Not too long ago I heard an excellent talk by John L. Lund, who I have been a fan of for years, but this hit a particular nerve for me. (Maybe due to miracles I have seen). After sharing this with several close friends in need, today I felt the urge to share these ideas on my blog.
I hope they help someone out there. If it's you, God bless.....if not, pass them on to someone who might benefit.
There will be times in your life where you need the hand of God to move you forward. We all have those times, and life was designed to push you to your limits and cause you to grow, but it isn't always easy. Dr. Lund teaches 5 principles of divine intervention- how God intervenes in our journey. (these are from the class series "How to Hug a Teenage Porcupine")
1- The Lord will soften your heart, or the heart of another- this may cause a change in behavior or life choices, or a softening on your side to no longer be burdened
2- The Lord will give you strength- this is a noticable, definite gift of strength beyond your own, blessing you with resolve to continure through your trial in faith
3- The Lord raises someone else to do what you can not. Another person enters the situation, your life, or the life of another, and does what you are unable to do. Their presence in your life brings about the changes needed and they can offer the help you seek
4- You undergo an Exodus- you are (or the person in need is) being led on or you are led away, perhaps a new location, relationship, or job. It can come in many ways, but it leads you out of the trial that binds you into your present state
5- The Lord removes the problem - the issue is resolved or suddenly removed, often in a merciful and miraculous way
I was touched by these concepts the moment I heard them. Not only do they help me know how to pray for help and guidance (as you can see possibilities are often beyond our own vision) but I have also been able to reflect back over my life and see how many times divine intervention has blessed me. It can happen again and again for all of us. Recognizing this gift can strengthen your faith for future trials, and giving thanks for past help can bring about a great positive shift in thinking as you gain more confidence in the Lord.
A few things to remember as you seek divine intervention;
Sanctify your life. Kick out the obvious harsh stuff....I know God loves you no matter what, but it gets hard to pick up the signal he sends if we aren't tuned in properly. Clean up the things that make it hard for you to hear God in your life. Bad temper? Too much drinking? Reading or watching things that aren't uplifting? You get the idea...these things make it hard for us to see the angelic hands in our lives.
Pray. Just pray. Talk out loud to God and dump it out...he is waiting to hear it (he knows it all anyway!) so get real and let your heart speak and break before him. If you feel your prayer needs some extra voltage, then fast. Skip a meal or two (or 3) and go somewhere where you can talk to God alone, out loud. I am what most people would call a 'religious' person, but that is only because I adore my religion as it teaches me how to get closer to God. This is what prayer does, this is what fasting does. Especially when you do it right. Push your physical a bit so you can rely on your spiritual self. It can be life changing.
Be patient. God is orchestrating a symphony, not a solo, in which you are a beloved instrument. Give him time to work out all the parts, and he will come through for you. That I promise. (for more on this concept I recommend the book The Shack by Paul Young....it will uplift you and open your eyes to the wonders of God in the midst of trials, in a very simple story that has some powerful concepts, it is not doctrinal, but very interesting)
The trick is to remain in the beautiful place that only the faithful can be in. A place of peace in the midst of troubles. A place of stillness in the middle of storms. For me, it means repeating scripture or hymns when negative thoughts choke me, and it works.
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| my shepherd will supply my need |
The above collage I made for a friend who recently lost a child after an ugly adoption battle that she had taken home from the hospital and raised as her own for almost two years. She struggles daily, yet still remains faithful and humble in her trial. She is an incredible example to me of how to truly rely on the Lord when our strength is spent.
If she can do it... so can you.
May you be blessed this Sunday and allow God's hand to direct your life.
Life is good.... God is better
4 comments:
Thank you, dear Ramona, for sharing this. I am struggling, day after. I keep telling myself to leave up to God, and I do reallly try, but sometimes I feel alone and scared. Things are so tough. It feels like my ife is unravelling, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I find myself praying a lot, but I feel like I need to seek out a church. Or, at least a work book, group, etc, to help me focus. Will look up Lund and check him out.
I am sorry for the loss of your grandmother, but I know she is in good hands! xo
Thank you for posting this. I heard this same talk a few years ago and think about it often. I didn't take notes and today (been a stressful 2 weeks for my family) while trying to help comfort my mom, I searched for this talk which brought me to your blog. Enduring through faith is sometimes the hardest. A crystal ball with the future would be great sometimes!
And here I am again,needing to hear this to help me and my struggles.
It seems I keep coming back to this talk. I am so glad the post is still here. Today, more than ever, I needed to remember these things as I go through one of the hardest and lowest periods of my life.
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