Putting God in the Background
These last few weeks have been a horrible struggle for me in my spiritual life. I have thought about calling it quits on school and ministry and the whole thing plenty of times, but there is something that has kept me from doing so each time, and for that I am thankful.
Tonight I was doing my devotionals (something I haven't cracked open for quite some time), and it is a book about reflections of the nation of Israel and their journey out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the desert where they incessantly whined and complained against Moses and to Moses about how everything was going wrong. Point one for me in feeling like the nation of Israel.
The section I read tonight wrapped up the chapter on the Ten Commandments. The last part of chapter 20 includes this line from the Israelites:
Wow...talk about a slap in the face with that one. As I finished reading the introduction to the lesson I sat and pondered this quote for a minute. How true! How true is it that we can praise God when He does awesome and great things, but the other 98% of the time we stick Him in the corner like He doesn't matter?
Guilty anyone? Yes says the Bible college student who neglects her daily devotional and prayer life on a consistent basis. Yes says the Bible college student who wants God to do everything for her, but do nothing in return for Him. I'm. So. Guilty! So what do I do about it?
Something God has been challenging me with recently is learning what it means to abide in Him. John 15 has completely hit me in the face, and I have loved it each time I read the passage. What that looks like for me to do that well I have no clue and I am sure it looks different for everyone. For now, I continue my life one quiet and obedient step at a time as I listen for the voice of God whispering,
"Abide in Me"
Tonight I was doing my devotionals (something I haven't cracked open for quite some time), and it is a book about reflections of the nation of Israel and their journey out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the desert where they incessantly whined and complained against Moses and to Moses about how everything was going wrong. Point one for me in feeling like the nation of Israel.
The section I read tonight wrapped up the chapter on the Ten Commandments. The last part of chapter 20 includes this line from the Israelites:
"Then they said to Moses, 'You speak with us and we will listen; but don't let God speak directly to us or we will surely die!'"The introduction to this day's lesson caught my attention the most when the author quoted a man named Dunnam who said, "The people were glad to participate in God's merciful providence, happy for Him to be the sustaining but unseen background in their life. They joyfully sang praises on the shores of the Red sea. They had appropriate bread from heaven in the wilderness....But they wanted it to stay that way: God removed- in the background."
Wow...talk about a slap in the face with that one. As I finished reading the introduction to the lesson I sat and pondered this quote for a minute. How true! How true is it that we can praise God when He does awesome and great things, but the other 98% of the time we stick Him in the corner like He doesn't matter?
Guilty anyone? Yes says the Bible college student who neglects her daily devotional and prayer life on a consistent basis. Yes says the Bible college student who wants God to do everything for her, but do nothing in return for Him. I'm. So. Guilty! So what do I do about it?
Something God has been challenging me with recently is learning what it means to abide in Him. John 15 has completely hit me in the face, and I have loved it each time I read the passage. What that looks like for me to do that well I have no clue and I am sure it looks different for everyone. For now, I continue my life one quiet and obedient step at a time as I listen for the voice of God whispering,
"Abide in Me"
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