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The Key to Greater Intimacy with God

Mar12

Do you wish God would talk to you more often? I mean really speak to you, Spirit to spirit, communicating clearly with you even though it may be inaudible to the human ear?

Are you tired of never knowing what God wants you to do? Are you bored with the Bible and often think to yourself (and occasionally complain out loud) that you don’t “get anything” out of reading it?

Jesus tells us how we can change all that.

In one plain verse in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus gives us the key to greater intimacy with God.

In the beginning of chapter 4, Jesus used a farming parable to explain to a crowd of people the different types of responses people have to the Word of God (Mark 4:1-9). Later, when they were alone, the 12 disciples asked Jesus to explain what the parable meant (Mark 4:10-23). In verse 13 Jesus asked the disciples, ”Don’t you understand this parable?”

I think it is safe to assume Jesus may have been feeling frustrated and/or disappointed with the twelve men who should have understood Jesus better than anyone. Yet, they consistently demonstrated they didn’t

And I wonder, “Lord, are You frustrated and disappointed with me when I fail to understand you, after all these years of being with You?”

And then I quickly add, “Don’t answer that.”

He dissected the parable for the slow disciples, and then Jesus gave them a piece of advice we’d do well to heed ourselves. 

“Consider carefully what you hear… With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more,” (Mark 4:24).

In other words, “Pay attention to what I say… If you apply it, I will tell you more.”

In other other words, “The key to ever-growing intimacy with Me is to, first, know My Word, and to, second, act in accordance with My Word.”

Could it be that we struggle to hear God and “get things” out of our Bible reading because God knows we won’t obey when He speaks to us? If our track record is one of hearing the Lord and then promptly ignoring Him, why would He waste His energy on continuing to try to communicate with us?

It’s only by His grace that He doesn’t completely clam up and leave us out to dry. No, He continues to be open to communicating with us despite ourselves. But, according to Jesus Himself, God is only as chatty as we are obedient.

If you want deeper intimacy with God, show Him by doing the things you already know He wants you to do, and more intimacy will follow.

Instructions for Life

Jan3

There is a rule of thumb for how we ought to live. It’s pretty simple, straight-forward. And I found it in Genesis 4 the other day.

God is speaking with Cain after he offers a sacrifice to God he knew would be inadequate.

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7)

Cain is pouting. He is very angry, and his face is downcast, the Bible says twice (Genesis 4:5-6). Cain is mad God didn’t accept his paltry offering.

God comes to Cain and essentially says, “Why are you upset? Do what is right – follow the rules of offering I have established – and you will be blessed.”  

If I were God, I would’ve been less merciful and responded like this, “Look, buddy! You may not like the system I have set up, but it is what it is. You don’t have power to change it. You don’t have perspective to see why it is best for you. And you don’t have a choice – you ARE in it. My system says obey and be accepted; disobey and be destroyed by sin.”

Cain chooses anger. He chooses disillusionment. He chooses joylessness. He chooses rebelliousness. He chooses to not do what is right, and sin masters him instead of the other way around. He chooses to be enslaved by his sinful desire to NOT offer God the sacrifices He orders (and of which He is worthy, by the way).

Instead of responding to God’s second chance and offering the appropriate sacrifice (what grace that our Lord offers us second chances!), Cain chooses to act out his anger and kill his God-obeying brother.

By choosing rebellion, Cain didn’t get out of the system. He didn’t improve his quality of life – he was kicked out of the protection of community and had to start his family in desolation. His offspring were the first in scripture to practice polygamy (Genesis 4:19) and followed in Cain’s footsteps of murdering (Genesis 4:23). In summary, no good came of Cain’s submission to sin. In fact, a lot of bad came of it.

You and I are in the same system. Even if we don’t believe it. Even if we don’t want it to be true. The fact is, if we do what is right, we will be accepted. And if we do not do what is right, sin will try to master us, enslave us to our desires instead of God’s Word.

Make no mistake – we will be slaves to one thing or another, to sin or to the Lord. Sin is the worst kind of master, abusing people, destroying people, ruining relationships and families. God, on the other hand, blesses those who serve Him. God so handsomely rewards His slaves that they never want to leave His plantation. In fact, He sets them free, and they stay. They know there is no better place.

