His Spirit Guides Trust

As an outdoor education camp counselor, one of my favorite activities is stacking rocks with the campers. They love to explore caves, climb rocks, and play hide-and-seek. But after a while, they get bored and are ready for the next activity.

In moments like this, I challenge the campers to collect stones and pebbles and stack them as high as possible. They build these towers so they can remember how much fun they had working together when we pass by the caves later in the day.

Stacked rocks also have significance in the Bible. Samuel built an Ebenezer after the Israelites defeated the Philistines. But why would Samuel use a rock to celebrate this victory? Ebenezers serve as reminders of God’s provision.

In Hebrew, the word Ebenezer means “stone of help.” Therefore, whenever the Israelites saw this rock when they passed between Mizpah and Shem, they were reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness in delivering them from destruction despite their fears.

Whether walking through a difficult circumstance or experiencing fear of the unknown, we can find hope in God’s faithfulness. We can consider how God has provided in past circumstances by delivering us.

Think about what Ebenezers you need to build. Whether it’s writing it on a sticky note, sharing it with a friend, or setting a reminder in your phone, these Ebenezers can point to the true character of God. And just like my campers experience joy in seeing their stacked rocks, you can find hope in the reminder that God is working in every circumstance. 

It was entertaining. Plus, I’d always wondered about this subject. Tell me more. After all, “Inquiring Minds Want to Know.”

The topic? Hypnosis. At the end of a long day, I unwound in front of a fascinating show on the practice. The presenter was a man of science and reason and a masterful practitioner. Okay, you’ve got my attention.

Yet the more I partook of the infotainment, the more I knew I needed to shut it off. It was interesting, but I knew the voice of my Beloved, and He called me higher. 

Irritated at the intrusion on my time, I watched for a few more mesmerizing minutes. But the beckoning continued. Turn it off. You don’t need to know. Reluctantly, I obeyed … at last.

Although I had outwardly complied, my mind continued to fight. But I like knowing. I want to know, I whined. However, as my will wrestled with God’s, I had a sudden flash of clarity. This was nothing less than the ancient struggle in the garden. How had I missed it? I wanted to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil more than I wanted the sweet, simple fruit of the Tree of Life. And my motivation? Eating of that tree so I could be wise. Oh my. That choice certainly didn’t turn out well in Eden. I thanked God for sparing me yet another spin on the painful merry-go-round of my foolish curiosity and pride.

Following my epiphany, I embraced God’s direction, seeing it as a valuable safeguard instead of an annoying constraint. I surrendered to the beckoning to be with my Lord for a while, eating peacefully from the Tree of Life instead of gobbling greedily from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The next time I feel God’s prompting, even if it’s annoying and precisely what I do not want to hear, I hope I follow a little more quickly. After all, what I really want is life.

Even when we think we know what will bring us life, we’ll be happier in the long run when we defer to God’s judgment on the matter.  

Visitors must hike a narrow, three-quarter-mile footpath that winds between high sandstone cliffs to reach Jordan’s hidden city of Petra. But the stunning vision of the lost city at the end of the trail is worth the effort.

When the donkey that the prophet Balaam rode saw God’s angel ahead, the animal sensibly tried to avoid danger by going off the path into a field. Balaam beat the poor creature to get her back on the road. The angel continued to block the way forward, so the donkey pressed close to one wall, hurting Balaam’s foot. Doing so earned her a second beating. When the beast was still unable to pass to the right or left of the angel, she saw no other alternative. She lay down under her master. Balaam lost his cool. His frustration erupted for the third time, and he struck his poor mount with a staff.  

At some point on our life journey, we all find ourselves at a roadblock—at a loss as to how to proceed. Many of us respond with frustration and even rage. But what if we could see an angel in the road ahead with his sword drawn and hear his warning that our path was a reckless one? We would likely fall on our knees in gratitude.

When was the last time something interfered with your plans, and you confronted an unwelcome detour? Since God’s Word tells us we must walk through this world by faith and not sight, it’s essential to trust that He is in control when we are thwarted.

Instead of giving way to road rage, thank the Father for loving you enough to prevent a serious mistake. Your detour may take longer, but the discovery at the end will be worth it.

We see it on television and in the movies, but what about when it happens in real life? A husband says to his wife, “I don’t love you anymore.” A child says to his father, “I hate you!” A family member says, “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Rejection is painful. Our flesh wants to lash out. To retaliate. Why should we love those who refuse to love us back?

Because love is not just a feeling, it’s a choice.

When we become a child of God, He places His very own love inside us. God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. That love is not selfish, immature, or changeable.

The Word for You Today explains it like this:

Agape (God’s love) is an unconditional commitment to love that’s rooted in an unchanging decision. It always gives and doesn’t change whether the love is returned or not. It’s a decision of your heart to seek the other person’s highest good, no matter how they may respond.

The Bible says God is love. He loves us so much that He gave the best He had to give—Jesus. That love is unconditional and eternal. He loved us when we were wallowing in our sins and did not return that love.

As we learn to live and move and have our being in God, our love grows more perfect. We become more selfless and more concerned about those around us. He enables us to walk in love toward others, even when they hurt us and don’t return that love. That’s what makes a follower of Christ stand out from the world so they can point others to the cross.

Love never fails. Never.     

I divorced over anger. All the daily exchanges of harsh words and actions built into an avalanche of suffocating rejection. Yet I had no idea I was the angry one.

I blamed my spouse as the one who meted out debilitatingly harsh words, physical tension, and silent disengagement toward me and our children over twenty-three years of marriage. My son was the most obvious casualty of divorce. We had no relationship for eleven years. For this, I was supremely bitter, angry, and ashamed. I had lost control of his heart and mind and didn’t like it one bit. Fear of losing my son forever took over my daily thoughts. My heart mourned the death of our relationship. As a result, I exchanged my identity as a mother for shameful inadequacies glaring for the world to see and judge.

The gut-wrenching pain of not sharing life with my son as he entered his college years threw me into a shameful pit of no escape. Every semblance of joy and love was painfully scraped from the nooks and crannies of my heart. My heart was torched and re-torched daily. The leftover ashes held no ability to spark. A cold stone lay in my chest.

I felt deeply shamed by my divorce. My anger flared with every tidbit of information I heard about my son’s life through his siblings’ conversations. This would send me right back to square one. My impatience created anger. I wanted the relationship with my son fixed.

Waiting is being patient, and that’s not easy. Waiting is also critical to controlling anger so we don’t suffer the shame of foolish choices.

Impulsivity is the opposite of waiting. God tells us that the power of patience brings wisdom. With wisdom comes self-control, and with self-control, anger does not prevail. Waiting through prayer is an exercise in healing an impatient, angry, shamed spirit. God answers prayers.

Think of the times you have reacted in anger instead of waiting to think it through and praying for self-control. Seek God’s will in the outcome of what your heart desires.