Guidance - Pt. 5

As we draw close to the end of this wee series on guidance in the life of the individual, I want to look at the test of guidance - how may we be sure that the guidance we believe we have received is genuine!

Actually, we have touched on this in the last post, as it is often tied in with the means. There is, for example, the test of God's written Word. Not only may we be guided through our reading and study of the Bible, but we may also lay all other guidance and advice alongside the holy Book. Nothing can ever be from God if it goes, plainly, against the clear teaching that is provided therein. To take a simple example - sometimes we learn of someone convicted of murder who blames God because "voices told me to do it"! That may, for a mentally-distubed person, be true - but those "voices" were not from God. How may I be sure? Simply because His Word states, very clearly: "You shall not commit murder"! (Ex. 20:13). Of course, this doesn't just concern direct commands, or prohibitions, but also the very spirit that underlies them.

Another test is that of common sense. As a general rule, we need to think for longer, and do so more carefully, about any course of action that even appears to be against common sense. There is, of course, one important proviso - that it is sanctified common sense, not merely that which the world would recognise. Many of the greatest heroes in God's service have been considered madmen in the eyes of the world. I am coming to the end of reading, again, through the book of the Acts of the Apostles (or the Acts of Apostolic Men, or the Acts of God the Holy Spirit through Apostolic Men). A few days ago, I read of Paul's testimony before Agrippa and Festus. It is Festus who bursts out with: "Paul, you are mad; your great learning is turning you mad." (26:24).  Mind you, I also recall my afternoon Sunday School teacher (those were the days!) making the very valid point that the trouble with common sense is that it isn't very common! 

The third test, I would suggest, is that of circumstances. Because circumstances may restrain action just as much as they may spur us into it. You see, we view situations, and circumstances, from the point of view of time. Almighty God is above, and beyond, time. He sees from the perspective of eternity. Speaking through His prophet, Isaiah, He says: "... I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, ... " (46:9-10). He is the "I Am" (Ex.3:14) - eternally present with all of our time spread out before Him; able to see the end from the beginning. That job for which you applied; that you were certain you would get; but for which you were passed over! He not only sees you in your disappointment, but also sees what is going to happen next week, next month, next year, or whenever. And His way is best! 

I often share our experience when we were moving to France on a more permanent basis, and needed to purchase a house. The problem was that, in order to do so, we had to sell our house in Scotland. We set a price, and the house was advertised - but there were no takers. We reduced the price - no joy. We then changed our estate agent and, eventually, an offer was made. The 'phone-call came on a Friday, and I asked for time to speak with my wife. Then, at the worship service on Sunday, the pastor's wife approached me to inform me that she and her husband were interested in viewing the house for them to purchase for his imminent retirement. I explained that we had just had an offer, but that if they were quick about making a decision, I would prefer to sell to them. The earliest that they could come was the Thursday of the coming week. I agreed and, on Monday morning, 'phoned the estate agent, explained the situation, and asked if they could put the other couple off for a week. Our friends arrived, and I asked for a decision by that evening. They made their decision - the house wasn't really what they wanted.

On Friday morning, I 'phoned the estate agent and instructed them to accept the offer already made. It was a week later before they called me to tell me that they were having difficulty contacting the couple. It was another two weeks before they called to let us know that they had, finally, managed to make contact - but that the couple had already purchased another property! I may not have been totally devastated - but I was close! I had some unworthy thoughts about my pastor and friend (I didn't tell him, of course but now, so many years later, as he is on this mailing list, he will find out!). It was some months before we eventually sold, at a price £10k less than had been offerd by the earlier couple, but ----------- in the intervening period, the exchange rate between the £sterling and the €uro had changed dramatically, and we ended up with considerably more euros to spend in France than we would have had if we had sold to the earlier couple! Once again, we discovered that God's timing is always perfect.

Next week, DV, we will look at the experience of guidance in the lives of some others. 

Until then!

Baggage, or blessing?

Baggage has been on my mind quite a bit, over recent months.   First of all, as we prepared our Motherwell house to go on the market, I had to explain to the Estate Agent that the loft, while having provided two bedrooms for my daughters while they lived with their mum and me, the house could not be advertised as having those two bedrooms.  This was the instruction given by the architect when I wanted to convert the loft, almost twenty years ago.  He explained that the space that I wanted to use as a stairwell would not allow for a stairway that met all of the current regulations.  It would be either too steep, or too narrow.  Accordingly, I was advised, I could only advertise a "floored loft with permanent access", and call it "baggage storage space"!  Needless to say, my daughters were not amused to discover that they were merely baggage!

Earlier this week, we travelled back to France.  With the house on the market, we had to empty everything that we were not prepared to leave.  We had borrowed a friend's baggage trailer, and anyone familiar with the song "Granny Fraser's flitting, fae Aboyne tae Aberdeen" would understand why that song was going through my mind! 

Today, I managed to get almost all of the items that we had brought across, and that hadn't already been stored in the static, into the garden shed that we built two years ago.  It was quite a job - and I already know that, when I start work on completing the balustrade around the terrasse, next week, there will be at least one tool that I will require that will be at the back of the shed!  Such is the well-known 'Murphy's Law'!

However, I started to think of all of the baggage that I carry around in my life.  The regrets; the hurts; the complaints.  They are things that do nothing for me except weigh me down, and hold me back.  The writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:1-2). 

And, of course, there is no need for me to bear that burden.  That same Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30).

Are you burdened as you read this post?  Are you weary, and bowed down under the weight of your own sinfulness, and sin?  Then why don't you come to the Saviour Who, alone, can provide cleansing and salvation.  John writes: "... if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7 - worth reading the full context!).   That's an amazing statement!   In the context of this post, it means, quite simply, that all of my baggage was dealt with at the cross - as long as I don't keep lifting it up again!

John Bunyan, in Pilgrim's Progress, writes: "So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up to the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the tomb, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then said Christian with a happy heart, 'He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.' Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the water down his cheeks.

Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him, with 'Peace be to thee.' So the first said to him, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee'; the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with a change of garments; the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the heavenly gate; so they went their way." 

Baggage, or blessing - the choice is yours!