“Ignoring God”

JUNE 14, 2021 BY AMOS MCCARTHY  (EDIT)

Monday, June 14.

If you’ve ever tried to ignore the Lord’s commands or silence the Holy Spirit’s conviction, you’ve probably learned the same lesson Jonah did. He disliked God’s instructions and attempted to avoid the unwanted assignment by running away. But He soon discovered that you can never outrun God. 

Rebellion toward our heavenly Father often takes one of two forms: a bold outright refusal to obey His instructions or a more passive approach of quietly pursuing our own agenda while disregarding biblical commands we don’t like. Whichever route we take, we can’t silence God. His Spirit’s conviction will follow us, even if we fill life with distractions to help us ignore Him.

What we must understand is that God is willing to pursue us, and that can involve stripping away diversions and bringing negative consequences to get our attention. He is a loving heavenly Father who disciplines us if we continue down the road of disobedience.   

 The Lord is always with you, but whether your relationship feels tense or peaceful depends on your willingness to do what He says. Let’s use Jonah’s example as encouragement to obey promptly rather than waste time running away and suffering the consequences. 

Memory verse: 2 Peter 3:9

“Things do not always happen the way we planned. As we learn to trust God’s plan, we will see that he has our best interests at heart.” Dan Elis

Friday, June 11.

When you look at your paycheck, do you think of it as your hard-earned money? It’s tempting to view money as a result of our own efforts, but this perspective encourages us to act as if all our resources belong to us instead of to God. The truth is that God is the one who enables you to profit from your labors.

Thinking we have control over our assets gives the illusion of safety, but our sense of security quickly evaporates with the loss of a job or a bout with serious illness. True security is found only in the Lord, who owns all things—not in our monetary stockpiles or marketable skills. Knowing that God is in charge of our resources, whether we have much or little, should give us peace of mind because His is our provider and protector.

Recognizing that the Lord is in control of our material wealth helps with two things: It frees us from the discontentment of greed and allows us to be generous, because we never have to fear that we won’t have enough. He promises to supply enough for our needs as well as enough to share with others.

Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 9:8-10.

Wisdom is the product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” Albert Einstein

Thursday, June 10.

The prophet Malachi issued a warning to the Israelites about their unacceptable stewardship. By not following God’s principles in handling the resources He had provided to them, they were robbing Him of their tithes.

Since we too are given resources from the Lord, we must likewise handle our earnings according to biblical principles. First, that means acknowledging that God is the owner of all things (Psalms 50:10-12). He created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them, and everything we have comes from His hand.

Second, we are to recognize that God has appointed His children to be stewards of His possessions. We are to use wisely what He has given us and return to Him a portion of what He’s entrusted to us. When we give to the church and to the needy, we are giving to God.

The Lord asks that we give Him the first part of all we earn, but not because He needs it—He already owns it, whether we give it to Him or not. Rather, we’re the ones who need to learn to rely on Him as our provider and respond with generosity, obedience, and gratitude for His kindness toward us.

Memory verses: Proverbs 3:9-10.

Keep your values positive because your value becomes your destiny.” Mahatma Gandhi

Wednesday, June 9

We all want the Father’s best for our life, but sometimes we get in His way. That was certainly the case with Israel. Today’s passage from Isaiah begins, “‘Woe to the rebellious children,’ declares the Lord, ‘Who execute a plan, but not Mine’” (v. 1).

Instead of trusting in God’s promises and power, Israel focused on the threat of an enemy attack. They decided the safest approach was to rely on Egypt’s help even though God told them the solution was to repent and trust in Him. By substituting their plan for the Lord’s, they missed His best for the nation and suffered as a result.

When you have a decision to make, do you focus on God and His Word or on the problem you’re facing? Are you quick to accept other people’s advice before seeking guidance in the Scriptures? Although your plan may seem like the most promising option, if you have left God out, it’s very possible you’ve become an obstacle to what He desires for you.

When you are tempted to take matters into your own hands, remember the Lord’s guidance: “In quietness and trust is your strength” (Isa. 30:15). When you follow Him, He’ll guide you to the optimal path for your life.

Memory verse: Isaiah 30:22

“Words are free. It’s how you use them that will cost you.” Kushandwizdom