"The prompting that goes unresponded to may not be repeated. Writing down what we have been prompted with is vital. A special thought can also be lost later in the day in the rough and tumble of life. God should not, and may not, choose to repeat the prompting if we assign what was given such a low priority as to put it aside." (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward, p. 122.)
I've been meaning to write my thoughts on this blog for a while. With the quote above as my motivation not to procrastinate, here is my first entry. It is from my scripture study this morning from Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 13:10-13
Ezekiel 13 talks about false prophets. People who declare peace when there is no peace. People who build false walls of security that will crumble in a storm.
" 10 ¶Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying,Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar:
"11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
"12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Whereis the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
" 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it."
What are my false walls of security? Is there a way to discern?
And what is a "false peace"? How can I discern it?
Satan would have us believe in his lies as a false sense of peace. As long as we fear what we can't understand, then we keep building up a false wall to protect us from what we don't want to see. These false walls can give us a momentary sense of protection, but in the end are desructive to our ultimate happiness. I've seen it in my own life when I've put up a wall of unforgiveness when really all the false protection did was kept me from loving another. Or when I've built a wall of doubt when all it did was deceitful keep me from faith.
In verses 14-15, God explains how He helps us break down the false walls we erect. The words seem like an act of punishment, but really it is an act of mercy.
"14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that Iam the Lord.
" 15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;"
I think of my last really big trial. It seemed to beat me down. But really, what it did was break the false wall of impatience and my personal lie of "I need to get it right the first time," and taught me the importance of "repitition" to learn what God would have me learn. I recall another trial years ago that helped me to break down the false sense of security that I got from using my talents to determine my worth. In the moment, that trial was so painful, especially to see the walls around me crumble to the ground. But, how grateful I am now that they did. I have learned that one of the purposes of trials and spiritual storms are to break down the walls that keep us from knowing God. However, that can only come as I turn to God in that trial, rather than turn to the world which will only attempt to recreate a greater false walls that I had previously created.
