God’s Strange Yet Faithful Guidance

01 Aug God’s Strange Yet Faithful Guidance

Posted at 08:00h in English Service, Featured by

Preacher Huijun - 23 July 2015

Be Wise, Choose Christ

All English Service

Mt 2:1-23 In our christian faith, do we often find ourselves sitting on the fence? While we do not reject Christ, do we truly accept Him? Do we truly seek Him for who He is instead of how we want Him to be? Do we truly yearn to have fellowship with Him in our spirit, and delight in knowing His heart for us today? If we’re to introspect our hearts today, we will often realise that our relationship with God is often contaminated by hypocrisy and selfish motives - sometimes, we subconsciously come to God for certain personal gains, not genuinely convinced that God has already prepared the best for His children, all He really want is our inner joy in Him first. There’re also many moments in our lives when we’re just contended with our outward worshipping of God (going to many church meetings, serving fervently out of our self-will) that our hearts start to turn numb towards the truth of God. We have grown to know the truth of God on the outside, without connecting it with our hearts and let it becomes the substance of our thinking, speech and living. We sometimes run into the danger of thinking the truth is not something we can do at this point of time, and want to test the threshold and wait a little more before we want to submit to God, and be led by Him. Familiarity breeds contempt. As time goes by, the indifferent spirit deepens and takes roots, giving the devil increasing foothold to work in our hearts to doubt the love of God, to belittle the promise of God, to give up on the fellowship with God and His people. Through the message shared today, may the truth once again shines upon our hearts and expose the indifferent spirit within us. When God exposes us this hidden channel of Satan’s work, it’s because He wants to protect us from turning to a King-Herod-like man who rejected Christ and became the slave to sin. He’s always working in our lives to carry His perfect will to completion, and He delights in us being in partnership with Him and enjoy the glory together with Him. Choose life by choosing to fight the indifferent spirit in our life, so that we can grow in genuine fellowship with God. When our strength seems to be running out in the fight, God being God He is, will add on strength and grace to continue fighting, for He is always on our side.

Related Topics: Knowing Jesus | More Messages from Preacher Huijun

Download Video     View Notes

More From "All English Service"

Powered by Series Engine

<Exodus 13>

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

 

Strange: Led them on a detour when there was shorter route.

  • Few days/weeks journey >>> 40 years

 

Why God’s guidance was so “strange”?

1) God know things we don’t <v17>.

  • Danger unbeknown to us.
  • Our faith level, what we can bear and what we can’t.
  • Yes, God will stretch us, but not “over-stretch”.

 

2) God was setting the stage for His greater victory and Pharaoh’s bigger defeat.

 

The best way is not the shortest, fastest or easiest way, but God’s way.

  • “Shortest” may become “furthest” from the Promised Land.
  • What is important is not shortest, but “safest”.
  • “Hard” way may be the “easier” way.
  • Longer, harder way >>> learn to completely rely on God, build faith and resilience.
  • Longer, harder way >>> better manifest God’s glory.
  • Even if God gives us shorter, faster, easier way, will we surely follow God?
  • It is not whether the route is short/long, easy/hard, BUT whether we are guided by God.
  • Do not only aim for “fastest” way in evangelism.
  • Be careful of letting a person serve in important position too fast.

 

Must not be too quick to grumble.

  • Sometimes when look back, we may even thank God for not answering our prayers.
  • Learn to find reasons to thank God for certain detours.
  • Wherever God leads us, His presence will be with us.
  • He will not keep us in the wilderness forever.

 

Our problem: Hard to see God’s guidance without a visible pillar of fire/cloud.

  • God wants us to restore living by faith, not by sight.
  • We received what is better than pillar of fire/cloud: Holy Spirit and God’s word.
  • Holy Spirit guides not just outside us, but within us.
  • God’s word is light and fire <Ps 119:105; Jer 23:29>.
  • Not true that it is easier to follow God if we have the visible pillar.
  • The problem is never “God didn’t guide us”, but “we didn’t follow Him”.

 

Reflection

  1. Can you find any reasons to give thanks for the detours you went through in your life? Why is the fastest and shortest way not always the best and safest? Share how you have confirmed that God’s way is the best way.
  2. How can you see and follow the guidance of God without a visible pillar of fire/cloud?
Print page
Avatar
Preacher Hui Jun
[email protected]

Huijun serves as Secretary of The Blessed RUN Ministries. She is also the Preacher at The Life Church and Missions (Singapore). She graduated from Singapore Bible College and currently lives in Singapore with her husband, Chengji.

No Comments