"Really Forgetful"

"They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert." (Psalms 106:13-14)

 You might not know this, but Psalms 78 takes this same turn, right from where I left off the other day. Maybe the point Jesus was making, by pluck out an eye or cut off a hand, was not just about the seriousness of sin, but maybe it was about doing something that reminds us of how important it is to obey God's word. I heard Pastor Mike say something interesting yesterday, almost as if in passing. He said, 'God is not looking for perfect people, but He is wants people who are looking for a perfect God', or something like that. The whole thing about waiting on the Lord, it is more about trust and expectancy than anything else. If you trust God will do what He says He will do, and if you expect that what He will do is going to be good, then it helps you to have patience to wait on Him. Instead, we tend to try and make things happen based upon how we might remember God working; or worst yet, upon how we think God works. God will hardly ever do the same thing the same way twice; only because He wants us to wait upon Him. If we knew the pattern of how God did things, then we would be trying consistently to try and move God's hand. I remember something else I heard once, that went something like this: 'If it is something we can do, then God won't do it; but if it is something we can't do, then it will be something for God to do.' Very much like that man hanging off the side of the cliff holding onto the root; the one who has the conversation with God, asking God, "What should I do?"; and God instructs him, "Let go of the root!" If you want to know what trusting God might look like, there is the perfect illustration of trust. Our spiritual life depends upon trusting in the Lord; it's not just a question of, If I should trust Him? it is more like, Why wouldn't I trust Him? He is either God or He's not! If He is God, the Creator of heaven and earth, then where else can I go? who else can I turn to? Much like Micah 6:8 says, we must do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God; that is what God expects from us, because those are the things that we can do faithfully, if we try. Instead, we consistently keep making the same mistakes over and over again; not because we cannot learn a lesson, but because we cannot remember how amazing God's love and protection is...

""When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me -to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.""
(Proverbs 1:28-33) NLT