Closing the Distance

Sometimes disobedience is intentional.

Sometimes it is not.

Disobedience, whether intentional or not, puts distance between ourselves and God.

In the book of Acts we learn of a magician named Elymas who intentionally tried to turn the proconsul from his faith.

There would be consequences for this disobedience.

Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, told Elymas that he would pay a terrible price.

Acts 13:11 (NET) - Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand.

When the proconsul saw this, he believed.

In fact, he was astounded.

Acts 13:12 (NE) - Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord.

Sometimes disobedience in unintentional.

That does not mean there are no consequences,

When David and those with him decided to move the ark, they knew they were never to touch it.

The oxen pulling the cart stumbled.

A man named Uzzah simply reached out his hand to steady it.

1 Chronicles 13:10 (NET) - The LORD was so furious with Uzzah, he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark. He died right there before God.

It appears that Uzzah did not intentionally disobey God.

Even so, there were consequences for Uzzah.

David’s reaction was quite different from that of the proconsul.

David became angry with the Lord.

He was also afraid of Him.

He decided not to move the ark but instead leave it at the home of Obed-Edom,

1 Chronicles 13:14 (NET) - The ark of God remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months; the LORD blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything that belonged to him.

Obed-Edom must have obeyed God’s instructions.

God not only wants our obedience, He expects it.

Every disobedience, whether intentional or not, puts distance between us and God.

That is why confession is so important.

That is also why are fortunate to have a mediator between ourselves and God.

There is no better mediator to whom we can turn than Jesus.

He can mediate every disobedience of ours, even the unintentional ones.

He closes the distance we create between ourselves and God.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 27, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 3, 2016