Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O
Israel, if you would but listen to
me!
There
shall be no strange god among you;
you
shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I
am the Lord your God, who brought
you up
out
of the land of Egypt.
Open
your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
“But
my people did not listen to my
voice;
Israel
would not submit to me.
So
I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to
follow their own counsels.
Oh,
that my people would listen to me,
that
Israel would walk in my ways!
I
would soon subdue their enemies
and
turn my hand against their foes.
Those
who hate the Lord would cringe
toward him,
and
their fate would last forever.
But
he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm
81:8-16 (ESV)
God is pleading with His people. All He wants is for them to
listen. He wanted them (and us) to listen and learn to submit to Him.
The upside: He would then be able to bless them and satisfy them.
God gives specific blessings for those who listen. He
promises to subdue our enemies and turn against our foes. He promises to feed
us and give us satisfaction. Why don’t we bother to listen? Our head tells us
that we should pay attention to the precious promises of God but our hearts are
turned toward the glittery stuff the world has to offer.
God created us for fellowship with Him. He wants to walk close with us,
just as He did with Adam and Eve. He gives us gifts and wants us to give back
to him. He promises us to provide for our needs and asks that we rely on Him to
supply those needs. Like an earthly father, God desires that His children be
healthy, loving, and loyal to Him. In return, He promises to protect and keep
us from our enemies. But God’s timing is not always what we want, and sometimes it seems that He isn’t keeping up
with His side of the bargain. Have you considered that when God doesn’t seem to
answer you it may be because you are not listening to Him or obeying Him?
God wants us to comprehend His truth. We need to learn who we
are and more important Who He is. God sets the rules for our relationship. It’s
our job to see what it is that He expects. He gave us the Bible as a guidepost
and gave us Jesus as a role model.
When you read the Bible, to you stick to whatever you
consider “the good stuff”? Perhaps you like the calming effects of the Psalms.
Maybe you prefer the words of Jesus. Or do you like to read about the end of
the world? Whatever parts of the Bible you prefer, it’s important to remember
that the entire Bible is our guide. The Scriptures – Old and New
Testament – all have important truths for us. Sometimes I don’t want to hear
what God says and frankly I’d rather skip the parts I don’t like. Don’t just
stick to your “favorite” parts of the Bible. God has stuff for you to learn in
His entire Word.
Will you commit to read the Bible – the “good” and “not so
good” parts? Will you commit to not saying that parts of the Bible are
inapplicable because the authors were discussing cultural issues? Will you
commit to taking to God specifically about the parts of the Bible you find
offensive, or uncomfortable, or less than interesting? Perhaps His Spirit is
trying to get your attention in those parts!
We’ll talk a little about the Holy Spirit on Friday. See you
then!
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