In Mark 4:35-41, it says.. And on that day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?" And they became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
Very good question- who is this, that the wind and sea obey Him? In Psalms, that question is answered, not once but three different times. First in Psalm 65:7 "Who dost still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves and the tumult of the peoples". Second, Psalm 89:9 "Thou dost rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves rise, Thou dost still them". And in Psalm 107:29 "He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed".
The Psalms were very well known during the time Jesus walked the earth. No doubt the disciples had heard these verses. This event hit them like a ton of bricks. This man just did something only God can do! No wonder they became very much afraid!
The great thing about this story is- not only can our Lord still nature's storms, he can also take our hearts, full of fear and anxiety, and boldly say "Hush, be still". And just as quickly, all is peaceful and quiet. After all, He is the Prince of Peace.
In Psalm 131:1-2, David writes "O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother".
In that passage David says he doesn't involve himself with "things too difficult". In other words, he avoids things that lead to stress and confusion. If he were alive today, he wouldn’t be the type of person to watch too much TV. I'll bet he'd prefer to lie down in green pastures and walk beside still waters. In other words, David was a man who liked the quiet. He spent much time in quiet reflection.
How about you? Do you take time out of your day to get quiet and listen to God? Or is your life more like a raging storm, noisy and battered about at every turn? If so, good news- there’s hope. Jesus is still the one who calms the sea and wind.
In Lamentations 3:25-26, it says "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD".
If you really want to make the heart of God happy, seek His face with a sincere, earnest, hungry heart. Get quiet, let the stillness of the moment envelope you. If you can’t seem to find that quiet place in your heart, allow Jesus to speak to the raging storm and say “Hush, be still”. God’s Word promises “the Lord is good to the one who seeks Him”. It’s “good to wait quietly for the Lord”.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Spending Time
Every Saturday night, a man takes his girlfriend on a date. They spend one or two hours, either going out to dinner or a movie. Immediately after the date, he takes her home. They might exchange a few kisses at the end of the date, or they might not. And every night, well not every night.. it might only be three or four nights a week.. he calls her at approximately 10pm. He spends five to ten minutes talking mostly about himself, about his fishing trip that day, or the ball game he went to with his friends, then yawns, says he’s tired and how he needs to get some sleep. This same routine goes on for 10 years. Finally the woman asks the dreaded questions- Where is this relationship going? Are we going to get married or what? I’m tired of only seeing you one or two hours every weekend. Without blinking an eye, the man replies “I’m sorry, but I’m just way too busy to get married”. What do you think she would say?
Everyone knows, there’s not a woman on earth that would put up with a fool like that. Yet we somehow expect God to be content when we spend 5 minutes reading our Bible, or when we offer a few bless-me prayers right before bedtime. That’s equally as foolish.
Reality is- God wants an intimate loving relationship with each one of us. But we need to make time for Him. I’m not saying we can’t enjoy our hobbies, but we shouldn’t let them become idols in our lives either. If we really want to know God ways, we need to spend time with Him.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Everyone knows, there’s not a woman on earth that would put up with a fool like that. Yet we somehow expect God to be content when we spend 5 minutes reading our Bible, or when we offer a few bless-me prayers right before bedtime. That’s equally as foolish.
Reality is- God wants an intimate loving relationship with each one of us. But we need to make time for Him. I’m not saying we can’t enjoy our hobbies, but we shouldn’t let them become idols in our lives either. If we really want to know God ways, we need to spend time with Him.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Blessed is the man
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)
This scripture means a great deal to me. When I was 21, my father and step-mother gave me a poster, showing a young man reading his Bible, with a look of reflection on his face, as if he were in deep thought.. In the background of the poster were the words to Psalm 1. I’m not quite sure what happened to that poster in the many times I’ve moved since. But I can vividly remember something that happened a few years ago, relating to that poster..
During my morning devotion, I was in somewhat of a spiritual wrestling match with God. Guess you could say I was in “complaint mode”. I was complaining to God that it wasn’t fair, how my morning quiet times were always so special, how He always blessed and my day always started out so well. But then as my day wore on, I felt drained and dry and battered about. And by the time my day was over, I felt like God was nowhere around.
Then God reminded me of that poster. What did that psalm promise? That if I’d truly meditate on God’s Word day and night, I’d be like a tree, with leaves that never wither? To be quite honest, even when the Lord reminded me of that poster and that psalm, I still objected, telling Him I really didn’t see how that was possible. God, how can I really think about Your Word day and night? There are so many other things always demanding my attention. Then I heard that still small voice challenging- Are you saying it’s not true? I had to admit to God- No, Your Words are always true, I’ve simply never acted on them.
I was reminded of what Jesus did in the wilderness, when he was tempted by the devil. I’d always thought of that story in the wrong way, as if Satan were actually standing there in the flesh tempting Jesus. It’s highly more likely Jesus was tempted like you and I are, with evil, foolish thoughts coming to us out of nowhere. If Jesus was tempted in all things as we are, then it only makes sense he was also tempted in the same way we are. But more importantly, how did Jesus respond to these temptations? He always replied with God’s Word.. Thinking of that truth made me reflect, what if I memorized scripture, put the Word of God down inside me, so when foolish thoughts hit me, I reply the same way?
From then on, I’ve tried my best to make meditating on God’s Word my main priority. I’ve learned by practice and experience, you can digest scripture and reflect on it over and over, to the point where it becomes part of you. I find myself thinking about scriptures on the drive to work, walking down the hallway, as I wake or drift off to sleep.
I find myself seeing things in scripture I’d never seen before. The Holy Spirit has a way of illuminating each verse, expanding its meaning. The fact is- putting scripture inside your heart really does make a difference, not only in your daily walk, but in your devotional time as well. Now I don’t just read my Bible. I read, meditate and digest it. It’s not a duty, it’s a privilege.
This scripture means a great deal to me. When I was 21, my father and step-mother gave me a poster, showing a young man reading his Bible, with a look of reflection on his face, as if he were in deep thought.. In the background of the poster were the words to Psalm 1. I’m not quite sure what happened to that poster in the many times I’ve moved since. But I can vividly remember something that happened a few years ago, relating to that poster..
During my morning devotion, I was in somewhat of a spiritual wrestling match with God. Guess you could say I was in “complaint mode”. I was complaining to God that it wasn’t fair, how my morning quiet times were always so special, how He always blessed and my day always started out so well. But then as my day wore on, I felt drained and dry and battered about. And by the time my day was over, I felt like God was nowhere around.
Then God reminded me of that poster. What did that psalm promise? That if I’d truly meditate on God’s Word day and night, I’d be like a tree, with leaves that never wither? To be quite honest, even when the Lord reminded me of that poster and that psalm, I still objected, telling Him I really didn’t see how that was possible. God, how can I really think about Your Word day and night? There are so many other things always demanding my attention. Then I heard that still small voice challenging- Are you saying it’s not true? I had to admit to God- No, Your Words are always true, I’ve simply never acted on them.
I was reminded of what Jesus did in the wilderness, when he was tempted by the devil. I’d always thought of that story in the wrong way, as if Satan were actually standing there in the flesh tempting Jesus. It’s highly more likely Jesus was tempted like you and I are, with evil, foolish thoughts coming to us out of nowhere. If Jesus was tempted in all things as we are, then it only makes sense he was also tempted in the same way we are. But more importantly, how did Jesus respond to these temptations? He always replied with God’s Word.. Thinking of that truth made me reflect, what if I memorized scripture, put the Word of God down inside me, so when foolish thoughts hit me, I reply the same way?
From then on, I’ve tried my best to make meditating on God’s Word my main priority. I’ve learned by practice and experience, you can digest scripture and reflect on it over and over, to the point where it becomes part of you. I find myself thinking about scriptures on the drive to work, walking down the hallway, as I wake or drift off to sleep.
I find myself seeing things in scripture I’d never seen before. The Holy Spirit has a way of illuminating each verse, expanding its meaning. The fact is- putting scripture inside your heart really does make a difference, not only in your daily walk, but in your devotional time as well. Now I don’t just read my Bible. I read, meditate and digest it. It’s not a duty, it’s a privilege.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
In the Early Morning
Those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17)
Early in my Christian experience, I attended a missionary training program run by an organization called Youth with a Mission (YWAM). It was known as DTS, meaning Discipleship Training Program- it was five months in a tight-knit Christian community.
We lived a large house- eating our meals together, working together, praying together and attended daily Bible teachings together. When the program started, we were given a daily schedule- for example what time meals were served, what work duties or chores were expected of us, and what times we’d attend Bible teaching. The school’s director also recommended we take at least 30 minutes every morning to have our own personal devotions. He recommended we devote the time to reading our Bible, meditating on what we read and praying. He also suggested we listen to hear what God might be saying to us.
So every morning, we were awakened, and shortly thereafter started our devotional time. Since we lived in close quarters, we had to be somewhat creative to find a secluded place. We found various places on the property. My spot was the backyard, near the garden.
To be totally honest, at first I didn’t enjoy this part of our daily schedule. It felt awkward to read my Bible and pray all alone, especially being outside away from other students. But when fellow students later shared what God revealed to them in their “quiet time”, it sparked a godly jealousy (if there is such a thing). Basically I wanted to know the Lord like they did. I decided to earnestly pursue this idea of having early morning devotions.
As I soon discovered, spending time with God was the absolute highlight of my day. Instead of seeing daily devotions as something performed out of duty, I realized this was a blessed opportunity to spend time with God, to hear His voice, and to know Him better.
Over the years I’ve found 30 minutes isn’t enough. The time has grown in length. And my body clock has adjusted accordingly. I normally take 15 to 30 minutes to wake-up, then another 60 minutes for my devotions. Only then do I start getting ready for work. Sixty minutes might sound a bit extreme, but it works well for me. And to tell you the truth, now I can’t even imagine starting my day without a quiet time as my first priority.
Even Jesus was known to wake early, so He could spend time with His Heavenly Father.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
You might think getting up early isn’t doable, that you need more sleep than most people. That might be true, but you could at least try to give the Lord more time in the mornings. Try setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier, then once you get used to that, try setting it back another 15 minutes. And if that’s not working, you might try going to bed earlier.
Almost everyone has some extra time in their day. Meeting with God (having regular devotions) is an essential part of the Christian life. For me, meeting with God in the early morning hours is equally as essential. Just think of early morning devotions this way..
Do you want to give God what little time is left over in your busy day? Or do you want to give Him the first fruits? How would you feel if your spouse only spent time with you when they didn’t have anything else better to do? What if they spent all their time playing games, listening to music or watching television, and very rarely spent time talking to you? Would you feel slighted? Most people would feel, not only slighted, but very hurt.
Unfortunately there are literally thousands of Christians treating God the same way. They might spend 5 minutes reading their Bible. They offer a quick prayer to bless their family as they’re driving to work. They may even think God is happy with them for doing so.
In reality, God is calling out to them, longing to have fellowship with them. He wants to share His heart with them, to share rich treasures from His Word.. But sadly, His children are usually too busy. They’re like I was, far too busy to listen for that “still small voice”.
If you’re not currently giving God very much quality time, please consider changing your habits. I say that in the most loving terms. It’s an encouragement to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Early in my Christian experience, I attended a missionary training program run by an organization called Youth with a Mission (YWAM). It was known as DTS, meaning Discipleship Training Program- it was five months in a tight-knit Christian community.
We lived a large house- eating our meals together, working together, praying together and attended daily Bible teachings together. When the program started, we were given a daily schedule- for example what time meals were served, what work duties or chores were expected of us, and what times we’d attend Bible teaching. The school’s director also recommended we take at least 30 minutes every morning to have our own personal devotions. He recommended we devote the time to reading our Bible, meditating on what we read and praying. He also suggested we listen to hear what God might be saying to us.
