A Call to Consider

I am prone to over think various aspects of my life and get a bit tangled up in my own misunderstanding of various life situations. This often causes me to draw inaccurate conclusions. I am thankful for this dose of self-awareness and the work God has done in me that helps me grow away from this issue. One thing that God has done, is to help me use transitions as a cause to consider.  

For various reasons, we all need moments of consideration. As we close out 2017 and move into a new year, we have opportunity to stop and consider where we are in life as individuals, families, and a church community. This is such an important issue, that the word translated “consider” is found in every book of the Old Testament and is used over 1300 times. This word means to inspect, give attention to, and find out. Because the Bible places such a high priority on this issue may we focus on the idea that transitions are calls to consider.

Before we address what, we are called to consider, let’s look at what some in the Old Testament asked God to consider. Moses, asked God to consider that we are His people in Exodus 33:13 “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." David asked God to consider several things in the Psalms. Here are three that may relate to us. First, David asked God to consider that we have pain in Psalm 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning”. Secondly David asked God to consider that some seek to do us harm in Psalm 25:19 “Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me”. Lastly he asked God to consider how we love His law in Psalm 119:159 “Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love”. Perhaps you may wish to take some time and asked God to consider the things on your heart as we turn the calendar over to 2018.

Asking God to consider our lives opens the door for a dialogue with our Heavenly Father. The Scripture is full of moments when God asked His people to stop and consider various aspects of how they are living in relation to Him and others. Here is a very small sample of these moments. For the sake of time, I will not elaborate on these. My hope is that this list will allow you to focus on one or two of them at the beginning of this new year.  

1. His discipline. Deuteronomy 11:2

2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,

2. Older people Deuteronomy 32:7

7 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.

3. Great things God has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

24 Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

4. Our words prior to speaking. Job 18:2

2 "How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and then we will speak.

5. The love of God. Psalm 107:43

43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

6. God’s law. Psalm 119:28

128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

7. Wisdom, madness, and folly. Ecclesiastes 2:12

12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

8. Adversity. Ecclesiastes 7:14

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

             

With this list in mind, notice the advice given following one of the most disturbing accounts in the Old Testament. In Judges chapter 19 a story of rape and murder is graphically explained. This advice given is to consider, take counsel, and speak. May this advice be a pattern on consideration for you in 2018.  Judges 19:30 “And all who saw it said, ‘Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.’”