The Raised Eyebrow of God

The Raised Eyebrow of God 

by David Brenneman 

The raised eyebrow of God?  

Read the verse above and that's what you can take away from it.  When we say what we have decided we are going to do or not do anymore.   

Do we so easily forget the little book of Jonah?  Do we so easily forget what Solomon's Dad said before he wrote today's passage?  

Sometimes it's a raised eyebrow, probably more often is the fingers to the bridge of His nose, eyes closed, and slowly moving His head side to side.  

We who are in Christ are never to be the ones dictating to Him what we will or won't do, what we will or won't accept. 

When we get to Heaven, it certainly, absolutely, will have no impact on eternity what our will is going to be.  In the Bible we certainly read "Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven". 

Was thinking on this this morning after all that's been written lately on the subject.  

The children of Israel tried this path here on Earth...go ahead and read it again.  It didn't work out so well.  80 combined years in the wilderness. 

This is but one map of a possible path they took.  

Do we really think that they were the only stubborn people to balk at what God said was to be living life?

Do we not dig in our own heels at times with Jesus?  Tell Him that we're GOING to do this or that?  Regardless of what His path for us is?  Hmm.  That way of thinking sure isn't right.  The Bible tells us to prefer one another above ourselves.  

We really really prove we are not taking up our own cross and following Jesus when we begin to refuse to do what we're told. 

We may even be supposedly enjoying success at out path we choose. 

What a coincidence!  At the onset of his journey, so was the Prodigal Son. 

Proverbs 14:13 NASB "There is a way which seems right to a person,

But its end is the way of death." Another translation says "But its end is destruction".

This Prodigal found destruction.  He was broke, starving, and realized his will wasn't going to be done here on Earth.

Could this be your life?  Are you mad at God, so aren't doing what He's wanting you to be doing?  Are you mad at another?  Stubbornly refusing to do what's right in God's eyes in a situation?  Humility comes but one of two ways.  Willing acceptance of doing it, or forced.  

Some people just keep holding onto bitterness thinking that someday it will turn into sweet tea.  Absolutely absurd!

Bitterness is an acid.  Stewing about something that someone else may or may not have done, and you don't talk about it, eats your soul. 

Oh the raised eyebrows that come with a probable utterance of "Ok, my Dear Child, we'll do it the hard way."

How can we say that we love God yet hate our brother?  Didn't we read that somewhere?  Oh wait...we did. 

"If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister." 1 John 4:20-21 NASB. 

We think we are going to decide our career.  Without consulting Jesus, what right do we have?  We think we are going to decide this or that of any significance, without consulting Jesus, what right do we have?  

David, it is written, was known as a man after God's own heart.  David communicated with the Lord Jesus regularly.  He was quickly shown what not doing so does to that relationship. By the volume of time spent with the Lord in prayer we saw how it shaped his heart.

Oh how stubborn and stupid we can be. 

Free choice is indeed ours, and it IS the will of God that we freely choose His path for us in our sanctification.  

We hurt our growth in Christ when we hold onto thoughts, ideas, plans, that will not grow us in Christ.  When we forget that the anger of man does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  When we forget we need Him to hold our hand because we will indeed let go of His if the situation gets to us enough.  

Are you living in obedience or are you living a life where you're not willing to fully obey Him?  Are you really a Prodigal Son or Daughter right now?  

My Dear Reader, I have been a Prodigal Son several times in my life.  It never ended in the way that I saw coming.  

Truly the anger I felt did not bring about the righteous life that God desired for me. 

God will likewise never want us giving up on someone whom He joined us with who is also a Believer.  Forgiveness was the very first thing that came as a result of coming to the cross of Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness ought to be the first thing we start with concerning others in our lives. 

We certainly do give Jesus way too many reasons to lift an eyebrow at us.  We so easily forget that the Scriptures say it is He who searches the hearts.  

We ought not be so naive as to think that there's any "rooms" in our hearts that there are secrets in from Jesus.  That there are any that He's not already been in and knows all about.  That there are any intentions of the heart that He doesn't always already know before you do concerning why you had them.  Do you not realize He hears those synapses in your brain forming thoughts before you are even knowing yourself what will be?

He formed you in your mother's womb.

He knows the number of your days. 

He knows the plans He has for you. 

He knows every wrong turn that you have taken and is actively working to bring you back around. 

He knows what you are here in this here, this now, in human history to accomplish for His Name's sake. 

We do ourselves a grave disservice by trying to tell Him what we will or won't do, either in word or deed.  We sin. He who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.  

Trusting in the Lord with all your heart, leaning not on your own understanding, means that you do not call the shots. You do not make life in your own image. 

Do you not want Jesus to look down on your life and to be smiling? 

Being "used" to something doesn't make it the right thing to entertain as a  thought or an action.  We are to take every single thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.  

"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB95. 

It may sound weird but it actually can be a very scary thing to get what we think we really really wanted before God says we are ready to have it.  

Live a life of obedience to Christ, not a life where we try to create what we want to see, hear and do whatever we want. 

Do you give Jesus a reason to say "Ok, the hard way it is..."?

Lean not on your own understanding my Friend.  God will never separate what He has joined. God will never have us go down a path that will compromise our growth in Christ Jesus. God will never, ever, have us do any part of life that causes His Name to be tarnished.