Hearing God Part 5 - "My Pastor Said"

Good day people. How are you doing?
Thankfully, I'm back with Part 5 of the "Hearing God" series. Please find Parts 1-4 on the blog to catch up, if you're just joining us.
There is this growing trend with believers. I'll like to call it the "My Pastor Said" syndrome. I'll digress from the case studies to address this and by God's grace, we'll be back with the case studies in Part 6.
There is this group of believers who have held on to their father's God and have not known Jehovah for themselves. It starts subtly with "Imitate me AS I IMITATE CHRIST" but it subtly gets to "Imitate me - just assume that I am imitating Christ". Today, in discussions, you hear believers regurgitating what their pastor/leader said without verifying whether it is in line with what God is saying or not. If the (wo)man of God said it, it must be God speaking, right?
Did you know that there was a time when Paul stood up to Peter? Peter was out of line and Paul refused to follow him blindly. Read Paul's account in Galatians 1-2. I'll share Galatians 2: 11- 21 from The Message translation
"Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade. But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: “If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you’re not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?” We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan. What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that."
That's how we got to the "I have been crucified with Christ" bit that we quote as believers. Imagine what would have happened if Paul did not speak up when Peter was out of line? Will the gospel not have been subject to every mood swing that Peter had? We've built empires around men's egos and managed to cage the move of the Spirit. Believers wake up every day to hear from their favorite man of God, not minding what the Holy Spirit is saying to THEM in particular. We are so busy pursuing the man of God's vision, not bothering to confirm if what he is saying is based on the scriptures or if he is talking from his mind or even binding you to the traditions of men.
We are at a point where believers do not talk to God about their issues; they don't know the voice of God. All they know is what their pastors said. We need to retrace our steps. I'm just as guilty as anyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
New King James Version (NKJV).
You will not get away with "My pastor said" as your excuse before God...
The second half of this post is directed at those that feed God's people. God has placed His people for whom Jesus shed His blood in your care. Please do not enslave them; Jesus' blood paid for their freedom. Using them for your personal gain is ungodly. You will have to give an account of your stewardship. Please release that man or woman you have enslaved one way or the other (some have even kept others in bondage with threats of cursing them). Release those you have held in financial bondage as a result of your manipulations of Scripture. God is saying to you as He said to Pharaoh, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me". We all know how things ended for Pharaoh when he refused to let go.
I'll like to conclude by saying that this is not an attack on the pastoral office; the office was instituted by God. Pastors are to serve God's people by teaching them the WORD OF GOD, counselling them, demonstrating God's love, praying for them. They are not called to lord it over God's people; Jesus is Lord!
May the Lord help us all and open our eyes to see where we've missed the mark. May He help us to will and to do His good pleasure.

