“Thus saith the Lord…that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers.” Isaiah 44:26
Dear Ones:
Is has been written of Samuel, that “…he grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” (1 Samuel 3:19) This means that the Lord so worked in Samuel’s life, that his words were not wasted or empty, but stood the test of time and circumstance, thus proving that he was a prophet of the Lord. How did Samuel know what to say, how to judge, doing so in a manner that the attention was always directed towards the Lord? It is explained by the simple phrase, “…for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” (3:21) Samuel, before he was born, was consecrated to God by his mother. She had committed him to be the Lord’s all the days of his life. At a certain point in his life as a boy, God revealed Himself by speaking to Samuel. From that point on, Samuel learned to live according to the word of the Lord, as His word was the bedrock, and foundation for God’s works. It was as He gave to Samuel His words, with great clarity, that the conviction of their truthfulness would be confirmed by the peace and assurance that the Spirit of God would give him.
The Apostle Paul tells us that God has given us, “…the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Eph. 1:17) This anointing, or unction, of the Spirit, has been given to the believer that he might know, “…the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Cor. 2:12) What are these “things,” even “things above, which are objectively revealed, and clearly expressed in the word of God? The are increasingly known as this “Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” takes the objective truth of the word of God, and quickens it to our hearts, opening our hearts, giving us understanding. With regard to conviction and confirmation, the Spirit of God not only “…bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God,” (Romans 8:16), but leads us. Paul wrote: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14) One of the great acts, or works, of confirming to the believer that he or she belongs to God, is the convincing work of the Holy Spirit, who actually, tangibly, leads the disciple in “…paths of righteousness,” those paths which are right in the sight of God. He is that One who guides them into all truth. But how does one know, and become assured, that the Spirit of God is speaking specifically through the objective word of God?
When teaching his students, specifically young preachers of the Gospel, on how to discern what they should preach, Charles Spurgeon would say: “Preach that which you most smartingly do feel!” He would say this in accordance with two things. The first thing would be clarity, clarity of understanding concerning the truths of the Gospel and their application to life. Thus, David would pray: “Teach me Thy way O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of my enemies.” (Ps. 27:11) There is power when the clarity of the message is like the clear, resonating sound of a trumpet. The second thing is the ministry of the Spirit of God, the very Spirit of Pentecost, given to strengthen the believer to believe. Faith is both simple and very complex, because of all the variables of pressure, opposition, distraction and distortion, that can affect it. The Spirit of God is given to the disciple to strengthen him or her to believe wholly in God, trusting Him whole-heartedly for His peace, and the assurance that only God gives. When the believer is in unison, conformity with God in mind and heart according to His will, then He gives His peace and power. The peace of Christ becomes an umpire of the heart, approving the will of God. The true preacher preaches that which grips him, in truth and Spirit.
Dear Father, Grant to us the conviction and confirmation of the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad