SENSING AND SEEING GOD

'But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.' 1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV

The Bible says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him," But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit (vv. 9-19 NKJV). The Holy Spirit compensates for our sensory limits by enabling us to conceive things we cannot perceive with our five senses. Think of Him as a sixth sense. We must cultivate, mature, and fine-tune that sense. And that can only happen when we spend time meditating on the Scriptures and fellowshipping with God in prayer. 

Until the Holy Spirit awakens us, we are unaware of our need for God, the spiritual warfare being waged around us, and what God is doing around us. One night Jacob had a dream in which God appeared to him and said, 'I am with you and will keep you wherever you go' (Genesis 28:15 NKJV). When he awakened the next morning, Jacob said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it...This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!' (Genesis 28:16-17 NKJV). Jacob went to sleep and woke up in the same place, but he woke up a different person. After his wake-up call, Jacob saw God everywhere he looked. 

Today, ask God for a spiritual epiphany. Pray, 'Lord, show me what you want me to see, teach me what you want to know, lead me step-by-step in the path of your perfect will.' That's a prayer God will answer!

READ THE SIGNALS WITH YOUR CHILDREN

'My children, listen as I teach you to respect the Lord.' Psalm 34:11 CEV

Smithsonian magazine once featured a British master stonecutter named Simon Verity. He restored thirteenth-century cathedrals in Great Britain. As the authors watched him work, they noticed something fascinating. 'Verity listens closely to hear the song of the stone under the careful blows. A solid strike, and all is well. A higher-pitched ping, and it could mean trouble. A chunk of rock could break off. He constantly adjusts the angle of the chisel and the force of the mallet to the pitch, pausing frequently to run his hand over the freshly carved surface.' Verity understood the importance of his task. He knew one wrong move could be devastating, causing irreparable damage to his work of art. His success was rooted in his ability to read the signals his stories were sending. 

If you're a parent or someone who works with children, you need to hone your skills at listening to them, especially during times of discipline and guidance. It takes a great deal of patience and sensitivity to interpret a child's response. But if you listen carefully, they will tell you what they're thinking and feeling. And God will help you to do it. 'The Lord hath given me the new tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season' (Isaiah 50:4 KJV). 

Each changing season in a child's development raises different answers. To have the right answer, you must be turned in to the question they're asking at the time. Not only will you be imparting to them the wisdom they need at that time, but you will be teaching them how to do it with their own children.

STOP AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS

'The Spirit of truth...will lead you...and...tell you what is to come.' John 16:13 NCV

Making decisions without seeking God's guidance is like trying to fly without radar and a compass. You can do what makes sense based on your past knowledge and experience, but what 'looks right' can end up destroying what's most important to you. The Bible says even the most profound human thinking is foolish to God (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-29). 

He alone knows the way, and He wants to go ahead of you. It's a mistake to assume that every opportunity that comes along is from God. Paul says, 'Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light' (2 Corinthians 11:14 NCV). And while his invitations are packaged to look like he has your best interest at heart, his way invariably leads to ruin (see John 8:44). God's Word was designed as 'a lamp for (your) feet and a light for (your) path' (Psalm 119:105 NCV) to guide you in the ways of righteousness. That's why it can be fatal to pursue a path that seems right to you without first consulting Him. Jesus said, 'When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words, but...only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come' (John 16:13 NCV). The truth is that most of us don't naturally seek God. It's only as His Spirit speaks to our hearts that we start desiring His will. 

Take time to seek the Holy Spirit's direction. Trust Him. He understands the ramifications of your choices. He will show you 'the big picture' and help you stay on the right road.

GUARD AGAINST ENVY AND JEALOUSY

'Let us have...no envy of one another.' Galatians 5:26 RSV

Paul cautioned the early church about envy, and it is still a problem. Your co-worker gets a raise, a friend's child wins a scholarship, a neighbour takes a dream holiday. Do you rejoice with them, or force a tight smile? 

