; distracted you. And the worst thing is you know for a fact they already told you what they wanted! Not that it matters because even if you had the time to get it for them, you don't remember what it was. Again, the distractions of the world distracting you from the people you love. From what and who are important. So to quote a contestant on America's Got Talent: "Whatcha gonna do?"
Well the typical response to this is going out and buying the most expensive present you can afford that is readily available, and hope they like it enough to forget what they originally asked for. Sounds like it might work, and for many of us it has worked, and way too often.
The bigger problem comes when we also allow these distractions of life to interfere with our relationship with God. You might be able to talk your way out of forgetting a present for your wife, but let me tell you, you don't have the game to talk your way around your creator.
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams."
(I Samuel 15:22)
Samuel is telling the Israelites that God isn't interested in consolation prizes. He doesn't want our apologies; he wants us to follow the path He laid down for us. He wants us to soak in the wonder of His blessings:
"But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" (Jeremiah 7:23)
It sounds really simple, but it's really not. Let's take a real life example. My wife Connie and I were called out to Kelowna by the Lord. It was something we wanted to do so following God's call was easy. This is typically true. Not that God's way is easy. Jesus called for us to pick up our crosses and follow Him, not our jugs of milk and honey. No. As human beings we have no problems doing what we want. Once we got out here however; things were not what we expected. We were flooded with new and extensive responsibilities; responsibilities that soaked up our time and energy. We did not WANT these new responsibilities. Suddenly it was much HARDER to follow God's will for us. We started getting distracted. We never forgot the plan God had for us, but there were times that it slipped to the back burner of our thoughts.
It would have been easy to slide into worldly thoughts and ambitions, straying further and further from the path God had for us. Thankfully though, my wife's skull is not quite as thick as mine, and she listened to the Holy Spirit who helped guide us back.
"Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground."
(Psalm 143:10)
God has used this to teach us about obedience. Samuel talked to us about this same thing in chapter 15. God loves it when we come back to Him. It's why He rejoiced in the sacrifices of the Israelites. But like a perfect Father, He would much rather we never leave Him in the first place. He doesn't want us to have to flounder around trying to correct mistakes we made. Apologizing or making excuses for things we forgot. He doesn't want us to have to suffer, enjoying only those pitiful things we can glean by scrapping them up from this corrupt world. He wants us to spiritually thrive on His blessings, and we can only receive those blessings by listening to Him and following His Word. By allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us and be our guide. We can only bask in His presence when we are obediently and deliberately walking towards God.
It doesn't sound so easy now does it? No. And Satan stays awake every night trying to find ways to make it harder. God calls us to study Scripture? Satan finds more garbage to fill our days doing; stuff that is easier. God has called you to volunteer for a ministry? Satan wears down the transmission in your car so you have to work more to pay for it. Now you don't have the TIME to volunteer. The more you are called by God, the more you can bet Satan is gonna try and call you out! The more he will try to distract, cajole, frighten, or tempt you away. The only time he will let up on you is when you are being ineffectual in your walk with Christ. But we don't have to fear the enemy.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (I Peter 5:8-9)
It may not sound like much of a consolation. Knowing all Christians suffer from the wrath of the enemy. In many ways it may even seem like a discouragement, but consider this. What if you were alone in your sufferings; what if you were one of only a handful of Christians being tormented by Satan? What support could you expect from other people? What fellowship? How would anyone else be able to relate or understand the trials you are facing? We all stand together, braced side-by-side as a phalanx of the army of God. Each protecting not only ourselves, but also those on our right and on our left.
If this was not enough, consider the inner consistency of God's will. God's will cannot be thwarted. He has plans for us since before we were born.
Satan's got nothin'!
Whenever Satan strikes out at you with fear and doubt remember this:
"If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."
(Psalm 139:11-16)
Out of fear and anxiety we get tied up in the affairs of this world. We get distracted or outright forget the path God shows to us. Then when we notice how far we have strayed, we struggle to make sacrifices and do works to cover our sins hoping to 'reconnect' with God. Many feel they have gone too far to come back, drifting off into the world until they are like shadows, never able to be happy without Christ in their hearts. We are all prodigal sons and daughters and God knew when He made us we would wander. In His infinite wisdom, He has and will use these errors of judgement on our part, to teach us and each other how we can become closer to Him.