Marriage Matters Part 4 - Concluding Lessons From Esther

Good day. This should conclude my lessons from Esther. Please read Parts 1 to 3 on the blog.
Esther realised that her destiny and those of her people were at risk and the help they needed was with her husband, the king. She could easily have hidden behind the man-made law that forbade her from going to the king without being summoned. She could have gone to the king to make her demand as the queen. She did neither - she went in the Name of the Lord.
I like the fact that Esther involved ALL the Jews in her fast. They were all in this together, afterall. Sisters, perhaps if we involved some others in our fast and prayers (reasonable and godly people), the results may be different? Who knows?
Also, please note that Esther looked away from her personal problems to attend to the needs of others. We'll see that there was an improvement in her relationship with her husband in the long run...Let her that has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying...
It is noteworthy to realise that despite the fact that Esther was fasting, she appeared in ROYAL ROBES before her husband...Familiarity did not make her appear shabbily before him...In my opinion, one way to show respect to our husbands is to appear before them the way we'll appear before kings. I'm not saying that you always need to dress up but even in your 'undressed-up' state, be presentable please...May the Lord help us all...
I was a little stunned at the king's response to Esther. I have to just say that was God. If I would analyze physically, I would have asked why he didn't send for Esther if he liked her so much. It appears he forgot about Esther for a whole month! Imagine that! Dear sister that has been neglected by hubby, maybe it's time to fast and pray about it, then dress up and appear before him (not nagging or anything like that). Please let the Lord guide you in this...
The way Esther presented her request to the king is a real eye-opener for me. For someone who hadn't had her husband's attention for a month, she didn't appear to be rushed. I could dwell on that for a post or two. She kept Haman and the king in suspense. It was a great way...Haman was a threat to Esther's people and her marriage. Haman was actually taking Esther's place in her husband's life...I believe that every woman whose husband is acting up is dealing with a Haman. She needs to realise that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God to pull down strongholds...Sister, you need to wage war against Haman for in the destruction of Haman is the marital deliverance you are looking for. Fighting your husband or causing trouble up and down will not deliver your marriage. Ask God to open your eyes to see who Haman is and let Him give you strategies to wage and win the war against Haman. May the Lord strengthen our homes.
Esther was given Haman's estate after Haman died and she was able to appropriately pay Mordecai back. She became the true queen only after Haman left the picture.
Esther was wise to realise that the death of Haman did not stop his evil plans. Some of us have seen 'Haman' die but his evil plans have not being reversed. The evil man/woman has been unmasked and disgraced but you still left a door open. Sister, CLOSE THAT DOOR! May the Lord open our eyes to see the doors we've left open and show us what we need to do to close the door, in Jesus' Name.
Esther pulled the string of the king's affection for her at the appropriate time. She played that card in cancelling the evil plans of Haman. That was what she banked on to get the king to do what had never been done before - reversing an order that had been sealed with a signet ring.
Then Esther and Mordecai finished the deal by getting Haman's ten sons hanged publicly. Sister, this is a call to put sentiments aside and battle every Haman that is taking your place in your husband's life.
Let us pray
Dear Lord, we commit our marriages into Your able hands. We know You are able to keep all that is left with You. We pray that You'll open our eyes to see everyone and everything that has taken Your place and our places in our husbands' lives. Father, please open the eyes of our men to see every area where they have allowed Haman in and shut You and their wives out. Lord, please give them the will to sever their relationships with Haman immediately this is exposed. Lord, help them take decisive actions to shut the door against 'Haman'. Lord, we decree that every 'Haman' that has taken our rightful places with our husbands begin to fall out of favour from now on. Lord, let them begin to make costly mistakes in the Name of Jesus. We cancel every evil plan that has been set in place (with our husbands' approval) to annihilate us and our families. We uproot every evil seed that has been planted, in Jesus' Name.  We shall return with testimonies, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

What To Do If You Suspect Your Child Is Being Molested

I put up a post requesting for counsel from great friends on behalf of a friend who suspected that her daughter was being molested. Though it appears that there is no cause for concern in this case, I believe there is value in compiling the responses I got in a post. Who knows when such a post will come in handy? I'll try to organize the thoughts propounded in a way that the post will be coherent. Many thanks to everyone who took out the time to respond 

1. Be very wise and above all, let God guide your actions. It's very necessary here.

2. Remove your child out of the place of perceived danger IMMEDIATELY.

3. Take the child to the doctor for a check-up. This should help in ruling out the possibility of the child injuring himself/ herself by touching and scratching. 

4. If the place of perceived danger is a school, notify the school and get video footages of your child's class if they are available. Do not just leave the school without investigating because similar things could be happening to other innocent kids. Questions to ask include
- Does the child follow the school bus? 
- If you do school runs yourself, do you pick the child up late or drop him/her off too early?

5. Even if you suspect that the abuse took place/is taking place in a school, check other people that your child spends time with. Don't limit the sex of the offender to males, consider the females too. 
Questions to ask include
- Do you have a gateman?
- Who are the men living with you and around you?

6. If you're in a place where the police actually work, get the police involved! Do NOT take it lying down.

7. Talk to your child. Whatever information that can be extracted should be calmly obtained before it slips from his/her memory and before your panic causes him/her to clam up. Even if his/her speech is unclear, you may ask a few pre-emptive questions: point to the place and ask if anybody touched him/her there. When? Where? Today? In school? You may even mention a few names, likely and unlikely to gauge his/her answers and determine if they show a trend, and may be adjudged reliable. When he/she gives you an answer, even if it's not what you expected, don't ask him/her a second time.

8. Don't give out information to a lot of people.

9. Be very calm and be more vigilant.

Marriage Matters Part 3 - More Lessons from Esther

Good day. Thanks for staying with me. You can find Parts 1 and 2 on the blog to catch up.
We'll continue learning from Esther on how to deal with an erratic husband.

