A Child of God

Jeremiah 7:23-24 (KJV) Says, "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward." Jeremiah 9:9 (KJV) Says, "Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this."

In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to warn the inhabitants of Judah that they faced punishment as a consequence for their disobedience to Him. The Lord also instructed Jeremiah to inform the inhabitants of Judah that if they would repent of their sins and turn back to Him He would bless them.

Many people look at God as judgmental, harsh, and condemning. They are of the opinion that living a Christian life would be constraining, boring, and miserable. Nothing could be further from the truth. First off, God is loving, kind, merciful, understanding, forgiving, patient, and all things good. We are his children, and He, like most parents, wants nothing more than for His children to have blessed lives full of contentment, divine peace, and joy.

I think we can all understand exactly where God is coming from if we look at it this way:  He is our Father, and He  has given us clear instructions in His word, on how to live in obedience to Him, and the blessings we will receive for doing so. This is not unlike all parents who have set rules for their children. They expect them to abide by these rules, and to live in obedience to them. Do you think God set the statues and commandments that He set for us to follow in order to make our lives miserable? If so, then do parents set rules and regulations for their children to follow because they want them to be miserable? God gives us instructions on how to live in obedience to Him, because he wants us to have the best life possible. He knows that living in disobedience to Him will result in the same sort of chaos that children would find themselves in, if their parents set no rules for them to follow. We please God when we walk in obedience to Him, just as children please their parents when they obey them. God will bless us for obeying him, just as some parents reward their children for good behavior.

My parents would warn me if I was being disobedient in the hope that I would heed their warning and avoid having to face consequences for my disobedient behavior. God does the same thing through the Holy Spirit within those of us who have be saved. When we are about to do something that is in disobedience to God, the Holy Spirit gives us a nudge that causes us to pause. If we ignore the nudge, and proceed with our disobedient behavior that is not unlike being warned by our parents not to do something, and then doing it anyway.With that said, as a child I never saw the logic in my parents rules. I got upset when they told me not to do something, told me I couldn't have something, or wouldn't allow me to go certain places. I thought they were being mean, unfair, unreasonable, and difficult. I could not understand the necessity of their rules. As an adult, however, I came to realize that their rules were set because they loved me, wanted what was best for me, and they were far wiser than I was. They could see the possible consequences I would face had they given me free reign, and they loved me to much to allow that. If they said not to jump on the bed for instance, it was because they saw the possibility that I could fall off, and hurt myself. I being a child did not look that far ahead, and the possibility of sustaining an injury from jumping on the bed never crossed my mind. Another example would be my asking them to purchase something they felt was dangerous and could result in my being harmed. Again, when they refused, I found them unreasonable, never seeing the potential for the item to be dangerous.  As a teenager, if I requested to go to a party where my parents knew no adults would be present, I got upset with them when they said I couldn't go. I felt they were being difficult, and simply didn't want me to have fun. After all I was a teenager, which meant I was practically grown, and all the other kids were doing it.  I grew to realize, of course, that this was not the case, and that my parents could see that an unsupervised party of teenagers registered high on the risk meter.

Just as children see their parents rules as unreasonable, many people view God's statues and commandments in the same light. Some people grumble and complain about things that are going on in their life, and the difficulties they are facing. Many state they have no clue as to why things are going the way they are, and  they chalk their difficulties up to bad luck. They may ask why God is allowing certain things, why they can't get a job, why they are having financial difficulty, why they are having marital problems, and numerous other questions concerning where God is in all of their issues. Many will say I've prayed about it, and I ask God to help me with my finances, help me find a job, or whatever their need is, and then they'll ask: Why isn't he helping me? They'll make proclamations like God doesn't listen to me! or I don't think he hears me!  The question they should be asking is: Am I living in obedience to God?  If one of your children disobeyed your rules by sneaking out of the house to go to a party they had been instructed they could not attend, would you be standing ready to reward them, when they returned home? Or, Would they face consequences for their behavior? It works the same way with our Heavenly Father.

Not all of the trials, and tribulations we face in our lives are consequences of our living in disobedience to God. Some are tests of our faith, and some we may understand later in life as we see them line up with God's plan for us. Some we may never understand, or they may become clear when we go home to be with the Lord. One thing is certain, however, and that is when we live in disobedience to God there are consequences for it. When we take charge of our lives, and leave God out of all things then we are bound to make mistakes that could have been prevented had we sought His guidance, and direction. It is time we stop questioning God about some of the issues we are facing before we take a good look at ourselves, and how we are living our lives. We all sin because none of us are perfect, and God understands that. We should, however, strive to be obedient to God, and to grow in our relationship with Him each day. Do you ask forgiveness for your sins, and work on becoming more obedient to God? Or, Do you continue on your own course leaving God out of all things until you need Him to rescue you from the consequences of a poor choice you've made?

I encourage you to walk in obedience to God, just as you would have your children obey you. Do so knowing that He loves you and wants what is best for you just as you want what is best for your children. Take a good look at your life, and identify the areas that need work. Begin work on those areas, one at a time if necessary, until you have corrected them. Go to God in prayer, and ask Him to help you make the changes you need to make in your life in order for your words and actions to line up with who you are in Him. God wants us to have a life full of divine peace, contentment, and joy just as you want that for your children.  Consider how much you love your children, remember you are a child of God, and He loves you in the same manner.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.