Children amaze me. They are not able to understand abstract concepts, but they can pick up on when mom or dad is sad or otherwise upset about something. They also sense mom and dad’s love for them and when they are proud of them.
When Connie was alive, we had a special connection where we could pick up on each other’s gestures, moods, and emotions. Of course, she was superior to me in that way. Typically, a male’s is like a buffalo, while a female’s is more like a butterfly, which quickly flies away if a raindrop lands nearby. Buffaloes, with their thick hide, are hardly aware of rain or hail.
Have you considered how sensitive our Father God might be? I suspect He is far more sensitive than we might imagine. Recorded in Matthew 13:54-58 and Mark 6:1-6a, on Jesus’ last trip through Galilee, He took the disciples to His hometown, Nazareth. The part that recently stood out to me in this episode was what Matthew and Mark recorded about it. He did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58, ESV). Consider this. Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19a, ESV). This means the reason only a few supernatural things were done there was not because of the humanity of Jesus! His Heavenly Father was the decision maker here. We are talking now about God Almighty, or the Holy Spirit, who can supernaturally work regardless of the circumstances. Right? So, the question arises, just how sensitive is God or the Holy Spirit? Is He so sensitive that simple prejudice against a family or logic, something that may not even be verbal or super visible, will restrain His power? Really?? Yes really!! He is very sensitive to our thoughts and motivations and responds to them, as seen in this narrative.
If we fast forward to our world today and consider the pervasive lack of the awe of God, the mental questions about Him, even in our churches and even in our very own hearts; could it be that God is so sensitive, especially with those of us claiming to be Christ-followers, that He will allow our lack of deep respect or reverence for Him to inhibit Him from working in our lives or in the world around us? If you examine the passage, the people were blown away by Jesus’ teaching of truth. They had known Him for decades, yet their logic now leaped into action and led them to question Jesus’ authority or authenticity. We expect unbelievers to question Him. However, if each of us believed Him as we say we do, wouldn’t we esteem Him enough to search His Word to find the full truth about His values, righteousness, or how He expects us to live? Are we serious enough to take the time to carefully examine what the Bible says for ourselves rather than depend on a pastor/preacher/teacher to do the study work and make it colorful enough for us to enjoy? I now see that God is considerably more sensitive to our feeble respect and lukewarm passion for Him than I had thought.
God’s sensitivity to unbelief woke me up like a slap in the face. Our familiarity with the truth of the supernatural may make us indifferent, but God remains sensitive to our indifference and simply withdraws His power. Paul’s words speak to me, wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Ephesians 5:14b, NIV). God is prompting us to shift our value system towards prioritizing intimacy with Him, rather than indulging in enticing pleasures. Don’t forget, the greatest commandment is to love HIM with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Would others say your daily choices and behavior demonstrate the depth of awe He deserves?