OVER-CONTROL

1 Samuel 15:23 (The Message)

 ^22-23 Then Samuel said,
    Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
      empty rituals just for show?
   He wants you to listen to him!
   Plain listening is the thing,
      not staging a lavish religious production.
   Not doing what God tells you
      is far worse than fooling around in the occult.
   Getting self-important around God
      is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
   Because you said No to God's command,
      he says No to your kingship. 

This scripture is not one that I would have associated with "over-control" or even "not listening" as it reads in the KJV or NIV, but here, the connection is clear.    

An article from Os Hillman started off with a quote from a pilot who said that whenever a jet goes out of control and begins to spin, the only thing to do is totally take your hands off the controls and the plane will right itself.   That's a little like steering INTO the skid on an icy road--not an easy thing to do and completely counter-intuitive.

I also remember hearing a reporter talking to a man after the 2004 Tsunami in Asia.   The man ran an orphanage located on the beach.   There was no where for them to flee except INTO the wave.  He loaded all the children onto his little boat and headed out to sea to FACE the storm.    He said he just had to keep the boat straight, facing the wave and it rode atop the waves.  Everyone on board was safe.

Intuition tells him to run from the immense wave; intuition tells the pilot to steer to counter the roll; intuition tells the driver to steer away from the skid.  Intuition is wrong.  

God says listen to Him.  Just listen, no self-importance, no fancy strategies, no lavish production.   Listen and obey.

I hear you Lord, but can I really listen?