We are in danger of getting into a bargaining spirit with God when we come to Him—we want the witness of the Spirit before we have done what God tells us to do.Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to you? He cannot. It is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the way as long as you won’t abandon yourself to Him in total surrender. Yet once you do, immediately God witnesses to Himself—He cannot witness to you, but He instantly witnesses to His own nature in you. If you received the witness of the Spirit before the reality and truth that comes from obedience, it would simply result in sentimental emotion. But when you act on the basis of redemption, and stop the disrespectfulness of debating with God, He immediately gives His witness. As soon as you abandon your own reasoning and arguing, God witnesses to what He has done, and you are amazed at your total disrespect in having kept Him waiting. If you are debating as to whether or not God can deliver from sin, then either let Him do it or tell Him that He cannot. Do not quote this or that person to Him. Simply obey Matthew 11:28 , “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden . . . .” Come, if you are weary, and ask, if you know you are evil (see Luke 11:9-13).The Spirit of God witnesses to the redemption of our Lord, and to nothing else. He cannot witness to our reason. We are inclined to mistake the simplicity that comes from our natural commonsense decisions for the witness of the Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature, and to the work of redemption, never to our reason. If we are trying to make Him witness to our reason, it is no wonder that we are in darkness and uncertainty. Throw it all overboard, trust in Him, and He will give you the witness of the Spirit.

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October 22, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, when I ask for help and rescue You tell me that You meet me right there; at my need and request. You tell me to ask and to expect a response….. “Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open.”  If that is the case, then why do I feel so helpless and so vulnerable when my needs are great and Your rescue not evident?  I know You love me, Your sacrifice proves that. So how do I trust, believe and surrender my own methods for Yours when I cannot see, touch or feel You dealing with my needs and rescue?

And God says…”My ways are not your ways. Imagine that My vocabulary is more than a trillion words and yours is 100,000….. How do we communicate? Imagine that you need to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch to acknowledge Me moving in your life and to your rescue. I am not limited by your senses, nor am I limited by your capacity to understand.  You must simply surrender and trust Me to be God, trust Me and not your own senses and awareness.  And when you cannot find the faith to surrender and trust that I will meet all your needs, allow My love, grace and mercy to fill your gaps and provide the faith, hope and mercy you need to still claim my promises. “

Luke 11:9-13The Message (MSG) 9 Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. 10-13 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”