So every morning, we were awakened, and shortly thereafter started our devotional time. Since we lived in close quarters, we had to be somewhat creative to find a secluded place. We found various places on the property. My spot was the backyard, near the garden.
To be totally honest, at first I didn’t enjoy this part of our daily schedule. It felt awkward to read my Bible and pray all alone, especially being outside away from other students. But when fellow students later shared what God revealed to them in their “quiet time”, it sparked a godly jealousy (if there is such a thing). Basically I wanted to know the Lord like they did. I decided to earnestly pursue this idea of having early morning devotions.
As I soon discovered, spending time with God was the absolute highlight of my day. Instead of seeing daily devotions as something performed out of duty, I realized this was a blessed opportunity to spend time with God, to hear His voice, and to know Him better.
Over the years I’ve found 30 minutes isn’t enough. The time has grown in length. And my body clock has adjusted accordingly. I normally take 15 to 30 minutes to wake-up, then another 60 minutes for my devotions. Only then do I start getting ready for work. Sixty minutes might sound a bit extreme, but it works well for me. And to tell you the truth, now I can’t even imagine starting my day without a quiet time as my first priority.
Even Jesus was known to wake early, so He could spend time with His Heavenly Father.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
You might think getting up early isn’t doable, that you need more sleep than most people. That might be true, but you could at least try to give the Lord more time in the mornings. Try setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier, then once you get used to that, try setting it back another 15 minutes. And if that’s not working, you might try going to bed earlier.
Almost everyone has some extra time in their day. Meeting with God (having regular devotions) is an essential part of the Christian life. For me, meeting with God in the early morning hours is equally as essential. Just think of early morning devotions this way..
Do you want to give God what little time is left over in your busy day? Or do you want to give Him the first fruits? How would you feel if your spouse only spent time with you when they didn’t have anything else better to do? What if they spent all their time playing games, listening to music or watching television, and very rarely spent time talking to you? Would you feel slighted? Most people would feel, not only slighted, but very hurt.
Unfortunately there are literally thousands of Christians treating God the same way. They might spend 5 minutes reading their Bible. They offer a quick prayer to bless their family as they’re driving to work. They may even think God is happy with them for doing so.
In reality, God is calling out to them, longing to have fellowship with them. He wants to share His heart with them, to share rich treasures from His Word.. But sadly, His children are usually too busy. They’re like I was, far too busy to listen for that “still small voice”.
If you’re not currently giving God very much quality time, please consider changing your habits. I say that in the most loving terms. It’s an encouragement to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Come to the Quiet
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
As you probably know, most people do not like quiet. Just look at how most people live. They usually have something on - television, radio or music. For years I was no different. I wasn’t used to being quiet, listening for God’s voice. My mind wanted entertainment. With so much noise cluttering my senses, it was no wonder I found it difficult to listen.
Sadly, most people wander through life, constantly filling their minds with useless noise, distracting them from having blessed communion with our God. Of course, He can speak to us, even in the midst of utter chaos, but for me it’s just much easier in a quiet setting.
It’s really a matter of who has your undivided attention. For example, when someone you love comes in the room and wants to talk about something that’s important to them, do you continue watching television, never looking away from the screen, not really listening to what’s being said? Or do you turn the volume down, look at them and give them your undivided attention? Hopefully you will do the later and give a listening ear. You should care about God in the same way. That may mean turning down the volume.
Consider what happened to Elijah..
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
(1 Kings 19:11-13)
Elijah was told to go stand on the mountain and that God would appear and speak to him. He saw very strong wind, earthquake and fire. But God wasn’t found in any of those. Where was He? Of course, He was found in that still small voice. For me personally, it’s the same way. God’s voice usually isn’t like loud thunder, but more like a gentle whisper.
He’s lovingly calling us into fellowship with Him. Giving God our undivided attention means quieting our souls, getting rid of useless thoughts that pollute our minds and seeking His face.
As you probably know, most people do not like quiet. Just look at how most people live. They usually have something on - television, radio or music. For years I was no different. I wasn’t used to being quiet, listening for God’s voice. My mind wanted entertainment. With so much noise cluttering my senses, it was no wonder I found it difficult to listen.
