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discerning the spirits, entering his rest, experience, freedom, God's guidance, God's love, God's voice, light in the darkness, pain, peace, rest, restlessness, Satan, Satan's voice, the dawning of a new day, wisdom
A Stony Saint – Banz Abbey, Bavaria
(Photo by Susanne Schuberth)
Imagine that… You experience after a long time of restlessness, fears, doubts, and various pains deep rest that encompasses spirit, soul, and body to an extent that was not known to you before. You cannot grasp how and why it happens, but you eventually can lay back in the arms of God and let Him do what He wants to do. You only watch Him, amazed at His way of dealing with your life – and you only rest.
Suddenly someone suggests to you that in order to keep that almost perfect peace of mind, you should instead read Scripture with an open heart so that you could hear God better or sing some songs in order to not stop praising God who helped you through another trial which had been very hard for you. Why you should do these things? He says that you need to be prepared for the next trial.
Dear reader, could you imagine that such suggestions came from Satan, not from God?? They sound so holy at the first moment, don’t they, and I really read them this morning in a book from a saint who died about 600 years ago. If I followed this advice, I could be sure of losing not only peace of mind but I am also convinced that some of my fears would reappear, those that made me always think I could never “do” enough for God. It was not easy for me when I read that basically “not so bad” book to realize why I felt more and more uneasy. Although I only browsed the pages, I felt eventually repelled by its “holy-doing-for-God-centeredness”.
Brothers and sisters, I do not want to mention the name of the book and its author here since he also wrote a lot of good things as well. There is only one great concern I have right now: May we not be too easily impressed by the life stories of others saints, but rather listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice deep in our hearts who leads us all in different paths. In fact, there might be a word that is good and true for someone, which could do harm to another at the same time. May we respect God’s ways of dealing with our brothers and sisters just as He sees fit. I assume that needs a lot of patience and, perhaps, silence on our part, when we listen to God’s voice and to what others really want to tell us from their very hearts.
Much love ❤
Susanne
Entering the Promised Land 
Thank you for posting this, it is the right word at the right time for me.
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I am so glad it was the proper word for you, Dimple. Thank you very much for sharing your opinion so immediately with me. 🙂
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🙂 Reading this shows me you’re on the same page/wavelength as me. There are so few Christians who would agree with what you wrote! I have been put off by Christians/churches before with “holy-doing-for-God-centeredness”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know their hearts, and some of them for sure were better Christians than I. I’m not where they’re at now, and have struggles beyond what they had right now.
I suppose God won’t always convict us when we should be convicted. If we love and respect God, we will endeavor to seek Him and do His will, rather than doing good to please Him or doing righteous things purely out of duty rather than out of love. Since it’s a relationship, and not buying our way to God’s affection.
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I am glad to hear we are on the same page, James. 🙂
Well, good and better Christians are terms I so often hear here in Germany too. When someone dies, that good Christian worked in the church, for the church, and served the poor. Not wrong these things in themselves, but without knowing Christ, we are not really “Christians” as Rom 8:9 confirms,
“Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (ESV)
We do not know the hearts of others, only God does, but I believe if we trust in Jesus, we are always on the safe side.
You so rightly said that it is a relationship we have with God, in which we (should) know we are unconditionally loved. “Buying our way to God’s affection,” sounds somewhat Roman Catholic to me… 😛 It is good that we do not need to follow any rules imposed on us by others. Heart obedience alone is what God desires. “Out of love…” YES!
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Gaby has said it perfectly in her comment and you Sue said it perfectly in your post–I just had an experience of it in our convocation this weekend and now on the start of a new week I go to Papa and say to Him–but what do You say to me–I am listening.
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Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, Ken, as always. It is wiser to first listen to Him, but sometimes I could only realize this truth because I of NOT having listened. 😉
May you be blessed while listening to God, my brother.
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Thank you for the post. I believe that we are so quick to preach method to people. We are not the Jews who made laws that became known as fence laws. A fence law was man made to prevent the person from breaking a God given law. No, we don’t call our counsel of ” what to do” fence laws, but some times they are. My present approach is to see if it is what the Lord has for me. If it is – good. If it isn”t – good. For many years I would feel defeated if I did not follow someone’s well intended advise. If I did follow it, many times it brought depression. If I ignored it, the enemy was quick to tell me that I was a rebel. I was a coward, so I was often confused and depressed. The longer I live, the more I appreciate the Lord telling us to be brave. So many negative emotions that I have endured could not have been had I been brave.
Love,
Pat Orr
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You’re so welcome, Pat.
I believe your present approach on what God has been telling you is very wise. Actually, I suffered from the same “disease” you so aptly described. I also followed any advise, exactly the way you did, and suffered from the same consequences. The biggest problem arose when I got advise from two people and their words were contradicting. UGH!
