Tag: Followed

34.o. “Lord, let our eyes be opened so that we may follow you”

 

Matthew 20:29  And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

These blind men had no hope of seeing. They were blind and no human effort would ever give them their sight back. They knew this. There was no doubt about it. They were, as it was, lost in their blindness and only a helping stick or another person could guide them. How would they know if a person giving them help was true in this help? They had no other hope and would have to rely upon this as a means to get through life. Any dangers one would normally see with their eyes and avoid would require others to keep them on a path free from danger or harm. Now they hear of Jesus walking by, and no doubt they had heard of His miracles, and they cry out; “have mercy on us”. They are rebuked by the crowd for they must have been loud and desperate in their pleas. Jesus asks, “what is it you want me to do?” “Open our eyes” is the reply. People in the crowd told them to be quiet – they rebuked the blind men. Is it possible that these people saw no hope for these men’s condition and that their cries for mercy were nothing more than an unwelcome cry in the wilderness? Such it is with man. They will see the sinful condition of a person and say there is no hope for them, but with God all things are possible.  

How many times did Jesus speak of people being blind to things of God and about those who, being blind, would lead others – the blind leading the blind? When God opens the eyes and softens, as it were, a blind person’s heart and they become aware of the things of God, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they will intentionally choose to either cry out, “have mercy on me” or continue in their blindness.  I know it happens but for the life of me I can’t figure out how a person makes this choice. I do know that when God opened my eyes and heart to the gospel, I knew that I was lost and without hope, “blind”, and that if I called out and trusted and believed in Him, He would save me from this blindness and give me eternal life sight. As I say this it occurs to me that I don’t know how many times in my life I may have rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ and chose to live blind and not even know it. I do know that when my ears and eyes to my heart and mind were opened to the Gospel, I fully understood my hopeless, blind, and lost condition. Though I did not cry out, I did humbly cry out from the depths of my heart and mind and sought and desired redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. At that moment I trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ. The eyes to my heart and mind, as it were, were made new. I could see. I was given new life, born again. No longer blind to things of God. I was no longer a blind orphan but rather an unblinded child of God.

How is a person, blind to things of God, to find their sight when so many in this world try to guide them away from it, even telling them that they are not blind? By us proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and living a life that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ in all we say think and do. We are to be guides that points and directs others to healing for their spiritually blinded hearts, minds, and souls. 

Oh, that we did know of our spiritual blindness! Many are spiritually blind, yet say they see. Jesus cured these blind men; and when they had received sight, they followed him. None follow Christ blindly. He first by his grace opens men’s eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. (Henry)

Now is the day of salvation and if the eyes to your heart and mind have been opened to see the Gospel, humbly surrender, repent, trust, follow, and rely upon Jesus Christ and you will be given sight – new eyes, new ears, new mind, and new heart with which you will find grace, mercy, joy, peace, refuge, courage, hope, faith, love, and rest in the promise of redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

32.q. “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench”

 

Matthew 12:15  Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

When Jesus departed the public places people followed Him. Though the ones who should have recognized and known Jesus as the Messiah did not these humble men and women did. They followed Him to be near to Him and perhaps be healed of whatever was ailing them. He healed them all. If you want to be near Jesus, you must follow Him.

Jesus the Servant is an example to us as servants, but He is so much more than that. He is our Servant. He serves us; not only in what He did in the past, but also in He serves us every day through His constant love, care, guidance, and intercession. Jesus did not stop serving when He went to heaven; He serves all His people more effectively than ever from heaven. (Guzik)

Life often will bruise us and bring the flame of our hope and faith to nothing more than a smoldering ember. It is in our weakness where Jesus deals with us gently and tenderly. Our bruise heals and our smoldering ember becomes a flame. This does not mean our neglect and complacency to His Word will be rewarded, but rather that Jesus continues to give gentle reminders and opportunities to see ourselves in light of holiness, godliness, and if we are in line with what it means to be a child of God through faith, trust, reliance, hope, and obedience. These gentle reminders can still be rejected and our lives can still remain to be endless days of worry, busyness, fear, and anxiousness. It is only in humble surrender and repentance that the bruises of life that snuffed out our flame are healed.  

The problem is that way too many are content being bruised and flameless, limping along in life like those with no hope. As a child of the King of Kings should not our lives be a reverent reflection of our Father. If you are limping along in your faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, if you are bruised, and if your flame has smoldered seek and desire to be made whole again and that your life will bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ in all you say, think, and do.

