Think Again

 

Last weekend my 10 year old daughter, was sitting playing with my Iphone playing a game called Pocket God. Cool name and an interesting game for about 3 minutes! Anyway, I wanted to use my phone, but she wanted to play a game. Oh, I have an idea; she can play the Nintendo DS I bought for her birthday! So, problem solved right? Wrong! She's not done, and doesn't have 'pocket god' on her 'DS'. Awe… So, she gets an attitude at the thought of having to go get the 'ds' I bought her, from the room I pay for, in the house I pay for, etc. It sure made me feel like she was thankful for all of the cool stuff I give her as she yelled and stomped towards her room. No…it really didn't make me feel good. So I had to go help her adjust her attitude…think again. I can laugh about it now, but not then.

I Read something this morning that made me think again.

Psalm 51 starts off just the way I think every good Psalm should start. "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks… yeah, (speak Lord, speak Lord) and summons the earth… Hmmm, isn't summons a legal term? I think so. Well, it started to go south quick. It becomes clear that God is ticked off, and He wants to call court into session! He is the judge and has a contract dispute that He wants corrected.

There is no rebuke concerning offerings and sacrifices, no problems at all. But, He created all that is being offered and sacrificed to Him. Like He made everything we enjoy, He is responsible for the blessing of the job we have and the money we make that we so faithfully give a portion of to God's work. He has no problem with that stuff. He even says, "The world is mine, and all that is in it". So, what is the problem? Thanklessness…everyday; they totally forgot to give thanks and then totally forgot God. In forgetting they were unable to honor God. A mind full of 'forget' won't honor God, but a mind full of 'thanks' will! God was angry that the people were still trying to get the benefit of the contract and promises without even remembering the God with whom the contract was made!

The judge then brings all the charges and evidence of the broken contract. Where is the jury? The verse that really stood out to me was 21. He says, "...you thought I was altogether like you." Think again! Just because God doesn't say or respond right away to a when I look to money or job or friend as my source, idolizing the created, doesn't mean that He is ok with it. That may be something that I would do, but not God. I can imagine that God looks, thinks, talks, etc like me, but I'd be wrong. He makes it plain and simple. He's…not…like…me.

(Verse 22) So to forget God will have "you tore up from the floor up" You didn't know that was in the Bible did you? (Me either)

Offering thanks daily is a catalyst for obedience to God. It helps us to have God awareness, to remember Him and in turn we honor Him because of a proper perspective. He wants us to look to Him, to call on Him, to depend on Him daily to…think again.

 

 

Free to serve

Anson