Where are my sticky notes??

I like to consider myself I an at least somewhat responsible parent, but for some reason, I don’t know why, I seemed to have a mental block when it came to remembering orthodontic appointments for my kids during that phase of our lives.  Thanks to our dear orthodontist (and his secretary!) for their good graces and common sense to make routine phone reminder phone calls.  I’m sure it saved them money for missed appointments and I console myself that I probably was not the only one.  But even if I was, I’m still glad I had the reminder!

To this day, I’m not offended with reminders.  I live with sticky notes.  I email myself from work to home, and vice versa.  I tell people to call me.  If I don’t write it down, it’s a gonner.  There are just so many brain cells for storage, folks, kinda like my phone, which is now telling me I need to dump some stuff if I want to update several of the apps.

You get the comparison?

So I think I understand when it seems that God repeats Himself to Moses about keeping the people away from the mountain as He begins to reveal Himself: 

“But LORD,” Moses protested, “the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me, ‘Mark off a boundary all around the mountain…’ So Moses went down to the people and told them what the LORD had said.

I love good old faithful Moses.  It seems his favorite phrase is “but, God…”  It’s not like the God Almighty of the Universe had forgotten He had already said something.  Nonetheless, Moses comes down to the people who were probably expecting something new and exciting, by the way, considering the big geological pyrotechnic build up complete with shofar accompaniment enough to bring fear and trembling to even a 21^st century audience.   And what does Moses deliver?

Same ole’, same ole’.  Just like God told him to.  Can you just imagine the reaction??

• “Yeah, we got that already!” (impatience)
• “Do you think I’m stupid?” (offense)
• “You must be talking to the other guy.” (pride)
• “I wish ‘they’ would get ‘their’ act together so we get move forward!” (arrogance)

Now, sure, other pretty amazing things did follow eventually as we continue reading, but first things first.  Pardon me if I mix metaphors, but astronauts better make sure the seat beat is well fastened before liftoff.

Peter does a similar thing in his writings:

“Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.”

I heard a story of a pastor who gave the same sermon several times week after week until finally the congregants began asking when he was going to start preaching something different, to which his response was:

“Once you all start doing what I said in this sermon.”

(Go, dude!)

We are taught that seeking “greater revelation” is of little value unless we make proper use of the revelation we have already been given.  

So I going to accept that if God is repeating something to me, it must mean I haven’t gotten something quite right, or I needed a refresher, or just maybe someone else is watching that needs to see how it’s done properly (now there’s an encouraging thought, right?)

Exodus 19:23,25; 2 Peter 1:12 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.