I think of my children. We have rules in our home. If they do what is right and obey those rules, it goes well with them. If they choose to not to what is right and disobey those rules, they receive undesirable consequences. It’s a simple system. It doesn’t really matter how they feel about our system or if they even think our system is real. All that matters is how they respond to the rules. That’s all they can control.

And it’s all we can control in our lives. Choose well.

Go Without

Nov23

As a daddy leads a fearful, hesitant child toward a new situation, the Lord has been gently encouraging me –  never forcing me – down a new path.

He’s been quietly, compassionately, and consistently reassuring me, “Come this way. You’ll be okay. I am with you. I know you’re scared, but come, you can trust Me. I know it’s uncomfortable, but come, I will supply all your needs.”

A loving smile has graced His lips as He’s held my hand and patiently waited for me to take baby steps in the way He is showing me.

The fear is subsiding. I’m trusting Him more. Focusing on Him more. Realizing more He is really all I need. Really.

I read in Luke last night that this was Jesus’ plan for the original disciples, and it is no less true for His disciples today.

In chapter 22, Jesus is telling Peter that he will deny knowing Jesus once He is arrested. Peter, in naive, yet sweet, fashion, is swearing up and down that he certainly will not deny his association with Jesus. Come hell or high water, prison or death, Peter is adamant he will go with Jesus wherever He goes (Luke 22:33).

Jesus shakes His head, no. “No, Peter. You will deny 3 times that you know Me,” Jesus says. (Luke 22:34).

Jesus then encourages his disciples to get ready for the ensuing arrest. To illustrate contrast, Jesus recalls for them the time He sent them out to heal people and share the news of Jesus’ arrival (Luke 10). He had instructed the disciples at that time not to take anything with them but to rely on the Father to provide for their physical needs via hospitable people. Jesus brings that imperative back to mind for the disciples in Luke 22 by asking them, “‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’” (Luke 22:35).

“‘Nothing,’ they answered,” (Luke 22:35).

Can you imagine?

A modern example might be the Lord telling you to walk out of your house with nothing but the clothes on your back, walk into the nearest city, start sharing the Gospel with whomever you see, and depend upon their hospitality to offer you a place to sleep, food to eat, and an occasional shower.

Would you trust the Father to provide?

Let’s get more personal.

Change the scripture to future tense for a minute, and insert your own I-Can’t-Live-Withouts in the blanks.

Imagine the Father asking YOU, “When I send you without _____, _____ or _____, will you lack anything?”

Things I put in the blanks:

  • family
  • friendships
  • my church
  • money
  • phone
  • music
  • books
  • computer
  • good food
  • a comfortable bed
  • coffee

Our tendency is to answer God’s questions with, “YES! If You send me without my best friend, my child, and acceptable coffee, I will lack things! I will be cranky and unhappy and unfulfilled and sleepy and probably have quite the headache.”

I’ve been telling God this for far too long. For years.

But what I am saying is a lie. Because scripture says otherwise. When God sends us with nothing but Himself, we lack nothing. TRUTH! Right there. In the Gospel of Luke. Twice.

The Lord is good. He is trustworthy. He cannot break His promises.

Whatever He is telling us to go without, no matter what it is, we will not lack anything.

Honorable Mention

Nov9

I remember my first marathon. Maybe because it was my only marathon.

I ran the whole thing – from the starting line, around the playground, around the open field behind the school, and to the finish line.

Fifth grade Field Day. I was hand-picked by my P.E. teacher, along with 8 others, to compete in the “marathon”. I was nervous. I couldn’t believe she thought so highly of me. It was a long way to go (maybe a mile and a half?), and I wasn’t so sure I could make it. But Mrs. Bateman picked me, so I rose to the occasion.

We all lined up at the starting line – four girls, five boys. Our parents, our teachers, and the entire student body lined the designated path. The bullhorn sounded. I sprinted off the line, unaware that conserving energy is generally a better strategy in a long race.

On the back side of the school property, we were too far away from the crowd to hear them. All I heard was the rocks beneath my feet that created the path outlining the school’s property. I was toward the back of the pack. I wondered if I could really finish this race.

Girls were competing against girls, and boys were competing against boys, so I really only had 3 people to beat.

But there was a problem.

God didn’t make me fast.

Athletic, yes. Competitive, yes. Coordinated, yes. But not fast.

