Do not quench the Spirit —1 Thessalonians 5:19
Beware if in sharing your personal testimony you continually have to look back, saying, “Once, a number of years ago, I was saved.” If you have put your “hand to the plow” and are walking in the light, there is no “looking back”— the past is instilled into the present wonder of fellowship and oneness with God (Luke 9:62 ; also see 1 John 1:6-7). If you get out of the light, you become a sentimental Christian, and live only on your memories, and your testimony will have a hard metallic ring to it. Beware of trying to cover up your present refusal to “walk in the light” by recalling your past experiences when you did “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). When-ever the Spirit gives you that sense of restraint, call a halt and make things right, or else you will go on quenching and grieving Him without even knowing it.
Suppose God brings you to a crisis and you almost endure it, but not completely. He will engineer the crisis again, but this time some of the intensity will be lost. You will have less discernment and more humiliation at having disobeyed. If you continue to grieve His Spirit, there will come a time when that crisis cannot be repeated, because you have totally quenched Him. But if you will go on through the crisis, your life will become a hymn of praise to God. Never become attached to anything that continues to hurt God. For you to be free of it, God must be allowed to hurt whatever it may be.
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August 13, 2012
Lord, I know that You will never leave me or forsake me because You told me so. I know that there is no limit to your grace and patience, and yet this lesson implies that if I fail to hear You or respond to the pleading of the Holy Spirit, that You will leave me. What is that all about? On the one hand You tell me that there is no limit to your grace, mercy and love and on the other hand I read this lesson about how I might quench Your Spirit? Your scripture tells me that nothing can separate me from the love of God, and then I read that I can grieve the Spirit of God. Help me understand.
And God says…”When you live in My will and are connected to Me, you can hear Me very, very clearly. When you are listening for Me, you hear Me. Perhaps you can understand it more clearly like this: You will always find Me when you are searching for Me. You will always hear Me when you are listening for Me and you will always be connected when you are seeking connection. You can never hide from Me, nor run away from Me because I will finish the work I began in you. However, I can only be that part of you and your awareness; Savior, friend, mentor and provider, as you surrender these roles to Me. And every time you reject Me and refuse to surrender your will, the more you hear your own voice and less of mine. I came to give you life and life more abundantly, and you can have it as you let go of your own strength. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight. I will never leave you and nothing can separate you from Me, but to hear Me, feel Me and know I am there, you must surrender yourself.”
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