**Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life? Click here: http://christianwomentoday.com/growth/spiritfilledlife.html
by Gail Rodgers
I said some unnecessary things I shouldn’t have and she heard me. I knew the Holy Spirit was nudging me to apologize to the lady I had spoken about. I mentioned it to a friend and she immediately told me I was too sensitive, it was nothing and I should just forget it. So I did. From time to time it crossed my mind. In my heart I knew I should have carried through with my sense of what the Holy Spirit was telling me.
Sure it had seemed like a little thing, but God specializes in cleaning out little things that do not reflect His character in our lives. Sometimes it is our own “common sense” that over rules the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I didn’t really understand this until years later when I read a story from God’s own Word in Matthew 16:16-23.
Life Lesson: Biblical perspective on the end times
Experience It: Living in the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus walked and talked with His close followers. They saw Him do miracles of healing and miraculously feed the 5000 from one small lunch. They shared the dusty road together, shared simple meals together and talked long into the night. The disciples began to understand, in a deeper way, just who Jesus really was. Then He told them this startling news….
“From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hand of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21).
Peter was appalled by this thought. Surely it could not be so! He took Jesus aside and promptly told Him that such a thing would never happen to Jesus! Peter knew who Jesus was and it was unthinkable to him that the Son of God would ever be treated in such a way! His common sense told him this could not possibly be right! Jesus responded in a very surprising way.
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).
“You have in mind the things of men!” It is clear that when we see things in our own wisdom we can actually be a stumbling block to God’s plan.
Peter’s common sense, and that of my friend, both had in mind the things of men. Both just seemed to be good common sense. Yet both were stumbling blocks to God’s plan.
Even our common sense needs to be committed to God for His insight into individual situations.
~Father God,
Help me today not to allow my own common sense to block what Your Holy Spirit may be saying to my heart. Guide me I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.
Questions: Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit leading you to do something that defied your common sense? How did you respond? Does common sense come from God?
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Many times, I have said I am sorry for saying or doing something that I knew I shouldn’t of said or done. If I don’t I have a feeling of guilt for not doing what is the right thing to do by saying sorry.
I know this is the right thing to do by saying I’m sorry. the Holy Spirit is talking to me at times like this when I need to do the right thing.
Several years ago when I was a single mother (I’m remarried now) I wanted to take my kids on a summer vacation. The first year we drove maybe 5 hours from home and camped. It was rainy and too cold to swim. We followed the map from the camp office to the mall for something to do. It turned out to be a huge outlet mall where we could spend a nice morning and afternoon without blowing our budget. The next year I was a little more adventurous – I had learned to pray and to trust in God’s leading. We drove around lake Michigan and up through Illinois. When I reached Chicago I was beginning to get a little nervous about taking the right exit to get on the big turnpike. The kids were getting cranky and I think they could feel my anxiety. Then I found the next set of exit markings on my directions list and was a little more at ease. I called to the kids in the back to look at the beautiful river as we crossed the bridge but they had fallen asleep. It was like the parting of the red sea the way I breezed through the city and got on the turnpike to Madison. We had more trials but at every turn God was there telling me to trust in Him that he would guide me and keep us safe. I’m from a little town of 300 with no buses or traffic lights. When I took driver training in high school we had to drive 30 minutes to get to a highway to practice merging and onramps and exits but I had just drove through Chicago. It was a gift from God telling me that I could do anything I set my mind to and I will always be grateful. Common sense would have told me to do something closer to home but then I would never have learned that lesson or been the example to my kids.
Pearls of Wisdom in this devotional..Holy Spirit Wisdom..not that of the human or “common sense”! HE will lead us and we sometimes are led “on the Road Less Traveled”! But with His Holy Spirit in controll..and obeying His Nudgings? Results are always better than our common sense would have dictated! Praise His Holy Name..and Spirit!!
This devotional reminded me to always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
I unfortunately, will respond from how im feeling at the time (just keeping it real), like most prefer not to get out of my comfort zone, but trust he will lead me, and embrace his promise that he will never leave me or forsake me.
I have to remember this statement, as told by my good friend; “If he brings you to it, he will bring you through it”. Yes, Fran do beleive what you mentioned in your post that with his Holy Spirit in control and by obeying his Nudgings? The results will always be better than our common sense.
