June 2002
Page 1 - Beware of the Stronghold of Cold Love By Francis Frangipane
Page 2 - God Will Guide Us By Kevin McClure
Page 3 - Beauty By Mary Ann Herzan
Page 4 - A Lutheran Charismatic Bible School
Page 5 - Q & A - Speaking in Tongues By Paul Anderson
Page 6 - Directors Note
God Will Guide Us
by Kevin McClureHave you noticed that most of the teaching on this subject puts the emphasis on my responsibility to hear God rather than His responsibility to speak and guide? Yet Scripture places the focus on God's promise to guide us.
Consider Psalm 23: 2-3 for instance: "…he leads me beside quiet waters…he guides me in the path of righteousness…"
Or how about Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
Here are some Biblical facts on the subject of guidance:
One, God is faithful. He will lead and guide. In fact, He'll go to whatever lengths necessary to make sure we receive the information we need so we can make the best possible choices.
Years ago, I was mowing my rather large lawn when my youngest daughter, Grace, then only two years old, made a dash for the busy county highway that we lived on. Before she was even close to the road I hollered at the top of my lungs for her to stop. To this day, I don't know whether she couldn't hear me, or wasn't interested in complying. I only know that she continued on her course for disaster and I did what any reasonable parent would do…I charged after her and intercepted her before she made it to the road.
Some time later I was contemplating a career move and I found myself fraught with fear. I worried over that decision, thinking, "What if I blow it?" It was then that the memory of my experience with Grace came to the forefront of my mind. God seemed to be saying to me, "Kevin, I know you want to please me, and I know you're fretting over this decision. Don't worry. Remember the situation with Grace. Your love for her superceded her ability or willingness to hear you. Do I love you less than you love your daughter?" God's willingness to guide always trumps our ability to hear.
I began to realize that I could move forward. It wasn't like I was faced with one choice that was good and the other bad. Either choice was basically good. At some point, unless you have some very clear direction from God, you need to move forward in faith and make a decision, trusting God to intervene if it is essential to your well being. We can be confident that God will guide us.
Kevin McClure is senior pastor of New Beginnings church in Eagan, MN. He and his wife, Laura, have four children.
