Scott Landon 00:17: This is God: An Autobiography, The Podcast. A dramatic adaptation and continuing discussion of the book God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher by Jerry L. Martin. He was a lifelong agnostic, but one day he had an occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered- in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions, and God had a lot to tell him. Episode 166 Welcome to God: An Autobiography, The Podcast.
Scott Landon 01:04: Hello and welcome to God: An Autobiography, the Podcast. I am Scott Langdon, your host. This week, we bring you From God to Jerry to You, as Jerry recalls one of the ways in which God teaches him the importance of obedience to God's will for our lives. Its often easy to obey or if you like to be in tune with God when not much is being asked of us. When very little is at stake. But how trusting are we when God asks us to fully surrender to God's will instead of what our egos tell us to worry about. Jerry shares his experience of a time when God taught him a lesson of obedience in this episode we're calling How Do You Live with God? Here, now, is Jerry. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 2:02: How do you live with God? If you're like me, you start out each day with what you want to do and you think, oh, I'll check in with God later, maybe Sunday, maybe you know, whenever. In my case, I don't always get to wait. A few years ago, as Abigail and I were about to sit down to breakfast, I got the command, "Do not eat." Pretty pointless, inconvenient, but I try to be obedient, and so I just sat there for, oh, maybe 20 minutes and then, "You can eat now."
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 02:41: Now, in those days, I would get a lot of these commands and since I wanted to be faithful and they were really harmless, I would always try to follow them as best I could. But then one morning it was not harmless. Something was at stake. I went out to my car to go into work. The voice said, "Do not go to work." "Lord, do you realize I have to get a grant proposal in today?" "Of course," well, I always try to be faithful, but I was running an organization. It depended on grant money. What on earth was I to do? I sat there perplexed, but I thought well, this foundation has supported us year in, year out. They probably are not going to pull the plug because a proposal goes in one day late. So I started back in. "You can go to work now."
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 03:35: Well, after that, at that point, I'd keep getting these commands. But I thought, the way a teenager does, I found the loophole. After that, I would get one of these pointless commands, and I would just right away say well, "Of course, Lord, whatever you want, Lord, I'll just do it. Lord, no problem, now lift the restriction." That never, ever, ever, ever worked To this day. If I'm trying to get guidance and prayer- should I do A or B? And maybe I really want A to be the answer and don't want to do B, I have to get myself to the point where I'm equally willing to do whichever God wants me to do.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 04:34: Well, there were so many of these arbitrary commands in those days that Abigail got worried. She said it's more like boot camp than communion with God. A good point, I thought, and it was weighing on my mind the next day as I stopped by Borders' late lamented bookstore to pick up a couple of items. Then, on the way out to the register, there was one of these book displays and I felt guided to buy a particular book, one I certainly would not have bought on my own, but I bought it, went out, opened it and there, in bold-faced letters, were the words of the people of Israel when they accepted the covenant Everything God has spoken we will do. Everything God has spoken we will do." Later, and I'll have to read you this because it was a little bit longer.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 05:44: I was told you need purification. Transformation is a good word. It is obedience which, at its fullest, is transformation. "Well, what does that involve, Lord?" "Putting me first rather than last, living every moment, making every decision in response to my call." "How do I go about doing that?" "You know this. Start every day with prayer and let prayer guide you through the day." Well, I tried that and it did help, and for a while I did better, but then I would slide back into my old habits.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 06:31: "Lord, I know I should try to live each day in response to your purposes." "That is right. Not just do it mechanically, like a soldier following orders, but to do it as an organic flow, wishing to be in touch with Me and to live in accord with My will, My love." "Yes, I always think of You pushing me rather than my being drawn to You. I respond to orders rather than seeking union." "That is good. The shallow seeking of union with me is a delusion. The goal is to be in tune with me. This is not just a matter of doing your duty. It is coming into alignment with me, like two singers doing a harmony."
Dr. Jerry L. Martin 07:37: Well, how do singers do that? Well, first of all, they listen. They listen carefully, acutely, especially to the one setting the key and the one marking the beat. Then they watch for their cue and chime in making music and meaning and beauty. You might try that. Each day listen to God, watch for your cue, don't hold back, chime in and live that day as a duet with God. Why not? If this speaks to you, please subscribe and like and share it with your friends. It might be just what they need to hear today.
Scott Landon 8:39: Thank you for listening to God: An Autobiography, The Podcast. Subscribe for free today wherever you listen to your podcasts and hear a new episode every week. You can hear the complete dramatic adaptation of God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher by Jerry L. Martin by beginning with episode one of our podcast and listening through its conclusion with Episode 44. You can read the original true story in the book from which this podcast is adapted, God: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher, available now at amazon.com, and always at godanautobiography.com. Pick up your own copy today. If you have any questions about this or any other episode, please email us at questions@godanautobiography.com, and experience the world from God's perspective as it was told to a philosopher. This is Scott Langdon. I'll see you next time.