"Premonition" doesn't quite cut it. It feels more like the Holy Spirit guiding and preparing me.
I woke up with this feeling... its going to be a lonnnng day. After getting ready, I headed out the door for church. Even though I was not planning on leaving early, I still found myself asking a friend to take care of things for me after service. I guess I just wanted a break. But the feeling wouldn't go away.
I am so glad I did. The Holy Spirit had prepared things for me so I could get up and leave when I needed to, about half way through service. I cried the whole way home. Finding out someone lied to you is never easy. But I'm glad the Holy Spirit prepared things for me today.
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
October 2, 2011
November 13, 2010
A good purpose
It can be tempting to think that there's an area of my life where things are lacking. And as I began to pour my heart out to the Lord this morning, I reminded myself that the Lord knows the things I need. And then I began to ask "if You know what I need, why haven't you given this to me?"
We can do this with so many different areas of our lives. My car breaks down and I find myself wondering "why haven't You provided the money for the repairs?" A friend struggles with constant migraines and we wonder "why haven't You provided healing?" A missionary's husband dies of malaria and I wonder "why didn't You provide the medicine he needed in time?" The years tick by and singleness continues and I wonder "why haven't You provided a husband?" A friend's daughter dies of cancer and we wonder "why didn't You provide more time with her?"
And as I pour myself out to the Lord this morning, I hear the Spirit speaking Truth to me:
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You (Psalm 84:11-12)
God does not withhold any good thing from me. So is fixing my car not a good thing? Is healing from the migraines not a good thing for my friend? Is a husband not a good thing? Is the death of the missionary or the daughter a good thing?
And I realize that this line of thinking is not right. It makes God the suspect; the fiend instead of the friend.
If "no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly," then there are two answers to be seen. Either I am not walking uprightly or God has a good purpose in each of the situations we may ask about.
The idea I see in "those who walk uprightly" is that if the situations or circumstances are directly linked to a sin, then God may withhold a good thing. Throughout Scripture we find support which basically boils down to this: We have to live with the consequences of our decisions, good or bad. (This idea is best illustrated in Galatians 6:7-8). But of the situations I listed, there was no sin which caused these afflictions. So that means that the latter must be true:
God has a good purpose in the situation where we may ask "why?"
In our own understanding, there is no understanding. But God sees a good purpose. What I need to do is simply rest in this promise.
Fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing (Psalm 34:9-10)
We can do this with so many different areas of our lives. My car breaks down and I find myself wondering "why haven't You provided the money for the repairs?" A friend struggles with constant migraines and we wonder "why haven't You provided healing?" A missionary's husband dies of malaria and I wonder "why didn't You provide the medicine he needed in time?" The years tick by and singleness continues and I wonder "why haven't You provided a husband?" A friend's daughter dies of cancer and we wonder "why didn't You provide more time with her?"
And as I pour myself out to the Lord this morning, I hear the Spirit speaking Truth to me:
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You (Psalm 84:11-12)
God does not withhold any good thing from me. So is fixing my car not a good thing? Is healing from the migraines not a good thing for my friend? Is a husband not a good thing? Is the death of the missionary or the daughter a good thing?
And I realize that this line of thinking is not right. It makes God the suspect; the fiend instead of the friend.
If "no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly," then there are two answers to be seen. Either I am not walking uprightly or God has a good purpose in each of the situations we may ask about.
The idea I see in "those who walk uprightly" is that if the situations or circumstances are directly linked to a sin, then God may withhold a good thing. Throughout Scripture we find support which basically boils down to this: We have to live with the consequences of our decisions, good or bad. (This idea is best illustrated in Galatians 6:7-8). But of the situations I listed, there was no sin which caused these afflictions. So that means that the latter must be true:
God has a good purpose in the situation where we may ask "why?"
In our own understanding, there is no understanding. But God sees a good purpose. What I need to do is simply rest in this promise.
Fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing (Psalm 34:9-10)
October 23, 2010
A prayer come true
Being a student at a Bible college, it is really easy to become flippant about the Bible. Or worse, to become dogmatic about minor points. Both of these rob joy from the life of the hungering soul. My prayers have been against this.
Instead, my prayer has been "Lord, reveal Yourself to me as I study... Help me find You in the midst of writing this paper... reading this chapter... studying this passage..." It is absolutely amazing when this begins to happen.