Winding back toward the finish line, I already knew the only person I was going to beat was the slowest boy of all, Evan. I wasn’t even going to place. The unfamiliar disappointment of not being the best at a sport sunk in to my 11 year old heart.

I crossed the finish line. People cheered. But I didn’t.

image via kleertech.com

They handed me a ribbon that said “Honorable Mention”.

Seriously? What is that? It may as well have read “Lost”. Everyone knew I hadn’t accomplished anything spectacular. The ribbon just seemed to mock me.

This memory came back to me this week when God told me I treat Him as if He were an Honorable Mention ribbon.

God has been on a mission to get me to realize He is first prize, always. I rarely recognize this fact, so He is kindly helping me grow in that area. By taking away all the prized people I value more than Him.

As He says to me, “I delight in you, and I want you to delight in Me. I want to be your primary source of love, assurance, security, joy, peace, and esteem. Primary. First. Most-oft pursued and looked to.”

I’ve been gritting my teeth during this process, begrudgingly obeying Him. I’ve been saying to myself, “I don’t have my most important friends anymore… I guess I have no choice but to settle for friendship with God.”

And God says, “Hey, I’m not chopped liver. I’m no Honorable Mention. In fact, Dear One, I am first place. I’m what you’ve really wanted all along. I will fulfill you like no other.”

I haven’t experienced this yet because I am stuck dwelling on the losses. But I believe it can be true if I cooperate with God.

Trust in the Lord. Lean not on my own understanding. And He will make my paths straight. They may be straight up, but they will lead straight to Him, First Prize.

What’s Oil Got to Do with It?

Oct26

Truth be told, I’m not comfortable with the whole idea of anointing people with oil. It’s a mysterious, wacky religious right practice that I just don’t understand.

It’s not a practice I’m very familiar with, having grown up with no religious upbringing in suburban America. And, frankly, my intellectual pride screams at the top if its lungs how ridiculous the person is who believes a dab of household oil can bless or heal someone.

Still, I’ve had a handful of experiences with anointing in my short Christian life. My children were both dabbed as babies when we dedicated them to the Lord. But I’m not sure why. I think it is a symbol of bestowing blessing on the child, but I’m not certain.

I’ve been anointed myself by a pastor when asking for healing of stubborn headaches.

To be sure, this practice is odd in our culture. And I’m not sure I’ll ever be entirely comfortable with it. But those to whom the Bible was initially written were completely comfortable with the concept.

The first mention of anointing with oil was when Aaron and his sons were installed as the first priests of Israel. Exodus 28:41 says, “…anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.”

To consecrate was to make holy – to set apart for the Lord.

I suppose that’s what we were doing with our girls on their dedication days.

Throughout the Old Testament, priests, altars, the tabernacle, and leaders were anointed in this fashion, as a symbol of their desire to purely serve the Lord.

The New Testament seems to use anointing in a different manner.

In Mark 6, the twelve disciples are sent out to do the same kinds of things they’ve seen Jesus do. “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them,” (Mark 6:13).

James also uses this concept of anointing in relation to health. He says, “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well,” (James 5:14-15).

I don’t know why oil is a big deal to God. I don’t know why He tells us to use oil to show holy intent or to invite divine healing. But He does. There are a lot of things about God I don’t get.

But that doesn’t excuse me from obeying Him.

Awhile back I told you about my daughter, Allie, and her on-going mystery back pain. Since then, she has met with a pediatric orthopedist who was perplexed and ordered an MRI. I was told after the fact that all the doctors were really worried, suspecting the worst.

But, praise God, the MRI was negative. We examined more urine samples and tested her blood for at least 10 different things. All is normal. She was sent to a pediatric rheumatologist in September who diagnosed her with discitis – a super rare inflammation of a disc between her vertebrae. She prescribed anti-inflammatories to alleviate discomfort. It didn’t help, so she prescribed a different one. It didn’t help either.

The prognosis is Allie will just have to grow out of the condition, which could take weeks or months. She’s been in pain for 6+ months. As she sobbed in my arms for over an hour on Wednesday, James 5 came to mind. It was time to give this wacky religious right practice of anointing a shot.

I took Allie to my favorite pastor’s house, a house she has spent much time at playing with his grand children, and, unbeknownst to Allie, we prayed over her. The pastor snuck a dab of oil on her head, and she smiled ear to ear. Then four of us prayed for healing and wisdom while Allie meandered around the house, playing and swindling a friend out of her fruit snacks with her sweet smile.

Allie was ok the rest of the day. This morning she cried a few minutes in pain. It remains to be seen if/how/when healing will come.

But obedience to the scriptures happened yesterday. And I know that pleases God’s heart.

 

The Longest Time Out Ever

Sep15

Once upon a time, Israel disobeyed God year after year after year. Like a patient parent, He warned them time and time again, “Please don’t do this. Choose to obey.” He took the time to explain to them they were headed toward destruction and pain. They wouldn’t listen.

Finally, God had to follow through and discipline them. Like the best parents, He had to go against every impulse of His Father heart and punish His children so they would learn to not be self-destructive anymore.

In Israel’s case, God allowed/orchestrated the capture of the Israelites by enemy nations. They were carried off to Babylon, where the Israelites were enslaved for 70 years.

This may sound harsh at first read, but keep in mind God had been warning Israel through prophets for YEARS they were heading toward this exact punishment. God didn’t mince words. He was as honest with Israel as I am when I tell my children beforehand that a certain behavior WILL result in a spanking.

Like the unruliest of children, like me, Israel tested those limits. And they got exactly what God told them they’d get.

While reaping what they had sown in Babylon, Jeremiah, who was still in Jerusalem, sent the exiled Israelites a letter. In it Jeremiah quoted the Lord telling the Israelites to, “Build houses and settle down… Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage… seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you in exile,” (Jeremiah 29:5-9).

When I am being disciplined by the Lord, the last thing I want to hear is, “Settle in; you’re going to be here awhile.” I much prefer to take my discipline quickly and get it over with.

Seventy years. The Israelites had FOUR GENERATIONS to sit and think about what they’d done wrong. That’s the longest time out ever. And yet, we can’t really get mad at God for going overboard - they were WARNED this was going to happen!

Imagine the self-loathing the Israelites felt. I can picture the Babylonians coming in, taking over, and marching the Israelites out of Jerusalem. I imagine the shocked men thinking, “This is really happening… God said things would happen this way, but we didn’t believe Him. We didn’t think He’d really go through with it, but here we are, being exiled. We have ANGERED God. We have angered GOD. Oh <expletive>!” Then the fear took over their bodies as the reality of the situation set in. It’s a wonder their legs were able to work at all.

I think a little fear was good for the Israelites. I know it’s good for me. I spend way too much time not having a healthy fear (awe, respect for) God. I need reality checks sometimes, and this was just such a reality check for the Israelites.

But lest that healthy fear turn into unhealthy fear (“God is scary”, “God doesn’t love us”, “God is spiteful”, etc.), God sends the Israelites a word of encouragement and reassurance once they arrive in Babylon. He says, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to [Jerusalem]. For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future,” (Jeremiah 29:10-11).

When this letter was read aloud to the Israelites, I imagine they wept at these words. When my children come out of time out, they look at me with one question in their eyes, “Do you still love me?” And just as God says to the Israelites here, I want nothing more than to tell my children, “YES! YES! Of course I still love you! There is nothing you can EVER do that would make me not love you.”

God goes on to say to the Israelites, “I am with you and will save you…I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished,: (Jeremiah 30:11).

Even when you and I are in “times of exile”, experiencing the just discipline of the Lord for our disobedience, GOD IS WITH US! AND HE WILL SAVE US!

It may be a longer season of discipline than we’d like, but He is near, and He is good. And that is enough to get us through. That is enough to get us through.

I’m Dying

Jul27

In Philippians 2 it says, “[Christ] humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).

I read this on Sunday, and the phrase “obedient to death” jumped off the page.

Yes, this is what God calls us all to.  You and I may not have to die a physical death to glorify God, but He calls us to many other kinds of death.

We are to die to our own plans for our lives and yield to His plans for our lives, beginning with our initial submission to Jesus as our Lord and our Savior, and continuing into every nook and cranny of our beings.

The longer you walk with Jesus, the more you realize He really wants all of you.  He is not satisfied with your confession of faith.  Even Satan believes Jesus is the one true God and the only Savior of men.  No, God wants our faith to be fleshed out.  Our faith is not static; He continues to stretch us via circumstances to grow our faith bigger and deeper.