Sadly, most people wander through life, constantly filling their minds with useless noise, distracting them from having blessed communion with our God. Of course, He can speak to us, even in the midst of utter chaos, but for me it’s just much easier in a quiet setting.
It’s really a matter of who has your undivided attention. For example, when someone you love comes in the room and wants to talk about something that’s important to them, do you continue watching television, never looking away from the screen, not really listening to what’s being said? Or do you turn the volume down, look at them and give them your undivided attention? Hopefully you will do the later and give a listening ear. You should care about God in the same way. That may mean turning down the volume.
Consider what happened to Elijah..
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
(1 Kings 19:11-13)
Elijah was told to go stand on the mountain and that God would appear and speak to him. He saw very strong wind, earthquake and fire. But God wasn’t found in any of those. Where was He? Of course, He was found in that still small voice. For me personally, it’s the same way. God’s voice usually isn’t like loud thunder, but more like a gentle whisper.
He’s lovingly calling us into fellowship with Him. Giving God our undivided attention means quieting our souls, getting rid of useless thoughts that pollute our minds and seeking His face.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
He Stands at the Door
Jesus says He stands at the door and knocks.. What if you went over to your friend’s house, knocked on the door and waited? You hear him inside. Through the front window, you see him sitting in his chair watching television. You think maybe he doesn’t hear you knocking, so you knock a little louder. But still, he keeps sitting there. He glances over and notices you standing there, but he goes right back to watching his show. You now realize, he’s too involved being entertained to even stop and answer the door.. Let me ask you this, how would you feel? Would you consider them a true friend for ignoring you?
Now let’s contrast that story. You go over to your friend’s house, and before you even have a chance to knock, he throws open the door. With a huge smile on his face, he comes out, embraces you and welcomes you into his home. He offers you food, something to drink and a seat in his favorite chair. Now how would you feel? Do you see my point? Instead of ignoring God, we should treat Him as a most trusted, valued friend.
The reality is- we make time for the things we value. If we like football, we make time to watch it on television or we might even buy tickets and attend a game in person. And if we dislike football, we immediately change the channel. The point being- everyone finds time to do the things they enjoy. And we rarely make time to do those things we dislike.
We not only make time for the things we value, we often find ourselves thinking about them during the day, like a movie playing inside our minds. And the reverse is true- we typically don’t think about things we dislike, but instead tend to block out those thoughts. So what’s the point?
Let me ask, what do you value most in your life? What do you think about most often? What are you seeking most? Is Jesus knocking outside? Or is He living in your heart as a close friend?
Now let’s contrast that story. You go over to your friend’s house, and before you even have a chance to knock, he throws open the door. With a huge smile on his face, he comes out, embraces you and welcomes you into his home. He offers you food, something to drink and a seat in his favorite chair. Now how would you feel? Do you see my point? Instead of ignoring God, we should treat Him as a most trusted, valued friend.
The reality is- we make time for the things we value. If we like football, we make time to watch it on television or we might even buy tickets and attend a game in person. And if we dislike football, we immediately change the channel. The point being- everyone finds time to do the things they enjoy. And we rarely make time to do those things we dislike.
We not only make time for the things we value, we often find ourselves thinking about them during the day, like a movie playing inside our minds. And the reverse is true- we typically don’t think about things we dislike, but instead tend to block out those thoughts. So what’s the point?
Let me ask, what do you value most in your life? What do you think about most often? What are you seeking most? Is Jesus knocking outside? Or is He living in your heart as a close friend?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Knowing His Ways
Think of someone you know really well, maybe your spouse, or a close family member. Have you ever sensed something was wrong? You ask “What’s the matter?” But they say “Oh nothing”. But still, you know better. You don’t believe them because you know them well enough to sense when things aren’t going well. In other words, you know their ways. So how did you get to “know their ways”? That happened by spending time with them.
You can probably think of other examples, like knowing someone so well you know what they’re going to say before they say it- like being able finish a sentence they’ve started. At any rate, we can see from those examples, knowing someone’s ways is a good thing.
