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Tuesday Morning Epistles
Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—Encouraging words for
Christians everywhere. Thanks for opening this message
today.
In his letter to the Church at Rome, the Apostle Paul said,
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God"
(8:14). Clearly, Paul believed that followers of Christ
should seek His Spirit to lead them in the way they should
go. Dr. John MacArthur, in his sermon, "Whatever Happened to
the Holy Spirit?" said, "Somehow many Christians have
drifted away from believing in the sufficiency of the Holy
Spirit for all matters of Christian living. Instead they
have substituted all kinds of earthly things for His
supernatural power."
How can a person be "led by the Spirit"? I have known many
folk during my lifetime who clearly bore evidence that they
were led by God's Spirit. Most of them would testify
that—for them—they received directions from God in two ways:
internally and externally. I have heard a few people say,
"God told me to tell you this." When someone approaches me
with that announcement, I begin looking for a way to exit
the conversation. Typically, the Holy Spirit does not send
human messengers to announce his will without also sending a
message directly to the one who is the designated recipient.
God's Spirit speaks in whispers ("a still, small voice,")
not in the blast of the trumpet. In Paul's letter to the
Galatians (2:20) he said, "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me."
Externally, God gives directions through the printed
Word—the Bible, as well as through authentic preaching and
teaching.
Over the years I have received numerous written messages
from people who have said, "God spoke to me through what you
wrote," or "How did you know that I needed to hear this
today?" I understand what they meant. I generally write
"generically," seldom knowing in advance who will benefit
from what I write, but God uses generic things to speak
directly to readers.
Today's message is entitled, "Being Led Without Knowing
It." Read on whenever you are ready, and then ask God to
give directions to you in any way that He sees fit. If you
ask, you will receive. Jesus said that.
Blessings on you.
Tom Barnard
A Senior Encourager
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Being Led Without Knowing It Tom Barnard
oris Akers wrote the words and music. Elvis made it famous. It was written as a prayer, and it is a prayer that never grows old. The words were taken from Psalm 31:3—“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” Here are the original lyrics:
I am weak and I need Thy strength and power, To help me over my weakest hour. Let me through the darkness Thy face to see, Lead me, Oh Lord, lead me.
Help me tread in the paths of righteousness. Be my aid when Satan and sin oppress. I am putting all my trust in Thee: Lead me, Oh Lord, lead me.
I am lost if you take your hand from me, I am blind without Thy light to see. Lord just always to me thy servant be, Lead me, Oh Lord, lead me.
Dr. Paul Tournier, the famous Swiss physician and counselor of the Twentieth Century, observed that God’s guidance in our lives may not be recognized at any one moment in time, but that it is there none-the-less. He said, “He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain important moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them, or when we survey the whole progress of our lives, do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us.” (—from Reflections)
I like that expression, “being led without knowing it.” It is mysterious. God’s Spirit seldom announces in advance that he is present and working in our behalf. Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:8 LT), “Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom He will next bestow this life from heaven.” But we know that it is God who does this.
Secular-minded people often use the
term “coincidental” to explain the unexplainable things that
happen to them. Spiritual-minded persons uses the term
“providential” to explain the unexplainable. I use the term
“providence” frequently and “coincidence” almost never.
Coincidence sounds a lot like accidental, chance, or “rolling
the dice.”
In Esther 4:14 are these words, “And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?” Coincidence or providence? I choose providence. God was at work, bringing about events that led to the saving of a nation. Christian writer David R. Reid explains it this way:
“The Bible teaches that God is not only sovereign in controlling all things at all times, but is actually programming and guiding events in accordance with His eternal purposes. Ephesians 1:11 says that ‘He works all things after the counsel of His will.’ Nothing happens by pure chance or accident, and what appears to be merely fortunate or unfortunate circumstances is really the outworking of God’s plans.”
Christians have leaned on this teaching from Romans 8: 28 for twenty centuries, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” This is not a “maybe” promise. Paul was convinced that it was true—for him and for all who believe. |