Teaching and reaching out for us. If the elegance and gracefulness of this concept was the only evidence I had for the goodness of God, it would be enough for me. May God's light shine upon you all. Be blessed.
Well the typical response to this is going out and buying the most expensive present you can afford that is readily available, and hope they like it enough to forget what they originally asked for. Sounds like it might work, and for many of us it has worked, and way too often.
The bigger problem comes when we also allow these distractions of life to interfere with our relationship with God. You might be able to talk your way out of forgetting a present for your wife, but let me tell you, you don't have the game to talk your way around your creator.
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams."
(I Samuel 15:22)
Samuel is telling the Israelites that God isn't interested in consolation prizes. He doesn't want our apologies; he wants us to follow the path He laid down for us. He wants us to soak in the wonder of His blessings:
"But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" (Jeremiah 7:23)
It sounds really simple, but it's really not. Let's take a real life example. My wife Connie and I were called out to Kelowna by the Lord. It was something we wanted to do so following God's call was easy. This is typically true. Not that God's way is easy. Jesus called for us to pick up our crosses and follow Him, not our jugs of milk and honey. No. As human beings we have no problems doing what we want. Once we got out here however; things were not what we expected. We were flooded with new and extensive responsibilities; responsibilities that soaked up our time and energy. We did not WANT these new responsibilities. Suddenly it was much HARDER to follow God's will for us. We started getting distracted. We never forgot the plan God had for us, but there were times that it slipped to the back burner of our thoughts.
It would have been easy to slide into worldly thoughts and ambitions, straying further and further from the path God had for us. Thankfully though, my wife's skull is not quite as thick as mine, and she listened to the Holy Spirit who helped guide us back.
"Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground."
(Psalm 143:10)
God has used this to teach us about obedience. Samuel talked to us about this same thing in chapter 15. God loves it when we come back to Him. It's why He rejoiced in the sacrifices of the Israelites. But like a perfect Father, He would much rather we never leave Him in the first place. He doesn't want us to have to flounder around trying to correct mistakes we made. Apologizing or making excuses for things we forgot. He doesn't want us to have to suffer, enjoying only those pitiful things we can glean by scrapping them up from this corrupt world. He wants us to spiritually thrive on His blessings, and we can only receive those blessings by listening to Him and following His Word. By allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us and be our guide. We can only bask in His presence when we are obediently and deliberately walking towards God.
It doesn't sound so easy now does it? No. And Satan stays awake every night trying to find ways to make it harder. God calls us to study Scripture? Satan finds more garbage to fill our days doing; stuff that is easier. God has called you to volunteer for a ministry? Satan wears down the transmission in your car so you have to work more to pay for it. Now you don't have the TIME to volunteer. The more you are called by God, the more you can bet Satan is gonna try and call you out! The more he will try to distract, cajole, frighten, or tempt you away. The only time he will let up on you is when you are being ineffectual in your walk with Christ. But we don't have to fear the enemy.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (I Peter 5:8-9)
It may not sound like much of a consolation. Knowing all Christians suffer from the wrath of the enemy. In many ways it may even seem like a discouragement, but consider this. What if you were alone in your sufferings; what if you were one of only a handful of Christians being tormented by Satan? What support could you expect from other people? What fellowship? How would anyone else be able to relate or understand the trials you are facing? We all stand together, braced side-by-side as a phalanx of the army of God. Each protecting not only ourselves, but also those on our right and on our left.
If this was not enough, consider the inner consistency of God's will. God's will cannot be thwarted. He has plans for us since before we were born.
Satan's got nothin'!
Whenever Satan strikes out at you with fear and doubt remember this:
"If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."
(Psalm 139:11-16)
Out of fear and anxiety we get tied up in the affairs of this world. We get distracted or outright forget the path God shows to us. Then when we notice how far we have strayed, we struggle to make sacrifices and do works to cover our sins hoping to 'reconnect' with God. Many feel they have gone too far to come back, drifting off into the world until they are like shadows, never able to be happy without Christ in their hearts. We are all prodigal sons and daughters and God knew when He made us we would wander. In His infinite wisdom, He has and will use these errors of judgement on our part, to teach us and each other how we can become closer to Him.
Teaching and reaching out for us. If the elegance and gracefulness of this concept was the only evidence I had for the goodness of God, it would be enough for me. May God's light shine upon you all. Be blessed.