"NO!" by Gary Rose

I saw this newspaper article yesterday on the net and it made me think of a single word – NO! I imagine that “NO” is probably the first word we all learn, as our parents try to protect us from danger . And, if you are a parent, you know how little ones can get into things; and most of the time, their inquisitive nature gets them into trouble.

We learn “NO” means “do not do that” and hopefully, as we grow, we learn the reason why we were told NO!!! As adults we learn to think for ourselves and so we don’t hear NO as often.

When we become a Christian, we are spiritual babies and need to learn how to do things “God’s way” and no longer live ungodly lives. We need to begin to think as God does, with an emphasis on holiness and not worldliness!

In other words...

Isaiah 55 (World English Bible)

 ⁷ let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 
  ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh.
  ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (emphasis added)
  ¹⁰ For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky,
and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth,
and makes it grow and bud,
and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
  ¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth:
it shall not return to me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
  ¹² For you shall go out with joy,
and be led out with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

One of the things I love about Christianity is that it encourages us to aim at a higher way of thinking, of acting, of just plain living!!! It has been said that Christianity is a “thinking man’s religion” and I believe this to be true. Anyone can lead a selfish, indulgent lifestyle, but a Christian is encouraged to be all that they can be - with God’s help of course!!!

As I read that newspaper article, I thought how God teaches that person to begin to think like HIM. For humans generally just see problems, but God sees possibilities. My one goal in life is to be as much like God as I can possibly be; I may fail, time and again, but God always teaches, encourages and strengthens me to excel even more. Oftentimes, this involves me to listen to a “NO” from the Scriptures - but its for my own good!!!

By the way - Did you notice that there is something a little “odd” about the picture? I did, and when I tried to clean up the picture for use on the blog, I just couldn’t get rid of that light in the center. Perhaps God is just trying to show us all a little spiritual light ???