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Glimpses of the Future
I was in the basement of the church where we work with preschool children on skills which are needed in preparation for kindergarten. Imagine a lively and noisy and extremely challenging scene with energetic 4 and 5 year olds. Out of nowhere, I heard his name mentioned. I started with the same old attitude when something flashed across my conscientiousness leaving me actually feeling compassion for this character! It left me knowing struggles for which he is poorly prepared lie in the near future. It left me wondering why I was given this insight: was it simply to help me adjust my attitude or will I play some kind of role in his struggles.
The little flashes of insight that alter our focus so we are mentally prepared for future events are one of the greatest benefits to this walk with God. So often the flashes of insight seem a mystery when they occur. We puzzle over what we have learned, we wish it to return in slow motion, but it does not. What we grasp at the moment is all we get until it is "God's time" for more to be revealed.
"Whenever God gives a vision to a Christian, it is as if He puts him in "the shadow of His hand" (Isaiah 49:2). The saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a "darkness" that comes from too much light-that is the time to listen. The story of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16 is an excellent example of listening to so-called good advice during a time of darkness, rather than waiting for God to send the light. When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word. Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11)." --Oswald Chambers
Jane Mullikin
There's a person who really annoys me. I tried, for a time, to be friendly and he thanked me by trying to take advantage of me. As I began to distance myself, he started using manipulative lies to hold on to me. He was really getting under my skin and the more I tried to remember all the good stuff about forgiveness, understanding, compassion and empathy, the more I disliked him. The mention of his name made my blood boil. This, of course, made me even angrier at myself for having such a negative attitude. I was above this, I had to change my attitude--and then it happened!
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