We All Have a Story, Part 2

If you have not read last week's blog, I encourage you to read it prior to reading today's, "We All Have a Story, Part 2"

 God is very much involved in our lives, today.  However, did you know that He was aware of our story even before it began?  Because of that, He is never caught by surprise nor confounded by whatever twists or turns our stories take.  God never says, "Well, I did not see that coming!"

 Let's begin now by looking at Psalm 139:16-18, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."  It is pretty astounding to think that God saw our substance and had written all the days of our lives in His book, before we were formed in our mother's womb!  However, today I'd like us to focus on verse 17, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"  Also, let us look at Psalm 40: verses 5 and 17, " Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. ... 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God";  When we look at these scriptures, we realize that God thinks about us a lot.  To come to that realization, that the Creator of the universe has us on His mind is totally amazing!  We are never alone on this journey.

 Psalm 115:12a, "The Lord has been mindful of us"  Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 In life, we have many experiences, some good, some bad and yet in all of them, God is there.  I have found that, in the most difficult times, He has shown Himself and His presence in the most amazing ways.  In every experience we have in life, He is teaching, disciplining, and, encouraging us.  Always, He is leading us into a greater intimacy with Himself, and through our experiences, He teaches us to have a greater dependency upon Himself.

 I would like to share some of my personal experiences with you to show you some of the ways He has worked in my life.  These experiences are on my time line, however, they are not particularly in chronological order.

 I was going through an especially difficult time...I was struggling spiritually, emotionally, and, frankly feeling quite sorry for myself.  At one point  in time, as I was crying out to God in prayer, I proclaimed to Him, "I want to die!  I cannot do this any more, I just want to die!"  This is one of those times when God spoke very clearly into my spirit.  It might as well have been an audible voice.  God said to me, "Good, I have been waiting for that!"  I knew immediately what He meant.  He wanted me to give up trying to control everything and to rely totally upon Him.  John 15:5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."  Such a valuable lesson, to realize and acknowledge that without Him, we can do nothing!  2 Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God."  Our trust is not in self-confidence, but confidence in the sufficiency (the worthiness, qualifications and capability) of God's Spirit.  A simple but profound lesson.

 I had another poignant encounter with the Lord while walking and praying around in the sanctuary, when I felt things were not working out as I thought they should.  In the midst of my praying, I was also doing some complaining.  All of a sudden, God gave me a vision.  What I was seeing were the Roman soldiers torturing Jesus before His crucifixion.  Jesus was on His knees with His head bowed.  The soldiers were mocking, punching, and hitting Him.  Then, they put a purple robe on Him and crammed a crown of thorns upon His head.  The blood from the wounds was flowing down His face and into His beard.  At this point, He looked straight into my eyes and said, "I did this for you."  The vision ended and I found myself prostrate at the altar, worshipping the One who gave Himself for me.  Sometimes, He allows us to see something which gives us a comparative perspective so that we know what is actually important.  John 19:1-3, "So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands."

 Sometimes, He reveals when we need a heart or attitude adjustment by speaking to us in that still small voice. While driving toward Jamestown, N.Y. and as I often did, I was singing a little chorus that we sang at church. " I love you Jesus, You are everything to me, I love You Jesus, You're the One Who set me free, You are my righteousness, my joy and liberty, I love You Jesus more and more.""  As I drove, I continued singing this chorus over and over.  Suddenly, the Spirit of the Lord spoke quietly and asked, "How much do you love Me?"  There again was a simple, yet profound word.  I began to seriously ponder His question.  I had to admit, it was not enough.  It led me to this prayer, "Lord, teach me to love You more." 

 John 21:15-17, "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep."

 It is not only good, but I believe it is also vital for us to examine ourselves, every now and again, regarding our love relationship with God.. Ask yourself, "How much do I love Him?"   "Why do I love Him?"  "Has my love grown cold?"

 1 John 4:19, "We love Him because He first loved us."  John 14:23, "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."  Revelation 2:1,4, "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ... 4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."

 Even though visions, dreams, and words from the Lord are good, His written Word (the Bible) is His greatest and most common way to speak to us, teach us, discipline us and encourage us.  In 2 Timothy 3:15-17 we read, "and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

 Early in my ministry, in my immaturity, I would ask God for signs, visions, angels, or anything visible to strengthen my faith.  God's response was always the same, "Nothing is a greater faith builder than My Word."  Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 I have learned, over the years, to commune with God through His Word and prayer.  I understand more thoroughly that God not only speaks to everyone through His Word, He speaks very personally to me.  You will never know God in a greater way than you know Him through His Word.  Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all."

 The Lord has taught Donna and I many things on our journey.  In future blogs, I would like to share more, i.e. how to depend on Him concerning finances, deliverance, protection and healing.  I would also like to share how He brought us through some very trying times. 

 I encourage you to spend as much time as you can, getting to know more intimately, your best friend and the lover of your soul, through reading and studying His Word. The best way to really get to know somebody is to spend time with them.  It will be worth every minute of it!

 Blessings!