Weeks 25 & 26 (10) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Last Saturday I had a good time sharing a meal and a long conversation with our younger son Ben. He talked about the challenges of leading a home group in a local church and being a Christian generally. I can understand and relate to what he shared.

The world is changing. The way we do church also has to adapt with time. And I believe it is common to city life all over the world. Urbanisation and capitalism contribute to a life that is busy, exhausting and money focused, leaving very little room and time for God.

The truth is that the world system is against the ways of God. For us to move with God, we need to have the make-up and determination of a salmon that swims upstream against the current, and in our case, the current of the world system.

Whilst our God is eternal and unchanging, so are His principles, we can receive wisdom from God to help contemporary Christians leading busy urban lives to walk consistently with God. I believe the key is in application.

I sense that a lot of Christians separate their spiritual life from their natural life, ending up with may be once a week or less for God, when they go to church or home group. The rest of the time they lead lives no different from that of unbelievers. I mean, they do not sense God’s presence and power in their daily life. Jesus said in [John 15:5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Christianity should be celebrated 24/7. A confessing Christian should have the potential to experience God’s presence and power all the time, if he/she treats everything he/she does as for the Lord – study, work, marriage, family, church, leisure, eating and resting......indeed everything is a ministry if it follows God’s principles. That is what Paul means when he says in [Acts 17:28] ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'

That is what I meant when I said the key is in application. Application is faith with action – applying God’s principles in everything we think, say or do. I must admit I am not there yet. It will take time. So don’t beat yourselves up each time you fail, but ask for God’s forgiveness and move on. But do celebrate each time you succeed. This way, you can begin to experience God’s promise of an abundant life.

You have probably heard a thousand times that the Word of God is spiritual food. But have we seriously thought what this means. Natural food feeds our body and keeps our physical being alive; spiritual food feeds our spirit and keeps our spiritual being alive.

The Word of God describes people, situations or principles that we can learn from – eternal wisdom of God that we can apply to our daily life. I say it again – think application when you read or study the Bible. A word of warning here – don’t get too discouraged when you cannot measure up yet. In God’s time, you will. I am still learning. :o)

When we read the Book of Psalms, we can learn from David about his close relationship and his dependence on God. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath, he cried out to God. “Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. When I am afraid, I will trust in you…….What can mortal man do to me? ……… In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise……..For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” [Ps 56:1-13 NIV]

When we read the Book of Job, we learn the sovereignty of God and our need to trust Him under all circumstances - good times and bad times. “God is mighty………God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? ……. How great is God-beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. "He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.” [Job 36:5-12,22-37 NIV]

When we read the Book of Revelation, although there are many things we cannot interpret precisely yet, we know the Jesus’ beloved disciple John had the privilege of receiving God’s coded revelation that will unfold in the days ahead. We should rejoice and hang onto God’s promise of a wonderful ending and a future hope. “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!” [Rev 12:10-17 NIV]

When we read the Book of Proverbs, we can learn from the wisdom from God through His servant King Solomon. “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young — let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance — for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” [Prov 1:1-11 NIV]

Amen & amen.