MAR 7

Isaiah 30:9
Memorise Ephesians 4:30
“…ye do always resist the Holy Ghost.”

It is easy to obey God’s Word when it runs in your favour. If you are already firmly set on holding on to the KJV as the best translation, it is easy to tell your friend that his NIV is not good and that he should stop using it. If you have no liking for K-pop music, it is easy to reject it and call it worldly. However, if God’s Word calls for you to repent and refrain from one of your pet sins, what would be your response? Perhaps you may like computer games so much that you would disobey your parents to continue playing them. Perhaps Facebook is such an obsession of yours that everyday you will spend at least an hour on it even when your schoolwork is suffering. If God’s Word tells you something that you do not like, what is your response? If it is spoken over the pulpit, do you quietly ignore it? Or if God’s Word is brought to you face-to-face by someone, perhaps your parent, do you take fault with the person? Do you frown with an angry face in response? It is naturally not easy to take rebuke. When we are told that we are in sin and need to repent, it takes humility to accept it. However, if God’s Word is brought to you and your response is one of rejection and even rebellion, you have to be careful of that. Today’s scriptural passage is a clear and damning indictment God makes against the people of Israel. If you read the verses before and after verse 9, you will see the context and understand their sin better. The people told the prophets not to prophesy anymore. They told the prophets to stay away from them and even asked God Himself to “cease from before us”. God describes them as rebellious, lying children. We know from history that God’s judgment on them was great. God is to be feared.

Are you the same? Do you wish your pastor, teachers, parents or friends who bring God’s Word would stop? Like the people of Israel, would you rather hear only smooth words, even if they are false? If you have come to trust in Christ, this cannot be. If you are in a season of backsliding and God’s Word holds no more sweetness for you, you must come to repentance and return to God. If, however, you have never been saved, you must not wait. You must quickly come to Christ as you do not know what tomorrow brings. Salvation is free, but will not always be available.

Thought: What if I die tonight? Am I ready to meet my Creator?
Prayer: Father, help me to always be ready for rebuke from Your Word.