One of my favorite stories about my dog Nola is when she was a puppy. She’s a schnauzer through and through. Stubborn to the core. And when she was a puppy sometimes she absolutely refused to obey me. She’d had to go do her own thing. So one time we were on a walk – which she loved. But, she had to wear her harness – which she hated. Since she was a wee little thing she figured out a way to slip out of it one day and bolt down the road. I was terrified and starting running after this tiny puppy schnauzer who so brazenly was disobeying me to pursue what she wanted. Well, when she got to the fence she wanted – the dogs who lived behind it were not nearly as friendly and scared her to death. She came running back to me full speed ahead crying. She’s never done that again.
Do you ever ask for help but then not listen to the advice given you? Or perhaps, you ignore the rules and regulations and then get into a hard spot or even worse get in trouble then expect someone to help you get out of the trouble you got yourself into?
Like Nola, We humans are notorious at ignoring rules or guidelines or regulations if we want to do something but then once things go sideways coming running back to get someone to help us fix it.
Sometimes we act like that with God.
Solomon teaches us that someone who turns away from God’s law but then asked God for help – those requests are an abomination to Him. They are insulting to God. How can we think that we can do our own thing – go our own way and then when that doesn’t go we’ll ask God to help us out of it?
We are basically telling God “I’m going to ignore you for Joe but if I get in a pickle, I’ll give you a ring.”
That is incredibly disrespectful. Either we want and accept God in our lives or we don’t. We cannot try to have it both ways. And when we do – we insult the Maker of the universe.
Now, even when we are trying to live as God would have us to leave and we do listen to His laws – we make mistakes. But in those times, God will hear us. Our prayers are not repugnant to God if they come from an obedient penitent heart.
And that is the difference.
One heart prays to God from an stubborn unyielding heart seeking escape from earthly consequences. The other prays to God with a humble heart asking for help because it understands the more serious spiritual ramifications if it doesn’t turn back to God.
Which heart are you? Are your prayers an abomination to God? Or, are the like sweet smelling inscence to God? Your attitude toward His law will tell you your answer.
Adonai's Appeal 