I like to do my own thing. So do you. Most of us are really good at it. Oftentimes, my own thing is stupid and selfish. And I usually pay the consequences of all that.
I was reading in Jeremiah this morning. Jeremiah is a prophet. He's trying to warn the 'chosen people' about doing their own thing at the expense of doing God's thing.
"Go stand at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for directions to the old road,
The tried-and-true road. Then take it.
Discover the right route for your souls.
But they said, 'Nothing doing.
We aren't going that way.'
I even provided watchmen for them
to warn them, to set off the alarm.
But the people said, 'It's a false alarm.
It doesn't concern us...So listen to this. Here's God's verdict on your way of life: "Watch out! I'm putting roadblocks and barriers on the road you're taking..." (The Message)
I'm running across a fair amount of people who are thumbing their noses at God's guidance. They're not going that way. They'll give lip-service to God's direction but that's it. They go to church, hear the Scriptures being read, listen to pithy sermons but there's no life application. And then when they hit a roadblock or a barrier they get all huffy and puffy and start pointing fingers at God.
I think God's trying to say something to us these days. Pretty simple too. It goes like this. "It's my way, not yours. Don't ignore me this time. I'll do what it takes to get your attention."
Guess what? I believe it. God is trying to call us back to some basic stuff. And it isn't about doing our own thing. It's about doing His thing, in His way.
We're in the middle of some pretty volatile economic and cultural upheaval. We've done it 'our way' for a long time. Look at what's happening. In the midst of all this God is still speaking, trying to get our attention, and attempting to guide us. Most of us pray every week 'your will be done'. Maybe we should listen long enough to see what God is up to and join Him.
I was reading in Jeremiah this morning. Jeremiah is a prophet. He's trying to warn the 'chosen people' about doing their own thing at the expense of doing God's thing.
"Go stand at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for directions to the old road,
The tried-and-true road. Then take it.
Discover the right route for your souls.
But they said, 'Nothing doing.
We aren't going that way.'
I even provided watchmen for them
to warn them, to set off the alarm.
But the people said, 'It's a false alarm.
It doesn't concern us...So listen to this. Here's God's verdict on your way of life: "Watch out! I'm putting roadblocks and barriers on the road you're taking..." (The Message)
I'm running across a fair amount of people who are thumbing their noses at God's guidance. They're not going that way. They'll give lip-service to God's direction but that's it. They go to church, hear the Scriptures being read, listen to pithy sermons but there's no life application. And then when they hit a roadblock or a barrier they get all huffy and puffy and start pointing fingers at God.
I think God's trying to say something to us these days. Pretty simple too. It goes like this. "It's my way, not yours. Don't ignore me this time. I'll do what it takes to get your attention."
Guess what? I believe it. God is trying to call us back to some basic stuff. And it isn't about doing our own thing. It's about doing His thing, in His way.
We're in the middle of some pretty volatile economic and cultural upheaval. We've done it 'our way' for a long time. Look at what's happening. In the midst of all this God is still speaking, trying to get our attention, and attempting to guide us. Most of us pray every week 'your will be done'. Maybe we should listen long enough to see what God is up to and join Him.
God does warn His people. Always has. We ingore the signs at our peril. We pay the consequence for that.
So, is God trying to get our attention - your attention- or not? Hitting any roadblocks, any barriers? Could it be because you put too much faith in yourself, or a standard of living that doesn't have anything to do with God's best for your life? If so, what are you going to do about it? What am I going to do about it?
Take a walk through Jeremiah 6 and beyond. Pretty sobering kind of stuff. It's as current as today's news. Maybe we better listen, change direction, get a new attitude and a spirit shaped focus ...what do you think?
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