"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (pg 1 Tozer). His first lines hits me hard. Hard because I know its truth.
WHen I remember who HE is...I love Him. When I remember who He is I fear Him. Proper awe.
When I forget, intentionally or for lack of reminders, I am quick to curse. I am quick to run. I am quick to follow a god of my own design. I am quick to say He doesn't see, or to think that He doesn't care. But making a god who fits my day...is idolatry. No way to sugar coat it.
When my father left and my mother had cancer...slowly, not overnight...the thought crept in. God doesn't even care... and when you allow that thought it transfers to every other area of life. Our thoughts matter. Our theology MATTERS. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" Proverbs 23:7
The first one who thought wrong about God reached out her hand...she took what she thought He had held back from her. In the silence of a garden she swallowed her choice and all her descendants died.
...all.
And when we're honest we know that we do the same thing. We doubt Him. We are blinded to all we have and have vision only for what we lack. And we pass it on. Generation to generation...they reap what we sow.
"We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past." (pg 4 Tozer).
I was reading the end of Joshua on tuesday. The book ends with this, "Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel."
Then Judges chapter 2 verse 10 reads, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel."
Failure. Failure to know God and to pass on the knowledge of Him to the next generation. They grew up into idolatry and perished for lack of knowledge.
Undimmed and undiminished...may we both own and pass on the knowledge of the Holy One.
Your lovely post has prompted me to read Tozer's work. =)
ReplyDeleteDid my parent's know how dearly I would come to cherish the Christian heritage that they instilled in me? They "placed a lamp on the table" to shine throughout my life. I "placed a lamp on the table" for my dear baby girl and now we both light that lamp for the grand babies .
Thank you for this very thought-provoking post - all so true!
ReplyDeleteThese words especially touched deep this morning:
"The first one who thought wrong about God reached out her hand...she took what she thought He had held back from her. In the silence of a garden she swallowed her choice and all her descendants died.
...all.
And when we're honest we know that we do the same thing. We doubt Him. We are blinded to all we have and have vision only for what we lack. And we pass it on. Generation to generation...they reap what we sow."
What a great privilege AND responsibility we have, to inspire faith and hope in the one and only true God, and love for Him and others! I pray that God will remind me of this, in every choice I make.
I'm so blessed to know that you have been blessed. Thanks for reading ladies.
ReplyDeleteJust so sweet.
ReplyDelete"Our theology matters" -- I agree! It eeks out in such unexpected places, too, doesn't it? What we *really* believe about God is evidenced by our way of life. And our way of thought.
Thanks for good food for thought today!