Stop Means Stop
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. (Deut. 4:39-40)
OK, Here’s a hypothetical situation: A man in a car slows down as he approaches a stop sign. He looks in both directions, then drives on without ever coming to a complete stop. A policeman, who was sitting and watching this intersection, turns on his siren and pulls him over. The man seems baffled as the officer approaches the window. “What seems to be the problem?” He asks. “You ran that stop sign sir,” the policeman replies. “No, I’m sure I didn’t” “Yes sir, you did, you failed to come to a complete stop. Children commonly cross this intersection. Failure to come to a complete stop places them in danger.” “But I did slow down.” “Yes sir, you did, but you are supposed to stop. The sign does not say, ‘Slow Down.’ It says, ‘Stop.’” “But I could see that no one was coming,” he argued. “I was perfectly safe – that’s all that matters.” “No sir, you have to come to a complete stop, I’m writing you a ticket.”
Next day, the same trooper is watching the same intersection. The same man arrives at the stop sign slows down, looks, then speeds through the intersection again. The policeman pulls him over again. After recognizing each other it is evident that both are very frustrated. The same basic conversation takes place again. The policeman insists the man was supposed to stop. The man insists that slowing down is the same thing. Another ticket.
Third day – incredibly the same thing happens again! The same man arrives at the stop sign – slows down just a bit, looks, then speeds through the intersection. The policeman pulls him over again. This time the officer walks up to the window, doesn’t say anything, then suddenly grabs the man by the shirt collar, pulls his head out of the window, and begins hitting it repeatedly with his police club. “Now,” he says, between blows, “Do you want me to stop, or do you want me to just slow down?” - It seems the driver came to a quick understanding of the difference between stop and slow down.
One of the great battles all of us face is the tendency to rationalize poor choices. We want to live the way we want to live. We want to do whatever we want to do. Most of us want to live our lives with a minimum amount of intrusion from other people, the Church, the Bible or even God Himself. It’s rooted in our self-centered nature. Somehow we think that the rules just don’t apply to us personally. So we will twist and turn and redefine. We’ll try to explain why we’re the exception. We’ll come up with excuses to justify our behavior. We’ll use every trick in the book - anything to satisfy and justify self.
And when you stop long enough to think about it – this is a very unwise way to live. Because when God places a stop sign in our life it’s for our own good. When He places caution signs and boundaries in our life, it’s out His great love for us. When He says “slow down” or “road closed” the wise person concludes to ignore such warnings would place oneself in danger. So it’s only smart to heed such warnings or we ultimately end up suffering consequences that could have easily been avoided.
So as we move into a New Year it is wise thing to remind ourselves of what Moses said to his people many years ago: Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. The One True God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM”, the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He is Creator, Deliverer, Savior, Healer, our Soon Coming King, Messiah, Judge of all mankind, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He alone is God – there is no other. There will always be people who say, “It doesn’t matter what you call God – it’s just many names all referring to the same God. Some call him “Allah,” some call him “nature,” some name themselves as God – but it’s all the same.” Don’t buy into that pseudo-intellectual nonsense. God is God alone. Man has tried to reinvent God millions and millions of times in an attempt to escape His truth and requirements. We want to write our own “rules for the road.” Take it to heart – the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Let’s live our lives acknowledging His glory and His right to reign over us.
Because of who He is Moses says, “Keep His Decrees and Commands.” Don’t ignore them. Don’t try to redefine them. Don’t think they are culturally irrelevant. Don’t think they don’t apply to you. Every commandment God has revealed in His Word has been given to protect us. His rules and His boundaries provide safety for our lives and for the ones we love. His desire is to lead us into a good and healthy life free from the consequences of our self-centered desires. Let’s enjoy the multiple blessings that come our way as we follow the path He has laid out for our lives in the Bible.
