Is God still contending with you? - this is a good thing!
I was never really in a fight, not a fist fight anyway. I would have kids pick on me and every once in a while I would retaliate to end the bullying. I remember one guy who was two years ahead of me in grade school. He was an 8th grader and I was in 6th. He would take every opportunity he could to tease and pick on me, even timing how long I would use the bathroom and then mocking me for it. One day I had enough and when the teacher left the room I turned around and picked him up off the ground by the lapels till he was standing only on his tippy toes against the door. I can almost feel the triumph even now. He said in a shaking voice - Ooh I'm so afraid. And as much as he tried to add the sarcasm to his voice, it was pretty clear that he was quite afraid. And I didn't receive anymore bullying from him.
My more grown up fights have been in words and emotional battle. My wife and I have gone through a real doosey of a time these last couple years. And I am glad to say, praise God, that we are coming out of it now. YEAH!!! I remember those times in the midst of a fight that were the most dangerous. The times when I felt like just giving up. We would have an argument and then we just wouldn't talk for a couple of days. The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference. I thank God that we still loved each other enough the keep fighting until we got it figured out. I have seen the look in the eyes of a husband when he has given up.
I have felt it in simple things as well like coming to a point in a round of golf when I've played so bad that I just give up and play like a hacker the rest of the round. This can happen in a job, in a church, in life. We vote with our feet and we walk out. We have had two suicides in our community in the last year or so. Young guys, lots of life to live. These are the darkest times of depression when we just want to give up.
In Genesis 6 we get a picture of when it seems God just wanted to give up on humanity. He was done with us. His heart was grieved and he said that his spirit would no longer contend with the hearts of men. Every thought and desire of man was evil and he numbered their days to 120 years. This would be the end of humanity. But God is a God of love and not indifference. He finds one man, just one. Noah finds favor in the eyes of the LORD. God's love is so infinite that just one man out of the whole of humanity was enough for God not to give up on us.
I have had people tell me that they think they might have committed the unpardonable sin mentioned by Jesus. They think they might have grieved the Holy spirit. But I am glad to tell them that if they are asking that question then the answer is no. Because they still have a desire for God. They are still contending with him and he is still contending with them and for them against their own evil desires and the powers of spiritual darkness around them. He is the author and finisher of our faith and he will keep this up until the day that Jesus returns when the change will be complete.
I praise God today that I am still a contender.
No comments:
Post a Comment