Direction and Guidance

The male ego is not noted for stopping and asking directions. WE were riding with some friends up in the mountains of Idaho. It was a paved road that evolved into a gravel road. Then gravel to dirt and dirt to a barely legible path. But the driver just knew he was going in the right direction to get over the mountain. Our suggestions to stop and ask for direction went unheeded. Finally… and you can guess the rest of the story.

The Bible is a clear road map for effective living and dying. Study the Bible for direction. The Psalmist tells us that “Your Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my pathway.” For direction and guidance, search the Word!

Not only search the Word for guidance, but pray for it. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5

As we read the Word and pray for direction and guidance, Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

The message is clear: immerse yourself in the Word so that God can change the way you think. Then you will know God’s will for you – sometimes at the last minute. To stretch our faith and to increae our desire to seek Him, He often waits until that last moment to guide us in our decision-making.

“I don’t know what God wants me to do,” is an often heard cry for guidance. I am convinced that the all-powerful God is capable to let us know about a decision we are to make – which step to take. However, most of the time it seems He allows us to search all the facts and take responsibility in decision-making which increases our depth of maturation. We can legitimately pray, “God, I’ve searched all the angles I know to make a wise decision. I’ve studied the facts. I’ve sought counsel from wise folk and it seems like this certain way is the path I should take. If this is not of you or not what you want for me, close the door. Make it clear.”

If we don’t get a clear direction from reading the Word or prayer, then I’m convinced God wants us to do what we think is best. As mentioned in the last posting, our maturation process is enhanced as we learn about life through decision making.

Again, “let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you.”

Maturity

Grandpa Ole - tobacco chewing, dribbling off his chin, auctionaire.

I’ll never forget the day I got the keys to our family car. Being 14 and living in North Dakota was all that was needed to obtain a drivers license. Was I mature enough to handle the responsibility? That was questionable, though there were no accidents. Just a bent wheel from going around a corner too fast.

Then, at the age of 20, bought my first car. 1953 Ford convertrable. Pink with a black top. Man, did I think I was the cat's meow! AS important as maturity is to drive a car, much more the maturity necessary for living a productive life. The Bible speaks to tha issue.

Study the Bible for growth in MATURITY.
Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” That is maturity on the highest plane.

Hebrews 5:13-14 also addresses this issue. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Spiritual milk is listening to others expound on the Gospel – written or verbal. Nothing wrong with that. Just go on to add to the milk, meat. Meat, meaning digging into Scripture, meditating on it, memorizing it, studying it, producing a maturity that is stable and growing.

Maturity is best tested in adversity. How we handle the curve balls life throws at us is a measure of emotional / spiritual development. James 1:2-4 gives us a seemingly unattainable challenge in navigating tumultuous waters.
“Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

The Message version of the Bible gives an interesting slant to the James passage. “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

Did you hear that? “Mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” Mature.
To “get out of anything prematurely” is a natural response. Who doesn’t want to get out of pain or turmoil? Even Jesus in Gethsemane prays, “take this cup from me;” or, “I’d sure not prefer going through this crucifixion plan, Father.” That was His human response and initially that will be ours also. However, Christ set the bar when He said, “not my will but yours, Father.”

Initially our response to a pain of some sort is, “ouch. I want out.” But as we grow in our knowledge of God and know increasingly deeper His love and care for us our maturity passes the test when we can say, “Father, I’d prefer not going through this. However, you are sovereign, all powerful, and could prevent this experience from happening. So show me how I can benefit from the trauma I’m experiencing.”

How sweet it is when we can know and trust God so well that we can face anything that life throws at us with an expectant, positive attitude – that all is well. That’s maturity!

Value of Scripture

Every so often, my blog emphasizes the significance of knowing God through Scripture. That is my intent again. Some would call me a “Bible-beater.” But I like success and I see how following Biblical directives accomplishes that objective.

Not the success measured by the world in terms of wealth, power, prestige and personal achievement. Success measured in terms of our ability to understand our own spiritual condition producing joy, peace of mind, hope, contentment, and caring relationships, as well as the spiritual needs of others. So ---

Study the Bible for:
1. Knowing God better and the subsequent results available. 2 Peter 1:3-4:
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

We find out in the following verses that just knowing God isn’t the total answer. We have responsibility in our growth process.
2 Peter 1:5-10 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters,[c] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Bible is the most important resource for receiving spiritual nourishment – without which, there is no growth. I personally think that we need at least 30 minutes most every day in Bible and prayer to keep our hearts and minds tuned to God’s voice for His direction. This is not a legalistic trip to gain God's acceptance, That can be a burdensome, joy-killer experience. Time to “hang out” with God necessitates some discipline to place ourselves in a position to hear from our Creator.

Significance of Scripture

Eighty two percent of Americans profess to be Christians according to the Barna Group, with three-fourths not believing that the Bible should be the standard for their decisions.Application of truth is optional.

Sometimes we are so caught up in defending the inerrancy of Scrfi;pture that we miss its central point: obedience. Byron Paulus, executive director of Life Action Ministries, says that, “Admittedly the greatest struggle I face in my walk with God is not learning more truth, but obeying the truth I already know.” He adds, “Could it be that the Bible’s power is only unleashed when it is lived out by God’s people?

Del Fehsenfield, Senior Editor of Revive, takes it a step further when he says, “The truth of God’s Word must be applied in relationship with others. Without their input I will become hardened to the truth and decieved in my thinkng. It’s a startling thought, but if you’re only applying the Bible by yourself, you’re walking a path toward spiritual ruin.The Bible was meant to be received and understood in community.”

