Yesterday I posted about Ray, Heather, Leah and I going to the cider mill so Heather could take Leah’s senior pics and we could visit Eden and Jacob.
On the way to Kearney, a small, rural town, we rode in Heather’s new car, a 2011 Kia Optima. Heather has been praying for several years now to get a new car. The Kia is NICE and is fully loaded with features, including a sunroof, back-up camera on the dashboard, smart key with push button start, keyless entry, heated steering wheel and seats, the ability to talk on her cell phone through the car, and GPS on the dashboard. Ok, why does our child have a better car than we do? 🙂 But I am so happy for her. Just this week I was praying for God to provide another car for her.
When Heather dropped us off at the commuter parking lot where we met her to ride with her, I wanted to take her picture in her car. I thought it was hilarious when Heather waved out of the top of her sunroof. The weather was beautiful this weekend, and it felt great riding down the highway with the sunroof open.
One of the great features about the car is the GPS on the dashboard. Heather thought the automated woman’s voice on the GPS was annoying and turned the sound off at one point.
Heather is a great woman of God and is obedient to Him (most of the time!). But I thought about how our relationship with God is like Heather not wanting to hear the instructions on the GPS. This morning I was reading in the book of Ezekiel, where the prophet Ezekiel had the vision of the four living creatures and God sent Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious house of Israel:
“…and I heard a voice of One speaking. And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you. Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet, and I heard Him who spoke to me. And He said to me, “Son of Man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children.
“I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.’ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse- for they are a rebellious house, yet they will know that a prophet has been among them…You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.
“Now when I looked there was a hand stretched out to me and behold a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me, and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe. Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. “And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.” (Ezekiel 2:1-5, 7-10; 3:1-3)
I’m sure Ezekiel didn’t want to do the job. Who wants to be a prophet? They are notoriously known for being mocked, ridiculed, spit on, imprisoned, and killed. But God had commanded him and he obeyed.
God also told him to eat the scroll. I love that picture. God tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and fill his stomach with the scroll. Every day we fill our stomachs with food, whether healthy foods or junk food. How often do we fill up on the Word of God? It will be like honey in our mouths, just as it was to Ezekiel. The word of God strengthened Ezekiel so he could prophesy the pure, undiluted word of God to the nation of Israel.
God wanted to show mercy to Israel so they would repent and would be restored to a right relationship with Him. God isn’t a harsh judge who just can’t wait to zap people or throw them in hell. God’s desire is to have an intimate relationship forever with us because He loves us so much.
So often we are like the stubborn, rebellious house of Israel, and like Heather not wanting to hear the GPS instructions because it can be annoying. You know, things like: “Love your enemies,” “Forgive others,” and “Wives, submit to your husbands.” Things we really don’t want to do, but we know it’s God’s will and that we should obey.
God’s word is like our GPS for life. It is our map that gives us our instructions and directions for life. If we follow it, it will get us to where we need to go. We won’t be lost, confused, or distracted. If we ignore it, “turn down the sound” simply because we don’t like hearing it, we can run into trouble, especially if we don’t know where we’re going.
“Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.” Job 22:22
***Would you like to learn more about intimacy with God? Click here for my ebook, Walking With God.
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