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divine inspiration, empty mind, experience, following Jesus, fruit of the Spirit, God, God's love, inspiration, Jesus Christ, peace, spirit, thought life
Blessed by Divine Inspiration
(Source https://500px.com/photo/3328126/hunting-by-sasi-smit)
Here’s another lesson regarding divine inspiration for me.
Even the day before yesterday I wanted to write a new blog article and yesterday it dawned on me that there might be a topic on which God perhaps wants me to write. So I was waiting for more information from His Spirit. However, another day passed and God remained silent.
As I awoke today in the morning, the topic was still on my mind, yet I felt more and more uneasy. Truth be told, I was also getting more and more impatient with God who let me wait so long. During my prayer time with Him, He nudged me more and more to be COMPLETELY HONEST about my feelings toward Him. I admit that it is NOT easy to tell God that His “behavior” and silence frustrate me. But I know that I cannot hide anything from Him and that He usually only changes my heart if I dare to speak frankly about everything that concerns me.
Well, I also know that I can only write about things I have experienced on my own and thus I feel nudged to describe the lesson I have been learning recently. It has not merely to do with the inspiration to write, no, it goes far beyond, touching every aspect of life which God wants to guide so that we can enjoy His peace and every divine blessing that comes to us as the fruit of His Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) as a permanent condition, even in our time here on earth.
Let me begin with the following Bible verse. Jesus once rejoiced by shouting out,
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Lk 10:21 ESV)
To put it plainly, whether we think we are wise as this world sees wisdom – or not, whether we have or had access to good school education – or not, whether we have college degrees, riches, and fame – or not, these things mean nothing in the eyes of God since He shows no partiality (Rom 2:11). By sending His own Son as the Savior for the WHOLE world (cf. 1 Jn 2:2), He saves those who do not lean on their own understanding (Prv 3:5) but dare to trust in Him whose ways and thoughts cannot be understood by any human being (Is 55:8-9).
Matthew Henry wrote in his Concise Edition as an explanation on the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10,
Verses 17-24 All our victories over Satan, are obtained by power derived from Jesus Christ, and he must have all the praise. But let us beware of spiritual pride, which has been the destruction of many. Our Lord rejoiced at the prospect of the salvation of many souls. It was fit that particular notice should be taken of that hour of joy; there were few such, for He was a man of sorrows: in that hour in which he saw Satan fall, and heard of the good success of his ministers, in that hour he rejoiced. He has ever resisted the proud, and given grace to the humble. The more simply dependent we are on the teaching, help, and blessing of the Son of God, the more we shall know both of the Father and of the Son; the more blessed we shall be in seeing the glory, and hearing the words of the Divine Saviour; and the more useful we shall be made in promoting his cause.
[Colored emphasis mine]
Actually, it is not easy to let human reasoning and thinking aside and ask God for His help in EVERYTHING. No human being would ever do that unless God provided countless situations in which all our habitual solution strategies do not work any longer. To put it briefly, God leads us into situations and lets us “fail” (as the world sees failure) so that we can eventually get spiritually successful by simply relying on Him.
Q: “But how do we know that we indeed have relied on Him and not on ourselves as we usually do?”
A: “By being able to maintain His peace – constantly.”
So simple that answer, I know. However, this is what God has been teaching me recently. Every day there were many given situations in which I could have reacted as usual or could have helped several different people who wanted various things from me. All their requests seemed to be good in God’s sight – at least, these were Susanne’s thoughts – yet I simultaneously realized that I couldn’t succeed in pleasing everyone unless my day consisted of 48 hours. So I had to make a choice and that was, in fact, difficult for me. Confronted with many hurting people whom I wanted to help, I felt that I was losing God’s peace as I was thinking about HOW and WHEN to help them (i.e., family, friends, neighbors, internet connections). Admittedly, I needed quite some time to give up on these thoughts that were preying on my mind.
Finally, my recent lesson learned has been THIS:
Look at God first before you decide what to do. Let your heart and mind be enwrapped in His divine peace, and starting from that point, let God nudge you to do or to stop doing – whatever. As soon as His peace is withdrawn, run back to Him, and seek Him until you feel His peaceful presence again.
