Listen To His Word

"The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy."  (2 Chron 36: 15,16)

These are two verses that should shake us and wake us and they surely demand our attention. Sadly, the Israelites had fallen into the worship practices of their neighbors and had turned from the one true God. He sent His prophets to call them back to a relationship with Him and for a time they would return. Whether it was poor parenting, poor teaching or poor leadership, they would always abandon God and He, because of His love for them, would call them back again and again. (sounds familiar)
While the tendency is to apply these verses to our nation, and we certainly should, the real application must be to me as an individual. Am I listening to God's message, am I sensitive to His leading in my life, do I despise His words and mock those that bring them or obey them? Do I recognize that His love for me means that He is patient and will give me repeated opportunity to hear His message and return to Him? Am I a parent that makes sure that the next generation is faithful to God and His message or do I let my children grow up under the influence of the world and its messages?
God is patient and does not want any to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) However, He tells us that there comes a point where it is to late and "there is no remedy". That is a scary statement. We can ignore the message long enough that He is done with us. Some say God is the God of second chances, I say He is the God almost unlimited chances. But He tells us that we can ignore Him to the point that His anger is aroused and our opportunity to hear and listen is over.
This brings to mind the story of the man who drowned on his roof during a flood. He confronts God and asks why he didn't save him. God tells him He sent a boat and a helicopter. Sometimes we have the person right in front of us with the right word from God or we read our Bibles and ignore the very verse that can change our lives for eternity. Our pride or our ignorance often stands in the way of our rescue. He has sent the vessel through which our salvation is available. Jesus is our boat and our helicopter if only we will listen. He "has the words of life" that we need to hear.
I am thankful that God is a God of pity and that He is "slow to anger". I need that! I need His grace and patience to allow me to grow and learn. That is what I need, what he needs is for me to be willing to listen. Just as a parent dealing with a child, God wants us to listen and learn and just as a parents patience finally gives out, His can too. There comes a point where there is no remedy.
Paul puts it like this..."And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers". (Romans 1:27-29)
You and I see this list of sinful actions lived out around us daily. God is patient, but His patience has a limit at which point it is to late and no remedy can be found. May we stay open to His message and His messengers, always going to His Word to confirm truth. May God richly bless you as you strive each day to be His man and His woman.