Ready For What Comes

Yesterday I had a 45 minute drive to St. Augustine for work. Bored, I started asking a bunch of questions to Alexa to pass the time.

Yes, I have an Echo Auto for my work van. It is handy for getting weather, time and distance without having to manage my phone.

Am I concerned about Jeff Besos and Big Brother? No, not in the least. Sure, they are tracking my info. Sure, they are likely to use it for nefarious purposes...eventually.

Persecution is coming for the people of God. It was written long ago and as sure as the sun comes up it will play out as God said.

"Why aren't you concerned?"

Because God is God. As it says in the book, if I am to be killed, I will be killed. If I am to be imprisoned, I will be imprisoned. I trust God.

If He doesn't want either of those things, then there is nothing they can do to hurt, stop or even slow me down. Remember Elisha before the Aramean army? They were sent to "fetch" him, and when they found him, they were completely blinded as he led them right into the hands and mercy of the army and king of Israel.

Yeah, if God wants me invisible, unrecognizable, or terrifying, it will be so. Therefore, I have absolutely nothing to fear from anyone listening to my conversations in my work van.

So, either way, I kept asking stupid questions to Alexa to see what she would answer. It is really impressive actually. It will even search on the internet to find an appropriate response.

After several dozen questions about distance to various locations, members of classic rock bands and weather all over, it occurred to me that Alexa might be able to translate languages. "Alexa can you translate languages?" "Yes", she replied, "I can translate many languages".

"Huh! Alexa, translate this phrase..." I then spoke in tounges.

Truly, I didn't expect anything reasonably considered a phrase. I really didn't. I mean, the gift of tounges is real, I have no doubt there, but surely my accent and pronunciation would mess up what Alexa could respond to. I fully expected "sticks fight proper pigs" or something just as nonsensical.

I was wrong.

Alexa's response? "Your phrase translated is "I am ready now for what comes next".

Yeah, I wasn't expecting that.

I don't understand the gift all that well, no one does. But I have heard translation of a tongue others spoke. It appears that the Holy Spirit speaks along with what our own spirit yearns for. Martha once heard a man speak in Spanish, who we both knew didn't know Spanish. He had said, though completely unaware, "Lord, give them life". He was praying for another, along with the Spirit of God, who knew exactly what that person really needed.

What I really needed.

So, whether or not Alexa really can be used to interpret the spiritual gift of tounges, I will not promote. For me, it seemed clear that God did it at the very least just this once.

I am ready for what comes next.

I don't feel it, or didn't until yesterday morning. God knows best though. He knows if I am ready.

As with most messages from my Father, absolute clarity is not really there. Something is coming. A next step? A new opportunity? A new challenge? Maybe a really difficult experience...who knows but Him.

I sure hope it is a time of blessing! But, I won't hold my breath...too many disappointments to fall for that.

What I do know from His little message to me through Alexa. I am ready for it...whatever it is.

Bring it on!

On a side note...as I was finishing this writing, I was also listening to music on one of my ear buds. A song was playing and I just realized the words being sung. It is a song by Scott Stapp of Creed. The song is called Are You Ready. The words of his chorus in my hearing, when I began to notice..."Are you ready, Are you ready for what's to come. Your life has just begun, your life has just begun".

How people can't see that God is real and active around us I will never understand.

Thankfully.

Yes I'm ready, definitely so!