Every once in a while, my wife asks me to go out, get her lunch, and drop it off to her at work. Normally, she tells me exactly which fast-food restaurant she wants me to go to.
However, one day, she told me what she wanted, but she gave me four restaurant options. The first option on her list I quickly ruled out, because it was closed. So, I drove to another fast-food restaurant.
As I approached that restaurant, I noticed that the cars in the drive-thru were almost out in the street. So, I decided to head to a different location. As I approached that location, I noticed the cars in the drive-thru was wrapped around the building.
Knowing that I had a short time to get the food and take it to my wife, I decided to go to an entirely different restaurant down the street. When I pulled into the parking lot of the fast-food restaurant, I noticed that there were few cars in the drive-thru.
“Great!”
I ordered two combo meals with fries and a drink.
Since I was in a rush, and I wouldn’t be eating with my wife, I asked for separate bags. When I got to the window, the fast-food worker handed me two drinks. Since the drinks that I ordered were orange in color, but the drinks the worker handed me were black in color, I informed the worker that they gave me the wrong drinks.
You would have thought I called the worker a bad word by the frown on their face. They took the drinks back and set them down on the counter near the window, then turned around and picked up two other drinks. From seeing the orange color through the clear lids, I could clearly see those were the correct ones.
Oftentimes, I play a game in my head guessing whether the fast-food workers will get my order correct.
Unfortunately, I must admit that more times than not, they do not. And this time was no different. After the worker handed me the drinks, they only gave me one bag. So, instead of me asking for a separate bag, I just simply said, “Thank you,” and drove off.
As I looked in the bag, one box of fries was turned upside down and all the fries fell to the bottom of the bag. So, I had to pull my wife’s order out of the bag and separate the two orders.
Typically, I do not like to dig into the bag until I get home, because I like to wash my hands first. In this case, I had to carefully use several napkins to pull the food out of the bag.
It’s amazing to me how clear and specific instructions can be so terribly ignored. I’m not certain at that moment if I fell into the judgment category, but I did get the feeling that we treat GOD’s instructions the way.
Nevertheless, the situation reminded me of several stories in the Bible where GOD instructed people to do one thing, and they did exactly the opposite.
The first story of someone not obeying GOD’s simple instructions was Lot’s wife. Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and he and his family moved to Sodom. Sodom and Gomorrah were two twin cities that were notorious for sin. So, GOD sent angels down to the cities to visit Lot.
The angels saw how sinful the people of the cities were, so they decided to remove Lot and his family from the city. Lot’s household consisted of Lot, his wife, their two daughters, and his two sons-in-law. Early in the morning, the angels told Lot and his family to leave the city, because GOD was going to destroy it. But before Lot left the city, he attempted to convince both of his sons-in-law to leave with them, however, they refused.
As Lot and his family lingered, the angels took them by the hand and rushed them out of the city. The angels told the family to hurry to a small city outside the destruction area. The angels gave simple but blunt instructions, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain.”
I think, “Escape for thy life,” would have caused me to obey everything the angels said after that.
However, Lots’ wife, being behind him, looked back and became a pillar of salt.
Lot lost his wife, his daughters lost their mother, and his wife lost her life from failing to obey simple instructions.
Another story that comes to mind is the story of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of GOD, and GOD asked him to go to the city of Nineveh and tell the people to repent of their sins. Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites and refused to go. Instead, Jonah paid a fare and was a passenger on a boat going to the city of Tarshish. Then, a huge wind arose. The wind was so bad that the people on the boat thought the ship would break apart.
Finally, it was discovered that Jonah was responsible for the strong wind because he was running from GOD. Instead of everyone on the boat perishing, they decide to throw Jonah off the boat into the water.
As Jonah was thrown into the water, a large fish swallowed him.
Many people know the story of Jonah spending three days in the belly of a big fish, but don’t usually imagine the situation he went through. First, he disobeyed GOD and decided to buy a boat ticket and head in a different direction. Next, the wind was so bad that the people who are experienced on the water thought they were going to die. Then, Jonah figured that he would drown in the sea when he was thrown overboard.
While in the water, the waters were very turbulent. Suddenly, a big fish appeared and swallowed Jonah. I don’t think Jonah realized he would be dinner for a big fish.
It was pitch black, surprisingly quiet, and the smell was unbearable, but Jonah somehow survived. The circumstances seemed to get worst and worst however he was still alive.
After three days in the belly of the fish, the fish vomited Jonah out of his mouth onto dry land. Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, and the people of Nineveh repented and turned back to GOD. However, even though GOD showed mercy to Jonah and the people of Nineveh, Jonah was angry, because he wanted GOD to destroy Nineveh.
Someone I know once told me a story that he was driving home one evening after work. He was tired and eager to get home. Less than three minutes away from his house, he heard the Lord tell him to go a different way home. Taking another route would have added an additional 5 to 7 minutes to his trip. So he thought about it but ignored what the Lord told him to do.
As he stopped at a traffic light around the corner from his house, he witnessed an accident between a car and a truck. The truck was hauling material in the bed and a piece of the material went flying through the air. As he put it, the piece of material looked very small as it was launched into the air, but as it began falling, it got bigger and bigger. He suddenly realized the object was heading straight for his car. The object penetrated his windshield and embedded in the steering wheel counsel missing him by inches
The man credits the mercy of GOD for the large piece of metal for not hitting him. Then he said that if it had hit him, it would have killed him.
I truly believe that we are in the last days. And in these times, I believe it is very important for believers to be more sensitive to the voice of GOD. Throughout the Bible, GOD constantly tells us to fear not, but we must realize that these are dangerous times we are living in. We need to increase our prayer, and word life so we can hear what GOD is saying and when HE is saying it.
Yes, oftentimes we are distracted by the events of the day, but it’s always good to stop, quiet ourselves, and take a moment to listen to what GOD is saying to us.
Like, “Ed, stay in this line.” But instead, I went down the road to that other restaurant with the shorter line.
I guess if I had listened, I wouldn’t have written this article.
G. Edward Wyche