Discernment

Where Are You Going?

I once knew a guy who went on a road trip with the express purpose of traveling rather than arriving. He was determined not to be driven by a destination, so whenever there was a choice of which way to go he turned left. I suspect it was a politically motivated scheme, but he had a pretty interesting trip anyway. He probably missed some interesting sights, but he also saw some things he might have otherwise passed up.

This week our pastor (Jeff Lucas) talked about “the God of the journey.” He observed that God is always about moving, going somewhere, and that He doesn’t just sit back and point like a celestial traffic cop. In Jesus He actually journeys with us.

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Discernment

This week’s word is discernment.

I encountered this term last week in a wonderful workshop offered by Gus Lee. Gus talked about courage and leadership, and one of his key points was that courageous leaders must exercise discernment.

In this context, discernment implies searching beyond what is obvious or superficial. It’s developing and exercising the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent.

Discernment seeks to understand what’s right, true, and best. It searches deeper than what’s expedient or acceptable.

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Learn to Listen

Decades ago, soon after coming to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I wrote a poem about the journey that had brought me to that point. I titled it “There Comes a Knowing.” Though at the time I thought it applied only to the pathway to salvation, I have since come to understand that it is a lifetime journey, a “coming to know” the heart of the Father over and over again.

1 Samuel 3:7
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.

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Does Your Pride Deceive You?

The pride of your heart has deceived you. Obadiah 1:3

We know that most portions of the Scriptures were written to specific groups of people, but we also know that God’s Word is timeless and His instructions applicable to our lives today.

I was struck with that reminder the other day when I read the words in Obadiah: “The pride of your heart has deceived you.” I nearly fell from my chair at the implications — not that I didn’t already know how pride can harden our hearts and steer us into sin, but I suddenly realized that EVERY TIME I have been deceived, it has been because of pride.

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The Bible: Literature to be Studied or God’s Word to Nourish

The Bible consists of a series of letters from the Heavenly Father, to His dear children. Then let us cherish them as such, and act accordingly. A few verses that are thoughtfully and prayerfully pondered, will advantage us far more than two or three whole chapters, merely skimmed through.

1 Peter 2:2
Desire the sincere milk of the Word—that you may grow thereby.

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Faith in Question

Establishing a Diagnosis

Many people will spend more time examining the vegetables in the supermarket than they will spend evaluating their faith.

Generally speaking, faith is relying on what God has done rather than on one’s own efforts.

In the Old Testament, faith is rarely mentioned. In its place the word “trust” is frequently used, and verbs like “believe” and “rely on” are used to express the right attitude one should display to God.

The classic example is Abraham, whose faith was reckoned as righteousness (Gen. 15:6), and at the heart of the Christian message is the story of the cross: Christ’s dying to bring salvation for all.

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