31.z. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God”

 

Matthew 8:23  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

 Matthew 6:30    But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

 Matthew 14:30-31     But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 Matthew 16:8    But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?

 Mark 4:40    He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

 Isaiah 41:10-14   fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 Jesus rebuked their fear and unbelief, not their request or waking Him. We shouldn’t think that Jesus was in a bad mood from being awakened. He was upset at their fear, because fear and unbelief go together. When we trust God as we should trust Him, there is little room left for fear.

“He does not chide them for disturbing him with their prayers, but for disturbing themselves with their fears.” (Henry)

They actually had many reasons to have faith, even great faith. They had just seen Jesus do significant miracles, showing great power and authority. They had seen an example of great faith with the centurion who trusted Jesus to heal his servant. They had Jesus with them in the boat. And, they saw Jesus sleep; His peace should have given them peace.

When faith is only strongest in the calm winds of life and fails in the stormy winds of life, what good does it do for that person? What example does it set for those who see your faith failing in the stormy winds of life? What does is say about that person’s faith? I think our faith grows as we: 

  • Spend time in God’s Word and we meditate on it
  • Grow in our understanding, knowledge, and wisdom of God
  • Desire and seek with all our hearts, minds, and souls to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do.
  • Desire and seek to be led and allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit
  • Not only know, but Believe that God is all-powerful, all-present, and all-knowing
  • Believe that all things work together for good of those who are His believers, followers, trusters, obeyers

Oh God, help not my belief but my unbelief.

14.s. “And they followed Jesus.”

John 1:35   The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

I really did not give much thought to “John was standing with two of his disciples” before.  I guess I just glanced over this and thought John was standing out in some body of water and telling people to repent and be baptized.  John the Baptist preached a message of repentance expressed in water baptism and bearing active fruit in one’s life in preparation for the appearing of the Messiah. Mark 1:4  John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John was sent to call the people to urgent repentance in light of what God would soon bring about.  John had disciples who learned from him.  Acts 18:25 introduces us to a man named Apollos of whom it is said: “This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John.”  While Apollos still needed further instruction and clarification in the faith, accounts like this make it clear that the core of the gospel was preached and taught by John.  When John saw Jesus walk by he said to the two disciples standing with him, “look, the Lamb of God”.  John preached repentance, confession, baptism, and the coming Messiah.  Even unto death, John called people high and low to turn their hearts and their lives from their sin unto God.  John preached warning people of the wrath to come.  Luk 3:7-10  He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

Many times people were cut to their heart and asked “What then shall we do?”  From the warnings of the wrath of God to come, people made intentional choices to repent, confess, and be baptized.  Some of these men stayed on with John.  We see Andrew was one of the two and when he heard John say “behold the Lamb of God” they immediately followed Jesus.  Andrew did something else too, he first went and told his brother, Peter, “We have found the Messiah”.  To the heart that is seeking, Jesus will be seen. If the warning about the coming wrath of God is rejected the need for Jesus will never be seen as needed.  Sin is always at the door of our heart, knocking and trying to open the door to entice us to live for self, rely on self, and deny there is any need to change.  There is a yielding that allows this door to open just as there is a firm resistance to keep it closed.  It is an intentional choice and both become easier over time.  Yielding day after day to sin will harden the heart to the point where the door is wide open and wrong seems right and false seems true.  The intentional choice doesn’t even need to be made anymore because this way of life has become common, regular, and established.  Resisting day after day will keep the door firmly closed. The intentional choice to keep the door closed is made every waking moment.  God’s Word will strengthen the resistance and give power to the weak who intentionally choose to resist.  Sometimes we don’t even know what to resist until God’s Word reveals it to us.  That is the power of His Word.  Be mindful of your heart and bath it in God’s Word every day.

13.n. “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.”

Zachariah 7:8   And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

2 Kings 17:13-15    Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”  But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.  They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.

2 Chronicles 33:10   The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

Nehemiah 9:29     And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.

Proverbs 1:24-32     Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,  because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,  when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,  would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,  therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.  For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Jeremiah 44:16     “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.