No, dear reader, this is not that easy. We can get so confused and busy in our doing that we tend to believe Satan instead, who continually tries to convince us that our life is worthless in God’s sight if we stop doing good works for Him. But the truth is this, our worth lies not in our doing, it lies in our being – IN Christ, our lovely Lord, who promised to keep us in a restful condition.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30 ESV)
So for now, I hope that I will be able to run back into His loving arms as soon as I perceive that the burden is getting heavy and heavier. May God help me and all those who want to enjoy the freedom and peace only our gentle Savior can give.
Entering the Promised Land 
Dear Susanne,
Yes, our peace is found by entering into His Rest and staying there and NOT letting “necessity” or anxiety rule over us.
I have prayed in the past that I would only do the works I see my Father doing and only speak His words as well. My conversion to walking in this mode has been a long time coming! First He showed me that Jesus never was driven to act by the necessities of men alone. He acted by waiting on His Father to act and then just put His hands on what His Daddy was doing… a SURE “formula” for success, don’t you think? It is also a formula for making a lot of people who rely on you instead of the Father very upset with you.
I once knew an older sister named Mary and one day I asked her to pray for me. I knew that she took prayer very seriously and that God heard her. But her answer to my request bothered me, She said, “No, I only take on prayer burdens that God gives me to carry. If I took all the ones that people want me to take I would soon be overwhelmed and ineffective.” Imagine all the requests that Jesus was faced with in His daily walk here on earth and even HE had to get away from the crowds from time to time. As I read the story about the death of His good friend, Lazarus, I also see how He disappointing this family in Bethany for not coming when Lazarus was still sick, but rather letting him die before He came. Why? Father told Him to wait for He had something greater in mind than a mere healing. Our Daddy in heaven wants us all to be THAT sensitive to His voice.
Dear sister, you are on the right path. Don’t let any human necessity get between you and our Father when He calls up to climb up in His lap.
Yours IN Him,
Michael
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Dear Michael,
Thank you so very much for the encouragement as to my not always easy, however, more and more, freeing path to live a restful life. You are so right by mentioning necessity (as others see it, perhaps) and anxiety, a feeling to which I have become more and more sensitive during the last week.
Just for clarification, as I joined Facebook last Monday for the very first time, I did NOT know whether that would turn out a good thing – or not. Honestly, after three days I was almost at the point of quitting FB again. Although I made a lot of good and edifying experiences as well, I saw how easily someone who has the natural (fatal) tendency to help everyone who comes their way can get entangled in some confusing, or let’s say, even unexpectedly embarrassing situations.
If there is one thing I have learned by now, then that joining FB for me does not mean to collect “friends” whom I do not know at all. Even if they seem to be friends of those whom I have known longer and better – at least via internet – that does not simultaneously mean that those whom I know are always aware whom they once added as “friends”. So, today you see me extremely cautious, particularly regarding unknown men who only want to friend women in order to chat with them and more. BTW, I was NOT speaking of my experiences with your FB friends here, Michael!! 😉
Change of subject.
As for sister Mary and the prayer burdens, indeed, that is an interesting story. Whenever someone tells me to pray for them, I feel instantly how God “thinks” about that prayer. Yes, might sound strange and I do not know HOW this really works, yet I think it has to do with discerning the spirits which was one of God’s spiritual gifts for me.
Let us assume that someone wants me to pray daily for them, even for their whole life, perhaps, and I doubtlessly know in my heart that this is not necessary because I prayed once with God-given faith for them and then never again. I know they will be helped by God – whenever. Actually, I cannot act against my own conscience. The only thing I can do if such persons ask me repeatedly for the same prayer, then, is the same think Jesus did – getting away from the crowds and seeking the ONE who alone can help everyone of us.
Regarding “prayer burdens”, in fact, that is a rare thing. Usually that does not happen when someone tells me to pray, rather, suddenly out of the blue I get aware of someone whom God puts into my very heart until the prayer burden – accompanied by many woes and tears – eventually has been released. For me, that is anything but an everyday experience.
BTW, I just sense God has been calling me to climb up His lap. So, bye for now! 😉
Yours in Him,
Susanne
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Michael, this morning one of your sentences really hit me; it seems I somehow overread it yesterday. You wrote,
“It is also a formula for making a lot of people who rely on you instead of the Father very upset with you.”