Please note that there is no record of Ahasuerus being a wife-beater or a philanderer. In my opinion, those have slightly different 'cures' than what we're focusing on here. If you're dealing with either of these, please get help. Please find Hephzibah Oyinda on Facebook and send a private message OR find 'The Women Stories' Facebook page, like it and send us a message or leave your email address here so we can contact you (not a preferred option). I trust that I can connect you to someone or people that can give you professional and godly help.

I realise that Esther case was peculiar, however, it is worth noting. Mordecai uncovered a plot to kill the king and told Esther. The way I see it, that was a great opportunity to plant Mordecai in the palace and 'reward" him for caring for Esther all the while. I can imagine how easy it would have been to justify that action. Instead, Esther told the king herself. In my opinion, I believe that we need to do what we can to minimize our OWN family's interference in our marriages, just as I believe husbands should do the same for their OWN family members. You need to do all you can, including trusting God and relying on His help, to nurture that marriage and give it room to flourish. I can write volumes on this point alone but I won't.

Then came the issue of promoting Haman. There is no record of Ahasuerus discussing that with Esther. The king issued a decree and Esther didn't even know about it! She only heard about the decree when Mordecai told her. The king even had a party with Haman and Esther, the queen, was not invited. We even found out in Esther 4:11 that Esther hadn't SEEN her husband for 1 month. Yet, he claimed he was attracted to her when he chose her to be his queen. ONE MONTH! And he had time to drink with Haman! I suspect it was this kind of behaviour that made Vashti MAD! Vashti got her own party started; Esther did no such thing.

Infact, it concerns me that Esther was not concerned that she hadn't seen her husband for one month. Did you also notice that neither Vashti nor Esther are recorded to have had kids for Ahasuerus? Do I need to say that Ahasuerus was not interested in satisfying his wives' sexual needs? I know the post is generally aimed at women but I can't help but talk to men here. Neglecting your wife in any way is evil; neglecting her sexual needs is what got Onan killed by God Himself. Please repent if you are guilty of such and ask your wife for forgiveness. Then, take steps to close that door you left open. God bless you.
How did Esther handle Ahasuerus' neglect? She did NOTHING. She didn't seek help from anyone, she didn't try to seduce him or do any of the weird suggestions that we read these days. She didn't throw a tantrum; she didn't throw her own women's party or draw attention to Ahasuerus' neglect. I need to ask, though - What exactly did Ahasuerus need a wife for? See why I'll have counselled him to remain unmarried...Esther got busy with other productive activities. Please share your views on this Esther's response to Ahasuerus' neglect. I think it worked out for her, though she possibly still did not have a child.

I need to talk about procreation and marital success. I believe part of the reasons why "Waiting Mothers" feel under so much pressure to have a child is that they have bought into the lie that a woman has to have a child to be successful. I know the Bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord yet the barren one is instructed to sing in Isaiah 54. Please note that Isaiah 54:1 did not talk about the barren one giving birth or going into labour YET her children are more...There is no record of Deborah or Jael having children yet they succeeded. We are not told that Esther had kids yet she fulfilled her purpose. That doesn't mean you shouldn't desire a child; just don't make an idol of the desire for a child such that you ruin the great relationships God has surrounded you with already.

God Doesn't Always Make Sense

"One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves.” Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.”
“Here’s what you do,” said Elisha. “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside.”
She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, “Another jug, please.”
He said, “That’s it. There are no more jugs.”
Then the oil stopped.
She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, “Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what’s left.”
2 Kings 4: 1-7 (The Message Translation)

The widow in the passage was already in debt YET the prophet asked her to still go and borrow (pots) from her neighbours. That didn't make any financial sense; why borrow when you're already in debt. God doesn't always make 'sense'.

Marriage Matters Part 2- Lessons from Esther

Good day. How are you doing?

I need to apologize again upfront. I think this series will have a part 3 and possibly a Part 4. As I studied more about Esther as a married woman, I realised that the lessons to learn from her cannot be exhausted in one brief post.

 

I’ll start off with Ahasuerus. I think it’s important to know the man in order to appreciate Esther’s dealings with him.

He had dethroned his first wife in anger. I find it interesting that until his anger subsided, he didn’t remember that he sent his wife away. If I was to counsel him, I’ll probably have asked him to remain unmarried.

