Stiff Necked

Stiff necked is not a flattering term. It defines obstinance. Stubbornness. Stiff necked people are defiant and rebellious. So characterized Israel, God's chosen people.

They defied and resisted God repeatedly. Over and over again they resisted God's leadership and downright rebelled against His commands. God punished them. He warned them prophets. The stiff necked nation did not listen. Eventually they were conquered and taken into captivity as a nation.

I too have been stiff necked. Many times I've rebelled against the Lord. Multiple times I have dreamt my own dreams and charged full steam ahead in pursuit of them. There have been many crashes and heartaches along the way. There have also been times when I resisted the will of the Lord. I did not like the direction God called me to take. I did not like the challenges ahead. I stiffened my neck and resisted. God got my attention. He has a way of doing that you know.

Are you stiff necked? Are you like soft moldable clay in the hands of the Lord? Do you resist and rebel against God's commands and leadership? Do you humbly comply with what He wants for your life?

God knows how to break down and breakthrough with stiff necked people. His chastisement is not pleasant. It is painful. It is guided by a heart of love for us. God loves us too much to let us go unchecked. He reproves and corrects. It is prof of His love. It is proof we are His children. His reproof is for our own good. [Heb 12:4-11]

I don't want to be stiff necked. I want to be moldable. What about you? I want God to take life and carefully craft it as it most pleasing and useful to Him. I just want to be His vessel. Yielded. Held in His steady hand for whatever purpose He chooses. That is all of our purpose.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NKJV)
1  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2  "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words."
3  Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
6  "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!