Feb. 12, 2004

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ]They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ `
—Exodus 20:19

Quote[/b] ]We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them—not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

"You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . ." We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, "Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth."

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, "Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?" This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.

 

[Kidan]

As many of you may know, I have a 1 year old son. My son, loves to walk around. He walks from one end of the house to the other. Except for 1 room. He's not allowed in the kitchen. Which of course means he wants to be in that room the most.


anytime we're in the kitchen he has to make the deciision on whether or not, he's going to obey us and stay out of it. He knows what will happen (we sternly tell him to get out of the kitchen once, and then it's a light paddling) if he disobeys. Yet he does so and it makes me sad. I hate having to punish my son, but at the same time I love him enough to punish him consistently and for everything he does wrong.


How often do we treat our Heavenly Father in this way? We know we're not supposed to be doing something, but that doesn't stop us. We know God wants us to do something, but we run from it.

How sad do you think it makes God, when we turn from Him, when we, who are supposed to be His children, ignore Him and thumb our noise at Him.

Are you listening to God today, or are you ignoring Him, because you don't want to hear what He has to say?