That’s a great indication! When others feel upset with us because we cannot do what they want us to do, they have a problem, not we. It seems to me that a lack of trust in God might be the reason for being upset with others. What do you think about it? Would love to hear your thoughts, my brother.
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Susanne, I fully agree!!! When we get upset with a person because they did not come through and fulfill our wishes is indicative of idolatry. For one thing they did not bow down to the idol in us and do our commands as we wished. On the other hand, maybe we have made an idol out of them and when we “prayed” to our idol and they did not come through we feel let down. Either way, this is an indication of a relationship that is NOT fully centered on Christ! Yes, it all comes from a lack of trust in God alone as our ALL in all.
My dear sister, I know that we are both learning these lessons together and that God has many of us working through them so that we might love and serve HIM and find that yoke and burden that only belongs to Jesus as being enough in our lives.
Susanne, you are a great blessing and encouragement to us all!
Michael
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Thank you very, very much for your beautiful reply, Michael! Sooo edifying, indeed! 🙂
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I do think my friend that you have just helped me greatly–I have three people in my life right now that are being heavy burdens to me and I am wondering how to deal with them–of course I want God to deal with them using me–the key as I see it in your post is PEACE–thanks for this post I WILL now deal with them when I feel the PEACE.
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You are so welcome, dear Jacqui! ❤
If you have more questions about the cult, please, email me any time.
Susanne XOXO
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Yes!!! Kenneth and Susanne… so many good truths being realized here in this exchange. God’s love being poured into our hearts for others is an amazing thing to experience. His love is infinite, but we are not! We have limitations in our natural state. Our bodies and souls can only endure so much. Jesus said that HIS yoke is easy and HIS burden is light and told us to take THAT yoke and burden on us and nothing more.
Learning to discern the difference between those burdens that are HIS and those we take upon ourselves in our enthusiasm to serve Him and others can be a very trying experience. For one thing, we have to be willing to be misunderstood and even willing to have our reputations sullied by those who might become disappointed in us when we don’t leap to fulfill their wishes. Jesus came down from the Father and the first thing He did was to make Himself of NO reputation… “THERE now that that is out of the way, I can obey my Father!” It is our standing with HIM and not with men that counts. Maybe we even might not mind being seen by church people with prostitutes and sinners as our Daddy pours His love through us to them? It didn’t seem to bother Jesus!
Love you guys!
Michael
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Michael, that really hit me because it matches with my recent experience (today). You said,
“…we have to be willing to be misunderstood and even willing to have our reputations sullied by those who might become disappointed in us when we don’t leap to fulfill their wishes..”
Yes, and OUCH!!! 😛
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Susanne, Isn’t it amazing how God lets us go through things that He has just taught us about… like how to keep our peace IN Him after an unnerving attack on our peace? It is almost like He has warned us that it was coming and tried to prepare us for it. He loves us so much and He also limits the attacks of our enemy so that they only drive us closer to our Lord.
I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample upon me. [Selah] God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
(Psalms 57:2-3 RSVA)
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i agree with Michael., great exchange of truths !,” and we have to be willing to be misunderstood”.a word to Kenneth Dawson.been in your situation also.for yrs i had meetings in my home and i had brothers and sisters who were HUNGRY and would draw the Lord right out of you and then there were those who would demand your attention ,out of selfishness , the uncomely ones, an would take your time from the one who wanted the Lord. i would rather share with the hungry ones but both need what we have of the Lord. and we need what they have, i learned to not judge or make decisions on my druthers ( what i preferred ) but try to hear and share what the Lord was saying and just be obedient to what He said and reap the consequences whether favorable or not. ~ wayne
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“….reap the consequences whether favorable or not.”
YES – and OUCH again!! 😛
Thanks for your continued contribution on here and for your very helpful testimony, Wayne. Much appreciated!! 🙂
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Dear Michael,
Yes, it was a precious exchange and you are part of it. By the way, wasn’t it you who recently called “Entering the Promised Land” my chat blog? 😉 I think you were right, my brother, and it’s a good thing. Indeed, great truths are shared here through ALL who write.
