WE SHALL NOT DIE - Reading With the People of God #17নমুনা

Radical Obedience

Waiting on the Lord isn’t a passive waiting. We wait on the Lord while going and doing as His Spirit directs us; learning biblical obedience. Each step taken in this way provides us the opportunity to know more about Who our God is and what His still small voice sounds like. The goal: learning how to surrender our will and align our hearts with God’s will. Surrendering is learning to wait on the Lord. We don’t wait until we have it all figured out to be of use; if this was the measure of our usefulness, not a single one of us would ever be qualified by this standard.

All throughout scripture, we see examples of godly men and women walking with the Lord, led by His Spirit. Most walk right into danger with no fear for their own personal well-being. What faith!!! I believe this example of bold, fearless faith that is woven throughout scripture exemplifies what it must look like to be in constant contact with God’s Holy Spirit.

I imagine Holy Spirit as a golden thread connecting us to Himself, God, and Jesus; receiving what our Lord wants us to know and prompting us where to go, giving us discernment on how to operate in any given situation or moment. Others house the same Spirit we recognize because of this beautiful connection, this golden thread, if you will.

In today's reading in Acts, pay attention to the details of Paul's journey, he travels and moves according to where God’s Spirit directs. When others indwelling the same Spirit prophesy of his impending arrest in Jerusalem, Paul does not lean on their interpretation of what Holy Spirit is revealing to them. Paul knows exactly what must be done because of his own connection to the same Spirit.

I imagine Paul having conversations with Holy Spirit in his secret place within himself, praying without ceasing, and receiving revelation knowledge of how his brothers and sisters in Christ will, in fact, know ahead of time of his impending arrest, but that they will allow fear of the outcome of this knowledge to dictate how Paul should move. Paul's bravery and courage, and total lack of fear in man is something to really ponder.

Primer contributed by Ardena Hamill, Celebrate Recovery encourager with Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla