Four Imaginary Imprisonments (Part 8) | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

We've finally made it to the last of the four imprisonments: REBELLION.  The journey has been mind-blowing, to say the least.  Each imaginary imprisonment has been more intense and less private than the one before.  And as we'll see with REBELLION, it's definitely the coup de grace when it comes to hindering growth and our ability to live freely as GOD desires.

Imaginary Imprisonment #4 | REBELLION

If nothing else won't make life hard, rebellion will.  Rebellion ties us down and keeps us from enjoying GOD's greater blessings.  And no matter how much we do to conceal our feelings, there's nothing hidden about rebellion.  It's open. Rebellion is simply defined as organized, armed resistance to one's government or ruler.  It doesn't get much more open than that.  One could better describe the people who resist as the "I ain'ts" because they have already made up their minds as to what they're NOT going to do.  Although they may know what's right to do, they refuse to do right.  They know what's wrong, too; and STILL do it.  Sadly, rebellious people are under this impression that they're creating difficulty for those with whom they refuse to comply.  However, the truth is that they're really just making life difficult for themselves.

1 Samuel 15:23 tells us that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Viewing this through the lenses of scripture clearly reveals that being rebellious is certainly nothing to brag about at all.  Yet how many of us wear our refusal to comply as a badge of honor?  Talk about TOTALLY out of order, saints.  If GOD isn't going to tolerate witchcraft and idolatry in His church, then what makes us think there's room for rebellion to slide on through?  Rebellion is unacceptable, and we really need to wrap our minds around that fact.  When leadership takes the time to write the vision and plainly lay it out so everyone can understand and run with it, there's absolutely nothing excellent or admirable about our refusal to comply.

When we learn better, we must do better.  Otherwise, rebellion will remove us from our rightful place.  That latter portion of 1 Samuel 15:23 says that GOD rejected Saul as king because of his rebellious behavior.  Now before we go pointing the finger at GOD to say that he removed Saul from his position as King, let's get the story straight.  Saul removed himself from the position when he rebelled.  GOD didn't remove Saul from His position as King any more than I've heard it said that GOD is exposing people.  Saul set himself up to be rejected, just as those who are exposed set themselves up for their own public exposure via disobedience.  Our Father will not tolerate rebellion, and His mercy will not allow us to think that we're exempt from the repercussions of our actions.  Remember: the mercy of GOD is for those who are sincerely sorry for what they've done, not those who count on receiving it whenever they purpose in their hearts to sin.

To be continued...