Have you ever had God tell you to do something only to find you come running back to Him to ask Him what to do? Not sure what I’m talking about? Let me give you an example. Today God told me to write. But instead of sitting down to write, I got in His face begging Him to tell me what to do. He had already given me instructions. But clearly God’s instructions were not enough – not in my lack of humility and obedience anyway.
Have you ever noticed a tendency to want to follow God’s directions when they’re happy instructions, pleasing instructions, easy instructions, comfortable instructions, etc.? Have you ever noticed a tendency to want to follow His instructions when they’re exciting, and fancy, and frilly, and might even look good in front of others? This is not a hard question for me to answer. I have definitely fallen short in all of this.
God’s instructions are not always happy, pleasing, easy, comfortable, exciting, fancy, frilly, and good-looking in front of others. In fact, His instructions are often quite the opposite. His instructions oftentimes run contrary to the desires of our human flesh, and certainly to the expectations of the world. Yet they are still God’s instructions, right?
Herein lies the problem. How often do we question God’s instructions, debate God’s instructions, reason about God’s instructions, disobey God’s instructions, etc., because we simply don’t find them to be good enough? Ahem. Anyone? Yeah, me too.
This morning, when God told me to write, I did not see His instructions as good enough. More accurately, I didn’t see His instructions as fancy and frilly enough. His instructions should be huge, exciting, long-winded, and fabulous, right? But He had give me such a simple – and obvious – instruction. Write. How did I respond?
I reasoned. I debated. I had a better plan. I tried to justify my plan. I tried to convince myself – and Him – that I hadn’t really heard from Him. I tried to justify my better plan. I tried to convince myself – and Him – that my better plan was really His plan. I “visited” the computer a few times. I found “other stuff” – “better stuff” -to do. My stuff was more important. I became distracted. I stayed distracted.
And then do you know what? I had the nerve, the gall, the audacity, the pride to then launch into an in-your-face match with God in which I BEGGED – and I mean BEGGED – Him to give me instructions on how to proceed with my day, and life. Imagine that. Not only were God’s instructions not good enough, but I actually fooled myself into believing that God wasn’t talking to me.
I begged, I begged, and I begged for Him to speak to me. I even reminded Him that the Bible says His sheep hear His voice. Do you know what? God actually had the nerve, the gall, and the audacity to stay pretty much silent. Okay, He said a little bit to me. But not very much. I suppose He figured since I wasn’t bothering to receive and follow His last set of instructions, why should He waste His time going any further? Right?
Sad to say, I finally got it. I mean, I finally got it. Really got it. He had already spoken. He had already given me instructions. And He was waiting for me to WAKE UP, HUMBLE MYSELF as I should have in the first place, and DO what He had told me to do! And imagine to my surprise how relieved, and free, and better I felt when I actually submitted to Him in obedience.
If the truth be known, and everyone pretty much knows how transparent I am, it’s hard for me to believe that sometimes the Creator of the universe speaks in the most simplistic, obvious, non-wordy way. Think about it. His instructions to me were so simple. Write. Really?
Now as a woman of many words – and I mean MANY WORDS – it’s hard for me to believe that ANYONE would want to be silent. It’s hard for me to believe that ANYONE could really stay silent. It’s hard for me to believe that ANYONE could say something REALLY IMPORTANT in just a few words. And it’s hard for me to believe that ANYONE would even want to. After all, I love words. Okay, I more than just love them. I use them, lots, and lots, and sometimes (or often) too much!
But God? He’s not so wordy. Not like I am anyway. Most accurately, HE does not waste His time with idle words like the rest of the world – like especially me.
Today was a great lesson in remembering that HOW God speaks to us, WHEN God speaks to us, WHY God speaks to us, WHAT God speaks to us, is REALLY HIS business. MY BUSINESS, and OUR business is not to judge, debate, reason, pick, choose, question, or anything else His Words – but simply to remember, and acknowledge that HE IS GOD and we are not. My job, and yours, is this.
To obey.
Dear Father, I am sorry. Like a child, Lord, I put on a pout-y face with a pout-y heart and did not submit. I am so sorry, Lord, for not submitting. Thank you, Lord, for your never ending mercy, and your never failing love. Please help me, and all of us, to really get it – that we are not here to pick and choose when to listen and when to obey. Please help us to really get that we are here to love and serve you unconditionally. I love you, Lord. Draw us to you, dear Father. Teach us your ways. Help us to walk in them. Thank you, dear Father, for being the most amazing Father in the universe! I love you, I love you, I love you. In Jesus name Amen.
2Co 10:4 “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”