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Every two year old has two questions that they are grappling with. If they can’t get these two questions answered in the right manner, they will find that they have a “tough row to hoe.”
- Can I do what I want to?
- Do I really have to obey authority?
If we as parents have children who are growing up without getting the answers to these questions we are making it difficult for them to get a no from their Heavenly father.
Nehemiah 9:16-17 – here was a group of people who had sinned, but God was there, ready to forgive.
God has laws. They are a lot like gravity. They are there, whether we believe them or respect them or not. Not all of God’s laws are as obvious as gravity, but they are there none the less.
Symptoms of the Rebellious Heart
Where do these kinds of questions come from? Where do they start?
Isaiah 14:12-14, Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:7-11, Genesis 3:1-6, Numbers 12:1-16
God does not look kindly on people who have rebellious hearts. God honored the immediate repentance we see here to Miriam and Aaron.
Numbers 16:1-50 – here we have a similar thing happen, but the outcome is quite different.
1 Samuel 15:22-23
What Is The Solution?
1 John 1:9 – What is the solution if we discover that we have a rebellious heart? God tells us here in 1 John that if we repent, He is faithful to forgive us.
Jesus was submissive to his parents. We don’t know all the details about Jesus childhood, he could have educated his parents about things they didn’t understand, but he was submissive to them.
Jesus was also submissive to his Heavenly father. He asked if there was another way, but submitted to the will of the Father.
Hebrews 5:6-9 – all of them who obey him. Obedience was important for Jesus, it is important for you and me as well.
We are deceived if we think as parents we can rebel against authorities in our lives while maintaining the respect and authority with and of our children.
It’s like defying gravity. It doesn’t work that way. Our children see it and they understand it at a much younger age than we can ever imagine.
We are dealing with these questions that hopefully two year olds are getting ahold of. A rebellious heart is a very serious thing.
Submission, obedience and respect is what God expects of his children. Let us check our hearts. If there is rebellion there, let us submit and obey and trust God – He knows what he is doing.