Walking By The Spirit

"Faith, faith faith, all you ever write about is faith!"

Pretty much, yes.

Well, faith is in fact what God wants from us. The lack of it, is what started this whole world off. If they had just trusted Him in the garden, well...

Faith, is trusting God, who is in control of everything. He was in control of the garden, the tree, and yes, even the serpent.

Look, He knew it was going to happen. I think we can all agree, He could have prevented it at the very least. So the fact that it did happen, shows intent.

Yes, it happened just the way He wanted it to. So, why is it so hard to believe He is controlling everything in your life, good and bad?

"How can He be good, if He brings me bad?"

Why can't you believe He has a good reason? A reason that we cannot possibly fathom? If you really trusted Him to be good, that would be the first thought you would jump to.

The reason that people don't trust Him to be good, is simply because they don't know Him.

This is why I keep writing about Him. It's like introducing the Author of the story over and over to people that just don't want to know.

OK, for just a minute, assume that maybe, God IS in complete control, and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, in your day is orchestrated for a purpose that is beyond you. It could be that your boss, or your wife, is in a bad mood. It could be that something is now wrong with you car. It could be that your daughter just broke up with her boyfriend.

Or...

Your family was just killed in a car accident...

Ecclesiastes 1:2

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

If you don't trust God, or don't believe He is in control, then what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 9:11 seems to ring true.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

As wise as Solomon was, he was clueless about the purposes of God, who is outside and above everything.

We all are.

To navigate this life takes faith, especially for those who just always seem to step in it...

There are two sides to this coin. We must understand God, and His power, through direct contact and scripture. Additionally, we must understand our importance to Him.

"Are we really important? I mean He has thwarted every plan and dream I've had!"

Hebrews 12:7

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Look in the book. From the beginning to the end, every difficulty is to plant, build, and grow faith in HIS people.

At first, it was the few specific men and women kicked out of the garden. Then, He picks one family to carry on His name. Still, it was never by blood, as it seemed many years ago. No, it was always about those who trust Him. It ALWAYS has been. You can see this clearly in Hebrews chapter 11.

Those of Faith, are His children, and always were!

Yes, even if you are freaking out because of a medical diagnosis for your child, He is working His plan to make you grow in that faith. The faith He wants. The faith He will get!

"Ouch, but this really sucks!"

Yes, yes it does. Yet, if you trust in who, and what He is, AND know you are important to Him, well, you can rest assured that it WILL work out for your benefit in the end.

Jesus, unlike Solomon, knew and taught plainly, that this life is extremely temporary. It is built that way to shape, and grow, His children. So they can fully enjoy the next one.

Would you really rather be a Rockstar here, and forgo the eternal world that is on it's way?

That's like eating a rotted Twinkie instead of a banquet.

To walk in faith, or walk in The Spirit, is to trust God in everything, and know that He smiles at you.

Yes, even when the things He throws you may seem like He hates you.

Of course, He may be kicking your butt because of sin. If so, you already know. Adultery, fornication, lies, theft...any of these, and many more will require our Father to deal out some discipline. Still, if you are not getting away with it, you are in fact His child.

If you aren't, we'll, sorry, you are screwed.

"If there is no grievous sin, then why would He be meting out discipline?"

All discipline isn't due to punishment. No, the book of Job is clear on that matter. If you trust God, really trust God, you can know Satan doesn't have free reign. He doesn't get to do anything without the express permission of The Father. Again, see the book of Job.

God will get what He wants from us. He doesn't fail, or make mistakes. You can trust Him, and His purpose. He IS good.

Ah, but are you special to Him and how can you know?

So, I have it a bit different, dreams and visions and all. However, I didn't get here because of everything working out for me. No, pretty much nothing I set my hand to worked. I spent a huge amount of time on my face asking Him why. It took me years to see that He is in fact fully in control, and ditch the poor teaching of those who seem to be important. Ah, but accepting that I am rather important to Him, took much longer, and required many more interactions with Him directly.

Yes, I can hear God. He is always with me. He is always all over everything in my life, and has been from when that spark of life entered my mother's womb.

Yes, that is because of faith. Faith that is Spiritual. I know Him, and I know that He smiles at me...even while He holds me back from any form of respect, or importance, to everyone I know or meet.

Success comes from Him, including how others perceive us.

I could be like Paul, though all his church plants were collapsing, God took those letters to the churches, and filled out most of the New Testament! You know, I am positive, Paul didn't even know, until he faced Jesus after they chopped off his head.

"Dude, watch what I'm gonna do with those letters!"

Yeah, our value isn't in what we do. He is the only one who matters. Our value, or not, is from Him and Him alone.

Do you really think He cares if you become a world renown brain surgeon? I mean, He can heal any brain, where and when He wants. He doesn't need a brain surgeon. Truthfully, He doesn't need pastors, evangelists and healers either.

No, He wants faith. Yes, and everything in your life is geared to grow that. For some, it is a little bit...one talents worth. For others, it is 5 or 10. Me, I think He is pushing 50.

Where do you want to be for eternity? You do know that it will be forever. That's a rather long time.

I don't want to spend eternity in the equivalent of Cleveland. No, I want to be standing next to Him. I'll go get His coffee, make copies, fetch Him lunch. I don't care, I just think He is that awesome. I really do.

Luke 18:8b

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

If you are His, He will.

Do you know Him enough to trust Him?

Do you know you are important to Him?

Now, here is the big one.

If you trust He loves you madly, and is in control of everything, then you can, and should, trust that His hand is so strong on you that every decision you make, and every event is orchestrated around you, in order to complete that work.

Yes, ALL, and Everything, going on around you is Him working...on you.

If you can see it, your faith, that faith, IS what this is all about.

You ARE, then, that important.

This here, is what it really means to walk by the Spirit, to walk by faith.

Now you trust Him to walk in you and through you.

You will hear Him, and KNOW, what He wants, when He wants, because you trust Him to do so.

Yeah, this is how the Prophets of old did it.

God doesn't change after all.