I was praying this morning and the thought occurred to me again, "Why doesn't the Lord speak to us audibly." Now the more spiritual among us will say that is immature or even ridiculous, the answer-for- everything people will, well, have an answer. But an interesting "response" came to me. What if God spoke audibly to everyone on the planet? Say there are 25 people in a given office space and all are Followers of Jesus Christ. If they are like Brother Lawrence and are attempting to "Practice the Presence of God," they would all be communing with the Lord and the Lord would in turn "talk" to them. Can you imagine the confusion of that setting?!? Take the communing in the malls, or the prayer walkers, or the church services. Hey, wait a minute; who would need preachers and teachers? Or, how about this? God could just sort of thunder words which the whole world could hear, maybe place speakers all over the planet. Not a very intimate fellowship. Okay, I'm finished with that.
I was reading in Psalm 37 today and, as I have said before, the Lord Jesus was repeating the same words to me which He has been repeating to me all my life; even as an infant I was hearing these words from my Dad around the house or as he preached and taught the Scriptures: "Do not fret...nor be envious....Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord....Commit your way to the Lord....Rest in the Lord." Now some might say the reason He "repeats" Himself is that we are all stiff-necked or just never quite get it. I offer another reason. Every time I read the "God-Breathed" Words it is an "infusion" of the very life of God Himself, constantly flowing, sustaining, preserving. It is not so much that people "just don't get it," as much as, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing..., and is a discerner...." It is like a surgical "procedure" releasing the very life of Jesus Christ constantly, if we so choose (I have at times played Scripture at a low volume setting on our computer all night-- don't say it).
One of our neighbors is on a constant oxygen flow; he would probably die if not. I never see him without it. We humans cannot live without oxygen. Nor can we live without the life-giving, life-sustaining power of Jesus Christ, "The Word of God," Word of Father, "Word of Life." So I encourage you to keep reading the Bible, though you may have read completely through it many times. Yes, we may gain more understanding, but perhaps more importantly, we will gain more Life. It is not the repetition of ideas or even principles, but rather as the breathing process. Jesus, the Bible tells us, breathed on the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit, Who Himself is the very breath of God. "And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam a life-giving spirit."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I just thank You for however You do Life. Amen.
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* Read of a very hopeful trend in Israel: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
Father, in Jesus' Name, I just thank You for however You do Life. Amen.
****************************
* Check us out on Facebook
* Read of a very hopeful trend in Israel: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