What about people you don’t know so well? What about your boss or your co-workers? Can you tell what they’re feeling by simply being in the room with them? Can you, without any doubts, vouch for their character? Know what they’ll say before they say it? The answer to that, in most cases, is likely no. They’re simply people you know “about”. You may know their hobbies or some things they’ve done, but you don’t “know” them.
Which one do you think is better, knowing someone ways or only knowing about them?
In Psalm 103, there’s a very interesting verse which, unfortunately, is often overlooked..
He made known his ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. (Psalm 103:7)
So God revealed Himself to Moses on a more personal level, but to the Israelites He only revealed His actions. Have you ever wondered about that? Let’s look at a few verses that show how the Israelites, and how Moses, related to God.. First we’ll look at the Israelites.
After the ten commandments, the sons of Israel come to Moses and said these words..
If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we shall die. Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it. (Deut 5:25,27)
First of all, that statement is not true. Hearing God’s voice might have been unfamiliar to them, but it would not have killed them. They were simply afraid and didn’t want to hear. They were the ones who stated how they wanted to interact with God. They wanted Moses to tell them what God said. Doesn’t that sound like a lot of Christians? Attending church so they can hear what God’s telling the pastor, instead of hearing God themselves.
Let me ask your opinion. Does that type of relationship with God really work in the end? Did the sons of Israel obey what God said through Moses? Most of the time, they didn’t. Do Christians usually live their lives according to what their pastor teaches? Usually not.
Typically, when someone we don’t know tells us something, we’re much more likely to disregard what we’re told. But if someone we know and love tells us the same thing, then out of respect for their wishes, we have more incentive to listen to them. Reason for that, there’s simply no major incentive to follow the advice of someone we don’t know well.
What kind of relationship do we seek? Do we want to be like the sons of Israel, knowing about God? Or know God on a more intimate level like Moses? Hopefully we want to be like Moses.
You can probably think of other examples, like knowing someone so well you know what they’re going to say before they say it- like being able finish a sentence they’ve started. At any rate, we can see from those examples, knowing someone’s ways is a good thing.
What about people you don’t know so well? What about your boss or your co-workers? Can you tell what they’re feeling by simply being in the room with them? Can you, without any doubts, vouch for their character? Know what they’ll say before they say it? The answer to that, in most cases, is likely no. They’re simply people you know “about”. You may know their hobbies or some things they’ve done, but you don’t “know” them.
Which one do you think is better, knowing someone ways or only knowing about them?
In Psalm 103, there’s a very interesting verse which, unfortunately, is often overlooked..
He made known his ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. (Psalm 103:7)
So God revealed Himself to Moses on a more personal level, but to the Israelites He only revealed His actions. Have you ever wondered about that? Let’s look at a few verses that show how the Israelites, and how Moses, related to God.. First we’ll look at the Israelites.
After the ten commandments, the sons of Israel come to Moses and said these words..
If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we shall die. Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it. (Deut 5:25,27)
First of all, that statement is not true. Hearing God’s voice might have been unfamiliar to them, but it would not have killed them. They were simply afraid and didn’t want to hear. They were the ones who stated how they wanted to interact with God. They wanted Moses to tell them what God said. Doesn’t that sound like a lot of Christians? Attending church so they can hear what God’s telling the pastor, instead of hearing God themselves.
Let me ask your opinion. Does that type of relationship with God really work in the end? Did the sons of Israel obey what God said through Moses? Most of the time, they didn’t. Do Christians usually live their lives according to what their pastor teaches? Usually not.
Typically, when someone we don’t know tells us something, we’re much more likely to disregard what we’re told. But if someone we know and love tells us the same thing, then out of respect for their wishes, we have more incentive to listen to them. Reason for that, there’s simply no major incentive to follow the advice of someone we don’t know well.
What kind of relationship do we seek? Do we want to be like the sons of Israel, knowing about God? Or know God on a more intimate level like Moses? Hopefully we want to be like Moses.
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