One In A Million...

Too often, there is only one time when people can serve God: when they are in trouble. Oh oh! That will get stuck in our "craw" for sure, won't it? But it's a fact: we live from "crisis to crisis"---we treat God as a lawyer or santa claus: "Well, God, if you'll get me out of this ___________ , I'll do such and such." And for a time, we keep our word, but only for a time. We ask God to help us get a good job, or a nice home. Then when we are established, we get independent: we don't need God any more, that is, until the next crisis rolls through!

From the very "git go", we've got it all backwards: ALL through the Word of God, it is If You, THEN God. But no, we don't want it that way: we want it OUR way. But our way is WRONG! Oh folks don't like that, let me tell you. "Why that's attaching conditions to God's Love!" The WORLD talks about "unconditional love" and yet it doesn't even have a clue. How foolish! God's Love IS conditional: sure, it's there for everyone, but we must personally, individually, accept it in order for it to work in our lives! We need to get back to the Voice of God through His Written Word to us and STOP listening to the voices of this world! We want the promises without the precepts!

Those who serve God only in the good times, or only when they need something from Him, will NOT endure. The Word of God tells us in Matthew 24:11-13, ...Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endures unto the end, the same shall be saved. Instead of us letting God be our "steering wheel", we use Him as a "spare tire".

Unlike those who "quit", "drop out", "give up", Noah served God through all the adversity he faced. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Hebrews 11:7. The warning from God stirred Noah, awakening him to the terrible destruction that was imminent. II Peter 2:5 tells us that Noah was a "preacher of righteousness". Noah stood against "the world": he had never seen a flood, either, but God said there was going to be one and by faith, Noah believed the Word of God. No one gave him any encouragement---there were no preachers or deacons or presbyters or superintendents to come by and give him an old "atta boy" on the shoulder! Had there been newspapers in those days, can't you just see the headlines: "Village Idiot Builds Ark On Dry Land".

We think we have it so bad when the pastor doesn't call or come by every time we miss a service. We think it's terrible that we have to pay a bill (of our own making) and can't buy that new dress to top the one Sister So and So had on last Sunday. Oh the burdens we have to bear when our children get in trouble at school (because we didn't apply any discipline at home). No wonder we cave in when we hit a bit of corduroy road! Just let someone ridicule us a bit and there we are, hands in the air: "I quit!" Just let God not give us that new car we wanted and there we are: "God, You don't love me any more! I quit!" Genesis 6:22 tells us, Thus did Noah; according to ALL that God commanded him, so did he. Noah followed the Lord's leading, despite what the sky looked like, despite what those about him said, despite what he had experienced (or not--he had never seen a flood before) in his lifetime.
[ End of Part 3 ]