I have been watching, along with the rest of the world, the violent reactions to our national election, and I too have been shaking my head at the lengths people have gone to to express their unhappiness.  However.  Big however.  As I was making a list of all the reasons “those people” were spoiled, irresponsible, and downright inmature, God shook my heart with this irrefutable fact:  I am one of those!  And so are you!

Ok, we are not out in the streets doing our protesting in public view against a human.  At least I don’t know anyone who is.  But I know SO many people…me included..who are spiritual protesters!  Over and over again, God addresses His people in Scripture about their hard hearts and stiff necks.  He rebukes them and corrects them, and sends judgment after judgment on them to cause them to repent.  And they do, but it is never permanent..there is always a relapse…and sometimes the relapse is to an even deeper and darker level of sin than before.

So ok, that was long ago, and what does that have to do with us?  We are the same people today as they were, lost and hopeless without Jesus, and even AS His children we still have that old nature that wants to assert itself and defy authority. We still, in spite of the Holy Spirit living within us and guiding us, want to take our own path..or have what we want..or just say, “I’ve got this one God, thanks.”

 Now this is not always the case. There are victories along the way, when we actually surrender to God’s plan, and live in the glory of being completely in His will.  Those are glorious times, and they can last for days, weeks, months, and even years.  But we too will still stumble and fail, and fight against God.

So what is the point of this blog?  It is this:  when you see people at their very worst, acting in complete defiance and demanding their way, even on national TV…stop!  Stop the judgmental thoughts and keep that finger from pointing! Listen and you wil hear God reminding you of all the recents acts of defiance against Him!  Yes they are in the streets, openly shouting and belittling the authority that was just placed over them.  But is that any different than your approach to God’s authority?  Which is SO much greater than any earthly man’s??  Edit

I shudder to think what the newest viral video post would look like if my response to some of God’s laws was made public!  And while His authority was established from the foundations of the earth, I ELECTED Him Lord of my life when I accepted His salvation.  Those protesting right now are against someone they did NOT elect.  How much worse then is MY protest?

I believe in free speech and the right to express disagreeing opinions is something I cherish as an American.  God believes in free will, too, because He gives everyone the chance to choose Him or reject Him.  But once tve decision is made…especially in accepting Him and HIS will, the protesting should be mostly over…and should grow less and less as we mature in Him!

Next broadcast you see, let this thought sink in:  “O Lord,great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, WE have sinned, and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your laws and Your judgments….O Lord, to US belongs shame of face…because we have sinned against You.”  Daniel 9:4-5, 8.  Amen.