March 2007

“I Wish I Would Have Listened”

Can you see anything? Where is the shoulder? Is that the ditch?
What's that scraping sound? Where are the plows?
The wind shield wipers are icing up again! We'll have to pull over again.

There we were, driving last Saturday night, heading home from the cities in the middle of the snow storm. We had a great Friday night and Saturday with our family, but were now questioning our decision to stay a little longer. "I'm sure the weatherman is exaggerating." I said to myself. When I looked at the weather map it was obvious to me that the snow would miss us in Upsala. After we left the cities it would get better and better. It did not take more than a few white knuckled miles to determine that the weatherman was right on. It seems that they were really looking out for my best interest. I thought they just wanted Sue and I to spend less time with our grandson.

After an extended and rather intense ride home we did make it. Upsala was well blanketed with about 8" of snow by that time. As I reflected on this event, I learned one valuable life lesson and had one spiritual application pop into my mind. (Pastors always have applications that pop into their minds.) It's the spiritual application that I hope will make a lasting difference in your life and mine.

First, I hope I will listen next time and not put my family in an unnecessarily high risk situation. Second, I was thinking of how many times I had listened to the warnings that God has given us in scripture. The warnings were first given in the Garden of Eden. God had set the boundaries of life in the garden.

And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Gen.2:16,17

A few verses later, that too familiar voice Satan, whispered in Eve's ear, "Oh you will not surely die." The warnings of God are written through out scripture much like the blizzard warning of the weather man. But the warnings of God speak to us at every point of life and have eternal consequences. And yes, we have the same voice whispering in our ear saying, "You don't have to listen to that warning. He?s exaggerating, it's really not that bad and you know it's not going to happen."

Who do you listen to? The pressures of the world sometimes make it tempting to think we know better, whether concerning salvation or actions of our daily lives. The warnings of scripture that tell us to flee from immorality, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, slander and filthy language, (Colossians 3) are given by God for our good. We might hear today that there really isn't a hell and that everyone is spiritually OK. We may talk with someone who says there is no judgment day. But scripture is very clear (2 Peter 2, Matthew 5 and others) and we have to choose who we will listen to.

I have to admit the reason for not listening to the weatherman is they have not always been correct in the past. But is that the reason why we don't always heed the warnings that God has given. Is it because we don't believe he loves us and wants the best for us. Has he been wrong in his word about what happens when we sin? My challenge to you is that as you make your life decisions, listen to God's word. Know that when God gives a warning, there is a reason why and it all is wrapped up in his love for us, his desire to give us the very best and his desire to spend eternity with us.

I hope you will listen to the warnings of the weather man next time you venture out on a trip. More importantly, I hope that you will listen to the warnings of God in his word, so you will never have to say the words "I wish I would have listened".

May God Richly Bless you this March,

Pastor Craig