As humans, we are prone to look first and consistently for cause and effect reasons for our troubles and challenging circumstances. We are obsessed with explaining all the occurrences of life from sickness to accidents, to even death.  We look from side to side and wonder, “Wait, how did this crash happen?”  We endlessly wonder, “Why is this sickness not going away?” “I’ve done everything I can do!”

We easily look outward to blame others to help us with explanations of why we are living in the mess we are in.  We rationalize and rank our sins as easily as we breathe, eat, and drink.  “My sins are not as bad as that person over there, so I will make it.” We become so enthralled and obsessed with explaining life that we miss the point of life altogether.

We realize that some circumstances are not of our own making.  Some of the messes we fall into are because of the messy lives of others.  However, if we are honest, much of messy troubles and setbacks are a result of our own rebellion of ignoring and neglecting God, doing life on our own terms, relying on our own understandings, arrogantly assuming what others are thinking and therefore act accordingly with presumptive thoughts about all people, places, and things of this life.

Fools rush in when we are foolish because fools like the company of each other—until the fall. 

Psalm 81, The Message

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.

^1-5 A song to our strong God!
    a shout to the God of Jacob!
Anthems from the choir, music from the band,
    sweet sounds from lute and harp,
Trumpets and trombones and horns:
    it’s festival day, a feast to God!
A day decreed by God,
    solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
He commanded Joseph to keep this day
    so we’d never forget what he did in Egypt.

    I hear this most gentle whisper from One
    I never guessed would speak to me:

^6-7 “I took the world off your shoulders,
    freed you from a life of hard labor.
You called to me in your pain;
    I got you out of a bad place.
I answered you from where the thunder hides,
    I proved you at Meribah Fountain.

^8-10 “Listen, dear ones—get this straight;
    O Israel, don’t take this lightly.
Don’t take up with strange gods,
    don’t worship the popular gods.
I’m God, your God, the very God
    who rescued you from doom in Egypt,
Then fed you all you could eat,
    filled your hungry stomachs.

^11-12 “But my people didn’t listen,
    Israel paid no attention;
So I let go of the reins and told them, ‘Run!
    Do it your own way!’

^13-16 “Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now?
    Israel, will you follow my map?
I’ll make short work of your enemies,
    give your foes the back of my hand.
I’ll send the God-haters cringing like dogs,
    never to be heard from again.
You’ll feast on my fresh-baked bread
    spread with butter and rock-pure honey.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The celebration worship began with a flourish of trumpets and shouting praise to God!  This was a day set aside by God for His people to remember all that He has done for them.  The people were gladly reveling in the party, because who doesn’t enjoy a good party with good food?  However, but they were obedient to God in their daily lives.  Worship and service go together like honey and biscuits!  The congregation truly enjoyed the music and sang along with gusto—then God spoke.

Imagine the scene:  God’s voice was heard and the crowd grew silent as He whispered convicting words of their rebellious behaviors.  God reminded His people; “You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place.” “You worshiped other gods.” “You didn’t listen.”

God comes into our messy lives, not to condemn us to death; but to demonstrate to us how His Ways lead to Life.  Jesus, God’s Son, was the perfect example of showing us how to live in harmony with God.  Jesus’ willing obedience to God with sacrificing His live to save us was a demonstration of God’s love for us.  So, why worship any other god on earth but God, the Father who loves us enough to die for us? But we do.

We soon realize we are becoming who we worship and we just can’t hide it for our behaviors reflect who (or what) we really believe, talk about most, give our time to, trust, and obey.  Our love for God is divided and God will not allow it. He will step aside until we decide to come back to Him with full attention and allegiance.

We are given free will to choose our way or His Way.  We are responsible for the choice we make, however.  Free will comes with responsibility.  If we choose God’s Way; we have the resources beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations along with the holy guidance to all Truth. Yes, God was, is and always will be more than enough.

If we choose going our own way, we are in rebellion against His ways. We soon learn our resources are very limited. We fall for temptations that distract us from God, deceiving us by offering what we think will satisfy all our desires. As we struggle on this destructive path, Jesus offers His Hand of rescue.  We can choose to get a grip and be pulled out our current lifestyle of rebellion—or not.

One thing is for certain:  We will never be enough on our own to fill the emptiness we have without God.

“Please listen to me!” God pleaded with Israel to listen, but Israel ignored him.

As you read this, prayerfully and humbly consider;

Am I taking time to be still, let go, and truly listen to God?

Am I seeking God’s whisper of wisdom for me?

Am I willing to do what God says to me?

If God asks me to change my ways so I can walk more humbly with Him, am I ready and willing to transform, even if it stings a little?

The Israelites missed God’s best for them when they failed to listen.

God told Micah, His prophet, to tell His people to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him as they found their way back to God from perilous times of captivity due to their rebellion against God.  Other prophets spoke similar commands from God. But still, they did not listen.

God still speaks. We learn today that when God speaks; we must listen, trust, and obey. Choosing anything or anyone else but God leads to a slow cooking rebellion that can only lead to misery and death.  The steps to take to walk with God are found in Romans 12.  Check it out. Choose Life. Choose Jesus. No excuses, just surrender.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—Jesus, John 14:6

Lord,

A song sung in worship to You in celebration of remembering what You have done for us is not enough.  We must daily humble ourselves before you, listen to you, then trust and obey for there’s no other way to peace, joy, faith, hope, and your perfect love.  I choose You. I love you because you first loved me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen