"Beg To Differ"

"They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and they go round about the city." (Psalms 59:6) You like that? Besides the fact that I find it rather catchy, it does provide a certain suggestive meaning towards the theme of being set apart, which is what God has called us into, whether we want to believe it or not. I don't quite know what David was thinking here, but I tend to believe he was trying to paint a picture of how "wicked transgressors", like dogs out on the town, are driven by a sense of doing all that they can while they are free to do it, because come morning, they will be restrained again. In case you need a reminder, a transgression is not just an infraction, it is intent to disobey, as in "to defraud", which requires planning. Not that dogs actually plan to get out and run the streets; then again, now that I think of it, a dog I once had always seemed to like to sleep late in the afternoon, and as soon as it looked like we were in bed, he was out of there. On the other side of this illustration, there is something of a restraining factor in all of this, one which we almost always seem to forget: God is watching you! Which brings to the fact to why transgressions are always looked upon as "wicked", because they do not take into account that God is right there, watching and observing your every plot and intention of your heart. As I was driving back from the mountains yesterday, I had the radio tuned to another station because CSN is not available in those areas, and all of the sudden, I felt the need to change it back; wouldn't you know it, there was Dr. Young talking about Joseph and Potiphar's wife, and how Joseph remained "vertical", meaning, that the relationship he had with God mattered more to him than what was going on in his life here; even the things that seemed to go against what he thought should be happening to him, based upon what he thought God had called him for, did not really matter towards the "vertical" relationship that he had with God. I think that really matters when it comes to real deliverance, because the way things might appear can tend to take our focus off of God and put the focus on our situations or circumstances; things that really do not matter in the realm of eternity and God's plan for our lives. There is another little piece to this understanding, one that "beg to differ" fits right into; and that is the fact, that just because it might be okay with others, does not mean that it is okay for you. In other words, you are directly accountable to God, and your relationship with God should demonstrate that you live your life as though you are; no matter what the rest might say, yours is a "vertical" relationship! If you don't think that it's really all that much of a big deal, then consider the prophets of old, like Isaiah or Jeremiah, and think about how their messages were received by those that were supposedly in a relationship with God...
"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence, The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" (Hebrews 13:1-6) NLT