I didn't realize the depth of God's answer to my prayers until yesterday. I was meeting with one of my profs - a brilliant mind who I respect immeasurably - and he asked me why I was interested in Ezra. I'm not even sure why he asked this question; he knew I was writing a paper on Ezra. But I answered him anyway.
It started with a paper. But its not even about the paper anymore. Its... personal now. I want to understand it and I'm not going to be satisfied until I have a grip on it.
Turns out, I will write a paper on Ezra. A 15-page or longer commentary in which I examine the text without the aid of a commentary. In that paper I will present all the problems (or rather the questions) that arise in Ezra. But I will refrain from drawing any conclusions. The conclusions are my own. And, to be truthful, I will need more time to develop my conclusions.
I'm sure those conclusions will come out. They'll probably be a vital part of my application paper on Ezra (a separate paper which comes a week later). But the prayer is coming true before my eyes... and its so much better than anything I could have dreamed.
Instead, my prayer has been "Lord, reveal Yourself to me as I study... Help me find You in the midst of writing this paper... reading this chapter... studying this passage..." It is absolutely amazing when this begins to happen.
I didn't realize the depth of God's answer to my prayers until yesterday. I was meeting with one of my profs - a brilliant mind who I respect immeasurably - and he asked me why I was interested in Ezra. I'm not even sure why he asked this question; he knew I was writing a paper on Ezra. But I answered him anyway.
It started with a paper. But its not even about the paper anymore. Its... personal now. I want to understand it and I'm not going to be satisfied until I have a grip on it.
Turns out, I will write a paper on Ezra. A 15-page or longer commentary in which I examine the text without the aid of a commentary. In that paper I will present all the problems (or rather the questions) that arise in Ezra. But I will refrain from drawing any conclusions. The conclusions are my own. And, to be truthful, I will need more time to develop my conclusions.
I'm sure those conclusions will come out. They'll probably be a vital part of my application paper on Ezra (a separate paper which comes a week later). But the prayer is coming true before my eyes... and its so much better than anything I could have dreamed.
October 19, 2010
Great Conversation
I love how God uses others to shape me.
For weeks, I have been praying (and I continue to pray!) that God will open my eyes and understanding so that I see Him as I study Ezra. A 21-page term paper which includes a 15-page commentary seems like a really good start! But my prayer has not been for knowledge only. I want understanding. I want God.
I want to see His heart and what He sees. I want to pursue God as I study Ezra.
Amazing things have been happening as an answer to my prayer. Really, there are two things, but these two things are happening over and over again and I see each separate event as "another amazing thing!" (Perhaps miracle, but "miracle" has such a stigma....)
First, excitement.
Typically, whatever I am studying for school is, well, academic. And when it comes to my devotions, I look for something non-academic so that I can get something which will give me personal application. When I was in Pentateuch for school, I read John. When I was in Gospels and Jonah for school, I read Chronicles. But I am so excited about what I'm learning in Ezra that I find myself reading passages that relate to Ezra in my personal devotion time.
Second, conversation.
Sometimes I bring up what I'm studying (because of the excitement I just mentioned). Other times, the other person I'm speaking with has actually moved the conversation to Ezra or an idea within Ezra. And most of those conversations are confirming and sharpening the things I've been seeing. I walk away from these conversations with confidence that I'm on the right path, and sometimes a little refining of the path as well.
I am so thankful for God's answering of my prayers. And for the tools (people) He is using in my life to help answer those prayers! My God is truly amazing. He deserves my praise!
For weeks, I have been praying (and I continue to pray!) that God will open my eyes and understanding so that I see Him as I study Ezra. A 21-page term paper which includes a 15-page commentary seems like a really good start! But my prayer has not been for knowledge only. I want understanding. I want God.
I want to see His heart and what He sees. I want to pursue God as I study Ezra.
Amazing things have been happening as an answer to my prayer. Really, there are two things, but these two things are happening over and over again and I see each separate event as "another amazing thing!" (Perhaps miracle, but "miracle" has such a stigma....)
First, excitement.
Typically, whatever I am studying for school is, well, academic. And when it comes to my devotions, I look for something non-academic so that I can get something which will give me personal application. When I was in Pentateuch for school, I read John. When I was in Gospels and Jonah for school, I read Chronicles. But I am so excited about what I'm learning in Ezra that I find myself reading passages that relate to Ezra in my personal devotion time.
