Preparing for Discussion, Part 2
As we come to the end of Week 3, take a moment to reflect back on the things we've studied... sorrow, worship, anger and what we want our response to suffering to be. What has God taught you?
I appreciated our brief look at 1 Peter 4, and her question... What would it look like if I responded to suffering with Christ's attitude? In suffering and grief, it often seems we end up stalled. We get mired in the process and struggle in trusting Christ to carry us through it.
Many years ago, the Lord brought me to Psalm 32. In verse 7, He admonishes, "Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." At that time, I began to pray that God would teach me to hear His voice and respond to Him with understanding. Some time later, I found myself struggling and was frustrated by the seeming silence of God. I cried out to God - and kept crying out - when He reminded me that His voice is not in the wind or the earthquake, but in the silence. I also "happened" to catch a horse show on tv in which I saw a beautiful thing. The rider had reins in her hand, but there was no bit in the horse's mouth. As I watched, the horse seemed to read her mind and act in willing response. The narrator described how she and the horse communicated - with the slightest pressure of the rider's knees, the horse instantly recognized his master's desires and with pleasure carried out her desires. Right then God spoke quietly to my heart - "That's how you should be with Me." In difficulties, God teaches us to hear His still, small voice and we learn to respond in willingness and love for Him.
Nancy Guthrie shared her prayer with us and we can echo it... Lord, "Teach me everything You want to teach me through this. Don't let this incredible pain be wasted in my life!"
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This past Sunday I had the honor of listening to Dr. John Coe of the Talbot School of Theology speak. He spoke about spiritual formation and the need to be consistent in our application of spiritual disciplines in our life. The spiritual disciplines are , prayer, study of scripture, and fellowship. Most of us are familiar with the gift of consolation and know that the Holy Spirit is our comforter in times of sorrow and our encourager.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Dr. Coe pointed out that there is another gift, the gift of desolation. Duet. 8:2-3, God let his people go hungry to test them, to humble them, to see what was in their hearts. This made me think of our study of Job because we often question why was this allowed. Or we wonder where is God when we need Him, sometimes He seems absent.
God allows times of desolation to purge or open up those places in our life to expose them so that we can journey with Him in the truth of ourself and in our need for Him.
These times are called the Dark nights of the soul in 2 cor. 12:9-10
Spiritual feelings of God's presence (consolation) or absence (desolation) are less the result of our actions and more the gifts of God according to His purposes.
When we come to these times of desolation in our lives it is important not to despair or to think that God is absent. God is always present 2 Peter 1:4, We are partakers of the Divine nature 1 Cor. 6:17 and God will never leave us or forsake us Rom 8:31-35
See you all soon!