Will I Choose Freedom?

Dogs pace  the hall.  

Each one makes a pass and looks in the doorway.  

Finally Mickey peeks his head around the edge of the door frame with eyebrow cocked upward and expectation in his eyes.  He's asking if I'm ready.  It's time for our daily walk.  My reply is "Almost ready buddy."  I rarely disappoint him.  Those walks, wrestling three dogs, is good for them and me.

I respond to that reminder and continue with my morning routine, brushing teeth and hair, washing face, dressing.  I include a quick trip in the middle of the routine.  I pop onto the scale.  For some reason I check my weigh often but the information the scale displays does not gain my response.  Been seeing those numbers for years and they are nothing to be proud.

Micah, the prophet, deliver God's reminder to His people to turn from their wicked ways and follow His way.  He reveals plenty of consequence.  In chapter 2 verse 6 the people reply.  "Don't harp on those things!"  (from the New Living Bible) "It's disgraceful, that sort of talk. Such evils surely will not come our way."

How like us when confronted with a reminder of ill behavior, talk or thought?  As Sunday's sermon reminded me, we would rather deceive ourselves and change the context of our behavior to feel better about our condition.

Too often we turn away from anything that might convict us and make  us feel uncomfortable.  It's too easy in today's world to find acceptance in any area that we choose.  We can always defend our actions by comparison.  Plenty of  others are behaving much worse than I.

Yet, as Sunday's sermon also reminded me,  when I ignore the reminders, I then become a slave to the web of self deceit I create.

God is not harping at me to burden me.  God wants it to go well for me.  (I learned that in Deuteronomy!  That was the real reason for all those rules and laws.)  God offers me freedom.  His way is really the easiest and it leads me when I really want to go.

I've been reading the classic, Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.  (Don't be too impressed, it's the modern English translation and I have a study guide!)  The heroes of the story, Christian and Hopeful engage a self professed believer, Ignorance.  Ignorance has convinced himself that his spiritual state is just fine as it stands.  Christian challenges him.  "How can you imagine that you believe in Christ when you do not see  that you have any need of Him?  You neither see your innate nor your actual sins, but  you have an opinion of yourself that plainly puts you beyond the need of the Redeemer. How the do you believe in Christ?" (Pilgrim's Progress in Today's English, John Bunyan retold by Jamesh. Thomas, p. 140)

I do need a Savior!

So my challenge for today:  How will I respond to God's gentle reminders?  I have two choices, the easy way, that would be God's way or the complicated way which means I try to deceive myself into comfort. 

Hmmmm......    I always respond to Mickey's inquiry about the daily walk.  He's so cute ! Maybe I should have Mickey tell me how much I weigh!

Woe means Whoa

"What does the horse say?"  I asked on Saturday.

"Nay!" replied the adorable two year old girl, that I am so very fond.  When she is present I rarely look at anyone else.  She has my complete attention.  There is no other child as important.

I thought about horses when I read Micah 1: 14-2:5.

Micah is delivering some bad news.  The Israelites had strayed from the ways of God, big time strayed, way off the  path strayed.  They had followed pagan rituals, They had taken  advantage of those less fortunate and used their power to amass riches for themselves. Micah was pointing out their sins and giving notice of the consequence of their sins.

In verse one of chapter 2 the sentence begins with "Woe..."  What follows is not good news.  Micah addresses the plotters of evil who covet  and seize fields and defraud others of homes and inheritances.

I'm reminded of an exercise and health "guru" from the 1980's, I think.  Her signature phrase was "Stop the madness" of unhealthy habits and eating.  Micah also delivers the message to Stop the madness of fraud, stealing, lust, and evil.

 God is counter-planning disaster on the plotters of evil and no one will be able to save them.  He will take their pride.  He will take their possessions and give them to traitors.

In the Bible, the word "Woe" is an attention grabber.  Synonyms are Ah, Alas, Ha, Ho, O.  I submit that what follows Woe is a warning to stop whatever comes next.

So today  "Woe" means "Whoa"!  Micah  tells the people to Whoa, to stop the fraud, the stealing, the lust, the evil.  Even though  I don't count myself as such a plotter these verses remind me to Whoa and take a spiritual inventory.  Do I collect too many possessions?  Am I too proud of my accomplishments? Have I injured others on my worldly way?

The online article I read on the meaning of Whoa indicated that this command is the first thing to learn, especially for the horse, if I'm the rider!   Full disclosure, I'm not a horse person.  I've been on a horse a couple of times and spent most of the time terrified only because of my total lack of experience.  I always get the best, calmest and most obedient horses and I don't let the human in control of the horse leave my side!

Yet, I've seen plenty of western movies and admire the partnership between horse and rider. The online article continued to explain the importance of the Whoa command.  If the horse does not stop at the Whoa, then the horse should receive a bit of consequence, like having the horse back up.  The article emphasized that if the horse doesn't stop at first command, then deliver a bit of consequence.(I hate to backup also.  Pretty effective consequence!)  So the rider doesn't give the horse the option to not obey.  It's follow the rider's command or else.  (I digress but wondering if Whoa will work on three dogs!  Do dogs hate to backup?)

All of this research made me think about my relationship with God.  Intellectually I know He holds the reins of my life.   The horse article tells me that it's His command that is to be followed.  Do I hold up or Whoa when God speaks to me?  My disobedience always leads to consequence not of my choosing.  So these verses have reminded me to Whoa when God speaks to me.

These verses also remind me that there is plenty more that follows in The Book.  There is God's grace.  Even though Micah is delivering bad news, I know by further reading and experience there is an opportunity for repentance in that message.  God is Good,  Really, Really Good so He will not tolerate evil.  At the same time God is Loving, Really, Really Loving and if I Whoa when He warns me and turn from my way to His Way, I have that opportunity for forgiveness and a fresh start.

When God says Whoa to me He is telling me to "Stop in the name of love"  just like the song made famous by The Supremes!

Here's what these verses taught me:

·         focus my attention on God's way, there is no other way. 

·         remember who really holds the reins of my life.

·         "Woe means Whoa!"