Second, conversation.
Sometimes I bring up what I'm studying (because of the excitement I just mentioned). Other times, the other person I'm speaking with has actually moved the conversation to Ezra or an idea within Ezra. And most of those conversations are confirming and sharpening the things I've been seeing. I walk away from these conversations with confidence that I'm on the right path, and sometimes a little refining of the path as well.
I am so thankful for God's answering of my prayers. And for the tools (people) He is using in my life to help answer those prayers! My God is truly amazing. He deserves my praise!
October 14, 2010
Integrity
What does integrity look like?
- following through with your word
- honesty, despite the cost
- doing what's right when no one is looking
- a clear conscience
- a healthy fear of the judgment of God
- obedience amongst the disobedient
- not caring about the reward
How it plays out can be different for every person, because we all face different situations where we must choose to exercise integrity. But the most common thing I see at college is the student who answers correctly the question that shows up on most quizzes: "Did you read the assigned chapter(s)?" That is integrity.
- following through with your word
- honesty, despite the cost
- doing what's right when no one is looking
- a clear conscience
- a healthy fear of the judgment of God
- obedience amongst the disobedient
- not caring about the reward
How it plays out can be different for every person, because we all face different situations where we must choose to exercise integrity. But the most common thing I see at college is the student who answers correctly the question that shows up on most quizzes: "Did you read the assigned chapter(s)?" That is integrity.
September 5, 2010
Tozer's The Pursuit of God
I picked up The Pursuit of God off my shelf a couple nights ago. I'd read this book years ago. My highlights and underlines marked many of the pages. But, admittedly, I'm not sure I was at a point to challenge what I was being told when I read it before.
Reading now, I am surprised at the extent that I have heard this book, and Tozer himself, exalted. If Tozer's point is "We need the passion of the Holy Spirit in addition to clear teaching from the Word of God," I would see the reason for encouraging careful reading of Pursuit.
But instead, I come across a statement about sound Bible teachers which seemingly condemns them by saying they are "strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives." Tozer goes on to say that this sound teaching does not satisfy.
I will continue to read, but my impression after reading this first portion of the book is that Tozer wants us to see the Holy Spirit of first import, especially in our teachings and daily relationships with God. Instead, I want to present the idea that the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are of equal importance in our lives and relationships with God.
To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a source for passion. But did not David exclaim in the psalms "revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25) and again "Your word has revived me" (Psalm 119:50)? God's Word is our foundation. It is a rock we can stand upon.
How often have you heard people say or do something contrary to His word with the belief that it was what the Holy Spirit led them to do?
Can anyone rightly accuse David of a lack of passion for God? And in his passion, he exclaims "Establish my footsteps in Your word" (Psalm 119:133). May we express the same exclamation. Truly, the Holy Spirit will not move us to actions contrary to His Word, but our foundation must be found in the Scriptures so that we can rightly discern God's Spirit from our own sinful thoughts and desires.
Reading now, I am surprised at the extent that I have heard this book, and Tozer himself, exalted. If Tozer's point is "We need the passion of the Holy Spirit in addition to clear teaching from the Word of God," I would see the reason for encouraging careful reading of Pursuit.
But instead, I come across a statement about sound Bible teachers which seemingly condemns them by saying they are "strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives." Tozer goes on to say that this sound teaching does not satisfy.
I will continue to read, but my impression after reading this first portion of the book is that Tozer wants us to see the Holy Spirit of first import, especially in our teachings and daily relationships with God. Instead, I want to present the idea that the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are of equal importance in our lives and relationships with God.
To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a source for passion. But did not David exclaim in the psalms "revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25) and again "Your word has revived me" (Psalm 119:50)? God's Word is our foundation. It is a rock we can stand upon.
How often have you heard people say or do something contrary to His word with the belief that it was what the Holy Spirit led them to do?
Can anyone rightly accuse David of a lack of passion for God? And in his passion, he exclaims "Establish my footsteps in Your word" (Psalm 119:133). May we express the same exclamation. Truly, the Holy Spirit will not move us to actions contrary to His Word, but our foundation must be found in the Scriptures so that we can rightly discern God's Spirit from our own sinful thoughts and desires.
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