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STOP COMING, AND COME

"A mother was calling her little girl to come down for tea and back came the reply, 'I am coming, Mummy.' Five minutes later there was still no sign of her daughter, so once again she called and back came the reply, 'I am coming, Mummy.' After five more minutes there was still no sign of the little girl, so Mummy called again, 'Come down, tea is ready.' Back came the reply, 'I am coming, Mummy,' to which Mummy replied, 'STOP COMING, AND COME.' " - excerpt from Every Day With Jesus


This story reminds us of the Parable of the Two Sons which is recorded in Matthew 21:28-30 -

"But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not."

We, as Christians, can find ourselves in one of two categories - we are either doing the Will of God or not doing it.

What is our initial response to God's calling or will?
Are we like the first son who is impudent, stiff-necked, and will not bend?
Do we initially harden our hearts when we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit calling us or speaking to us?
Because we love our ease, our own lives, or accomplishing our own agenda, do we give God an outright denial when He calls us to a certain task?
Does He have to allow affliction and fiery trials to come our way to cause us to change our hearts in repentance before we will obey Him?

Psalm 119:67 - "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word."
Psalm 119:71 - "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes."

Or perhaps we are like the second son in that we promise to do great things but accomplish nothing.

Do we -
...like the Pharisees, say, but do not?
...give many good words and make many fair promises, but deny God in our actions?
...love Him only in word and tongue but not in deed and in truth?
...with our mouths show much love to our Savior and Lord while our hearts are going another way?
...have a professed obedience that seeks to impress man, but proves false in the end?

Song of Solomon 5:2-3 - The Song of Solomon relates a very moving account between the Bride and her beloved - "I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?"

In this account, the Bridegroom beckons the Bride to open to his knocking for he longs to have fellowship and sweet communion with her. He tries to draw her unto himself by his loving and tender words - "my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled."

Does she jump out of her bed and swing open the door at his first knock? Not at all!
Surprisingly, she denies entrance to such a companion and guest!
She responds with frivolous excuses - "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?"

It was a custom in those days to wash one's feet before going to bed. Hence, she had gone to take her rest in bed and did not wish to be disturbed.

Here was her beloved standing without in the cold and in the night - "for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night" - while she was in the comfort, in the warmth, and at ease.

What dullness, lethargy, carelessness, and listlessness is hers!
To think that she would delay a response to such a guest!
This was her very own beloved knocking at the door, desiring fellowship with her.
She was more interested in her own comfort and ease than to get up and open the door to him.

Oh, Church of the Living God!
How many times has the Lord Jesus visited us in the night seasons and awakened us, so eager to have blessed, sweet communion with us?
How many times has He called us throughout the day to come away and be alone with Him in prayer and Bible Study?

What was our response?
Did we also love our ease and comfort and deny Him His request?

How many times has He had to watch us enjoy fellowship with man yet deny Him any fellowship at all throughout the day? Or when He did call us away unto Himself, did He have to hear a string of excuses why we could not pray, spend time reading His Word, or hear Him share with us the secrets of His heart?

Are we oftentimes like that little girl who keeps calling out to her Mummy - "I am coming, Mummy" - but yet we never do come?

What has God been asking of you, only to get one excuse after another along with one delayed obedience after another?

Delayed Obedience is actually disobedience.

One writer said it this way - "Obedience means at once."

O Child of God, has your Obedience been at once or has it been delayed?

• What about the times when God asked you to send an offering to support His Work, and You delayed to the point where you never did send it?

• What about the man or woman on the job to whom the Lord was calling you to witness and you delayed? Now they have moved on, and you have lost your opportunity.

• What about all the times when the Lord called you to give out Gospel tracts and witness to the lost?

• What about the times when the Lord called you to intercessory prayer to pray for your lost loved ones, and you shirked off the burden because you were too busy or were caught up with the pleasure of the moment?

• What about that relationship that God has been dealing with you to reconcile and show love once again and restoration?

• What about that sister or brother whom you have mistreated? You have gossiped, slandered, and lied to others about this one, and God is now calling you to admit your wrongdoing. Have you obeyed Him at once or have you delayed your obedience?

• What about the dishonesty that you are guilty of on the job, in the ministry, in the church, in your relationships, etc.? God has been dealing with you to humble yourself and make it right. Why have you not obeyed Him as of yet?

• What about that neighbor or friend who is all alone and needs a friend? God has been calling you to reach out to them. Have you obeyed God's Spirit?

Are you like the one son who promises God after hearing a sermon on prayer, Bible Study, witnessing, forgiveness and reconciliation, giving tithes and offerings, living a holy life, giving up all Sin, or dying to self - "I'll do it, Lord Jesus! I'll do what you ask of me!" - only to find out that you never keep your promise. You answer the altar call under severe conviction of the Holy Ghost and, by the time you get home, your heart has become hardened once again to the Call of the Spirit to change your ways and obey.

We must remember - Obedience means at once.
Delayed Obedience is disobedience.
Disobedience is Sin.
All unconfessed and unrepented Sin leads a soul to Hell.

James 4:17 - The Apostle James said it this way - "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is Sin."

In other words, if we know the good that God is calling us to do, and we don't do it, we are sinning.
If we know the right thing to do, and we fail to follow through with doing it, then we are sinning.
If we ever plan on making it to heaven, then we are going to have to change our ways and repent of all disobedience - delayed obedience.

May God, the Holy Spirit, shine the spotlight of His Truth on our paths this day and show us any areas where we are going astray.
May we, from this day forward, be quick to obey Him in whatever He asks us to do.
May we not be like that little girl who keeps saying - "I'm coming; I'm coming" - yet we never come.

Because the Bride refused to come when the Bridegroom knocked, He was not at the door when she finally did get up. He withdrew Himself from her.

Whenever the Lord Jesus beckons us to come, He expects us to come immediately.
Otherwise, He will have no other choice than to withdraw Himself from us and count us as disobedient servants.

1 Chronicles 28:9 warns us - "...if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever."

May all of our promises to God be followed with at once obedience.
In Jesus' Name.
Amen & Amen.

Connie

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