Apropos being bold, or “standing firm”…
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chr 20:17 ESV)
Love,
Susanne
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The part that really makes my hairs stand on end is the “getting ready for the next trial”. If I’ve just been through terrible affliction and finally find peace, I certainly DON’T want to be reminded that there will be more tribulations to come. It’s like you’re finally at peace about the death of your mum and someone says, Well, your dad will die too, and your brother, and your sister, and your best friend, so get over it. Yes, deep down we know the path to life is an afflicted path but it’s not just that. There is joy and there is peace along the way, a peace beyond understanding, a joy that is complete in Christ. If you’re experiencing that, the best thing you can do is just enjoy it. Yes, usually that peace and joy will lead you to read the Bible or sing songs of praise, but when obligation gets into the picture out come peace and joy.
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Well said, Carina. “What do I need to do next to please you,” does not belong in a relationship that is based on love. Rather, we just want to be with that person and do whatever comes natural IN that love. There is a world of difference between love and duty and God is love.
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Yes, “getting ready for the next trial” evoked feelings of disgust in me as well, Carina. Indeed, Satan does such things. Whenever you have climbed a hill and find peace and joy and all good things in God, Satan comes in with insinuations like, “That won’t last long, see there is the next valley ahead, sooner of later you will have to suffer more than before,…” such and similar nonsense which is not always easy to get rid of. But God holds against that,
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:11-13 KJV)
Indeed, obligation plus peace & joy, that does not go together at all. Either it is love or it is obligation.
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Dear Susanne, You brought out a good point on how the enemy comes in and tries to steal our peace and rest in God by getting us to do the religiously “right thing.” Jesus was resting in His father in the wilderness and Satan came to Him and tempted Him to “do something, even if it ain’t right!” “You are the Son of God! Turn that stone into a loaf of bread. He doesn’t want you to die of hunger, does He?” Or, “You are the Son of God and it is written that He gives His angels charge over you least you cast your foot against a stone, Throw yourself down off the peak of this temple and show all the faithful that you came to fulfill this scripture as the Messiah.” No, He knew His Father’s voice and He knew His heart and He rested in Him until God said to do otherwise. Necessity can be a cruel deceiver.
This was also a good point you brought out about just how personal our Father is with each one of us. When Jesus told Peter how he would live and die for Him, he wanted to know how that might apply to John as well, but it did not! Jesus said to Peter,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go”….”Follow me.” Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved and had said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” (John 21:18-22 RSVA).
Keep listening to our Daddy’s voice, dear sister. You are a blessing in the things He gives you to share… and you are also a blessing when He tells you to be silent. ❤
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Dear Michael,
I was just wondering whether I should remain silent or rather reply to you now. Boy, I am just kidding… 😀
Yes, I will keep listening as long as the Lord gives me an ear to hear Him. And you, please, keep providing the proper Scripture in our responses, dear brother. You are a blessing to me, too, and I have seen that our blog posts and comments are getting more and more complementary when they spring from the flow of His inspiration. ❤
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Susanne, yes, I have noticed that too. Amazing what happens when the saints of God become ONE in His Spirit and are no longer trying to out-do the other or impress any one… but rather flow together as one body IN Christ’s love with each member responding to the Head.
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Yes and amen, Michael. Let’s go flow… 😉
(Baaad grammar 😛 )
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Beautifully written…Jesus said my sheep know my voice and a stranger they shall not follow. As a born again believer we must have a close relationship with the Father so, we can know his perfect will for us!! Often times, there are leaders who have qreat revelation and insight. But, a person must know what’s directly for them and not follow a pattern that was divinely given to another.
Great article!! Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks a bunch for your very edifying words on here, Renee! ❤
Oh yes, we should know HIS voice and not follow any other, very good point! Thank you for the reminder, my dear sister. Your advice as to how we should hear what is truly for us is wise advice ( sounds funny, doesn’t it… 😀 ).
You’re most welcome as to the article, dear Renee.
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You are welcome!!! Blessings!!!
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Every blessing to you too, Renee! ❤
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Dearest Suzanne
It seems to me that the person suggesting all those things has the same problem Paul addressed in his letter to the Galatians; forsaking grace for another form of law. Well, we know that it is either law or grace. These two never mix!
Blessings XX
Mia
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Oh yes, dear Mia, you are absolutely right. Great observations”! ⭐
Every blessing to you! ❤
Susanne
xoxo
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A survivor of child abuse, raised as a Roman Catholic, I had a strong tendency toward workaholism. It seemed to me that I was my defined by my work. Only when my health failed, did I come to understand the difference between doing and being. Only then did I come to understand that God loves us b/c of Who He is — not b/c of what we do.
Thank you for another thought-provoking message, Susanne.
With love,
Anna ❤
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You’re welcome, dear Anna.
It has been rather similar for me regarding life and religious history. I also have had the tendency to work my way through this life. Eventually, it was my frail health as well that set the boundaries I had not been not able to set. I read elsewhere that we have even had some similar health issues (herniated disks).
By the way, my posts are always thought-provoking for me, too, since I never know beforehand what I will write about and sooner or later I realize that God tests me as to the things He gave me to share. Not always thaaat funny… 😛
Love to you ❤
Susanne
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