In Position to Hear From God

On our last trip to San Francisco, I had a chance to go to Muir Woods with the family.  If you have ever been there, it will remind you of many things including the movie Planet of the Apes (which I recommend) and more importantly, the benefits of silence.  Along the walk, there is a place called cathedral grove where hikers are encouraged to be silent and hear the sounds of an ancient forest.  My first reaction was that this was the advice of tree-huggers going too far but I was tired of the kids talking so I had everyone stay quiet as a game.  Oddly enough, I greatly enjoyed  hearing the sounds of nature.  There was something very calming and beautiful about the blend of water flowing, birds chirping, and trees rustling in the wind.

It's amazing that just a mere thirty minutes away from the noise of the city, there is this serene sanctuary that makes you feel like you are hundreds of miles away.  Here it is possible to hear sounds that are all but drowned out by the hustle and bustle of life.  I imagine that one of the reasons why we so seldom hear from God is because of the background noise in our lives.  Television, phone, work, just general busyness can keep us from being able to discern God's voice.  As the prophet Elijah learned, many times the Spirit of God speaks in a gentle wind.  The onus is on us to position ourselves to hear when this wind blows.
As we move forward with plans for the church plant, I realize that it is imperative that we hear God's voice clearly.   In the first week of July, we will officially be sent off from the Church of Southland to begin this new church that has been a dream for nearly the last two years.  We have so many important decisions to make such as the name, physical location, leadership selection, which ministries to start, and the list goes on.  In all of these matters, we can rely on our own rationale or we can choose to depend on the Lord for His wisdom and guidance.  We all know what is more preferable and so I pray that the entire church planting team will position themselves to hear what the Spirit is saying as we take these next exciting steps of faith.

The Cross: God's Answer

In speaking with Christians and non-believers alike, the arguments against putting our complete trust in God comes mainly from our emotions and experiences as opposed to our intellect.  The common questions that keep us paralyzed in doubt comes primarily from our hearts.  Will God really provide for all my needs?  Is God truly concerned about me and what is good for me?  How will my life be impacted if I decide to give everything and follow?  Even the question of how a loving God coud allow for human suffering comes from the position of our emotions and until we have a sure answer for all of these types of questions, we can never be set free to follow wholeheartedly after God.  And this is where the cross comes in.

Through this singular act of love, God answers all of our doubts and puts all our fears to rest.  In response to our questions, God asks us some questions of his own in Romans 8:31-32.  If God is for us, who can be against us?  If He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  This is what is typically known as an argument from the greater to the lesser and the logic is very simple.  If someone is willing to give you 100 million dollars, you would have no doubt that the very same person would be willing to give you 10 dollars.  In the same way, the very God who did not withhold his own begotten Son, would he or could he turn us away empty handed from the lesser things of this life?
Ultimately, everyone of us will have to wrestle with questions of this nature.  Do I truly believe that God gave his Son for me?  The answer to that will color the way we perceive God and whether we will live in continuing doubt or come to an unwavering trust in a loving God who is always for us.  During this Easter season, I pray that we will truly reflect on what Christ has done and what that should mean for us.