READ: 1SAMUEL3:16-18
Often, when
you hear God’s voice, it might not be pleasant. Once in a while, the voice of
God may sound harsh, rather than soothing. In fact, according to Psalm 29:4-5,
there is a voice of the almighty God that breaks cedars. I think that, once in
a while, we need to hear this kind of voice so that our stony hearts can
receive a blow. Even if the voice of the lord says to you, as He said to David
in 2 Samuel 12:7, that you are the guilty man, at least, He is still talking to
you. When God ceases to talk to you, it is a terrible situation, indeed. The
Bible says, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness.” It is
better to receive the rebuke of the Almighty than to meet a stonewall of
ominous silence. In Hosea
4:17, God aid: “Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.” I pray that you
will never get to a stage where God will prefer you were left alone. In Psalm
95:7-8, the Bible says: “For He is our God, and we are the people of
His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: Do
not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, and as in the day of trial in the
wilderness.” No matter what God says to you, never harden your heart.
Adam, when cornered by God, said he was afraid. Modern day evangelists tell us
that we can replace the word, “afraid” in the Bible with “reverence”.
They say we are not to be afraid of God but that Him we are to reverence Him.
If you know the God we are serving the way I know Him, you will be afraid of
Him. It is better to be frightened by whatever God says than for you to be
indifferent to His voice. In 1 Samuel 3:16-18, when God spoke to Eli through
Samuel, Eli replied that God should do whatever He deemed good. In other words,
he was ready to accept God’s verdict, no matter how hard it was. Any sensible
man should be afraid of the One that is called the Consuming Fire, according to
Hebrews 12:29. Surely, as the Bible says in Hebrews 10:31, it is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. If God is still speaking to
you, even if His voice appears tough, you are still better off. A man
completely ignored by God is the only one who has no hope.
MEMORIZE:
HOSEA4:17–Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.
