“God said to Moses: “I’m going to hit Pharaoh and Egypt one final time, and then he’ll let you go. When he releases you, that will be the end of Egypt for you; he won’t be able to get rid of you fast enough.”(Hebrews 11:1 MSG)
As toddlers, we all responded to our parent’s polite invitation to take our medicine, try our veggies, or turn in for the night because play time was over. I can hear your little voice even today, “No, no, no, no, no!” As teens, nothing changed at times with our response when one of our parents told us what not to do and where not to go. Fortunately we were smart enough to keep our “No, no, no, no, no” in the confines of our minds, making sure we escaped discipline for such a disobedient response. And as we grew a little bit older, “No, no, no, no, no” was translated into other phrases. Phrases such as “I don’t care what you say. I’m not doing it anyway.” We thought our reaction, retained it in our inner being, but our paralanguage gave us away. So the person in authority repeated what they had to say. Oh, it even happens sometimes when God sends a message telling us what to do or the Holy Spirit reminds us and guides us from within. Stubbornly, as the obstinate people of old, we respond, “No, no, no, no, no!”
Whether it be the parent, the person in charge, the preacher, or the Provider above, you can say “No, no, no, no, no” if you want to, but prepare for the consequences. The more you contend and fail to comply; the consequences are compounded and they will compel you to change your mind. You know that I’m telling the truth. Just revisit your dealings with superiors here on earth or look at Pharaoh’s case, experienced ten plagues he did not have to endure. Yes the truth is the proof. Saying, “No, no, no, no, no” to our Sovereign God surely brings consequences too.
However, there is good news! We can escape all the consequences which are intended to develop us and design our minds to respect authority and repel the “No, no, no, no, no” reactions that result in regret. All we need to do is honor those placed above us, especially our Creator who out of compassion most surely wants only what’s best for us.
So when God speaks to your heart today, giving you spiritual medicine, gently directing your path; guiding you to a better way, suppress the tendency to reject His word verbally or silently. Remember God knows what you are thinking. It is better to trust and obey, for God surely knows what’s best. Have a great Tuesday! And, learn how to say, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes” when it comes to responding to the will of God for your life. Let me close with some lyrics from a song by Sandra Crouch. Maybe you will play it in your car on the way to work! You will definitely be blessed!
“Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, from the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. Yes, Lord, completely yes; my soul says yes.”
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King