Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
I once heard an illustration that still sends shivers up and down my spine. Picture a man praying to seek the blessing of the Lord on what he is about to do. The Holy Spirit speaks in a loud voice that the man is not to do that thing. After waiting for a time, he prays again . . . and again the voice of the Lord says, “No.” But this time it’s not as loud. Each time the man asks the Lord about the thing he wants to do, the voice of the Lord becomes softer and softer until he can hear nothing when he asks. Joyfully, the man goes ahead with his plan declaring that it must be okay with God . . . because when he asked he heard nothing.
That is such a sad illustration. But stop and ask yourself how many times you (or I) do much the same thing. Rather than spending the time to sincerely seek out the Lord’s will in a matter, we rush ahead with our plans and then try to get God to bless our actions. It is like putting the cart ahead of the horse!
God delights in having His children spend time with Him and follow His direction rather than doing their own thing. Spoiled and self-willed children are never easy to be around. Spoiled and self-willed believers are no easier to deal with.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil