May I Have Your Attention, Please?

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”   Mark 1:15

 

“May I have your attention please?”

These words became a joke between my husband and me when our children were small. As we would try to have a conversation, or eat a quiet meal, or sit in peace for a few minutes, they would seem to go wild. If we didn’t respond immediately the noise level would intensify or the behavior would worsen. It was sometimes a dance or a song, or “read me this book.” Other times it was an argument (okay, a fight) between them, or a little tantrum.

My husband would look at me and say, “May I have your attention please?”  Then, we would decide if we should ignore the behavior or deal with it right away. We hated to give in to their vying for attention if it wasn’t necessary.

As we have lived through the last several years it seems that frequently, though our children are adults now, my husband is turning to me and saying. “May I have your attention, please?” Now,  the one precipitating the question is the Lord God Himself. We are watching and hearing what is happening in the world and speculating that God is trying to get our attention because we have been ignoring His repeated attempts to speak to us.

Many people want to argue that a loving God would not allow the disasters and wickedness evident in our culture.  We know from scripture that God is not the author of evil (James 1:13).  The Bible also teaches that God has the wisdom, power, and might to bring, stop, and/or allow whatever He chooses, according to His Sovereign will and for our ultimate good. It is because He loves us that He allows us to suffer the consequences of our sin.

As a loving God, He also sends us warnings. It seems that He has been consistently trying to open our eyes to the truth of His displeasure with the way we have eliminated Him and His teaching. He is a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4;24) He will not be mocked. (Galatians 6:7) We have turned away from Him to worship other gods so that we have invited His jealousy. We have mocked what He has taught by ignoring or laughing at His laws.

In Romans 1 Paul talked about a time when conditions and thinking were similar to today. He said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, (25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25)

In our unrighteousness as a nation are we suppressing the truth of God? Have we failed to honor Him? Have we refused to thank Him?  Are these not similar times to those Paul was describing and has God not given us over to our own lusts and impurity?  As Christians, I fear we are guilty of not trying to tell others that we have committed these very sins that God has said were worthy of revealing His wrath.

Are we listening? Do we see it? God is doing many things that need to make us hear Him say, “May I have your attention, please?”

Does He have your attention?