Humble Response

Originally published on July 14, 2015

I recently heard it said that our nation is where it's at because the Church has fallen away from Christ.  When we as God's people live as He's called us to live, God blesses.  The responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders.

This post is even more relevant today than when it first published.

"The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;

his judgment has fallen upon Israel.

And the people of Israel and Samaria,

who spoke with such pride and arrogance,

will soon know it.

They said, 

'We will replace the broken bricks 

of our ruins with finished stone,

and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.'"

Isaiah 9:3-11 NLT

God was warning His people of their pride and arrogance.  They had lived a pattern that was counter to His ways and refused to humble themselves before Him, submitting to His law and guiding Hand.  Their response to this warning of coming destruction?  It sounded more like determination and selfish ambition, like they were proving their independence and ability to do anything they set their minds to do.  When they banded together, they believed there was nothing they could not accomplish.  Sound familiar?  Sadly, yes.

God is constantly at work drawing His people back to Him, yet do we even recognize His hand at work?  Or do we arrogantly vow to stand firm in our ignorance?  We are the strongest nation on the face of the earth, nothing can bring us down.  We stand for truth and justice, we determine what is best for us.  We bow to no one.  We had better take note of God's warnings found in His Word, for they resonate strongly in this day and age.  We would be wise to take heed.

Discipline?  Hard times hit, both on a personal level as well as nationally.  I wonder why.  Why me, Lord?  Can't I catch a break?  I've tried to live a good life.  I'm involved in church, I keep my nose clean,  work hard to better myself.  Why all the trouble?  Following Jesus is not a religion.  It is a relationship based squarely on the work of Jesus Christ completed on the cross that freely gives me peace with the God I've offended by my sin (2 Corinthians 5:18).  With such work of reconciliation already accomplished, there is nothing left for me to do but to submit myself to Him (Hebrews 4:6).

Still, I try hard to prove myself, to earn points with God, to show Him and others how serious I am about my faith.  Despite my hardheadedness, God loves me wholly in Christ and never gives up on me.  He knows what it takes to get my attention, to bring me to my knees where I realize my own inadequacies, my deficits, my inability to do anything of eternal value on my own.  He wants me simply to rest in Him and trust Him to direct my life.  For many, it takes a crisis of major proportions to teach this lesson of humble submission to His better plan.  If I never consider that He could be using the hard stuff as a tool to whittle away my fleshly resolve, I'll miss out on the sweetness of knowing and submitting to Him as Father.

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask myself, "Is God trying to get my attention?  What is He telling me?"

Examination?  I get in a rut, in a groove, and life keeps humming along.  I live as I've always lived and assume I'm doing alright.  Then the crisis hits, the hardship comes, the difficulty slaps me across the face and my rhythm is interrupted.  What now?  I don't get whats happening and I long for the smooth sailing again.

When I look at myself I can't see what God sees.  He is the Master Potter who is in charge of the sanctification process, molding me into the image of His Son (Isaiah 64:8, Romans 8:28-29, Romans 12:1-2).  Only He sees where I'm off in my thinking, what habits and ways are destructive, what sinful patterns offend Him.  While I'm covered by the blood of Jesus which protects me from His wrath, He still desires to purify me for His Namesake.  Therefore, it is good for me to do as David did by asking, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life"(Psalm 139:23-24). Inviting Him to examine my innermost parts, my motivations like David did is an intimate gesture that shows my faith in God, my belief that He will do what's best for me, and that I trust Him wholly.

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask God to examine me and show me where I'm off in my thinking and behavior.

Approval?  The first thing they wanted to do was rebuild.  They didn't want anything, even the weather, to get the best of them.  So when lightning destroyed their home by fire, they made immediate plans to rebuild.  This seemed like the logical step to take and most of us would have done the same.

I hate to slow progress and hamper the return to life as usual, but it might be wise to consider God's will in every situation.  Did I run my plans past God?  Did I consult Him?  Did I seek His plan, even if it differs from mine?  Or would I rather just continue on with what makes sense to me?  If God doesn't lead me to rebuild, to repair the damage done, to make improvements on what I've already been given, should I boldly and confidently move ahead?  Or am I just assuming its His intention for me because it is the logical next step?  I'll only know if I take it before the Lord for His approval.  

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask God how He wants me to respond.

It's easy to become proud and arrogant, believing I'm the captain of my own ship, the designer of my destiny, responsible for the plan for my life.  Yet, when I gave my life to Jesus by faith, I agreed to let Him lead me wherever He wants me to go.  Therefore, I'd be wise to consider that every hard time I encounter could be His discipline as He attempts to get my attention so He can teach me a lesson.  The crisis that threatens to wipe me out is also a time to ask for His examination of my heart so that I can draw even closer to Him as a result.  And as I attempt to recover from life's latest disaster, I must learn to seek His will for how to proceed.  While it may require that I learn some new patterns, this is more of a humble response to God's warnings compared to how I might naturally respond.  In His hands, every difficulty I encounter is used for my good and His glory!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to submit to His humbling tools. 

When do I assume I should respond to a crisis by rebuilding without ever bothering to consult the Architect?

How am I guilty of keeping God at arms' length?