A Promise
A blog reader e-mailed me and wrote: "God has given me a promise that He has someone out there for me". She is after a male partner that is of the opposite sex, and she has been waiting for some time. Why did she e-mail me? I'm not much of a match maker.
But I am wondering how God promised her a partner. It brings up the question, how does God talk to us? Through what is written in the Bible I guess. That, and a sense of awe and mystery when we inspect the universe. I don't remember seeing anything in the Bible that promises us a partner, although various other promises are made. So then, does God speak to individuals and give them messages more specific than that in the Bible?
But I am wondering how God promised her a partner. It brings up the question, how does God talk to us? Through what is written in the Bible I guess. That, and a sense of awe and mystery when we inspect the universe. I don't remember seeing anything in the Bible that promises us a partner, although various other promises are made. So then, does God speak to individuals and give them messages more specific than that in the Bible?
posted by Jonny at 7/28/2008 09:39:00 pm
9 Comments:
At the moment I'm reading a novel called The Shack. It's a best-seller right now--Google it for more info. The main point of the book is that God wants relationship with us, and that the only way to live an authentic and fulfilling life is to live it in, with and through him. That requires two-way communication. I'm not very good at it, but I believe it can happen.
things like prophesy, and tongues with interpretation - but then all these should be weighed ( discerned). I found mark driscoll confession i really interesting example of how God can reveal his will in varous ways to build up the church.
no the bible doesn't make that promise. and i wonder if discernment is used when people say those kind of things but then in a way its up to them to judge.
I just wonder what harm may come if someone thinks God made that kind of promise to them but it wasn't God and it doesn't happen
I think it is unlikely that God gives any of us a promise of a partner, or anything like that.
You're right, Jonny... and I would rather go with what the Bible DOES say than what it clearly does NOT say. However, I agree that there are times when God uses things like a particularly on-point sermon, a friend's encouragement (which may take on a "prophetic" implication), etc., to remind us of his sovereignty, encourage us, or show us the better of two choices.
Astrid, I think a big issue with "discernment" (which I agree is incredibly important for the believer) is that it gets misinterpreted as "I have to hear personally from God about every tiny detail of my life." John Eldredge, for example, just wrote a book called Walking With God in which he encourages believers to pray and wait to hear from God about everything from the color of the paint in the bathroom to what day of the week they should go pick out their Christmas tree. That, I think, is not what is intended when God commands us to be discerning! :)
"Guidance and the Voice of God" was one of very few books that I had read, and this addressed some of those issues. Such as laying out the fleese and things like that.
yea thanks Laura that walking with God book is expecting too much. and I think that's bad. people will be disillusioned. even jack deree a prominent promoter of revelatory gifts points out that the apostles went through times of silence it didn't appear as though the apostles were always spoken to by God.
I had issues with the peter jensen guidence and voice of God - I haven't actually read the book but I have heard him speak on the topic . it was like we have the bible and God will only work behind the scenes from now on. I accepted it because I consider God being able to do what he likes but I found it impersonal. I now believe that God does work through revelatory gifts.but I continue to read the bible and rely on the spirit to live the life I ought to in grace with freedom. but then if god reveals something to me through the various means I will 'weigh it'. for me this change in my beliefs ie being somewhat charismatic has been a huge encouragement to my life with God to know that God will intercede if need be when I pray for guidance instead of nothing really.
Astrid, you might try The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies. I haven't read it, but I read Challies' blog and he has a lot of good things to say -- and the book has been very favorably reviewed by people whose opinion I trust.
The issue for me with Eldredge's view of "discernment" is that it leads to two dangerous things (at least).
1. A separation between Christians who "know God's will," i.e. the super-Christians that God speaks to, and the "ordinary" Christians who seem not to hear from God about stuff like their wallpaper.
2. Total paralysis in decision-making, stemming from not using your brain and instead waiting for some sign or feeling to show you that God has given you direction. I strongly believe that for the Christian, the ordinary way of making decisions goes like this: Learn, study, and love God's word. Use the mind that God is sanctifying to make wise decisions. Rinse and repeat. But too many people seem to think that's just not "spiritual" enough. A Christian's life IS spiritual -- it's life IN the Spirit! And it can look very ordinary, but an ordinary life lived faithfully still results in "Well done, good and faithful servant."
I'm putting this on my own blog so I can yammer away there instead of continuing to hijack Jonny's.
That is a good summary Laura, I agree.
So do I.
But we are more than just minds.
Not everything is rationally discerned. So God may sometimes guide us by means we don't fully understand.
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