Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19
I have just returned from a trip that included driving 2,000 miles. I was a bit apprehensive about the traveling that far alone as I didn’t really feel well. This was compounded by the fact that recently Satan seems to be raising many doubts and fears. However, as I look back, not only did God sustain and protect me, but He was also speaking to me. Throughout the trip, He was working to reshape my thinking through instruction, discipline and reassurance. The elements were all there, I just had to listen. Most certainly I heard and understood the messages provided through the sermons that I listened to while driving; however, it took a near accident at the end of the trip to really get me to notice how much God had been speaking to me throughout my travels. Honestly, I’m not sure I have gotten it all, however, over the next three posts I’d like to share how God used each of these to mature me in my faith.
Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Psalm 78:1
God uses various ways to instruct us. Three that readily come to mind are His word, biblical teaching, and experience. Yet no matter the method employed by our Father in Heaven, the message is individualized for each of us as we have different needs. While some people are quick learners, I trust that most of us need some amount of repetition. At times it’s because we’ve have completely forgotten the lesson; other times it may be to shift our focus to God’s truth; and finally, there are occasions when He is maturing our faith by showing us new nuances of His teaching and thereby taking us to a deeper level of understanding. As I consider the past two weeks, I trust that God was redirecting my attention to relieve my anxiety and to overcome the distractions in my life pulling me away from Him.
With respect to scripture, the principal message that I heard was from Matthew 7:24-29. Christ reminds us first to listen to His words. If we don’t listen, we don’t gain understanding. However, it is not enough to listen and agree, but we must also act on them and live by them. When we do, we have a firm foundation for our lives. It was a helpful reminder to redirect my focus from my fears and distractions to God’s word and to continue making the effort to live out my faith in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
While driving, I listened to a few sermons and lectures. The one that seemed to speak most closely to my needs was “Enduring Hardships” based on Hebrews 12 by Sinclair Ferguson. (Offered here) His primary points focused on endurance, discipline and holiness as they relate to hardships. Certainly those of us that struggle regularly with various trials readily grasp the concept of endurance. However, do we see the value in it? While we may also quickly comprehend the component of discipline, he kept driving home the point that the word used for discipline essentially means “child-training”. While adults rarely like being treated as a child, when it comes to God’s wisdom and precepts, is that not exactly what we are? When we consider the length of our lives to our eternal Creator and our limited wisdom to His, we are truly mere infants that should listen to our Lord’s instruction at every opportunity. His final point was that the purpose of endurance and discipline is to make us more Christ-like so that we may share in God’s holiness. While we cannot accomplish this on our own or without the redemptive work of Christ, as we learn to become more like Christ, we are seek to become more obedient in our thoughts and behaviors. What I appreciated most about this lecture was that it enveloped all three forms of teaching mentioned above. It was biblical instruction pointing me to the word of God to explain the value of the experiences (specifically hardships) in my life. As this is a subject near and dear to my heart, I valued it immensely and readily listened to it with a receptive spirit.
These are but two examples of the many ways that God has instructed me over the years. I could have very easily glossed over both assuming that I had learned all there is to know about both topics. Yet I was grateful for them and listened closely as they helped me to refocus and spoke truth into my current experience. They not only reinforced what I have known to be true for some time, but also to encouraged me in my faith. In them I saw the work of the trinity. I heard the Father instructing me as His child; I saw the Good Shepherd keeping my on course by redirecting me to concentrate on eternity; and I recognized the work of the Holy Spirit as He sought to comfort my soul and bring peace to my real and imagined concerns. It was truly a kind act from our loving God.
Instruction from God should not be considered as something onerous. Rather it is truly an act of love intended to mature our faith and “direct our heart in the way” so that may share in God’s holiness for eternity. Put another way, it is one of God’s tools to protect our souls. Our job is to expect it, be wise, and listen to it.