“The heavens declare His glory.”

I used to buy Bible tracts by the hundreds.  One of my favorites was called “The Light.”  In my opinion it gave a simple but clear description of what happens to a person when they are saved.  “I once was blind but now I see.”  First Corinthians 2 also says this clearly when it says how the unspiritual man cannot see spiritual things because they are spiritually discerned.  However in the Bible track and in Scripture even the world can see the reflections of God’s glory.

So I need to be understanding of people who have not yet “seen the light.”  I also need to be patient with my brothers and sisters who have not matured in the faith.  They still have weak faith.  Paul said, I pray that the eyes of their heart will be opened so they can see the power of God within them, that power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead.”

But to those who are passionately pursuing the person of Jesus Christ and pointing others to Him, they must be careful to have a right view of things.  The right view of things has nothing to do with my opinion or yours.  It is God’s view that we must seek.

The finest place to get that view is of course in God’s Word and more specifically, I think, from the Gospels.  The character of God is revealed from Genesis to Revelation and it’s important to get that broad and deep view of Him.  But the most instructive example for me is in the Gospel accounts.  I love the tenderness that Jesus demonstrated to Mary Magdalene and others, the personal instruction He gave to Nicodemus, the great teaching that He did on the Mount, the boldness He had with the Pharisees, His obedience to His father’s will, His relationship to His father God and to His disciples near him.

Does God speak to you?  He does, so the real question is, are you listening to Him?  What have you heard from God lately?  I don’t want you to tell me anything about what you’ve read in the Bible.  I want to know what He has said to you personally.

He talks to me personally.  Does that surprise you?  I hope not.  I used to be afraid of admitting that for several reasons.  One reason was that I really thought people would think I’m crazy if I said it.  Another reason is that I was worried I might hurt the feelings of someone who doesn’t hear from God as if I thought I was better than them or that God loved me more or some other such misunderstanding.  I’m also not sure that I should share with others what God has said to me personally.

There is unmistakable power revealed when God speaks.  His whisper thunders.  His truth cuts deep yet doesn’t hurt.  His touch heels.  Righteousness and holiness go before Him and follow after Him.

Be still, listen, and wait.  When He does speak then worship Him.  I hardly need to say that because that will be your natural response as His child.

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I apologize for not keeping up with my journal.  There have been some reasons for my neglect.  For one thing I just recently got my speech recognition software working again on this computer and I’m so happy about that.  Another reason is that I stare at the screen organizing and outlining what I want to say in my mind and never completing that process nothing is written.

I promise that I will write more journal entries but be warned: they may not be all that refined, organize, or well written at all.  We used to joke about quality control being defined in two words, “ship it.”  Well, I’ll run my work through a spellchecker, but please don’t expect much more refinement beyond that.

There’s a reason I’m picking up this journal again, the reason I started it in the first place.  God has laid some things on my heart that I’m supposed to share with others.  Maybe something I share won’t mean anything to you that I believe it will mean something to somebody else.

Note: Just before I published this entry I went back and read it carefully.  It is so lacking in organization and there appears to be no continuity.  So I’ll summarize my message here.

First, the heavens declare the glory of God.  God is speaking and man, all of us, are without excuse.  I’m not surprised when the unspiritual man doesn’t hear or doesn’t get it.  However believers should be hearing from God every day and throughout the day.  We hear when we’re listening.

To live the life of Christ with us we need to have a right understanding of God, His Kingdom, His plan, and much more.  We should read the Gospels again and again to become more like Him.

I vaguely remember a better connection in my mind between reading the Gospels and hearing from God.  But I seem to have forgotten that connection.  I hope you don’t mind.

Ed