For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. ~Psalm 47:7-9 NIV
Yes! God is indeed doing a new thing!
I am excited to tell you: I have been accepted into a program for training spiritual directors. In case the term is new to you, a spiritual director, in broad terms, is a companion or witness to another person’s spiritual journey. Also called a spiritual guide or spiritual companion, the director meets with a person (or group) to explore together how and where God is working in the person’s life. Spiritual direction provides a safe space to pray, listen, and reflect.
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Speaking to an agrarian culture, Jesus often used images of farming in his teaching parables.
Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
The Lord’s word through his prophet Hosea was a promise of forgiveness and restoration to his rebellious people Israel. Their sin caused them to suffer, but after two days God would revive them as if from death to a new life lived in his presence. As Christians we recognize this “third day resurrection” as a foreshadowing of Christ’s triumph.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
These are daunting words. When we pray David’s prayer, we ask God to look through our defenses and expose the life we keep hidden from others and even from ourselves. We ask God to show us the terrifying, ugly realities of our thoughts and choices that make us anxious and miserable. We give the Holy Spirit permission to hold up a perfect mirror and reflect the imperfections that grieve our Father’s heart.