My common sense always tells me “You know that Person is not going to hear what you have to say, and you’ll get cussed out, just look at them their angry at the world, you must like abuse, but the spirit always tell me, “THere’s more than what you are seeing on the surface, speak to that person, encourage them, and smile.
Where ever I am , I must take God with me and hear his voice and obey his Holy Spirit when reaching out to others. Thank you Lord!
Good teaching. It brought this “common sense” woman up short recognizing that common sense is not always “God sense”. Running around day to day I can and do lose track of who is in charge. So perhaps it’s a reminder for me to slow down enough so that I can consiously and deliberately turn my common sense responses over to the Holy Spirit and listen to His promptings.
You ladies bedazzle and encourage me with your great spiritual insight on here..each and every day..just wanted you all to know that..including the Lord-Led devotionalist that wrote this piece!!! Today in the car, out on Monday errands, the Lord moved so strongly on our hearts to place a small love gift in our son’s account. He is starting an acting career in NYC..and paying his own way..Put himself through college with work, scholarships, etc..Doing a “day gig” in an office to help in present circumstances, too! But very strongly, three different times, the Lord moved on us to place this in his account! We cried when we saw what he had left in there to live on until next payday..He’d never have told us as he doesn’t want us to worry and knows our tight budget!..And we are so glad that we listened to the “nudgings” of the HOly Spirit who knew this need!It was a small amount, but he has learned here from us how to stretch small amounts to meet huge needs. We thank the Lord for all we’ve gone through and what we’ve learned! My husband supported me 100% because he knows that when the spirit is moving this strongly..it is real and urgent! Am so glad we listened! Our “common sense” has to move out of the way and the Lord takes over and helps people in our pathways! Sometimes..total strangers, too…It isn’t always funds, of course..sometimes, it is an encouragement to someone, a prayer lifted when HE brings their faces and names to us..Sometimes, something as simple as a smile that changes a person’s whold day around..And those come back to us just when we need it, too! It is so very true that if we will but let HIM? He will use us to be his feet, his hands..his love outreached in human form! We are so humbeled when HE does that through our “cracked clay pots”..and so very, very honored.
You ladies bedazzle and encourage me with your great spiritual insight on here..each and every day..just wanted you all to know that..including the Lord-Led devotionalist that wrote this piece!!! Today in the car, out on Monday errands, the Lord moved so strongly on our hearts to place a small love gift in our son’s account. He is starting an acting career in NYC..and paying his own way..Put himself through college with work, scholarships, etc..Doing a “day gig” in an office to help in present circumstances, too! But very strongly, three different times, the Lord moved on us to place this in his account! We cried when we saw what he had left in there to live on until next payday..He’d never have told us as he doesn’t want us to worry and knows our tight budget!..And we are so glad that we listened to the “nudgings” of the HOly Spirit who knew this need!It was a small amount, but he has learned here from us how to stretch small amounts to meet huge needs. We thank the Lord for all we’ve gone through and what we’ve learned! My husband supported me 100% because he knows that when the spirit is moving this strongly..it is real and urgent! Am so glad we listened! Our “common sense” has to move out of the way and the Lord takes over and helps people in our pathways! Sometimes..total strangers, too…It isn’t always funds, of course..sometimes, it is an encouragement to someone, a prayer lifted when HE brings their faces and names to us..Sometimes, something as simple as a smile that changes a person’s whole day around..And those come back to us just when we need it, too! It is so very true that if we will but let HIM? He will use us to be his feet, his hands..his love outreached in human form! We are so humbeled when HE does that through our “cracked clay pots”..and so very, very honored.
Chris, I definitely understand about forgiveness. When I was a child, I had a very trusted and close friend who abused me sexually. This person is still in my life today. Abuse is not something that is easy to forgive; however, the Bible commands us that we MUST forgive others for whatever they did to us so that Jesus can forgive us. I struggled with this for many years. I would think, “I’ve forgiven him all I can.” I kept feeling the prompting to forgive him more. I can remember turning my face toward heaven and saying, “God, I Have forgiven him. I hear you telling me to forgive him more, but I don’t know how. I’ve done all I can. Teach me.”
