stopped – Praying Pint

15.s. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?””

ohn 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Romans 2:17-29 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness0 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Jesus did not call these religious leaders to a new or a different faith. He called them to believe what Moses, what the Scriptures, what His works, what John the Baptist each testified about Jesus: that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God the Son. If they refused to believe this overwhelming testimony, it was unlikely they would believe Jesus’ own words. It is hard in this flesh to rely on faith. We always seem to want to add something to it to make ourselves more right with God. The fact remains though, that faith alone in Jesus is what makes us right before God. In and through faith in Him we have been cleansed from our sin. We have been born again. We are a child of God. There is nothing we could have done to earn this adoption into His family. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we have been brought from death to life. In this new life, our works should bring honor, glory, and praise to Jesus Christ. In this new life, our actions and words should be directing people to give glory, honor, and praise to Jesus. In this new life, we find purpose and satisfaction in humbly serving and honoring Jesus Christ. In this new life, obedience is not an obligation but rather a desire. In this new life, we seek to know and do His perfect will. In this new life, our trust and reliance never stop growing, “UNLESS” neglect and complacency have found root in our hearts and minds.

12.o. “Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!”

Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.

Romans 3:19    Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Psalms 46:10     “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Isaiah 2:12     For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;

Ezekiel 7:7    Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains.

2 Peter 3:10-12    But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Isaiah 13:6    Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

“Stop your mouth at the presence of the Lord God,…. When he comes, and appears in the way of his judgments, do not dispute the point with him, or pretend to offer reasons against his sovereign purpose or in order to argue the justice of them; stand in awe and reverence of him, who is the Lord God omniscient and omnipotent, holy, just, and true; humble yourselves under his mighty hand; be still, and know that he is God, and let not one resentful word come out of your mouth. “for the day of the Lord is at hand; the time of his vengeance on the Jewish nation for their sins, which he had fixed in his mind, and had given notice of by his prophets: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice: his people the Jews, who were to fall a victim to his vengeance, and a sacrifice to his justice, to atone in some measure for the injury done to it by their sins.” (Gill’s Exposition of the entire bible)

I have to admit I have thoughts of what God ought to do to people who are lying, violent, looting, and propagating hate. These thoughts are rooted in sin and have no place in my heart. I am not God, nor do I have a drop of water in the ocean of His vast all-knowing understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and power. Yet I still think in judgmental ways. It is as if I am saying; (”If I was God, I would….”) This is where I need to hear and apply “Be Silent” Be silent, stop the judgmental thoughts, and rejoice in whatever the Lord our God is doing. I can wait and rest in knowing and believing His ways are just, His plans are true, His steadfast love never changes, and whatever He does is right and holy.

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;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Zechariah 7:11     But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

John 3:19     And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light

It might be easy to think these verses refer to the lost sinners who do not know God, but these speak to those who did know God and rejected His leading. When we neglect His word and the need for it to meet each day we become complacent coma and our ears become deaf to His instruction and leading. Soon the path we are on is one that looks good in our own eyes. We are void of God’s word. Our mind is being led by what we think is right and not by the word of God.

It is a dangerous slope to neglect His word and think for a moment we can find light, refuge, hope, rest, refuge, peace, or strength to fight our internal sinful nature and attacks from satan. Neglect is a choice. Neglect, whether we want to admit it or not, is a choice saying I don’t need His direction or His word in my life today, “I’ll be ok today”. This slippery slope is hard to climb back up because first it must be recognized as a self centered and self trusting sin. If this is recognized, repentance (turning away) is a choice.

Note the words of warning given in these scriptures – how sad to be in a place where the daily need of God in our life is not even a thought, unless things are going bad. How sad to be there so long that it would be said “there was no remedy”.

Be assured, neglect of His word does not end well. It leaves open to be influenced by culture or what seems right in our own eyes. Reflect on this. If you are finding this is the place where you are at – recognize, repent and choose to start fresh. Choose to keep His word active in your day. Seek and desire to hear God’s leading and direction. Above all humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey Him in all that you say and do.