A case for God

 

I often think back to when I was a child. I remember my parents often commenting on my ability to defend myself. They used to say, "You would make a great lawyer one day." Whenever I found myself in trouble, I would spend the time before my father's return carefully rehearsing a detailed defense in my mind. I would mentally run through it over and over again. When my father finally gave me his attention, I would passionately present my case, barely giving them a chance to respond.

For a moment, in my little world, I won them over and thought I had them convinced until I gave my parents a chance to speak. It didn't take long before they calmly put me in my place. They didn't have to say much for me to realize that they were right.

I'd save myself a lot of time and energy if I simply waited it out and just listened to them.

I've noticed the same to be true now that I'm an adult. When we find ourselves in a challenging or difficult situation, we can easily convince ourselves of something. We present arguments that support our position. We go on long mental tangents, convinced we have it all figured out, but we don't give God a chance to speak to our situation.

Proverbs 18:17 states, "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." 

Imagine a court case that reaches a verdict based solely on the arguments of its first witness. But that's exactly what happens when we fail to consult God in our circumstances and neglect to seek guidance from his word. If we take the time to listen to Him, we could save ourselves a lot of heartache and needless anxiety. Giving God the opportunity to speak would quickly resolve many of our issues with just a few words.