Good Boy God

Read: Zechariah 7
“3 speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?” Zechariah 7:3

Examine:
For 70 years Israel had been led by its priest to hold 2 fasts per year. They fasted over losing Jerusalem and being in captivity. Now that their captivity was over and Jerusalem was being returned, they legitimately wondered should they keep fasting.

Apply:
The moment my eyes passed over this verse and the words resounded in my ears I heard the Holy Spirit whisper His desire for me to sit here for a while. When I am in desperate need or hot water I seek God hard. I pray, I fast, and I begin purging my life of things I should not have. My schedule gets adjusted to allow for time alone with God, I open up to others and request their prayers, and I seek God’s wisdom like it was a treasure. Then, God responds, the need dissipates and the hot water cools. As the pressure subsides so does my intensity to pursue God.

Holding on to God in hard times is easy because it is a necessity. I have nothing else to which I can cling and all my options are limited. Maintaining a vibrant pursuit of God during easy times is a much different story. Pursuing God comes at the cost of my will, desires, and independence. A passionate pursuit of God will redefine my normal and press me further into dependence on Him. That is easy when my normal stinks and I just want it gone. It is an entirely different set of circumstances when my normal is enjoyable…

Pray:
Paul said whether he had a lot or whether he had a little he had learned to live in contentment. His circumstances in life did not matter to him because he had taken his eyes off of them and placed them on pursuing Your heavenly agenda for his life. He had learned that even the best that this life has to offer is temporary and short-lived. Enough is never enough and no reward here is safe. He abandoned his life and his soul motivation for life on earth became to hear You say well done.

Complete honesty, I think my main motivation in life is to say to You well done. I want You to make my life like I want it so that I can then look at You and say, “Good boy God. You did this right.” That is just twisted, but it is also plain and simple truth. My pursuit of You is based on my earthly comfort. I agree with that whisper I heard this morning. Living life this way is miserable. My emotions fly all over the place and my security is not based on Your never changing nature; it ebbs and flows with the tides of life. I use You for my purposes and put You aside when it is convenient. That is a terrible way to treat anyone and I repent for my immaturity and selfishness. Thank You for Your grace and patience and Your sense of humor with me. I give You this day and move forward hoping to make it pleasing to You.