I’ll have expected him when getting married again to, at least, review his failed marriage. However, he followed the counsel of HIS PERSONAL ATTENDANTS. Please note that his first wife was dethroned based on the counsel of “wise men who understood the times”. I hope you’re seeing a pattern here? It’ll be helpful to remember this when learning from Esther.

I’ve read an article where Esther was criticised for marrying one that was not a believer. I have some misgivings about that position. I didn’t read about how Esther doing all she could to be picked for this king’s beauty pageant. I suspect she didn’t have much of a say. Her ‘crime’ was that she was beautiful. For as long as the scouts found them beautiful, they didn’t really have a choice. Someone can say that she could have refused to go. I believe that Esther’s purpose was tied to participating in that pageant. Please feel free to share your views on whether or not Esther should have refused to participate in the ‘pageant’.

Anyway, Esther participated in the pageant. I think the difference between Esther and Vashti began to show in the way she dealt with being placed in Hegai’s care. She pleased Hegai. She was wise enough to realise that Hegai could help her in the situation she was in. Let’s assume she was taken against her will to participate in the pageant (as I believe), she could have spent the time being bitter and resentful. I feel led to talk about this point. Perhaps you’ve found yourself married to someone you didn’t quite choose or chose based on false impressions. Does that mean the marriage should be annulled? I’ll say I think not. Why?

“To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband… And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.” (1 Corinthians 7: 10, 13)

I believe you need to let God lead you on how to work things out. Esther could have spent the time plotting how to escape and maybe assassinated the king when she had the opportunity. I suspect Vashti would have done that, lol. Instead, Esther spent the time getting to know more about what to ask for from Hegai. Was that not wise? Hegai had served the king for a much longer period than Esther had known the king. Of course, Esther also had the favour of God on her side. I wonder if God’s favour alone would have got her chosen or if taking Hegai’s advice also had something to do with it. Please share your views on that.

Please remember the verses below, I’ll still make reference to them later.

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. ” Esther 2: 17-18

I noted that Esther had a Mordecai in her life whose advice she still held on to after she got married. Mordecai had watched her grow and was essentially her mentor. I believe having godly mentors help a great deal, though they shouldn’t take the place of God in our lives. You can benefit from the insight they’ll provide about you. I could write about your “blind side” but it’ll only make the post lengthier, lol. Esther did not reveal her nationality as instructed by Mordecai. I am itching to talk about finding your own Mordecai but I’ll resist temptation, lol.

Someone came across this article as I was writing and she asked me how much marital experience I have to justify writing these posts. The answer I gave her is what I’ll conclude this part with – We are learning from ESTHER, not my personal experience. If I can buttress any of the points with my personal experience, I will possibly share. However, I’ll like to stay with ESTHER more than Hephzibah.

So, we are all learning from Esther, okay?

I hope to wrap this up by Part 4. Please forgive me for breaking the posts up in parts.

I’ll love to hear from you so please feel free to leave me a comment here or on the blog.

WATCH THOSE THOUGHTS

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

 

Watch those thoughts. Your mind is the primary battlefield where life's battles are fought and won/lost. As he thinketh in his heart, so is he says the Bible. Watch who/what you listen to. Thoughts come from God, the devil or from others (who are either 'retweeting' God's thoughts or the devil's thoughts). Your thoughts will eventually crystallize into words which will always produce whatever it is you say. Your words will invariably guide your actions. So, watch those thoughts.

Marriage Matters Part 1- Lessons from Vashti

Good day.
I came across a post on a Facebook group I belong to that asked a 'Submission' related question. The comments are quite insightful. One of the comments set meon the path that produced this article. It's an awesome group, strictly for married women. Please let me know if you, a married woman, will like to join the group. (Sorry, I didn't make the rules, lol).

In my interactions with married women, I have discovered that there is this frustration about the responsibility of success that is laid disproportionately on the woman. The most "annoying" scriptures used to justify this weird contraption are "Every wise woman builds her home" and the Submission scriptures. I've even seen a post where 'He that findeth a wife obtains favour from the Lord..." has been used to justify why the woman is MORE responsible than the man for a successful marriage #PlainWickedness

This is my conclusion based on my study of the scriptures - A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE IS BUILT BY A MAN AND A WOMAN WHO ALLOW GOD DIRECT EACH OF THEIR STEPS. THE WOMAN IS NOT MORE RESPONSIBLE THAN THE MAN; NEITHER IS THE MAN MORE RESPONSIBLE THAN THE WOMAN. BOTH OF THEM NEED TO SHOW UP FOR THE MARRIAGE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

In defiance to the disproportionate allocation of responsibility, there has arisen a movement that seeks to 'restore' dignity to the married woman. Usually, when the man is 'cooperating', the attributes of women who subscribe to this movement are masked. They also do what they believe they have to do. In their minds, the partnership is equal. The attributes begin to show up when the man is not 'cooperating'. In my opinion, the poster child for this movement is Vashti.

