Sunday, December 23, 2012

Compliance v. Defiance 196

"Now the serpent was  more cunning than any beast of the field which the  Lord  God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the  fruit of the trees of the garden;  but of the fruit of the tree which  is  in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you  touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 
Genesis 3:1-5

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT, THAT SETTLES IT."
What a different world we would be living in if Eve-and Adam-would've trusted the Father and had been compliant, instead of defiant! In speaking to His Chosen People Israel,  God said repeatedly: "I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME."
What is it about human nature, about me, that is so innately defiant?
Why is it that the only way for most of us to learn compliance is by God allowing us to exhaust ourselves, exhaust our flawed human strivings, until we are broken and shattered?
I had to learn this the hard way, and am still learning compliance and obedience,
as defiance is worked out of, and broken off of, me.
I am a work in progress, basking in my Father's love, as His Holy Spirit whispers to me:
"Keep going, fix your eyes on Me, do not listen to those other voices, 
forge straight ahead as you focus on Me. 
As you do I promise to make all things possible."



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