Stubborn

Rev 9:20, 21 "But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."

So here's the picture. Seven plagues are coming on the earth. One third of the trees and grass are destroyed, one third of the oceans turn to blood and one third of the ships are destroyed and one third of the fish are destroyed, one third of the rivers become poisoned and people die, one third of the sun and moon are diminished so that one third of the daylight is gone, things like locusts and scorpions sting people so that they are in agony and want to die but can't, and one third of all mankind is killed. Do you think that someone would wake up? Do you think that maybe people might start to wonder what is going on? Do you think that maybe someone might say: "We are being punished and we need to repent"? Nope. Not a chance. The rest of mankind kept living the way they wanted to live, continuing to worship inanimate objects, continuing to kill, continuing to steal, continuing in their drug use (that is actually the word for sorceries), and continuing in their sexual perversion.

Stubbornness is a tough thing. Just ask Pharaoh in Egypt when God was nailing that country with plagues. Just ask the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Just ask the Pharisees when Jesus lived. Just ask us. We love to do what we want to do…even if it is wrong. Somehow we get this idea in our brains that our way is best. We know what we are doing and no one or nothing that comes our way can change that. I know, I have been there. Even when our error is clearly pointed out. Even when circumstances come our way that should make us wake up, we don't. We just keep going down the same dumb road that we've determined ahead of time and even an act of God does not crack it.

Webster defines stubborn as: "unreasonably or perversely unyielding". The "rest of mankind" will someday be like this even though God comes down hard on them. Unreasonable. Unyielding. Stuck. Going our own way no matter what. I can think of people who are doing this now. Unreasonably unyielding even though they know what is right. Even though they know that God's word dictates another way. Too bad. And it is too bad. Too bad that the consequences that they experience will be beyond their control. Too bad that the result of their action will bring a heartache and pain that they have not yet experienced. I've seen it in the past and it isn't pretty.

Solomon had a word for those of us who don't listen to advice. He said that we are fools. He said: "…fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov. 1:7

I know that I have a tendency to be stubborn. I have an inner drive to do what I want no matter what. God help me to listen to other's wise advice and heed. Help me to hear from You and change. Keep stubbornness far from me.