God is talking to us . . . are we listening? Ordinarily I would say sure, I am listening God. But am I really? I do not know about you, but it seems that I constantly find myself screwing up this "holy" lifestyle that God has called us to live. So, why is it that I have such problems? I believe there are some strong cues that can be found in John 3:31-36:
"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Now really look at what is being said here. Jesus, who came from God is above all things, thoughts, temptations and so on. And this Jesus, who is above all, is constantly trying to teach and guide us. And, according to this passage, it is when we are truly listening and "receive" His words that we find the truth of God certified, or sealed, in our lives. It is in making the lessons of Christ a very real part of our lives that we find total surrender to the Spirit of God possible.
I have often found myself praying that God would send His Spirit to fill my life and guide me. I will pray that God's Spirit would inhabit my life. The thing is, when God gave me His Spirit at the point of salvation, He gave me all of His Spirit. There is nothing more of the Spirit for me to get. The real issue has to do with surrender to His Spirit. When I have surrendered all to the Spirit of God then He does have access to all my weaknesses and can strengthen me. At that point of total surrender God can enable me to find victory in life's struggles.
That brings us to the real rub. How do I find myself experiencing total surrender so that I can hear His voice in my life? I think John has given us the key in verse 36. Remember that to believe is to have proactive faith and trust in God. When I live out my faith in a real way, I find life and all the blessings that come with it. When I am not living in faith then I experience His wrath. The word used here for wrath in the original language can mean to not only experience His punishment for our sins, but to also incur His righteous indignation for our lack of faith.
Personally, I would prefer to live in the wealth of His blessings and presence, than in the wrath of His displeasure. I would rather know that His Spirit fills every nook and cranny of my life, and not just the public areas that everyone sees. To do that, I must be listening to His voice and receiving into my life the lessons He has for me. My testimony of the truth of God must be found in the attitude of young Samuel. "Speak Lord, for your servant hears."(1 Samuel 3:10)
Father God, help us to truly surrender all by not only listening to Your voice, but also by taking those lessons and living them out in a proactive life of trust. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment