I'm sure that you've all had the experience of having to repeat something. I said, "I'm sure that you've all had the experience of having to repeat something." There are several different instances, that I can think of, that cause us to have to repeat things or ask someone else to repeat things.
● Perhaps you've said something and the person to whom you were speaking didn't understand and asked you to repeat it. Just the other day, I was on the phone with Xerox support and it was a little difficult to understand the lady (Mexican) and I had to have her repeat one thing three times. I eventually understood.
● Perhaps you've told someone something and then after some time passes, they've forgotten what you told them, and you have to repeat it. Some people have short memories and this happens often.
● Perhaps you've told someone something, but they weren't listening and you have to say it again. Sometimes this happens to me at work. I'll tell my coworker something and then during the conversation, he'll ask me a question that was already answered by something I said maybe 20 or 30 seconds earlier. Or it could be a matter of minutes. That can get frustrating. Sometimes I may want to say, "I just told you, ...", and then repeat it. Most of the time, though, I try to restrain the frustration and just answer the question as if it's never come up before. Sometimes once I begin to answer, he responds with, "Oh, you just said that, didn't you? Sorry, I wasn't fully paying attention."
I wonder how God feels when we either don't understand, don't remember, or don't pay attention in the first place, and he has to constantly repeat things. Don't you see this happen? God speaks something to your heart over and over because you didn't get it the first few times. On occasion (or possibly quite often), I experience this feeling myself. There are times when I'm thinking and praying about the topic of an upcoming lesson and what I see that we need to discuss is something that we have discussed many times already. I often feel that I need to repeat myself. I may speak about salvation, but several remain unsaved. I may speak about prayer, but some prayer lives don't change. I may speak about unity, but divisions remain. I may speak about separation from the world, but not everybody receives the Word and takes it to heart. In speaking with other teachers, I find that this may be a common frustration. If not all have received the salvation message, how can we move beyond to deeper things? But if some have heard the message, must they never hear deeper messages because I'm still repeating the first lesson for everyone else? God always gives the right message for each time and He will speak to hearts what each one needs to hear. God often leads me to repeat certain things until they are heard.
When I begin to feel frustrated with the continual repetition, I have thought to myself, "How many times have I made God repeat Himself? How many times has He gone over and over something because I did not understand? How many times has He reminded me of His grace because I forgot something so important? How many times has He had to shake me and repeat something two or three times because I wasn't even paying attention?" I am so thankful that we have a merciful and patient God!!! He should have given up on this group years ago, but He loves us and so once again, He calls us to come unto Himself to love and be loved. He will call you one more time because He wants to be your God and He wants you to come home. As frustrating as it may be, He will repeat Himself again...for you.
Psalm 103:8
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
But don't mock God by not paying attention. Don't make God have to repeat Himself. Receive the Word today and repent. God certainly is merciful and patient, but don't use that as an excuse to plug your ears and run off and live your life selfishly saying, "I'll hear Him later. It'll be all good." How long will we mock Him?