Hebrews 12:25     See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

They refused to listen; they resisted the warners; they exhibited open contempt for them.  They willfully were ignorant and would not consider nor want to understand.  What level of contempt is it when a person sets their heart hard as stone so that their ears are deaf to the Word of God? Do you ever wonder if people consider the Word of God a burden?  Is this why they harden their heart to God?  Think about this.  The Word of God proclaims a righteous, pure, and holy Creator God.  It proclaims the fall of mankind.  It exposes the sinful nature of man.  It proclaims the separation between God and man due to this fallen sinful state. It proclaims God’s wrath, anger, and judgment. It proclaims God’s grace, mercy, and love toward mankind with promises of restoration, redemption, and salvation.  It proclaims blessings.  It is a guide and restraint to the sinful nature of our hearts.  It proclaims the wonders and mystery of God.  It proclaims the promises of God.  It proclaims warnings.  It yields hope, joy, peace, refuge, courage, power, kindness, forgiveness, and rest for those who have open hearts, minds, souls, and ears to hear, believe, obey, and trust in what God proclaims.  It also yields hardened hearts, minds, souls, and ears to those who defy, deny, and resist what God proclaims.  It promises eternity in heaven for those who believe.  It promises eternity in hell for those who do not believe.

Is it a burden to live for God?  Is it a burden to live holy, righteous, and pleasing to the God of all there is?  Is it a burden to live to honor, glorify, worship, magnify, and praise to God?  Is it a burden to live in loving kindness?  Is it a burden to live showing mercy and grace to others?  It is not a burden but a blessing to be loved by God and in a restored relationship with Him.  What is the alternative to our lives should we choose to deny and defy God?  Isn’t the true burden of life trying to live as though God does not exist?  Every day Creation screams out the existence of God and every day the heart of the deniers must harden more and try to make sense and purpose of this life.  Every day the burden of denial becomes heavier and heavier.  The denying soul will find that the burden of life brings no pleasure or satisfaction even though they search diligently for it in the things this world has to offer.  The Word of God is not a burden.  It is a wondrous blessing from God to His creation.

7.p. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.

Revelation 13:1  And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Think of all of the ruthless, charismatic, cruel, and cultic rulers there have been over the course of history.  Some of these are recent and some more distant.  One thing is for sure they despise God and think of themselves as “god-like”.  The antichrist will rise to power through Satan and he will be worshiped by the masses.  He will persecute those Christians who have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period.  He will kill many but he will also take great pleasure in tormenting them physically, financially, and mentally.  He will do supernatural things so that multitudes of people we flock to Him.  He will have a way of convincing people to follow Him and allow how he is treating Christians.

This will not be a time you would want to live through and most definitely would not want this to be what opens your heart to the message of Jesus Christ.  Now is the time to repent and come to Him.  Now is the time of salvation.  Now is the time to live for Him.  Seek and desire Him more than the things that are keeping yours for giving Him your whole heart, mind, and soul.

6.v. And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him.

Revelation 6:7   When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

Jeremiah 15:2-3    And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’  I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

Ezekiel 5:15-17     You shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes—I am the LORD; I have spoken—  when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread.  I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the LORD; I have spoken.”

 A pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death: This last rider shows that there will be a tremendous death toll from the dictatorship, war, famine and other calamities described by the previous three horsemen. Our modern age has seen hundreds of millions killed by dictators, war, and famine. Yet all that will pale in comparison to the death toll coming in the wake of this ultimate dictator. No wonder Jesus said of this time For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)

 Power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill: Power was given to the horseman and given by God. Though all hell breaks loose on the earth, God is very much in control. He still holds the scroll and opens the seals.

Can you imagine 1/4th of the population killed?  That would be close to two billion people all entering eternity and most with the same view; no regard for Jesus Christ or the need for salvation.  They are receiving, in part, God’s judgment for this rejection.  During this time of seals being opened the church, those who came to Christ for forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit will have been removed from the earth.  There will be no influence of grace, mercy, and love of God, only judgment.  This is what awaits all those who flat out deny Jesus Christ, and those who think they will always have time to commit to Him, and those who think they are good enough by the works they do.  In all, they have not surrendered their lives to Him and will suffer the consequences of this rejection.  Scripture says now is the time for salvation.  Now is the time to come to Jesus Christ.  Now is the time of mercy and grace.  All these prophesies and warnings have been given for people to know and choose rather to believe or now, to live humbly serving or not, to live following and to obey or not.  Choose well, do not wait or think there is time to delay.  The judgments of God are on His time.  His anger and fury are released against those who refused to accept His way of salvation through Jesus Christ.

