God speaks – Refining [Spiritual Growth]

For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Romans 15:4

We study the Bible because within it are the very words of God. God “breathed out” the Scriptures and inspired men to write His truth. It is an expansion of Himself to all mankind. As Christians, we rely on these words to complete us and equip us for every good work to bring the Father honor and glory. Can you imagine life without them?

The Father employs scripture and prayer to communicate. God is known as an intimate and relational spirit. When we speak with Him and ask for clarification of truth, God reveals wisdom and understanding. Remember, Holy Scriptures are fashioned to feed our souls with everlasting nourishment and refresh our mind. In Matthew 4:4 Christ reminds us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Not only do we have God’s Holy Word and a direct line to the Father through prayer, but we possess the Holy Spirit. He lives within us as a helpmate. As we read in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 21 discloses the fact that interpretation of scripture is never attained through human means but from part of the divine Trinity’s promptings. (aka Holy Spirit) Just like Jesus informed the disciples in John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is a gift to us to guide and instruct. We cannot uncover truth in scripture through the use of our human flesh and thinking. Why? God’s ways far outweigh our own and we would be fooling ourselves to believe otherwise. “For is anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3.

God’s word makes known His directives and assurances. They are a road map for righteous living. His perspective and outlook, along with faith-filled reliance on the Holy Spirit, empowers us to grasp His truth and live out God’s will. The bible is our source of truth, yet spiritual development and perception requires trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit AND continual interaction with the Father through prayer. Our reliance on these mutually supporting actions generates clarity and precise scripture meaning. Once clearness is obtained, we can commence to launch God’s truth into our present-day circumstances and daily living. Without God’s viewpoint and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we are left on our own accord to determine meaning based on our evaluation. How clear of a picture do we get using this method?

Given our current crisis, I would extend the message from Sunday’s service by encouraging you to draw out God’s perspective for Psalm 91. Read it. Meditate upon it. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s promptings, allow God to reveal His words for you as a means to cope during a time such as this.

LOVE AND PRAYERS for our world!

For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as his child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? Hebrews 12:6-7 (NLT)

It is up to us to stay in His Word and pay close attention to His call. When we are plugged into God, we will know His voice. John 10: 27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” It is a mutual recognition. The Spirit of truth prompts us to dig deeper into the verse/s which personally stand out in order to fully digest scripture. He bids us to apply it to our circumstances and claim it over our lives and those around us.

Let me share one of my attention moments with you.

During my difficult season of life, I began questioning if my faith was real. Why would I feel so helpless if I was truly a child of God? Honestly, this was a dark period of my soul. I was struggling for answers and asking God why over and over and over. Nevertheless, I continued to attend church, show up for small group, and worship the Lord through song.

One particular Sunday morning, the pastor was preaching from 1 Corinthians to shed light on the faults we continue to exhibit like those addressed by Paul with the church in Corinth. As the pastor read and explored chapter 4, he began examining and analyzing reasons we can become self-absorbed and arrogant. I was curious how he would deliver his closing comments. While summarizing the various points of the sermon, he read 1 Corinthians 4:20-21. I leaned in and fixed my mind on what I anticipated to be his main point. Like in many churches, the words appeared on the screen: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? It was like fireworks on the fourth of July. I saw those words and knew God was talking directly to me. I went straight to my iPad, opened the notes app, and typed out the verses.

What? You aren’t seeing fireworks too? Perhaps you can’t even imagine a bad sparkler. Why? Because God personally luminated this particular scripture at that very moment just for me. He desired my attention. The Lord removed all distractions in my mind and spoke loud and clear while I was fully present in an environment focused on Him. Upon hearing those scriptures, my question of faith was answered.

It became clear that this dark valley was a discipline gorge. God revealed my lack of engagement in His Word and the Holy Spirit had definitely exposed my deficiency. When seeing those words, I realized I had not placed myself in the Lord’s text. I was lacking the ability to fully submit to His great power because my life wasn’t drenched in scripture. For all those years, I had viewed the bible as talk uttered by God without acknowledging the supernatural force, potency, and capability it possessed. This was God’s invitation to infuse my life with scripture. He welcomed me to a completely different way of thinking and living. His empowerment lured me to seek Him on a more intimate level and to bring my life under His absolute authority.

This was my attention moment which exposed me to a personal definition of submission.

How has God used scripture to grab your attention?

Tag: God speaks

His Perspective

When it reaches out and grabs you