CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?

CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?

(2^nd Samuel 14:28-33)

She just had a quarrel with her husband.

And she was angry.

Very angry!

So she did what a lot of women do: she decided to give him the silent treatment!

He was angry too, he blamed her for what happened that led to the quarrel.

They slept off on the same bed, backing each other in anger.

But by the next morning, he had calmed down. “Good morning, Darling”, he greeted her.

No response.

She was still sulking.

“I’m sorry about yesterday: can we talk about it and put it behind us?”

No response.

She was still sulking.

He sighed…

He took a bath, dressed up and went to work.

He called her a couple of times during the day, she did not pick up. He sent her messages, she did not reply.

They have been married for 2 years, he knows her reaction to quarrels is always silent treatment: and it can go on for weeks!

It had happened a few times before, so he knew what to expect. She continued with the silent treatment for 3 days.

But this time, he had had enough!

So he closed early and drove to her place of work. He saw her car parked out side and he parked across the street to wait for her.

An hour later, she came out of the building and entered the car. Then he started his car and rammed into hers!

Woah!

She came out, eyes blazing!

“Are you mad? You just damaged our cars!”

“Ah! Now you’re talking to me! I had to get your attention somehow!”

She did not want to talk to her husband.

But when he crashed her car, she had to.

David was angry with his son, Absalom.

He banished him from Jerusalem.

After a few years, he permitted him to return to the city, but he refused to see him.

Absalom lived in the same city with his father the King for 2 years without seeing him.

Then he sent a message to Joab, the King’s Chief of Army.

Joab ignored the message.

He called Joab, he refused to pick up.

He sent voice notes, emails, Joab ignored all.

Then Absalom decided to get Joab’s attention somehow: he sent his men to go burn up Joab’s farm!

Joab heard his phone buzz. He opened to see a video of his farm on fire!

Woah!

He called the Farm Manager immediately!

“What happened?”

“Sir, it’s arson! Prince Absalom’s men came here in several Hilux trucks and threw petrol bombs everywhere!”

Joab put a call across to Absalom.

He did not pick up.

He sent him a voice note.

Absalom ignored it.

Joab was mad!

He drove to Absalom’s house.

Absalom was home.

He stormed into the house in anger.

Absalom was in the living room, watching a football match.

“Absalom! Are you mad? Are you ok?”

“Hey, General! Good to see you too! Have a seat: your club is playing against mine, let’s watch together…”

“Why did you send your men to burn my farm?”

“Well, I have to get your attention one way or the other, General. If you had not been ignoring me, I wouldn’t have had to do that DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES!”

What has God been telling you to do?

What has God been telling you to stop?

Why have you been ignoring Him?

He says, “I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me but they did not even try… I have been ready to welcome my people who STUBBORNLY do what is wrong and go their own way” (Isaiah 65:1-2).

God is trying to get your attention, brother!

God is asking you to pick His call, sister!

Read His email!

Listen to His voice note!

Don’t let Him take desperate measures like He did for Jonah before you listen!

Shalom,

Haruna Daniels