Agreeing with God
Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” NKJV
A couple of weeks ago, our family visited SeaWorld. While there, my husband and son rode the Steel Eel like, forty times. They loved the feel of hanging suspended in the air while turning upside down and doing loop-to-loops.
The girls in our family have more sense.
Now, my dear husband knows better than to coax me on such a ride. Once upon a time, I enjoyed putting my life in that kind of peril. But now, my bones don’t seem to snap back into place as easily as they once did. I’ll stay on the ground, thank you very much.
Our daughter, on the other hand, is young. Her bones work just fine. My husband tried every way he could think of to get her to share the ride with him. He begged. He pleaded. He offered various bribes. Each attempt gained the same response. “No, Daddy. I don’t want to ride that. It doesn’t seem like fun to me.”
Finally, she fluttered her eyelashes, kissed him on the cheek, turned around and walked the opposite direction, leaving her poor daddy in her dust. There was no way she was going to ride The Steel Eel. “I’m going to the Shamu show. I’ll see you later, Dad.”
Oh, well. I guess two can’t ride together unless they are agreed. If my husband wanted to enjoy Charis’s presence, he’d have to go to Shamu Stadium.
God looked at His children, His chosen ones, and saw them walking in sin and rebellion. He wasn’t going to change directions and walk in sin, just so He could be with them.
Nope.
He’s God, and He will never altar His course to accomodate our sinful cravings. If we want His presence in our lives, we have to agree with Him. We have to walk His path.
The problem with the Israelites, and with us, as well, is that we want God to join us. We want Him to agree with us. And when our actions go against God’s character, we want Him to bless us, anyway.
It doesn’t work that way, my friends. Though He does pour out some blessings, whether we deserve them or not, we will experience a higher concentration of blessings when we walk with Him. When we agree with Him. When we live for Him.
God is a gentleman, and He will never chain us or force us to walk with Him. But He won’t change directions for us, either. He invites us to join Him. He pleads with us, as He did with the Israelites time and again, to be His traveling companions. He even promises unending benefits, for those who choose to walk His path.
Whether or not we walk with Him, however, is entirely up to us.
Dear Father, Thank You for loving me. Help me to agree with You, so I can enjoy Your presence in my life. Amen
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August 9th, 2011 at 4:23 am
I’m so thankful that His blessings come from the fullness of His grace and mercy but also thankful to know that we can experience His greatest blessings in our lives when we are walking with Him. Now if I can just remember that His ways are always best and welcome them rather than resist at times. Blessings to you , Renae!
August 9th, 2011 at 9:27 am
No Steel Eel for me either. It would steal all my joy! I used to ride roller coasters and loved them. Not any more. I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack. Not fun! Now, if I could just always turn from temptations so easily. Thank goodness God forgives our sins.
Linda A.
August 9th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Hi Cheryl and Linda! Yes, if we could just be like Charis and that roller coaster when it comes to resisting and turning our backs on sin, we’d be a lot better off.
Blessings to you both!