ARE WE TRULY SORRY???

So often I have heard it said, and even said or thought it myself:  "It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission"!   There are many that live by this 'motto'... believing that getting their actions approved ahead of time is overrated.  Not asking permission in advance for fear that permission will not be granted... we proceed with the activity of choice.  Later if it is found that something has been done wrong or a wrong decision has been made - then time is spent apologizing and making amends or restitution.  Our children do this, employees do this, I have even heard Pastors say this in reference to their congregation, husband and wives do this, and yes... I am guilty of such dreaded activity.

In even contemplating how often I've seen this plan in action... I realized that as Christians we often do this with the Lord.  Going ahead with our own plans and our own personal will... never asking Him what He would have us do - only when later we find we have gone the wrong direction in life... then we want to "blame" Him for not directing our steps.  How can we "blame" Him... when we didn't ask for His guidance and direction to begin with???  The Lord desires our "obedience" more than our "sacrifices and apologies."  So we must ask ourselves:  "Are we truly sorry" or do we just want "what WE want" - no matter the cost - and we will ask forgiveness later???

And Samuel said , Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings 
and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken 

than the fat of rams.  (1 Samuel 15:22)

Humpty Dumpty - Great was the Fall

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the Kings horses

And all the Kings men,

Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty

Together again!

So many things in this life "Rise and Fall"... just like Humpty Dumpty.  Temperatures go up and a cool front moves in - temperatures fall;  flowers work their blooms out of the ground - frost or time settle on them and they fall;  the DOW has a good day and the "Stock Market" rises - depressions happen and the climbing numbers and profits fall;  harsh words are spoken and anger rises - apologies are made and calmness falls;  a blockbuster movie is released and a Star's Fame rises - then tabloids tell lies or secrets and their fame falls;  and the list could go on with examples of Empires, Fortunes, Bank Balances, Egos, Popularity, Prices, Airplanes, Hot-air balloons, etc.  In this familiar Nursery Rhyme not a lot of information is told of Mr. Dumpty's character or how he rose to the status of sitting high upon that wall - but we do learn of the untimely plight of his great fall.  We also learn that when found on the ground his first thought was to turn to the government or to men to fix his quandary (many in our society do the same - but I will not linger here), to no avail.  

It is "human nature" to want to be at the "top of the wall"!  In doing my Bible Study "Walking by Faith" this week - Jennifer Rothschild brought out three very important points that made me think of Humpty and to ponder the "Rise and Fall" issue.  Humpty was on the "Rise" first then came the "fall" - but in the spiritual world we must "Fall" first - then the "Rise" transpires.

• If I desire to rise with the presence of the Lord... I must first fall before Him in worship.
• If I desire to rise with strength... I must first fall before Him in weakness.
• If I desire to rise with purity... I must first fall before Him in repentance.

No matter where we find ourselves this very moment - whether at the "top of the wall" 
or in a "heap on the ground" at the bottom of it - the King, his horses, nor his men 
are the answer:  Our only hope lies in the redeeming and restoring grace of 
the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE HARDEST QUESTION I'VE EVER ASKED!

In finishing up with the "Jonah" Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer... I love doing some extra digging to see what others have gleaned from studying the same chapters in the Bible.  I was reading a sermon on Jonah by Ray Pritchard and in it he posed a challenge to do the following:

Take a Bible plus a notebook and a pen and find a quiet place. Then pray this simple prayer: 

“LORD, SHOW ME THE TRUTH ABOUT MYSELF.” 

Those seven words are all you need to say. Then wait for God to speak to you.

When we pray that way, the answer will begin to come from heaven. Little by little the Holy Spirit will show us our weaknesses, our faults, our mistakes, our bad attitudes, our foolish words, our pride, our arrogance, our need to be in control, our need to tell others what to do, our desire to have our own way, our anger, our bitterness, our lack of mercy, our lack of love, and our lack of compassion. I know from personal experience that if you wait long enough, the Lord will always reveal the truth to you.

It’s hard to do this. God knows that so sometime he forces the issue. Sometimes God puts us in places where we have to face the consequences of our own poor choices.

He won’t take sin in stride.
He won’t say “Boys will be boys" nor "Girls will be girls".
He is passionate for holiness.

He loves us too much to let us go on in sin forever. 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  (Psalm 139:23-24)