“Whom shall I send”

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”

Exodus 3:4  When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “ Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:1     After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:11     But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 46:2     And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.”

1 Samuel 3:4    Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!”

1 Samuel 3:10    And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Acts 9:4    And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Acts 10:3    About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.”

Isaiah 6:8     And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Mat 4:18  While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 9:9     As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Mark 2:14    And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

John 1:43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

There was a Call from God and the reply was “here am I”.  There is a call from Jesus was “come follow me” and the response was “they followed”.  These calls came as these men were in their normal everyday activities.  Their responses would indicate a willingness and even possibly wanting to hear from God.  I am not so sure any of them were sitting around and had a conscious thought “if God calls to me I am going to say here am I”.  I think they were more inclined to believe there was a living God and they had reverence in their heart for Him in such a way that their ears, eyes, heart,  mind, and soul were open.

Here I am – I don’t know what you want but I want you to know I am listening.

Here I am – I know you are God or from God

Here I am – I want to hear what you say

Here I am – I am willing to do what you ask

Here I am – I am willing to go where you send me

Here I am – I want to do what you ask of me

Here I am – lead me, I want to follow you

Here I am – use me

I wonder if our ears are able to hear God calling.  I wonder if we are seeking to hear God speak into our life.  I wonder if we are willing to be led.  I wonder if we would follow.  I wonder if we want to be used by God for His glory and honor.

It is so easy to get caught up so tight in life and things of this world that we have closed our ears and are deaf to God’s calling.  Is our heart so hardened that His call and love falls on a heart of stone and deaf ears?

Many, me included, had hearts hard as stone and were not giving a single conscious thought about God when His word broke through the heart of stone and brought understanding and knowledge of the need for forgiveness and salvation.  What we see many times as a heart of stone no man could change, God, in a moment, softens their heart to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we think there is no possible way fora lost sinner’s  soul to respond “here am I,, save me” God does the impossible work in their heart and mind so that they see the need.  They are changed in that moment of confession and trust in Jesus Christ.  Never to be the same again.  At least we hope not.

It is an intentional walk with God each day to have our ears open to hear His word come alive into our life.  It is an intentional heart and mind that seeks and desires to hear and be lead by God.

Be intentional in reverence, listening, following, and obeying His call into your life each day.

Until there was no remedy

“Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD.”

“But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.”

Hosea 11:2  The more they were called, the more they went away;

Hosea 11:7    My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.

Deuteronomy 29:2-4      And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,  the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.  But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

1 Samuel 8:7-9     And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.  According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.

Jeremiah 44:16-17     “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.  But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.

Acts 7:51     “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16    The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

2 Kings 17:13-15     But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.  They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.

Nehemiah 9:30     Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear.

Isaiah 30:9-11     For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; …let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

John 3:19    And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Luke 13:34    O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

God is slow to anger and is full of grace, mercy and love.  This is fully displayed in and through Christ “for while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”  I wonder if we’re guilty of living in this grace, mercy, and love of God disregarding His word, resisting the Holy Spirit, not hearing or following or obeying His leading, rejecting truth for lies, replacing being a humble servant to Him for self, coveting what the world has to offer, seeking satisfaction for the heart and soul through everything other than Him and His word, and giving no thought to honoring, worshiping, glorifying and praising Him through what we think, say, and do.

Do not mistake the steadfast love of God for acceptance of complacency, neglect, self satisfaction, busyness, resistance and rejection or the Holy Spirit’s leading, and lukewarm commitment to Him.

Can you hear the warning given in Scripture?  Can you understand the heart of man leads toward a path away from God?  Do you recognize the choice set before you?

The Wrong Choice

They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them.

Judges 2:11
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress

1 Kings 15:26
He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin

2 Kings 17:14
But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God

Why is it we would willingly choose to abandon God?  Why would we choose to to be stubborn and not list to Him?  Does it ever work to abandon what God has called us for?  History will tell us NO.  If we would be honest I am sure we would say it does not work out for the present either and if we believe the smallest truths in scripture we know it does not work out for the future. This I do know – If you believed trust in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for your sins – If you choose to keep your heart desire with a single purpose to honor and glorify God – If you choose to continually seek Him first – If you choose to remain humble before Him – If you choose to stay in His word – If you continually choose to listen for His leading – If you choose to obey His leading – If you choose to learn to deny self – you will find, joy, peace, love, hope, grace, kindness, gentleness, patience and purpose for this life. Every day we make a chose on who we will follow.