Vashti was married to an erratic man called Ahasuerus. We can find Vashti's story in Esther 1. I'll make references to other parts of the Book of Esther in this long article (I apologize in advance). I believe that Vashti and Ahasuerus had outstanding issues before he made that feast. I came to the conclusion because of the word ALSO in verse 9. Is there a reason why Vashti was having her own separate party when her husband was having his? Did she discuss her own women's party with her husband? I can imagine her answering that question with her own question 'Did he discuss with me before throwing his own party?'

Apparently, the king wanted her to join his party so he could show off her beauty. Was that the wisest thing he could have done? I think not. However, Vashti REFUSED to obey the King's very public COMMANDMENT. Why? Some have speculated that she didn't want to be the only woman in the midst of drunken men who could have easily raped her. Uhmmmm. That doesn't make sense to me. How would a drunk man rape the QUEEN in the presence of the KING and his guards? Assuming that was even true, why did Vashti not move her own party to the king's own? I believe Vashti did not honour the king's COMMANDMENT because she wanted him to know that she had a 'life' of her own and that she was her own person with human dignity etc. We all know how that worked out for her.

She forgot that she was the queen only because she was MARRIED to the king. Also, she was having her party in HIS house, not hers. Am I saying that a married woman does not have the right to dignity or her own choices? No, I'm not. All I'm saying is that when you choose to get married, you are actually giving up some of your rights and privileges for the greater good of your marriage. I believe that applies to both men and women, though this post is directed at the womenfolk. You actually have a voice; I'll recommend that you use that voice to glorify God and not the flesh in your home.

I find it a bit annoying that the first recorded speech of the woman was when she was conversing with the devil and her first recorded suggestion to her husband led to the fall of man. Sisters, it is absolutely crucial that we give our ears and tongues to God so we can be the wonderful helpmeets God created us to be. This does not, in anyway, absolve the man of his responsibility of hearing God and leading his home, as God intended.

Ahasuerus was not a good example of a godly husband. Vashti tried to control his real and perceived excesses with fleshly measures and her royal estate was given to another. I'll continue with lessons from Esther on how to deal with an erratic husband in Part 2 of this lesson.

Enjoy your day.

Still on Submission

Someone asked:
Is there a limit to how much wives should submit? 
If a husband tells his wife to stop going to church and to stop praying in his house, maybe because he was faced with a situation and became angry with God and the church. ..what should this wife do?

My answer:
I do not believe that there are hard and fast rules. The lady in question needs to go to God to hear what He has to say concerning the matter (Please note that I said GOD, not the Pastor). We'll talk about the role of the Pastor when it comes to hearing God in one of our 'Hearing God' series.

1 Peter 3 talks about the possibility of our godly conduct winning them over. The question then is - What is godly conduct? My answer - Godly conduct is addressing issues AS GOD SAID. For some wives in this situation, godly conduct is going to church WITHOUT FAILING IN THEIR WIFELY RESPONSIBILITIES! For others, godly conduct could be joining up with a ministry that has a lot of online presence. The Holy Spirit will reveal what's best for each situation IF WE ASK HIM. 

Concerning the prayer part, I am in COMPLETE agreement with Sis Bimbola. The wife may need to change the way she prays, if she is used to getting dramatic while praying. 

There is a Yoruba proverb that says "Patience can cook a stone till it is soft". The patient wife will enjoy bliss. Remember the Bible tells us to follow peace with all men (including our husbands). 

We can learn a lot from Esther who managed to remain married to the erratic king by exhibiting patience, a virtue that Vashti did not have. I don't believe Esther lost her human dignity by working around her husband's weaknesses, did she? May the Lord bless our homes.

Hearing God Part 4 – Lessons From Noah

Good day people. How are you doing?

