A Stubborn Horse Part 2...

After reading our son's story in the last blog post, I am reminded of a couple back in the very beginning of time; Adam and Eve. God gave them everything they ever wanted or needed. The perfect life with a beautiful garden to fulfill their needs. They were given very straightforward “parental guidance” from God in Genesis 2: 16-17 (ESV) “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

They were told one thing, don't eat from that ONE tree. They just couldn't help themselves! Much like us. God, I really think this one thing looks delicious, it can't really mess up your awesome plan or set me back? This 'apple' is so much better than the long way you had me going. You won't mind, right God? I mean, 'what can it hurt?'

Or what about the Israelites when they finally moved into Canaan. God instructed them to get rid of the Canaanites, but they decided to let some of them stay and took on some of their ways. God sent them help to try and get back on track spiritually; the judges. But they perform the vicious cycle of sin again. After that, they began to plead for a real king. Everyone else had a king and they wanted to be lead into battle with a real King. God warned them this wouldn't turn out well, but they insisted. God gave them Saul. I'm sure there has been a "king" in your life you wanted right then, a fancy one, maybe something or someone you didn't really need at the moment, but you insisted.

For me, it was a position at the company I worked for. My 'apple' in the situation was that I desired to become a supervisor for all the right reasons. I wanted to be able to afford a ring to ask Samantha to marry me, I wanted to be able to grow in my career (whatever career I had hopes for at the time), and I wanted to be able to make a bigger difference than just loading packages in a truck. I prayed and I prayed, my application for supervision got 'lost' twice in the system (looking back, it seems like God was warning me). At one point, at 3 o'clock in the morning after my shift had gone so badly, I even got down on my knees in my driveway at home and offered God myself and my service in exchange for being able to get the position. It was at this time that I think He called me on it and decided to let me have my 'apple', very similar to how He allowed Adam and Eve to 'take a bite', and He gave the Israelites a King. He said, take a big bite, see how it tastes.

What a life lesson, it was a hard one that still occupies nearly one third of my life, but I have resolved never to let myself forget that lesson.-Frank

You see somewhere in everyone's personal journey, they will see that mudslide coming up, and they will know that it's the better path, until they begin to go sideways, feel uncertain, and then slip and slide and stumble. Or when we see that big branch in the middle of the path where we don't think we can take much more, and say 'Whatever, I'm going over it, I got this, I know myself best and I know what I need'. Ugh, it was those moments when we realize that we should've listened and stayed on God's path. Maybe that 'apple' didn't taste so great after all?

Here are a few scriptures to read and meditate on about listening and following God:

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" Psalm 119:105

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27-28

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." Psalm 25:4-5

Prayers as you seek to follow Him.

When life is spinning, pick your focal point!

~The Lord family