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OK sister it’s all your fault. you had to go and write about peace . i have had one of those Job curse God and die days , well not really that bad actually no where near that bad ,but situations have been stumbling all over themselves today trying to steal my peace 🙂 either God is testing the word we heard today or was warning us in advance to be prepared for what was coming so we would be conscious and aware of the peace in our heart. i like you use the peace in my heart as a kind of barometer of where i’m at. col. 3:15 And let the peace of God rule (umpire ) in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.when i lose my peace i have a pretty good idea where i’m at and , most of the time :-),i stop take a sela and get my focus back where it belongs, on the Lord. Thanks for the word ~ wayne
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You’re welcome, Wayne.
Yes, focus on the Lord is crucial. Even though the peace we feel may not always be that strong, esp. in trials and while suffering, God helps us when we cry out for Him. And sometimes He gives us His peace in the form of patience (cf. Rom 12:12) when we have to endure God-ordained trials.
Also, I can assure you that God has been testing the word in my case. It came all of a sudden through satanic attacks against what I do (write) on here and elsewhere. Often times Satan uses family members to attack me and that is very painful for my heart. But I always pray to God that He helps me clearly see the evil power behind their accusations, which is the real source of such attacks, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12 ESV)
My brother, you were also right by saying that the word we hear or read can be a preparation for the things to come in our life. Since I have been writing on the internet, I saw very often how prophetic the words written on here and other blogs were for me. Therefore I am really cautious about how and what to write, always praying that God indeed leads me through “the cloud of the unknown”.
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i have a note to anyone who read my last post. the Lord has me under heavy conviction for my reference to Job and using him in my humor and making light of the tragedies in Jobs life. i have repented to the Lord and i ask for your forgiveness for what i said and my insensitivity. ~ wayne
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Dear Wayne, it is good to hear that I am not the only one that the Lord is correcting about every idle word that comes out of my flippant heart. I am sure that Job was not offended, though his wife might have been. 🙂 Yes, our Father wants us to be more sensitive to all His people, both passed on and the living. We should be His instruments of consolation and healing, always. Love you, Wayne! ~ Michael
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yes Michael He is definitely dealing with my idle words but with me it was also disobedience. when i started to use that quote about Job i felt that little nudge from the Holy Spirit and He said don’t use that and it was so gently i disregarded it, i’ve been asking to be made more sensitive to the Spirit. after i posted it the conviction started , talk about losing your peace , and He began to show me ways i could hurt people by posting it.i couldn’t sleep had to repent and get up and ask for forgiveness , on the post , before i could sleep. i’m thankful He is quick to forgive after we repent hopefully by His grace next time i will be more sensitive and yield to Him.
Susanne you have been on my heart and in my prayers for your present situation.
God bless you with a greater revelation of His saving grace ~ wayne
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Thanks so much for your prayers, Wayne!
Admittedly, I am still struggling a lot. It is as if hell broke loose, though the main battlefield is my heart which seems to be having been broken into countless pieces. By whom? Actually, by God Himself. I know it is His hand that has been teaching me another lesson of letting my self go and die. Extremely painful, indeed. 😦
I appreciate your honesty about your own struggles, my brother. I do think I know what you were speaking of here and I believe we are all in the same boat as to these experiences.
May God bless you too,
Susanne
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Wayne, I am glad that God could use such a small thing to get your attention. He seems to have to us a 2×4 on me, right between the eyes! I wish we could feel that conviction and heavy heart you spoke of BEFORE we are about to do what He is nudging us not to do instead of after it is too late! But…. maybe with God it is never too late. What I mean is that the nudge and the conviction are all part of the same lesson. Yes, we sometimes end up hurting others in the process and THAT is where I have been beating myself up lately (I tend to be a bull in the relational china closet!). But just maybe He is working on that person who gets offended, too! Maybe we are the catalyst that God is using to show them that they have a root in them that would not have been touched by our error if they had been whole, “Love hardly notices when other so it wrong.” Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound? God forbid. We should ever be striving to obey His voice perfectly. I am just saying that God can even use our sin for His purposes.
One thing I keep marveling at is just how much “mileage” God gets out of every lesson He uses in our lives. I have to keep remembering that “where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.” Even in wounded and broken relationships, those things that are impossible for man to fix are always possible for God.
I love you my brother!
Michael
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