Arguing With God

I have never had much success arguing with God.  Of course, I should know better.  I have read the story of Moses many, many times and it always ends the same.  Job had a rather lengthy argument with God before he finally got put in his place.  Some have argued with God by just trying to disappear like Elijah did with his attempt at spelunking.  Jeremiah tried playing the "I am only a boy" card (Jeremiah 1:6) and then later complained that he had become a laughingstock (Jeremiah 20:7), but God would not lift the call to speak.  Maybe Joseph's hesitation to be a part of what God was doing with Mary was somewhat less than a spat, but it surely was not something which excited him.  He was looking for the exit when he had his dream.

Most of us have had those moments when we knew God wanted us to do something and we balked with what we perceived to be a thousand good reasons.  The night I heard God calling me to preach began a six month argument with God which ended up with me ending up where I am today.  There have also been those times when I have heard God telling me to seek reconciliation with someone I was not yet ready to forgive.  While I usually saw it God's way, there was one time when I waited too long and death came to the one with whom I had a broken relationship before I got around to doing what I knew God was calling me to do.  

Arguing with God, or ignoring what He is saying, or pretending we do not hear is a more common experience than most of us would choose to admit.  We hear the call to offer forgiveness and we play the "It's his fault" game.  We are asked to give and we argue that our own wallets are too skinny.  We know we are being led to spending more time in our devotional life which would not happen if  God only looked at  our daily planner.   Whatever the argument, remember one thing.  Disagreeing with God does not usually end very well.