When
God asks you a question, you can be assured it’s a good one He
wants you to think about. I’ve admired God’s wisdom for quite a
while. What I mean by that is that I look for God’s hand in and on
matters—and inevitably, I perceive it. Sometimes this happens
sooner than later; sometimes, it’s immediate recognition. Whenever
this happens a feeling of reverent awe fills me, or as said in the
Bible, “My cup runneth over.” After years of paying attention
this way, I learned to trust God. That’s not lip-service; I mean I
really trust Him. He is faithful and true.
I
mentioned in another writing posted a while back, that as I began my
prayers one evening, God asked me: “Do you trust My love as much as
you trust My wisdom?” No, I didn’t. But I set about to change
that with His assistance and guidance. Here’s where it’s led me
so far.
Some
are raised in homes that practice Christianity (which is different
from religion, but that’s another story, unless you already
understand what that means). Those raised this way, have a habit of
following the faith—they practice it in some form. But, does this
mean they feel genuine love for Him? Not necessarily.
Some
come to the Lord through fear. Perhaps they learn something about End
Times, or they come close to death—their own or someone else’s.
The first time I received the Lord I was in my teens, and it was
through guilt at a Baptist revival. That sort of took, but didn’t
hold. When I returned to the Lord several months ago, it was through
fear about End Times, which many believe we’ve crossed into, based
on current events and how they match with what Jesus said about the
signs of that time’s approach. But, I digress somewhat.
Fear
that brings a person to God or back to God often leads them to spend
time with scriptures and in prayer. Sincere time spent with
scriptures and communing with the Lord leads to deeper understanding,
especially if we ask for assistance with that. Still . . .
Going
back to God’s question about my trusting His love as much as His
wisdom, I admit that what I felt started in my mind—an intellectual
relationship, you might say. But was I feeling the love? No. But I
wanted to. So I kept going.
The
more I learned about the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and the
more I perceived their presence in my life and in events, the more I
felt my reverence begin to shift into love. And I realized that
similarly to our human relationships, what we feel takes root in the
mind before it moves into the heart. So, I was on the right track.
When these feelings reach the heart, they begin to reside there. I
noticed my relationship with the Lord began to strengthen and deepen.
How could it not? How do you behave with someone you truly love?
Perhaps you make an effort, and succeed, at altering some things you
think, say, and do, because your desire is to please them. You cease
merely doing what you should because you should, and act from love.
Sunday,
June 18, is Father’s Day here in America. It’s a time when we
honor fathers who dedicate themselves to their families, especially
their children. While we celebrate fathers still with us, as well as
those who live in our hearts, minds, and memories, let’s also
remember to thank and honor our heavenly Father for his love, wisdom,
grace, mercy, care, comfort, guidance, and extraordinary patience.
May
the Lord’s peace be with you and yours.
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