We're human; an occasional flicker of envy is normal. But beware of harbouring a chronic sense of being short-changed. Tacitus said, 'When men are full of envy, they disparage everything... good or bad.' When somebody else prospers, before you ask, 'Why not me?' ask yourself if you would be responding the same way if some tragedy had befallen them. Jealousy is like a moth; it nibbles away at clothes until they're ruined, except envy destroys irreplaceable things like relationships and families. One author reminds us: 'When we're...in the valley, it is human to envy those...(on) the mountaintops. It is easy to forget (they) didn't fall there - they climbed there. Behind the success story is always a courageous decision and a gallant action...if we want to reach them...we have to...climb. Inspiration from someone else may get us started, but the success is in the climbing.' Imagine a runner striding out; they're fast, focused, and ahead of the pack. Then they start looking at the competition. Before long, they stumble, lose momentum, and drop out. That's what happens when you let jealousy distract you from completing the course God mapped out for you. 

Paul writes, 'You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?' (Galatians 5:7 NIV). Keep your eye on the prize, and don't get distracted by what others have. That's none of your business.

GROWING THROUGH CRITICISM

'If you accept correction, you will be honored.' Proverbs 13:18 NLT

Solomon said, 'If you accept correction, you will be honoured.' Charlie Shedd gives us ten ways to grow through criticism:

1) Criticism is often a compliment. The barbs in daily life strike only those who raise their heads above ground level. Jesus said, 'Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down...it means...that the truth is too close for comfort and that person is uncomfortable' (Luke 6:22 MSG)

2) Accept that you have faults which are open to censure. Stay humble, and criticism won't rattle you.

3) 'The words of the godly save lives' (Proverbs 12:6 NLT). Invite criticism from friends; then when it comes from your enemies, you will be broken in.

4) Let criticism make you better. When you burn with anger, you destroy your passport to improvement. 'When you do right and suffer for it...take it patiently' (1 Peter 2:20 RSV).

5) Some criticism should be ignored, especially if it stems from false motives. Never give unhappy people the key to your happiness.

6) Keep it in perspective. Not everybody has heard. Most people don't care. One bad word doesn't cancel the good in you.

7) Let criticism make you kinder. Remind yourself that you have criticised others too. Is this a boomerang that started in your own heart?

8) Pray for your critics. It will improve them and neutralise your bitterness. Hate destroys your health and steals your happiness.

9) Check with the Master Critic. What does God say? How do things look, deep in your soul?

10) When you have checked to make sure you're right, move ahead. 

In quiet confidence, finish what you started, because God's promises are to those who endure (see Hebrews 6:12).

DON'T BE AFRAID OF GETTING OLD

'My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.' Isaiah 65:22 NIV

We live in a fickle society where a few wrinkles can devastate your self-worth. But you don't have to be a victim of that value system. 'As the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands' (v22 NIV). Someone said, 'Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter! So:

1) Build a strong relationship with God. Spend time talking with Him and reading His word. 'Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying' (Proverbs 3:1-2 NLT).

2) Come to grips with the reality of ageing. Face it: you have been aging since you were conceived. In fact, on the day of your birth, you were already nine months old. Therefore, fretting about getting older is as fruitless as worrying about the sun going down each day. Instead of worrying about how long your life will be, make the most of every day. Each morning, look in the mirror and announce, 'This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it' (see Psalm 118:24).

3) Always have a goal. It doesn't have to be something big in the eyes of the world, just something to look forward to doing with your hands and your mind. 

Eleanor Roosevelt said, 'I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.' Read, grow, contribute, stay involved, live until your last breath!

THE GIFT OF CONFESSION

'Walk in love as Christ also has loved us.' Ephesians 5:2 NKJV

Spiritual healing takes place when you're able to confess your problems to someone mature enough to handle it and committed enough to not give up on you. What does it mean to 'walk in love'?

a) To be confident of God's unfailing love towards you.

b) To show His love to others.

c) To be able to accept their love in return. Only then can you become spiritually whole. You can only be loved to the extent that you're known. When you keep part of your life a secret, others may tell you they love you, but deep down you think, 'If you knew the whole truth about me, you wouldn't love me.' So you can't receive and be strengthened by their love. Sin isolates us, and sin and isolation will make us sick in our soul and even our body. Confession and then prayer, connectedness to each other and to God, usher in the Spirit and promote healing. To be fully known and fully loved is the most healing gift we can give to each other. The Bible says, 'Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed' (James 5:16 NASB).

We're all forgiven, recovering sinners, and no one can be secure in a relationship if they're loved only because they're intelligent, strong, or pretty, or successful. One Bible teacher says: 'When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.'