We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.“You speak with us,…but let not God speak with us….” We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth.”Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, “Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?” This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.__________________________________________________________________

February 12 2016

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good Morning Lord and thank You for this day and this devotional. And once again I read Chambers feeling like he just cannot help himself and must use guilt and condemnation to try and “persuade” his students (and now his readers) to do as he says. Chambers says we do not listen to You because we do not love You and because we do not want to keep Your commandments. He lays some pretty good guilt hooks inside his teaching today Lord. He says we humiliate You when we do not listen. This kind of teaching does not seem to hold true with Romans 8:1: there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. How do we respond to teaching like this Lord?

And God says…”The church and teachers in the church have been leveraging guilt and condemnation to try and bring sinners to Me and closer to Me for centuries. It is natural for children of God to want the very best for their brothers and sisters, and many believe that guilt, condemnation and obligation used in the “right doses” will help bring sinners and wayward believers back to Me. However, they forget that this “natural” human tendency is just one more way humans use their own ways and means instead of trusting in My supernatural ways. It is one more way humans can try to control circumstances and others. However, there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.”

“The way to reach others for Me and on my behalf is by demonstrating the life of Jesus that flows freely from Jesus to one that is surrendered, connected and curious; living life out with My strength to be obedient and responsive. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need, including the ability and motivation to listen and respond to my voice. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.”