Stiff Neckedness

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me'" Sounds like something I might say. "I made this happen...."

Moses in the book of Deuteronomy has much to say to the Israelites, and to us. Blessings and curses. Thinking on how we should live in light of being called to be people of a Holy God. Terrible thoughts about what happens when we go our own way. Beautiful thoughts about the blessings received as we are in pursuit of holiness.

The text after the one above, says, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce......" Later he goes on to say that it is not because of our righteousness that the Lord is giving us anything, for we are a stiff necked people. That is a good thing to remember. We are stiff necked. Oddly, if we forget that, we are more of that.

This morning I am remembering that I am stiff necked. I do not need to hide that or deny that, I need to repent of it and (1) thank God for giving me life and salvation in spite of it and (2) ask Him to use me and change my heart in spite of it.

I do not think I will ever (until glory) not be stiff necked. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will loosen me up a bit and cause me to be more aware of it. Paradoxically, I do not think that is a statement of despair. I think it is a statement of hope. Hope that He will soften me; Hope that the next world is better then this one and I will not be stiff necked; Hope in Christ who loves me.

Last point. That does not give me an excuse to not war against my sin nature, to work out my salvation or to pursue holiness and flee from wickedness. If I choose to not do those things, I will become more stiff necked; and that could be bad. So I choose to pursue holiness, depending on Him to soften my neck and covenanting to struggle myself, labor, as He works so powerfully within me. Blessings