“Come deeper with Me,” He says, “I want to increase your faith in Me.  I want you to trust Me in all things because I am worthy of your trust, but even more so because I want you to experience the delight of ever increasing faith in and intimacy with Me.  That is what your heart desires.  And it is what I desire to give to you.  Come deeper with Me.”

But this closeness with the Lord can only be accomplished through death.  You and I must learn how to die to ourselves and choose Jesus in every way.

Death.  Dying.  It’s a painful process.  Just visit someone in his last week of hospice care.  Hear the rattling of his lungs filling with fluid as he struggles for air.  Watch him wince when the morphine wears off.  Hear him moan as he comes in and out of consciousness.

Spiritual death is painful too.  Just watch a believer who sincerely wants more of God wrestle with her fear as God teaches her to relinquish control.  Watch her on the emotional roller coaster as she learns to stop rebelling and start cooperating with the Lord.  Hear her struggle as she tries to use human logic to understand just how, exactly, God’s ways are better than her own.

And then get ready.  Brace yourself.  Philippians 2:9 is coming.

Because Jesus was obedient to death, “Therefore, God exalted him…” (Philippians 2:9).

Like Jesus, it is our job to be obedient to the Father – obedient even to death, and it is the Father’s job to exalt us in light of our obedience.

Most of the time my fear of obeying the hard instructions God gives me is rooted in the lie that I must exalt myself.  If I don’t look out for me, who will?  It is my job to make sure I am happy and I accomplish all I want to in this life.

That is a LIE!

God does the exalting!  In this life and the next, God takes care of exalting us at the right times in the right ways.  And He is worthy to be trusted with our happiness and satisfaction.  He has proven exactly how deep His love for us is on the cross.

So let’s accept His invitation to humble ourselves and become obedient to death.  The fullness of our faith depends on it.

Related articles

Rules

Jun11

The hardest part of being a Christian for me is I don’t get to make up the rules.  I’m not in charge.  I’m not running this gig and calling the shots.  I don’t get to cross out verses in the Bible I don’t like and still be a true follower of Christ.

That’s hard to deal with.  We humans like to control to “ensure” our security, our success, and to boost our pride.  (I use quotes because we can’t ensure anything by being controlling.  But the illusion makes us feel better.)

Paul speaks to this in 2 Timothy.  He says, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus…if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules,” (2 Timothy 2:1,3,5).

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…”  Be confident that He empowers us, out of His grace, to do what He’s called us to do.  Among other things, He’s called us to endure hardship in the manner He prescribes –  with love, faith, and righteousness.  No easy task, but He will empower us to be successful.

“Compete according to the rules.”  Sports have rules.  If you use your hands in soccer, you are penalized.  You cannot win if you don’t abide by this rule.  If you break the rule incidentally, the other team gets the ball, and you try to obey the rule going forward.  In this case, you remain in the game, in the contest, eligible for the win.

But if you break the rule on purpose, you are penalized more severely.  The other team gets the ball, and you either get a warning card or an ejection card, depending on where you were on the field when you purposefully handed the ball.  If you intentionally use your hands again, you will be ejected, removed from the field permanently.  You can no longer win the game.

So it is in the Christian life.  There are rules – God-mandated rules – we all must abide by or suffer the consequences.  When we inadvertently break a rule, we are met with grace and love and gently corrected.  We still experience the natural consequences of our disobedience, but we aren’t disqualified from winning.

On the contrary, when we purposefully break God’s rules, repeatedly telling Him we don’t like His rules and will not adhere to them, we are met with grace and love and unpleasant discipline.  (The simple fact that we aren’t smited for our obstinance proves His grace and love).  In addition to natural consequences, we experience supernartural consequences – a hardening of our hearts toward God and a separation from His perfect will.  We become disqualified from winning.

It’s essential to note that “winning” is not “being saved”.  Paul already knows Timothy is saved in these verses.  This passage is for those who already have eternal salvation guaranteed by having accepted the blood sacrifice of Jesus.

Rather, “winning” is living in harmony with God, hitting on all cylinders in your walk.  It’s not easy to do.  Living by His rules is hard.  But when we do, we can win.  We can feel and, more importantly, be lit up by the Holy Spirit, harnessing the full power of Him to accomplish our specific Kingdom work God has prepared in advance for us to do (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 2:10).