As you contemplate your New Year resolutions, why not spend a few moments contemplating how these verses apply to your personal life in 2009? Are there some stop signs you’ve been blowing through? Are there some caution lights you’ve been ignoring? Perhaps it’s time to put your foot firmly on the brake – come to a complete stop – and listen for your Shepherd’s voice before you continue your journey.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
OK, Here’s a hypothetical situation: A man in a car slows down as he approaches a stop sign. He looks in both directions, then drives on without ever coming to a complete stop. A policeman, who was sitting and watching this intersection, turns on his siren and pulls him over. The man seems baffled as the officer approaches the window. “What seems to be the problem?” He asks. “You ran that stop sign sir,” the policeman replies. “No, I’m sure I didn’t” “Yes sir, you did, you failed to come to a complete stop. Children commonly cross this intersection. Failure to come to a complete stop places them in danger.” “But I did slow down.” “Yes sir, you did, but you are supposed to stop. The sign does not say, ‘Slow Down.’ It says, ‘Stop.’” “But I could see that no one was coming,” he argued. “I was perfectly safe – that’s all that matters.” “No sir, you have to come to a complete stop, I’m writing you a ticket.”
Next day, the same trooper is watching the same intersection. The same man arrives at the stop sign slows down, looks, then speeds through the intersection again. The policeman pulls him over again. After recognizing each other it is evident that both are very frustrated. The same basic conversation takes place again. The policeman insists the man was supposed to stop. The man insists that slowing down is the same thing. Another ticket.
Third day – incredibly the same thing happens again! The same man arrives at the stop sign – slows down just a bit, looks, then speeds through the intersection. The policeman pulls him over again. This time the officer walks up to the window, doesn’t say anything, then suddenly grabs the man by the shirt collar, pulls his head out of the window, and begins hitting it repeatedly with his police club. “Now,” he says, between blows, “Do you want me to stop, or do you want me to just slow down?” - It seems the driver came to a quick understanding of the difference between stop and slow down.
One of the great battles all of us face is the tendency to rationalize poor choices. We want to live the way we want to live. We want to do whatever we want to do. Most of us want to live our lives with a minimum amount of intrusion from other people, the Church, the Bible or even God Himself. It’s rooted in our self-centered nature. Somehow we think that the rules just don’t apply to us personally. So we will twist and turn and redefine. We’ll try to explain why we’re the exception. We’ll come up with excuses to justify our behavior. We’ll use every trick in the book - anything to satisfy and justify self.
And when you stop long enough to think about it – this is a very unwise way to live. Because when God places a stop sign in our life it’s for our own good. When He places caution signs and boundaries in our life, it’s out His great love for us. When He says “slow down” or “road closed” the wise person concludes to ignore such warnings would place oneself in danger. So it’s only smart to heed such warnings or we ultimately end up suffering consequences that could have easily been avoided.
So as we move into a New Year it is wise thing to remind ourselves of what Moses said to his people many years ago: Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. The One True God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM”, the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He is Creator, Deliverer, Savior, Healer, our Soon Coming King, Messiah, Judge of all mankind, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He alone is God – there is no other. There will always be people who say, “It doesn’t matter what you call God – it’s just many names all referring to the same God. Some call him “Allah,” some call him “nature,” some name themselves as God – but it’s all the same.” Don’t buy into that pseudo-intellectual nonsense. God is God alone. Man has tried to reinvent God millions and millions of times in an attempt to escape His truth and requirements. We want to write our own “rules for the road.” Take it to heart – the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Let’s live our lives acknowledging His glory and His right to reign over us.
Because of who He is Moses says, “Keep His Decrees and Commands.” Don’t ignore them. Don’t try to redefine them. Don’t think they are culturally irrelevant. Don’t think they don’t apply to you. Every commandment God has revealed in His Word has been given to protect us. His rules and His boundaries provide safety for our lives and for the ones we love. His desire is to lead us into a good and healthy life free from the consequences of our self-centered desires. Let’s enjoy the multiple blessings that come our way as we follow the path He has laid out for our lives in the Bible.
As you contemplate your New Year resolutions, why not spend a few moments contemplating how these verses apply to your personal life in 2009? Are there some stop signs you’ve been blowing through? Are there some caution lights you’ve been ignoring? Perhaps it’s time to put your foot firmly on the brake – come to a complete stop – and listen for your Shepherd’s voice before you continue your journey.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 11:32 AM
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