Eyes on JesusSample

Did you ever look ahead in school at the math books of future grades? Maybe a sibling brought home their books and you glanced through them thinking, “I’m never going to understand this stuff!” 

It becomes evident that once you learn the rules of math, practice, listen to the teacher, and progress at the right pace, the later material that looked so hard actually wasn’t as bad as it seemed (regardless if you like math or not).

The Holy Spirit brings revelation, and is a source of our discernment as Christians. God is constantly training us, growing us, showing us new things so that when we make progress towards sanctification, we should be able to look back and see how far we’ve grown. Ten years ago, we may have never seen ourselves being the follower of Christ that we are now. We should keep pursuing our Father as He always has more to reveal. 

“When the Spirit illuminates the heart, then a part of the man sees which never saw before; a part of him knows which never knew before, and that with a kind of knowing which the most acute thinker cannot imitate.” A.W. Tozer

If you are like me, you need to read some of Tozer’s writings a few times to grasp what he is trying to convey, so read that again if your brain just glossed over it.

Just like in math, if we are obedient to the rules (the Bible), listen to the teacher (Holy Spirit), practice (read the Bible), and progress at the right pace (understand where you are at in the Christian race and have grace for those who are in different stages than you), then we will be able to discern much more than we would have in our own earthly knowledge. 

Reflect: How can you pray that your relationship with God advances through the next few years? What does that look like in practical steps (ex: Bible reading, less sin, more vibrant prayer life, etc.?) Pray that prayer now.