Now, You Realize

 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13).

 

The Holy Spirit is the Epiphany Giver. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth, but exactly how does He do that. In my case, the Holy Spirit will allow me to experience something and then quietly reveal information and understanding that I have lacked.  Often I have walked a road, then suddenly an epiphany occurs. For example, I have come to understand the most of the negative images I have projected onto other people as holding are really my own true feelings and attitudes that I hold against myself. How did I learn this lesson?  Simply, by allowing Holy Spirit to bring healing and balance in my emotions. David said that God desired truth in the inmost parts of our being (Psalm 51:6), and Jesus said that the Holy Spirit leads us into such truth.

Here’s an ordinary, but meaningful example for me. I had been self-medicating for three weeks trying to get rid of a cough and bronchitis, at least what I thought was bronchitis. Holy Spirit had gently, through a friend of mine, told me that I might have a secondary infection and should go to the doctor. I, being of a homeopathic mindset, decided to continue medicating myself, thinking I was getting better. I was coughing less and sleeping through the night.

What I didn’t recognize was that I indeed had a secondary infection. After I went to the doctor, and received corticosteroids, pain medication, cough syrup, and antibiotics, three days in , I was still suffering. Holy Spirit gently queried to me, as he often does, you realize you have walking pneumonia? That is the way He does things. It is not I told you so or why don’t you listen; why don’t you pay attention; it’s you realize, don’t you?

Now, you realize.  In His quiet matter of fact way, not overbearing or condescending, after I have made some healthy progress, Holy Spirit comes alongside of me and says, now, you realize ? He is the  Epiphany-Giver; without Him, none of us can realize anything. We will keep going our own stubborn ways, doing our own stubborn things and failing miserably at life. We will project all of our pain onto others, assume that the problem rests in someone else’s bosom, and  it is really the brokenness that is in our own hearts...

That is why I love the Holy Spirit. He gently reveals the truth and the healing that he has been doing all along in me. Sometimes, it is at night, but always when I am quiet and when I least expect it that I hear his gently voice say, Now, you realize. And when I hear those words, I know that another lesson is almost complete and  more truth has entered my heart.

 

Becoming a Better Listener,

 MJ

 

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The Woman doth protest too much!

If asked whom I resembled in the Bible, likely the least person I would mention would be Saul. But recently as the Holy Spirit has been dealing with me, I recognize that there is some of Saul in me. 1st Samuel 15 tells the story of God asking Saul to destroy the Amalekites. In 1^st Samuel 15:3 to go to attacks and destroy everything to that belongs to them,  do not spare them, put to death men, women, and children and cattle sheep, camels, and donkeys. However, Saul did not follow instructions; instead he captured, rather than destroyed God’s enemies. Instead of killing the terrorist king Agog, he spared his life and saved the best of the livestock to sacrifice to God.

 

 He believed that his ideas were somehow better than God’s. But God rebukes him in verses 22, “Do I delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices in as much as obeying my voice. To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I have been guilty of this kind of misguidance, to say the least. Unfortunately, I have cared more about what people have thought, put a greater impact of being a people-pleaser.

Now, I have followed instructions; I have been obedient. I have done what I was told, but in my heart of hearts, I am like Saul. These people that you gave me- they wanted- that was always Saul’s excuse for not following instructions. The people, the people, the people.  And, that’s me. What do people say? What do the people think? And God is saying, I am more concerned about what I think, what I say, what I require of you.

Hmm. If I am listening to God’s voice, He has made it clear that what He has asked for is obedience. He didn’t ask for my opinion. He asked me to live beyond whatever is rooted wound in me that makes people’s opinions far more inflated and valuable than his command to simply follow instructions. See, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, and that becomes particularly frightening because my  motivations are revealed for the crass, base things that they sometimes are- the need for man’s approval.

Scrutinizing,
MJ