Terrible 2’s Continue Through Adulthood

God is speaking and I am listening…However, the more important thing for me to do is OBEY.

God gave me a picture of our stubbornness through my son Isaac. He is 2 ½.
Isaac loves to eat junk food. He points at McDonalds when we drive by one. He has tantrums at the store if we pass by the ice cream receptacles (you know like the ones at check out at Walmart).

Isaac climbs the counter tops in a relentless effort to check the freezer for otter pops or other ice cream. Even when there are none (which is often) he still clamors and opens the freezer believing there just might be one otter pop left in the freezer, behind the frozen chicken.
He does this even though there is danger to him…he could really get hurt for climbing the chair and reaching to get ice cream….but he has a one-track mind- ice cream!!!

We are the SAME way with the LORD. When we don’t get our way, we pout and scream and cry and act foolish. When God says, “No” to us even when it is for our own good, we get angry, upset and sometimes even cry. I have learned (and been taught from God’s Word and many awesome Bible teachers like Chuck Smith) that when God says, “No” it’s because He has something BETTER for us. (Romans 8:28).

God’s Word says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19. Pastor Raul Ries used to say, “God will supply all your need not all of your greed.” This is so true and profound. We want “things” instead of the King of Kings. What is the need? I thought the verse said God will supply all your needs…but it doesn’t. The verse says my God shall supply all your NEED singular. The one need we have is Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:35).

So…as I illustrated earlier, I often lose my patience with my 2 year old as he desires and relentlessly seeks junk food. He continues this daily saga of persistently, repeatedly trying to get ice cream from the freezer…all to his peril.

Yet, aren’t we the same way?

We get upset when are schedule is disrupted, when there is traffic, when our plans go awry, when we get sick on a vacation, when our husbands don’t come home on time…We want our way and we want it NOW! (like a toddler)

While the world offers us junk food (via entertainment, ungodly friendships, and any idol that takes our time away from the LORD), God offers us the living Word, the living Water of His Word, the bread of life…We are so selfish sometimes and we scream, shout and stomp our feet JUST like a 2 year old, but what does God, our loving Father do? He patiently and loving says, “No, no, no…I have something better for you…I have something better than an “Otter Pop” treat. I have chicken pot pie, potatoes, corn, salad, fresh baked biscuits, and best of all, you will get dessert, Hagen daas Ice Cream!! If you are hungry, I'll give you more than a empty calorie snack, I'll give you ME”

Let’s stop stomping our feet and throwing our head back at the LORD when we don’t get what we want. Let’s stop snacking on junk food and entertainment that takes our thoughts away from the LORD and His Word. Let’s get in His Word and feast on Him!!!