Ever had a kid get in a mood where they just won't listen? Most parents who notice a kid behaving that way will avoid certain conversations for a while, to let the kid simmer down. Don't tell at the kid to clean his room when he's already grumpy.
Ever tried to ask Mom or Dad for the car keys? You wait until they're happy, to pop the question, because once they start saying "no" to you, you know it's an uphill battle getting them to say "yes" ever again.
Ever had a friend with a pet topic? The guy who just loves Donald Trump, or just hates him. Sometimes you'll steer clear of certain topics of conversation just to avoid the rant your friend will inevitably launch into if you get too close to their favorite subject.
God does that with us, too. When you reject truth, it damns you a little. He avoids teaching you truths when he knows you'll just reject them. He doesn't want to get you in the habit of saying "no" to him. For instance, God's messengers are often not pretty to look at. Remember Isaiah 53: "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." It's easy to get judgmental about God's messengers, so God will often withhold them from you until you're humble enough not to damn yourself by rejecting them outright.
Have you ever had a neighbor, or sibling perhaps, with whom you always seem to argue? Some topic, perhaps, that you just can't talk about without getting into an argument? Unfortunately, a lot of the things God tried to teach us are touchy subjects anyway, especially the things we know we need to improve about ourselves. After all, if someone has a bad temper, it's sometimes a bad idea to point out the fact.
If we want the Lord to teach us, we'd do well to make sure we're open to his teaching.
Ever tried to ask Mom or Dad for the car keys? You wait until they're happy, to pop the question, because once they start saying "no" to you, you know it's an uphill battle getting them to say "yes" ever again.
Ever had a friend with a pet topic? The guy who just loves Donald Trump, or just hates him. Sometimes you'll steer clear of certain topics of conversation just to avoid the rant your friend will inevitably launch into if you get too close to their favorite subject.
God does that with us, too. When you reject truth, it damns you a little. He avoids teaching you truths when he knows you'll just reject them. He doesn't want to get you in the habit of saying "no" to him. For instance, God's messengers are often not pretty to look at. Remember Isaiah 53: "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." It's easy to get judgmental about God's messengers, so God will often withhold them from you until you're humble enough not to damn yourself by rejecting them outright.
Have you ever had a neighbor, or sibling perhaps, with whom you always seem to argue? Some topic, perhaps, that you just can't talk about without getting into an argument? Unfortunately, a lot of the things God tried to teach us are touchy subjects anyway, especially the things we know we need to improve about ourselves. After all, if someone has a bad temper, it's sometimes a bad idea to point out the fact.
If we want the Lord to teach us, we'd do well to make sure we're open to his teaching.