Talk To God

"He simply wants to dwell with us, minute-by-minute, day-by-day."

WHEN JESUS SAID, “Cast not your pearls before swine,” that is what He was doing. There He was, the kingdom of God come to earth, the prophesied Messiah, yet having ears they didn’t hear Him. He also said, in that same verse, not to give that which is holy unto the dogs (Matthew 7:6). You will recall when the Syro-Phoenician woman asked Him to heal her daughter, He called her a dog, and she never missed a beat. “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” The dogs He referred to were the Gentiles, who He repeatedly ministered to.

A Roman had greater faith than all of Israel. What Jesus said was often meant for the discerning. He did not try to insult the Syro-Phoenician woman with the nominative “dogs” but tested her faith. Nor was calling the Pharisees and other religious leaders “hypocrites” and “vipers” meant as hate. Whenever we think that, we need to lean into the Spirit, our Teacher, and find the truth. We see the same pattern in the Old Testament. Moses pled with God to not be angry with Israel, and we are told that God repented, meaning He turned away from His actions. (This was not repenting for sin. God has no sin.) Yet, when Moses went down the mountain and saw what Israel was doing, he was the one to explode (Exodus 19). He tossed the stone tablets to the ground, shattering them. God was pointing an arrow at what He knew Moses would do. He meant Moses to see it and control his anger, which in the long run, he failed to do, striking the rock twice.

READ “Hosanna. Crucify.”
https://sdwauthor.blogspot.com/2024/03/hosanna-crucify.html

We forget God created man, He wrote all languages, He understands us inside and out and so He often speaks in ways to make us think.

We can see this in today’s prophetic words. What God speaks through His prophets looks one way to us but is usually fulfilled entirely differently. They are words meant to give us encouragement and hope and to cause us to pray, to lean into Him. I like the Remedy translation of 1 Timothy 2:1-2. It says to “talk with him [God] constantly about everything, big or small; make your requests, praise and intercessions known to him. Talk with God about rulers and politicians—that they might govern well and that our land may be at peace…” Talk with Him constantly about everything.

He is God, but He died for us. He lived as a man, eating, sleeping, and breathing like a man. He saw both the ugliness of men and the beauty of them. He didn’t sin, but He forgave sin. We must set our foibles aside about what He thinks of us. He is forever gracious and always kind. He can both take a joke and make a joke. (Laughter is medicine.) He will also never refuse to listen when what we are saying is incorrect, spoken in anger, or from weakness and confusion. He doesn’t have a “come back” to put you in your place. There are times of discipline, but unlike our mental wranglings against others, God will not ever use it to elevate Himself (He needs no further elevation) or to make us feel guilty. Guilt is not the point of discipline. Our gaining wisdom and walking in humble obedience is. He wants to strengthen our character.

Only by spending time in His presence, worshiping Him, talking with Him about everything, will we learn His personality (Yes, God has a personality), and His way of speech. What I write out of my human thought patterns is far different from what the Spirit speaks through me. He often uses words I don’t know. But I recognize His gentle nudge and even, at times, His silence. The devil talks unceasing. God doesn’t have this need. He simply wants to dwell with us, minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and just like my husband and I are often in the same room, aware of each other, but not speaking every breath, God is with us always, attentive to us, but sometimes, there just isn’t anything to say.

And sometimes, He’s making a point. That we need to call on Him, to lean into Him, and not simply sit there waiting for Him to speak first. Sometimes, He’s doing with us like He did with Moses, who should have seen his anger against God’s mercy and repented. God is the source of all wisdom. Every scientific law came from Him, All the finest details of humanity came from His goodness. We should be ever-learning, always at His feet listening and growing in grace and favor. Because He loves us, but how much more will we know it when, through time spent cultivating our relationship, He becomes our Father and dearest Friend?

Luke 10:38-42
(38) Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
(39) And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
(40) But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
(41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
(42) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Calendar Image by Dorigo from Pixabay
Sun Images by Claire Francis from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com