I’m ready for Part 4 in this series (Yaay!!!). As I was reading through a devotional, I found this phrase that I believe is important when talking about hearing God “Obedience is my part of His speaking to me”. When God leads us (particularly in the way our flesh does not like), we should obey. It makes it easier for us to hear clearly the next time.

I’ll also like to share potential distractions to hearing God (on a surface level) – Busyness, Tiredness, Hopelessness, Doubt, Deceit. One other distraction I have learnt more about is “Keeping an idol in your heart”. You’re seeking God’s will concerning a matter yet you have what you have purposed to do in your heart. That thing in your heart is an idol and if you refuse to let go, God will answer you according to the idol in your heart. Let’s read Ezekiel 14: 1-4

“Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet ; I the Lord will answer him that cometh, according to the multitude of his idols.

 

I have looked through a couple of translations and come to the conclusion that the answer that the man/woman who has an idol in his/her heart will get when he/she inquires of the Lord is not God’s perfect desire/will concerning the matter. The nature and number of idols in his/her heart will determine the kind of answer such a person will get from God. Uhmmm…

 

I’ll start my ‘case studies’ with the story of Noah. The account of Noah is found in Genesis 6-9. The days Noah lived in were evil days. There was corruption everywhere; God was FED UP with man. God had decided to destroy the world that He created. “But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8).

 

Why did Noah find GRACE in the eyes of the Lord? Was he chosen randomly or is there something he did that somehow “qualified” him? Frankly, only God can tell us what it was that caused Noah to find GRACE in His eyes. However, we’re told that “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” I believe that our reverence for God, as expressed in our manner of conduct, is more or less like our “application” for God’s grace. It is ultimately up to God to determine if they are acceptable to Him or not (God’s sovereignty at work). The question then is “If we are only saved by God’s grace, why do we do good works?” If God will decide who He will show His grace to whether we do good or not, why do we do good? Please feel free to share your thoughts on this point.

 

Going back to Noah, as a result of God’s grace (which was possibly as a result of Noah’s conduct as a just man, his perfection in a perverse world and his walk with God),  God “commissioned” Noah to build an ark.

 

The first record of God speaking to Noah was when He asked him to build the ark. So, how was he judged to be a just and perfect man? Remember that the laws of Moses came many years after Noah died. Please share your thoughts on the metrics used in judging Noah as a just and perfect man…Uhmmm…

 

All the same, Noah got the instruction to build an ark. It would have sounded ridiculous to those who Noah may have confided in. He was building the ark to save himself and anyone that believed him from an impending storm. Please note that there was no record of rain before then! There was no record of a flood before Noah started building the ark.

 

As I studied, I realised that Noah’s previous acts that earned him the title of Mr. Just and Perfect, as noble as they were, were not sufficient to save him from the flood. Their only route to salvation was Noah’s wise choice to hear what God said to him and to go ahead to build the ark ACCORDING TO GOD’S SPECIFICATION. I once watched a documentary in which it was suggested that a root cause of the sinking of the Titanic was that some parts of the ship were built with substandard material that could not withstand the low temperature the ship experienced when it collided with the iceberg. I can imagine what could have happened if Noah had tried to “work around” some of God’s specifications for the ark…Ouch, I think I just stepped on MY own toes, lol.

 

I suppose that this was not the first time Noah heard God speak to him. I came to the conclusion based on the phrase “Noah walked with God”. I don’t believe it is possible to walk with God and God will be silent throughout the walk, lol. I believe Noah and God had been gisting about “small stuff” – what do I do today? Should I pay the dude in cash or kind? Which route should I use today to get to my farm? Etc. I believe that was how Noah knew God’s voice when He asked him to build an ark. I’ll reiterate the point I shared earlier from the devotional - “Obedience is my part of His speaking to me”. As you obey Him in the “little stuff”, you gain enough trust for Him to show you a clearer picture of His plan and purpose.

 

Another instruction that preserved them was for them to enter the ark AT THE RIGHT TIME. I can imagine that when the flood began, a few people began to knock and take Noah seriously, it was too late. As earlier noted, there is the issue of timing when it comes to hearing God and obeying His commands. May the Lord help us to do as we are told PROMPTLY.

 

I pray for you that as you hear His voice, you will not harden your heart so that you may enter into God’s rest, thus ceasing from your own works, just as God has ceased from His works. (Hebrews 4: 7-11)

 

Please feel free to share your comments either on this post or in the blog. I always enjoy hearing from my brethren. The link to the blog post is below