One day the Holy Spirit was speaking to me as I drove around and was singing and praising God. I said something that had to do with being so grateful that Jesus had forgiven me and changed my life. Very clearly the Holy Spirit said, “You have to forgive him. And to do this, you are going to tell him that you love him, you have forgiven him, and that Jesus Christ has forgiven him too.” I can remember chuckling saying in all the comfort of knowing that with our finances it would be awhile before I saw him I boldly said, “You set it up and I’ll say it.”
You got it. At Christmas 3 months later, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table with this person having been snowed in an extra day and I felt the preverbial tap on my shoulder and a reminder of my promise that if He’d set it up, I’d say it.” I did a double take and went, “Oh yeah, I did say that. I don’t know if I am capable of carrying through. If you want that said, you’re going to have to just let the words flow out of my mouth somehow.
About 2-3 seconds later, this person looked me bold faced in the eye and asked me how I was doing. How I was really doing. He said that he had worried about me for a long time because he hurt me so bad a long time ago. Before I realized it I said, ” person’s name, I am doing fine. In fact, I’m doing great. I have forgiven you. Jesus Christ has forgiven you. You have to forgive yourself and then get up and quit feeling sorry for yourself and get on with your life.” About 1/2 way through I was stunned the words were flowing out of my mouth.
I looked up and this man broke down, hung his head and cried like a baby saying he didn’t know if Jesus could ever forgive him. But, I could literally see this ball of shame, a HUGE ball of shame roll up and off his back and crash to the floor disappearing immediately. That man, got up, went filled out a job application (very first my mom hadn’t filled out for him since they were married), got a job collecting debt and repossessing cars (a man who had been intimidated by the very thought of working) successfully I might add. He started back to church and joined a men’s prayer group.
I know this is long and I apologize, but I really feel the Spirit leading me to tell you the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say. So, 2 years later at Christmas, I found myself leaving my abusive husband and taking my son with me to a shelter. I had called my mom before I left my job and explained what was going on. She told me to be sure I called when we got somewhere safe. It was about 6 hours later that we got settled & I remembered to call. This man was sitting on the phone. He must have been. It only rang 1/2 a ring before he picked it up. He was crying and over the next year my husband & I were separated while God put our family back together again, that man became my source of strength and encouragement. His prayer group adopted my son & I in prayer daily. He helped me get through that next year which included 3-4 hospitalization of my son, who has emotional behavioral issues and wasn’t dealing with the separation well at all.
I shutter to think what I would have done had I not had the heart to forgive this man as the Holy Spirit asked me to do. Some days he was the only thing on this earth that was a comfort to me. To this day, we have a bond that is like no other I have ever experienced with anyone else. Some days that bond is so strong my mom gets irritated by it cause I can get through to him when no one else can. It is a Holy Spirit thing.
May God Bless the reading of this testimony and share it with the eyes and ears that need it. May God work as powerfully in your lives as He has in mine. I am stunned everytime I tell this story. In Jesus POWERFUL Name, AMEN!
Thank you Debbie for sharing that with everyone. I for one know it is so hard sometimes to really forgive someone for what they have done to us. I am praying for you. GOD BLESS YOU
HE has used you with this powerful testimony, Debbie..Thank you for the courage to share..We Praise HIM for you!!
Thanks for the comments Chris & Fran. So many times, Christians don’t take seriously what the requirements on forgiveness are and harbor hatred and anxiety and fear in our lives. Only God can heal those things, but the healing takes place at the beginning of the forgiveness. I might add it took me about 10+ years to move from my forgiveness of him to God requesting that I forgive him more. It takes time but God is good and He is faithful. God bless you and thanks for letting me know you read it. Debbie
For Debbie
Thank YOU, dear Debbie, for your great courage and for showing others the way to forgiveness! The wrong done to you was absolutely a horrendous thing, yet with your Lord and HIS Holy Spirit..A miracle unfolded. This example will help others who think they can’t forgive. I, for one, am just blown away by this mighty testimony. And being in tune (and obedient) to the Holy Spirit brought this miracle in your life (and the person who did the harm) about. God Bless you. And, Hallelujah for God’s might power revealed through a yielded life!! Anyone who thinks they “can’t” forgive will think again after reading your powerful sharing.(((((((Debbie)))))))