Consequences of Ignoring God

The Consequences Of Ignoring God: God’s Way, Your Way, And Your Crushed Spirit

📷

(A Spanish translation of this article is available at Heavenly Manna.)

Guilt, Fear, And A Crushed Spirit

says,

Proverbs 28:1 NKJV

The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

says,

The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Why is that do you think? Why do the wicked flee when no one is pursuing?

The proverb is a reference to Leviticus chapter 26 where the Lord tells the Israelites what will happen when (when, not if) they don’t obey His commandments. He says: “…I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing…” ()

What we see here is what happens when you live in a way God doesn’t want you to live. When you’re living in a way your Father in heaven doesn’t want you to, something happens inside you, something happens in your spirit. And your spirit can be crushed, because not only do you feel guilty about what you know you’re doing wrong, but you react to criticisms that point to wrong, even when it doesn’t apply to you. You generalize your guilt. That’s one of the things sin does to people.

When we do something we know is outside of God’s will, it chases us. Like Dickens’s Scrooge, or Shakespeare’s Macbeth the knowledge of our own sin can produce ghosts or shadows that haunt us, and we flee, even when no one is pursuing.

What Happened When Israel Ignored God

In Isaiah chapter 30 God tells the Israelites, “One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one…” KJV

Isaiah 30:17 NKJV

One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill.

) And He gives the reason for it in verse 1 of the same chapter. In verse 1 He says, “Woe to the rebellious children who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit…”

And He gives the reason for it in verse 1 of the same chapter. In verse 1 He says, “Woe to the rebellious children who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit…”

You see, the nation of Israel was in a jam. The Assyrians were about to invade and these Assyrians, they had a terrifying reputation. So the leaders of Israel schemed, and plotted, and planned. And they came up with their own solution, they formed an alliance with Egypt. But they did it all apart from God. They didn’t include Him in the process. The whole problem with the hearts, minds, and souls of the Israelites, the reason they were wracked by guilt and fear, the reason one thousand fled at the rebuke of one, was because they didn’t seek God’s counsel. They ignored the One waiting to connect with them: their God.

What Happens When You Ignore God

And that’s how it is for you and for me. When the Assyrians in my life come against me, I want to know what to do and I want to know right now. I want to Google it. Or I want to pick up the phone and call someone experienced in warfare against the Assyrians. And while there’s nothing wrong with using our brains to seek information, we’ll have problems if we don’t include God.

When we seek God’s counsel, in His word, in His house, and in prayer with Him, and then do what He says to do, we can live life with enthusiasm and exuberance. We can live life as bold as a lion. When we don’t seek His counsel, when we ignore Him and plot our own path, our spirit isn’t right. We’re influenced by guilt and fear. Even if we don’t express it on the surface, even if it’s at the unconscious level, deep in our hearts, we’re not whole, we’re not right in our spirit.

So read His scriptures. And go to His house and listen to Him there. And bring your problems, your Assyrians, to Him in prayer.

Then do what He says to do, so you can live life bold as a lion.

Even Better Than Seeking His Counsel

As great as seeking God’s counsel is, and as great as doing what He says to do is, God has something even better. And it’s necessary because no matter how hard you or I try, we’ll never follow Him perfectly. This better thing that God has for you and for me is His Son.

The moral failure that every one of us will experience has been anticipated by our Father in heaven. The guilt and the fear we feel inside of us Has been washed away by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. God says to you and to me, every sin we ever committed and every sin we’ll ever commit has already been paid for by God Himself in the form of His Son Jesus Christ.

God knows. He knows about what you did. And He knows about your guilt and fear, and the way your spirit pains because of it. And He doesn’t want you to live with your spirit in pain like that. He wants you to be free. So He gave up His Son to the Romans, more than 2,000 years ago. They scourged him, and beat him, and nailed him to the cross. They killed him. He was God’s sacrifice, for you, for every sin you’ve committed and every sin you’ll commit. It pleased the father to crush His only Son for the redemption of your Sin, To set you free from the bondage of that Sin, of the fear, of the pain, To give you Hope, to give you love, to give you Joy that you might live your life not just existing but live your life in a way that is Joyful that is happy that gives you rest.

So accept His sacrifice. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. And be freed from the weight of your sin.

That is God plan for your life. Is he calling you this morning do you feel pulled by his spirit, Resist Him no more surrender to His mercy for His grace is waiting for you

Jesus Said,

Matthew 11:28 NKJV

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt 11

God’s Provision For Forgiveness

To accept God’s sacrifice for your sins, simply say this prayer,

God I know I’m a sinner. I believe the death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ provides for my forgiveness. Please let Jesus come into my life and into my heart to change me, to give me rest, to give me peace, to give me joy,that you will be my only Lord and my Savior. Oh Thank you Jesus for forgiving me, and for saving me. Amen.

The words aren’t magical, what’s important is you opened your heart to invite Jesus into your life. And that’s the beginning.