It seems we have become an individualistic society less prone to seeking the authority of Scripture. “When there is no authority in religion or in politics, men are soon frightened by the limitless independence with which they are faced. They are worried and worn out by the constant restlessness of everything, “ states Alexis de Tocqueville about the 19th century Americans. I doubt if this century has seen any change. The authority of Scripture seems not to be a significant issue.

Howard Hendricks of Dallas Theological Seminary states: “The greatest problem in the church today is that we have an increasing number of Christians who are under the Word of God but not IN IT for themselves. Being under the Word of God should be a stimulus – not a substitute – for getting into it for yourself.”

The Bible says of itself:
Psa. 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
2 Tim.3:16-17 LB The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.

The Bible is my guide and my light for effective living. It is the mirror that reflects that part of me that needs growth so that I am becoming “fully equipped to do good to everyone.”

Spiritual Journey

Golf is a spiritual time for me. I pray a lot!!!

Believing that one way to learn about the most important endeavor in life – knowing and experiencing God, is to hear people’s stories describing their walk with God. So, one of my favorate questions to ask people is, “How are you doing in your spiritual journey?” This makes some people feel uncomfortable. If so, I’m hoping it will set a spark off in their desire for deeper intimacy with God.

“Burwick, where are you in your spiritual journey?” Glad you asked. As mentioned previously, fear drove me to seeking Scripture’s answers. In my search, I was reminded that “perfect love casts out all fear.” Knowing that God is the only Source of perfect love, I was drawn into a desire to “sense – feel” His love. I know that we can’t live by feelings, but that is where I was in my spiritual journey.

My normal disciplined life of memorizing passages of the Bible, prayer and Bible study ceased. It seemed as though God was telling me, “Your quest for me has become burdensome. Let’s just hang out together, Ray.” I think my natural tendency to perform, to achieve for approval and recognition had morphed into my walk with God. So at that point the disciplines ceased and I just “hung out” with God. I sensed His love. It was like sitting in His lap, His arm around me, speaking gently, “Ray, you are mine. I love you for just who you are. No performance necessary.” It was a very special time for me.

After a few weeks, stirrings arose to place myself into a position of, as Augustine would say, “creating habits that incline us to look for Him.” Back to the habit of considerable time spent most days with God in meditation, prayer, Bible and memorizing. But it had a different texture. Not for approval. He already did approve of me. Not for recognition. That was His responsibility. Psalm 75:6-7 “For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another.” Just a desire to know Him more intimately.

So that is where I am on my spiritual journey. Where are you? Would love to ask each of you that question and have eyeball time to listen. Second best format is for you to email me at rburwick@mindspring.com or comment on the blog site.

Hope - Source of wholeness

Just like laughter leads to healing, so also does “hope.” In my many years of counseling practice, one of the more productive questions I’d ask my clients was, “How could the pain you’re experiencing be a good thing.? What can you learn through the adversity you are experiencing? Why is this good for you?” Those sound like very cold and unfeeling questions. And they would be if I hadn’t walked through the pain with them first so that they understood I empathized with them.

Those questions can lead to hope when the situation looks hopeless. In the context of the totality of Scripture, the Loving God who is all-powerful, who actively works in human events, could have somehow alleviated the adversity. So if that didn’t happen, then He promises to cause everything that happens to His children who are walking with Him to be used for our good.

Consequently, as a person walks through their pain, feeling it fully so as to avert repression, there comes a time when a decision must be made – either be a victim or be a victor. A victim looks at the circumstances and is overwhelmed by them or at best assumes a survivor mode.
How can one be a victor in a hopeless situation? Romans 15:13 tells us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” AS our focus changes from the situation to searching how God wants to use this for our good, hope can bring healing. And peace. And joy.

I sometimes get that question asked of me. A few months ago, as I lay in a Denver hospital experiencing a loss of strength in my legs – lying there for hours waiting for the doctor to give his diagnosis, telling Theresa, “If he doesn’t come very soon, they’ll have to admit me to the psychiatric ward.” “It was then that Theresa asked, “Why is this good for you, Ray?” She tells me that if looks could kill, her burial would have emminent.

She got a kick out of sharing this story at my birthday party this week, because the people there have heard that question from me at some time or other.

May the God of hope (not the hopeful or hopeless circumstance) fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God aligned or self-willed

Sleep much inproved last night. Thanks to those who were praying for that.

A word from Augustine of Hippo: "regarding my lust. Desperately longing for genuine love, I polluted the stream of friendships with the foulness of lust, and clouded its purity with the dark hell of illicit desire."

It is my opinion and that of many others, that there is a deep desire in all hearts for God, for His grace. On our own we cannot turn to him. God who sees our difficulty, sends Christ. We accept him or reject Him , all the while God is sending His prevenient grace that seeks to draw us to Himself where He promises to meet all our needs. We abort that process by by seeking to get our needs met out of some created presence rather than from the Creator. REsult? WE polute the stream of friendships with our self centeredness, and miss out on the abundant life that God promises.

We are either God-aligned or self-willed. A moment by moment choice. "God, show us (me) the shalowness of needs met outside of the Creator. Forgive me for shifting my longing for love to others rather than to You. Thank your for your grace.

Squirrel stealing bird seed out of one of my "christian barn" bird feeders. located at the Leonig's house.