THE BLESSING OF THE INCONVENIENT
We live in an age of convenience. This has been called the “
microwave generation” by many. At our fingertips are cell phones, pagers, laptop computers, garage door openers, remote door locks and even electric razors.
Why? Because we do not like to be inconvenienced . The definition of inconvenienced is
“inopportune or to be put to trouble, something that is not natural.” Just let one of these modern tools break and we are convinced that the world will fall apart. We not only like for things to be easy, we are looking for ways to make them even easier.
But there are some things that convenience just will not bring you: that taste of a home grown tomato or homemade ice cream; a quality piece of furniture; canned vegetables and preserves; slow percolated coffee or homemade cinnamon rolls.
And there are some things in the Kingdom of God that convenience will not bring you.
The Ark of God represented His Power, His Provision and His Word. It was intended to be the greatest blessing that Israel had received. Yet, it was a major inconvenience to Moses to build it to the exact dimensions that God prescribed. It was an inconvenience to the Levites to have to carry it around on their shoulders in the way that they did. Ultimately, it is lost to Israel when it lost its value and became no more than an inconvenience.
When they began to treat it as old hat and no longer placed the proper value on it; when they became dependant upon the blessings and not the presence of the ark. It became convenient to have the blessing but inconvenient to have to put forth the effort to hold onto the presence of God. God help us not to become so consumed with the blessings that knowing Him brings us to the point that we allow the presence of God to slip away from us.
After several years of not having the Ark of God in Jerusalem David makes the journey to retrieve the Ark. In the journey, Uzzah touches the Ark and dies. Let us all learn the lesson that it’s not only important that we have the presence of the Lord, it is also important how we handle the presence of the Lord.
After the tragic death of Uzzah, David faces a personal conflict. He desires to have the Ark but realizes the major inconvenience that has been wrought in the process. He then turns into the house of Obededom looking for a place to store the sacred Ark.
I can imagine the response of Obededom:
“David, I really don’t have room for this thing.” Or possibly,
“Can’t you find somebody else to take care of it?”
Then there would have been the response of Obededom’s wife:
“You ain’t bringing that thing into my house.” “Why, it went out of style years age and it sure doesn’t match my décor.” “If you leave that thing here I would have to clean things up and even redecorate.”
Nevertheless, they agree to live with the inconvenience. Obededom continues to work the fields and raise the flocks and herds. One day he notices there is more corn than there was the year before. All of a sudden, the dairy cows are producing more milk and the chickens are laying more eggs. His bank account is growing and he is prospering more than anyone else.
All of these blessings came because he was willing to be inconvenienced. And the amazing thing is that you might just fall in love with the object of the inconvenience when you realize the incredible blessings that it brings.
David had heard how Obededom was being blessed and decides that he might like some of the same. He once again makes the journey to his house and knocks on the door. He makes it known that he is there to retrieve the Ark that he had left there.
I imagine the response from Obededom was vastly different this time.
“Ah, um, well, uh David you know it’s really not a bother. I mean just feel free to leave it.” “You know, we’ve kind of grown attached to it, and, well, if you take it now, it would be like losing a part of the family.”
And then let us not forget Mrs. Obed:
“What do you mean you want to take my Ark?” “Why, it fits in with everything so well! It just adds to the décor. Or, actually, it is the centerpiece of our decorating.” “Well, after all, we did change everything in the house to match it!”
Oh, my!!! Maybe it is time for some to align their house with the presence of God instead of trying to make God feel welcome in a house where He is not comfortable!
Obed fell so in love with the blessing of the inconvenient that he continued to follow it after it left his house. He heard David was selecting porters to carry the Ark and he came running.
I Chronicles 15:18 tells us
“And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the porters.”
He was now willing and even wanting to be inconvenienced! He knew that it would take him away from home and family, but he desired the blessing more than the inconvenience.
When the Ark arrived in Jerusalem the job of the porter was basically finished. You would expect Obededom to return home. But, we find that once again he wanted to be inconvenienced. David began to look for men to be doorkeepers for the ark according to
I Chronicles 15:24 “And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.”
I have a feeling that Obededom fell so in love with the blessings of God that the inconvenience meant nothing to him. He had been the housekeeper of the Ark for a time and then its porter. But, when he might not be able to be either of these any longer, he was just glad to be its doorkeeper (or guard). Maybe that is why David said in
Psalm 84:10 “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
We need to learn that there are some things that our flesh will not like. There are things that will be an inconvenience. But hidden within the inconvenience is an incredible blessing.
Another word for inconvenience is sacrifice. As in when God commanded Abraham in
Genesis 22:2-5 “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”
What God called sacrifice, Abraham called worship. Many things in our life that are a sacrifice, or an inconvenience, have the ability to be a blessing if we will just call them worship. Witnessing; faithfulness; visitation; Bus ministry; cleaning the Church; tithes and offerings; fasting.
It also becomes an attitude in your life to find the blessing in the inconvenience. Obededom took care of the Ark of God with cheerfulness and gladness. All that we do for God ought to be with excitement and joy!
And don’t ever forget that the blessing of the inconvenient stretches farther than you can see right now. Obededom had no idea how far this blessing would extend into his family. But the impact of this man’s willingness to be inconvenienced is shown to us in
I Chronicles 26:4-8 “Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him. Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah. All these of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obed-edom.”
Incredible!! Because 1 man was willing to be inconvenienced 62 males in his family would eventually be considered mighty men of valor before the Lord!
Are you willing to be inconvenienced?
You might not see it now, but within your willingness to be inconvenienced may very well be the seeds of the greatest blessings you will ever experience. Your willingness to be inconvenienced today may lead to a great revival in your family tomorrow!
If we are to have Apostolic revival until He comes, someone is going to have to find the blessing in the inconvenient.
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