In the Batter's Box of Life, Listen to Christ.

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:5  NIV 

I was managing my youngest son's baseball team about a year ago and there was this one father who could be very encouraging. But, he could also be a bit overwhelming at times too. I kind of had to throw him out of the dugout. Then, he would tell his son what to do when he was up to bat. That's OK, except it would sometimes go against what my first base coach was signaling him to do. The poor kid would be up to bat, look over to the coach, then get in the batter's box and his dad would be trying to signal him what to be doing and his head would be going back and forth and then the pitch would come and you could just see that too much was going on in his head. He really struggled at the plate because he was trying to listen to the coach and his dad. I finally had to ask his dad to stop because it was confusing his son. 

I think sometimes we are a bit like that kid in the batter's box. We might go to church, read our Bible a bit, but we listen to a lot of other stuff too. The world is always trying to tell us something. We just need to listen to God. 

BRACE YOURSELF FOR GOD

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
     with words without knowledge?
 Brace yourself like a man;
     I will question you,
     and you shall answer me.""
 Job 38:1-3

After everybody speaks, Job, the friends and the young know-it-all, God answers... I wonder if Elihu was taking a breath, getting ready to share a little more of his wisdom and God cut him off? 

What would I do if God just kind of popped in on a discussion about God I was engaged in? I think that is a healthy way to approach some of our conversations about God and his ways. We do have the Bible that speaks to us in truth about God. Even there I worry. 

I don't worry about the Bible being true, I worry about the way we sometimes approach the Word of God. I think the problem with some theologians is they believe they have the wisdom within themselves to judge the validity of the Scriptures. They don't approach the scriptures in humility. It's not just professional theologians who act as if they can, by their own wisdom, canonize Scripture. Sometimes we do. 

The point I am trying to make here is that God, does want us to brace ourselves in Christ, because one day, we will answer him. As you walk with God this week, remember that God has spoken to you through his word, the Bible. His word is true and relevant for you. You may not understand the end from the beginning or why your life is going the way it is, but, you can know God is still God and he reigns whether we discern it or not.

Father, open our eyes to see you in our lives. Thank you that you reign over all, you reign in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!