What keeps people from God?

I was thinking today of an idea that keeps many people from a relationship with God.

That God is full of himself.
That God is egotistical for making being to praise Him.
That God is a puppeteer.
That God is just sitting back and doing nothing while his creatures destroy themselves.

 
I can see where many people would have these ideas. To the majority of the world this is what God looks like. I'm not going to lie, some of these thoughts have slipped into my head before. But I was thinking about it, thinking of ways to explain who my God is to others who are bound by the world's ideas.

My thoughts took a weird turn. Imagine making a table set. Chairs and a table for you to use. Then imagine them turning from you. No longer will they let you use them for what they were made for. It would hurt, your creation turning against you. It would be terrible.
God didn't make us to just praise Him, he doesn't need our praise. God is not full of himself, everything He does and lets happen is for the good of his kingdom and we are part of his kingdom therefore it's for our good.

God is not a puppeteer.

Yes, he does use us. He is above, through, and in everything. But like I said before He uses us for the good and glory of the kingdom therefore for our own good.

And lastly...God IS NOT sitting back and watching everyone destroy themselves. He is EVERYWHERE.

He is working. Battle lines are being drawn, spiritual warfare is happening all around us. He is with his troops, leading them to victory. He is hard and busy at work. But still takes the time to see how we're doing and listen to us..because the awesome thing about God is that he is not bound by time.

I'm starting to ramble...but rambling about God is fun. So yeah...my thoughts this morning....which I'm posting this evening =)

and song of the day. One of my favorite. Sing by Sanctus Real. I really can't wait until that day. Video is not that great but the song is WONDERFUL

Scorning the Shame of the Cross

Hebrews 12:2-3 -- Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Three words popped out at me in these verses. "Scorning its Shame" I love that. God used a method of fatal humiliation in his plan of ultimate love. I doubt many people before Christ were praising God while being crucified...but after Christ was sacrificed they considered it a privilege to die like and for their Master. Jesus LITERALLY scorned the shame that a cross held. I find that truly fascinating--

The Cure

"If you, Israel, will return, then return to me," declares the Lord. "If you put your destestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray and if in a truthful, just and rightous way you swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' then the natons will invole blessings by him and in him they will boast " Jeremiah 4:1-2

That first line is what captured my attention. "If you, Israel, will return, then return to me" It's almost pleading. I can hear the breaking of God's heart in that sentence. "Return to me, let me bless you, let me LOVE you" but Israel kept going back to their idols, time after time. They are just like us. In times of good we worship everything but the Lord; in times of distress He is one of the first people we cry out to and it's usually "Lord, why me?" That's what Israel did. When Israel cried out "Why me?" God answered them point blank "Because you have forsaken me."
But time and time again God calls them to return. Israel says they will but it is an empty promise. God wants sincerity. "If you will return...then return to me"
Once we start sinning it is hard to stop. Greed, lust, and a hundred other things get in our way.
But God gives us hope "Return faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding" (Jeremiah 3:22a) The word that popped out at me in this verse is "cure". A cure is not instanteous, it's gradual. The disease slowly goes away and you get better. It may take time to take into effect. It may be days, weeks, or months before you see a change. But you trust the cure to make you better. And that is what we need to do with God. We need to let him cure us. To trust him and the work he is doing within our soul.
So yeah...I was reading...and there's my thoughts. =)

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
'Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.'
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.


When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
'The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.'
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.