In times of reflection, we often ask ourselves why it takes a mountain of trouble before God gets our attention. Jesus calls us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33). This means in daily affairs as well as our lifelong pursuit. So much anxiety is removed when our attention is turned to God early — when we go directly to Him with our concerns. The words of this song are more real than we care to admit. Sometimes it takes a mountain Sometimes a troubled sea Sometimes it takes a desert To get a hold of me As when someone calls or waves from across a noisy street, why does God have difficulty getting out attention? So often He has to let us walk into our trouble, as it's only then we turn to Him. Scripture is full of warnings, greetings, blessings, sobering stories, devastating battles, magnificent spiritual overcomings, sobering wisdom, knowledge and understanding, character change, life change, martyrdom, secrets, grace, hidden language, heroic pasts and miraculous futures. With all that foresight and spiritual wealth, the question again is asked. Why does God have difficulty getting out attention? Why do we so often go down to the very depth of our problem before we listen? Before we take heed? Before we act? Too many times we use our own wisdom and arrogance. This can take us further into our problem instead of alleviating it, as we expected. God attempts to get our attention through the gentleness of the Holy Spirit, but He can’t get through our wall of pride and self-sufficiency. Our wall either comes down voluntarily or it is smashed down by negative circumstance. We choose that outcome. Yet even in some people’s lowest times God can’t get through. They still have enough resistance to deny their greatest hand of hope. They choose to receive all other hands of help but God’s. We have a precious Saviour who wants to show us all these things, but too often we ignore Him. Luke 4:18-19 shows Jesus reading to others in the Temple about the reason for His life: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
How many mountains, troubles seas, and deserts will it take for us to acknowledge God when He
calls? How many times will we use our own wisdom first before we humble ourselves and turn to His?
Today's prayer: Dear Lord, I am in awe of what you can teach me and what I can become if I open my heart to you fully. Please help me seek your wisdom in the first instance of any situation. To go to you, to heed Your Word, to remove all barriers between me and you, so the flow of blessing can be constant.
Photo by Cristian Newman
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