Sunday, December 2, 2007

"I've Reached Out To You, But You've Ignored Me."

Is God quiet or are you choosing to ignore Him?

In this first part of a 2 part series, I am going to let Scripture, The Word Breathed by God, speak for itself to see if we can help ourselves understand if we are seriously Seeking after God or if maybe the reason we don't hear Him is because we are choosing to ignore Him.

Part 1: Are We Ignoring God?
(Proverbs 1.20-33 MSG; Key verse: 1:24 MSG)

Lady Wisdom 20-21
Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:

22-24 "Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I'm ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I've called, but you've turned a deaf ear;
I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me.

25-28 "Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect
an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

29-33 "Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn't take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you've made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you're in good hands."

Click for Part 2 "When you come looking for me, you'll find me" to see how God responds when we seek Him with all-out Intensity!