To me, the most precious and special moments are when I hear God speak, and it may seem like the most trivial thing, but it takes over. Those moments are the ones I treasure the most and remember the most. They make me feel and think differently. There's a contrast from all the other moments I have experienced.
I had a great moment while driving to youth Friday afternoon. I was cruising along, enjoying the warmth of the sun, windows down cold air breezing past my face, when suddenly I started thinking about my church's debt. We have still a ways to go in terms of paying off the building at this point. Where did this come from? I decided to continue on with it and following that thought, I said to God:
"If you wanted, you could have one member in the church win the lottery, or have some anonymous rich person donate just enough to pay off everything...You could do whatever you wanted in order to pay off this debt and have Cedarview now free to give offerings to serve you in other areas of ministry. But you won't. You could, but you won't. Because I guess that's not part of the plan. There's more to this situation that meets the eye, it's not about money, there's a lot of spiritual growth that comes out of this process.. But wow God, wow are your plans so amazing. Intentional, unfathomable and good."
Now I know one of the first thoughts that would spring to your head is "The lottery is gambling and that's not what God wants us to do. The Bible says so, Leah." Yeah I get that, but all things are a gift of grace and can be used to glorify God. But hold your horses, the lottery isn't the point. If you're focusing on that, then you're missing the whole focus of the story. This was a God moment for me.
In this moment I was strongly encouraged. God could very well make our lives easier, and give us such a "gift", that we might free up money to glorify Him in other areas. He could provide in HUGE ways. He could miraculously send in tidal waves of money somehow. But He doesn't. And He won't. That all comes back to the goodness of God, and the specific plans He has in mind. He has in mind deeper and better things.
All this wondering put me in awe of Him. In this moment He showed me a facet of His character. My heart has been changing from a heart of stone to one of flesh. It has gone from being hardened against the Spirit of God, in my old days, to being softened and mold-able; I have been given a heart that is becoming more and more perceptive to God. I know God has been working a great thing in me, because of the space of mind I have that says "Wow yeah, God," as opposed to my old fall back: "No duh."
Never "No duh" people or yourself when it comes to God. There are moments that we say "Obviously, no duh, God does that all the time. It's not shocking to me that He worked that way, or that He is that compassionate. No duh God's that gracious, I knew that all along." Let us never find ourselves saying that to ourselves or to one another. Instead be in awe of what God has done every time.
There are many basic truths that we "No duh" to people and to ourselves. We may know God is good and loving, but then there are moments when it really hits you. Those are special God moments. It's those moments when you start off saying: "Oh yeah Jesus loves me," then in a moment of quietness or some situation, you find yourself saying: "Oh man..whoaaaa Jesus loves me." God makes it a reality to you. Just like Peter:
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-17, ESV)Those are the moments not to be shut down with a "Well yeah, what did you expect, no duh." Those moments of revelation have been brought about by God to the specific individual, and are to be marveled at.
Always seek to be perceptive to God. Seek to listen and to be gracious to one another. Glorify God in all things, and spend those moments with Him.
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