Day 72: Why Shouldn't God Ever Fly Off The Handle?
Read: Exodus 32:7 - 10 (Golden Calf- Tablets smashed); 34:1 - 11 (Tablets Restored)
I would love to say that, today as we approach the new year and the glowing promise of a new us and our new round of new years resolutions that, even after who
knows how many thousands of years of trying and failing, that we the
very best representatives mankind has ever offered could finally set the
example that everyone else could come and follow. That just like
the very smoothest of finely aged Scotch Whiskey's, Wines in their
casks, that we too could learn just how to mellow out, sitting back in a
state of near complete relaxation and let nature do for us exactly what
nature is supposed to do - keep all living, maturing things in a state of calmness, not flying off the handle.
Sadly, We continually find ourselves living in an age when too many
people are too easily provoked toward anger or fear; toward flying
completely off the handle at the very slightest of provocations. We all
have a tendency to over react when provoked. It is something that we
are just simply born with. I am convinced that it is one of those
gene's that so many scientists are trying to map out to answer that age
old question: "Why does any man or woman get so easily irritated and
just suddenly 'lose it'? Is it a chemical or hormonal imbalance - very
possibly true. Is it a learned response we just reach down and pick up
along the highways, from under bridges, from off the floors?
Imagine if you can all of the obstacles a person might have to overcome
if he were to walk from New York City to San Francisco. One man who
accomplished this rare achievement mentioned a rather surprising
difficulty when asked to tell of his biggest hurdle. He said that the
toughest part of the trip wasn’t traversing the steep slopes of the
mountains or crossing hot, dry, barren stretches of desert. Instead, he
said, "The thing that came the closest to defeating me was that
miserable sand in my shoes." Now, I ask you to prayerfully meditate
on this: As you read today's passages from the Book of Exodus, ask
yourself: How much of that miserable sand was in God's shoes?
God had brought His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an out stretched arm. He had walked before them as a line of clouds by day and fire by night
to bring them to Mountain of Sinai. He had brought them safely through
the waters of the Red Sea. He wrote His law on two stone tablets.
Spent forty days explaining how they would finally come together as one
nation under God. The people responded and built for themselves a calf
of gold. Should it be any wonder that God, being slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love should suddenly feel that sand in His shoes?
So about our response? Our golden calf's of gratitude? Why shouldn't God be flying off the handle at us?
Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, there is anger and ingratitude in my heart and
I cannot root it out. I know that I should calm down and offer the hurt
and disappointment to You but today, I am feeling so incredibly
irritated at (....) and my emotion is running away with me. I am feeling
so impatient and worn down because (....) I cannot seem to contain
myself and I cannot keep up the pace for much longer before I know I
will exhaust my physical and spiritual self. Help me to overcome this
season and give me peace of heart as well as mind. Lord, let Your
steadfast love and mercy surround me. Let me grow from this experience, mature into a better human being in Jesus Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) - Matt Redman (Best Worship Song Ever) (with Lyrics)
www.youtube.com
Matt Redman - Ten Thousand Reasons (10,000
Read: Exodus 32:7 - 10 (Golden Calf- Tablets smashed); 34:1 - 11 (Tablets Restored)
I would love to say that, today as we approach the new year and the glowing promise of a new us and our new round of new years resolutions that, even after who knows how many thousands of years of trying and failing, that we the very best representatives mankind has ever offered could finally set the example that everyone else could come and follow. That just like the very smoothest of finely aged Scotch Whiskey's, Wines in their casks, that we too could learn just how to mellow out, sitting back in a state of near complete relaxation and let nature do for us exactly what nature is supposed to do - keep all living, maturing things in a state of calmness, not flying off the handle.
Sadly, We continually find ourselves living in an age when too many people are too easily provoked toward anger or fear; toward flying completely off the handle at the very slightest of provocations. We all have a tendency to over react when provoked. It is something that we are just simply born with. I am convinced that it is one of those gene's that so many scientists are trying to map out to answer that age old question: "Why does any man or woman get so easily irritated and just suddenly 'lose it'? Is it a chemical or hormonal imbalance - very possibly true. Is it a learned response we just reach down and pick up along the highways, from under bridges, from off the floors?
Imagine if you can all of the obstacles a person might have to overcome if he were to walk from New York City to San Francisco. One man who accomplished this rare achievement mentioned a rather surprising difficulty when asked to tell of his biggest hurdle. He said that the toughest part of the trip wasn’t traversing the steep slopes of the mountains or crossing hot, dry, barren stretches of desert. Instead, he said, "The thing that came the closest to defeating me was that miserable sand in my shoes." Now, I ask you to prayerfully meditate on this: As you read today's passages from the Book of Exodus, ask yourself: How much of that miserable sand was in God's shoes?
God had brought His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an out stretched arm. He had walked before them as a line of clouds by day and fire by night to bring them to Mountain of Sinai. He had brought them safely through the waters of the Red Sea. He wrote His law on two stone tablets. Spent forty days explaining how they would finally come together as one nation under God. The people responded and built for themselves a calf of gold. Should it be any wonder that God, being slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love should suddenly feel that sand in His shoes? So about our response? Our golden calf's of gratitude? Why shouldn't God be flying off the handle at us?
Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, there is anger and ingratitude in my heart and I cannot root it out. I know that I should calm down and offer the hurt and disappointment to You but today, I am feeling so incredibly irritated at (....) and my emotion is running away with me. I am feeling so impatient and worn down because (....) I cannot seem to contain myself and I cannot keep up the pace for much longer before I know I will exhaust my physical and spiritual self. Help me to overcome this season and give me peace of heart as well as mind. Lord, let Your steadfast love and mercy surround me. Let me grow from this experience, mature into a better human being in Jesus Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) - Matt Redman (Best Worship Song Ever) (with Lyrics)
www.youtube.com
Matt Redman - Ten Thousand Reasons (10,000
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