His Spirit Guides Trust

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.  

Total darkness frightens me.

My wife and I drive away total darkness in our home by placing night lights at selective places. One in the bathroom makes it possible for us to see how to use the facilities at night without having to turn on a lamp or overhead light. Night lights in the den keep our animals satisfied.

But total darkness didn’t seem to bother Daniel. Jealousy drove his enemies to arrange a deal with the king, which resulted in Daniel being thrown to the lions. Reading his story in the Bible can mask how dark this experience truly was. No overhead lights or oil lamps decorated the den. Daniel sat, stood, or lay in total darkness. He heard the lions pacing and roaring. He probably smelled their wild scent but never saw how closely they approached him.

The trials and tribulations of life can bring what appears to be total darkness. I’ve experienced quite a few such periods. This much I know: total darkness never indicates God’s absence. Our sin or God’s testing may have ushered in the darkness, but God never leaves our side regardless of the cause of the darkness. He is still working. If we’ve sinned, we need to confess and repent. If He is testing us, we need to develop our trust in Him to do the right thing.

In periods of total darkness, God can and often does feel nearer. Darkness reminds us that we control nothing. God does. His ways are higher, and His thoughts are beyond our understanding. He is the creator and controller. Our duty is to walk by faith.

Daniel was in darkness because of the work of his enemies. Satan can bring periods of darkness. The Bible compares him to a prowling lion. Daniel’s episode reminds us God has the power to close his mouth. Satan is on God’s leash and can only do what he is allowed to do. God commands the darkness.

When our periods of darkness are over, we need to help someone else understand God’s power and compassion. Daniel witnessed to the king about his God. God doesn’t want us to waste our experiences but rather to use them to help someone else.

When your periods of darkness creep in, remember who controls them.