October 4th, 2013
Matthew 25:44-45 — Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Do you ever feel God has stopped talking to you? I do. R.C. Sproul describes the common experience:
There are times when we are called upon to live for Christ when we don’t feel like it, when we don’t have an overwhelming sense of his presence. Every Christian knows what it means to go through the ‘dark night of the soul’. That is when we discover what our faith and memories are made of.
I’m not sure that the thought that started this off was even as grand, though. I think that’s the experience of the mature Christian being given a chance to ride without the training wheels for a while.
What I was thinking of was just something that happened in my quiet time today. I’ve been feeling a bit as though some of my prayers have been bouncing of the ceiling and I said something to The Lord along the lines of “Lord, I’m praying to You, and I’m not feeling the response … and I’m trying to be like Jesus to some of the people I meet, but it’s like I’m banging my head against a wall!” (Yes, I was having a little spiritual pity party).
The response was rather shaming. Now I don’t usually hear God’s voice explicitly. It’s usually a sense of things — of what’s right and wrong. Sometimes it’s something in the Bible. Just occasionally, though, I get a more direct communication. And that’s what happened today.
“Ian, it’s nice that you are trying to be Me to other people — but how is it you don’t see when they are Me being Me to you? You know that guy you didn’t like the look of because of the scar on his face? That was me. Then the one you walked past in Germany the other week — remember? And you walked on by because you gave already? Yes, that was me too. The lady you try not to get engaged with because the conversations are endless … That co-worker that never listens … yes …”
Oh yes. He’s always there. (Or here, or everywhere). It’s just, maybe, that sometimes my eyes and ears aren’t fully open, and God knows I won’t really listen. And none of us like talking when nobody’s listening!