When you are ejected from a soccer match, you can’t return to that match.  You cannot win that game.  But you will get another chance another day to play in a new game with a fresh opporunity to win.

And, praise God, so it is with Him.  When we’ve boldly defied Him, rebelling against His system of rules with every anarchic urge in our souls – when we’ve lost – He gives us another chance.  His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

We can win today….if we play by His rules.

I’ve won a handful of times in my life.  Victory is sweet and well worth any perceived loss we experience along the way.

 

Why Sin is a Big Deal

Jun8

Sometimes I sin and actually tell myself, “This is no big deal.  Sure, God doesn’t like it, but it’s petty sin.  Like petty theft – it doesn’t really hurt anyone.”

That’s what I say.

And I am wrong.

Because sin - any sin – is lot more destructive than that.

Why?

Well, what is sin?

I’m thinking the heart of sin is distrust of God.  We sin by not obeying Him because we don’t trust He has our best in mind.  We think He’s going about things all wrong.  We think He is holding out on us.  We think we know better than He does what we need and what we should have.

Oh, the arrogance in our hearts.  It’s sickening, isn’t it?

I recently told God, “I know You say what I did was sin.  I agree Your Word says that.  But I just don’t feel bad about it.  It doesn’t seem like it should be called ‘wrong’.”

(By the grace of the Lord Jesus, I can say things like this to God – GOD! – and not be immediately struck down.)

God looked at me and said, “It’s wrong because you didn’t trust Me.”  His eyes were sad.  My heart fainted.  My actions had caused the sadness in my Savior’s eyes.  The guilt began to set in.  I knew He was right.  I hadn’t trusted Him to meet my needs and my wants.  I hadn’t trusted Him with my heart.

When I saw the pain in my Jesus’ eyes, I wanted to vow I’d never cause that pain – I’d never sin – again.  I didn’t make that promise because I know I’d never be able to keep it.

So, instead, I’m praying He’d remind me of His pain every time I am tempted to sin to motivate me not to.

Telling God No

Apr17

Peter.  God love him.

He is the disciple that I relate to most.  From the excessive pride, swearing he’ll never deny Christ, to letting his emotions dictate his actions, cutting off that guy’s ear who came to arrest Jesus, Peter is a relatable dude.

After Christ’s resurrection, Peter maintains his uncanny ability to fail in his faith.

In Acts 10 Peter has a vision from the Lord.  He was praying one afternoon, and “He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter.  Kill and eat,’” (Acts 10:11-13).

Peter realizes something supernatural is happening right now.  The text says he is in a trance.  He knows he isn’t asleep, and he is aware that it is the Lord speaking to him.  I think he is caught off guard by this experience. He probably wasn’t planning on encountering the Lord quite like this when he started praying.

And Peter’s gut-reaction to the Lord’s command to eat is telling of where Peter’s heart was.

“‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean,’” (Acts 10:14).

image via en.over-blog.com

PETER TELLS GOD NO!

This is preposterous, is it not?!

And, yet, you and I do the same thing all the time.

The Lord is telling Peter to do something outside of his comfort zone, outside of his religious practices, outside of his preconceived notions of what it means to be His follower.

When Peter was faced with making an on-the-spot decision – obey the Lord or obey the Law – Peter’s true heart shows his loyalty is to religion.

To be fair, Peter was caught off guard.  Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.  Let’s give him grace!  Surely, if he had taken the time to really think things through before responding to the Lord, he would have chosen to obey God.  Surely, his refusal to eat was merely his flesh talking, not a true representation of this disciple’s heart….

Except the Lord gives Peter two more chances.  TWO.  MORE.  In addition to the first chance.  And Peter still doesn’t obey.

“The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’  This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven,” (Acts 10:15-16).

Peter doesn’t eat.  Not the first time, not the second time, not the third time.  He tells God no.

I wonder what would have happened if Peter had eaten?  What blessing – what experience – did he miss out on by refusing the Lord?

What are we missing out on by telling God no in our own lives?  If you’re tired of wondering, find out.  Walk forth in obedience, even if what He’s asking you to do sounds crazy - is crazy – and defies all your preconceived ideas of the Christian life.

Let’s find out what we’ve been missing.