Sep 01

Being Love, God naturally desires to speak to us gently in his Spirit of Love. He would be like a suitor wooing his beloved to be released from the bands of mind and heart which upset the spirit within us, and rather be released into the freedom which comes with aligning ourselves with his ways:

"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food" (Job 36:16).

That is his first choice. But if we, his beloved, rebuff his wooing of our heart, then he will resort to arranging circumstances that try that heart and thus are meant to lead us to that precious listening heart so necessary to receive life from him who is Life. If we have not heard him speak gently, perhaps we will hear him speak to us in our suffering and thus he will accomplish his goal of delivering us in that way:

"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction" (Job 36:15).

This does not mean that every time we suffer affliction that it is because we have refused to listen to God speak to us in other ways. But we should always be mindful of this possibility. Whenever we suffer, one question we should ask is if we are in any way out of God's will. If so, he will deliver us through the testing. If not, we will still grow through the circumstances. Either way, God speaks to us and we benefit.

Scripture for today: Job 36:15
Thought for today: Not all I suffer is because of my sin -- but some may be.
Prayer for today: Show me, Lord, where I am off track, and put me back with you as the center of my life.

SEP 01