Flat Nosed

05.01.14

1 Chronicles 15.12b-13 “You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” (ESV)

It sure sounds like God got His point across to David: “Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek [Him] according to the rule.” David learned in a hurry what was right and what was not.

Sometimes severe consequences are our best teachers. Sometimes utter humiliation opens our ears and hearts and minds in a way nothing else can. In Matthew 18 it says, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (V.7) The necessity of the presence of temptations should open our eyes to the consequences of giving into those temptations. Pain and suffering at the hands of our own stupidity gets our attention and teaches us to change. (Once burned, twice shy.)

So, where is God’s grace in all this? What does this have to do with my salvation and sanctification? When do I get to see some results in my life that cause me to feel better about my relationship to God and my wanting to obey Him?

God’s grace was in His giving David a second chance. God’s grace was when Uzzah touched the Ark, that the whole bunch of them (David and all) weren’t consumed by God’s wrath. Sanctification is a process and part of that process is falling flat on our nose with painful results that teach us to be more careful the next time. And the results? The results of obedience are shown when we quit looking for results and gold stars and brownie-points and simply obey in humility and reverence, doing only what God told us to do in the first place.

More often than not we’re concerned only with the results we can take credit for; that’s why the consequences have to come – to show us that God isn’t interested in anything we claim credit for; the glory is all His and none of ours.

Again, I do feel for David: humiliated, but freed, he finally did it God’s way. They buried Uzzah and then they tried again – and the Ark came triumphantly into Jerusalem.

If we’re looking for a formula I think it might be along the lines of this: Seek God earnestly, listen very carefully; and obey Him entirely. There may have to be some repentance and change of heart and direction, but not doing anything until God says to is better than blazing ahead under our own steam and schemes. Lord, help us!

Father, with everything that is coming at me today and in the weeks and months to come, may I find that place of rest where I seek You with all my heart, listen with all my mind, and obey You with everything that is in me. I’m tired of attempting to be the one who enters heaven with the flattest nose known in creation…although, if that’s what it takes then so be it! Amen.