Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box

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An experience in my office always stands out in my memory and would be followed by multiple amazing moments of God revealing and speaking so intimately to my clients…

“One of my first clients was going through deep grief and was referred to me through the front office. I remember driving to the office praying for her and for Jesus to lead the session. He assured me that He would indeed lead. What happened would forever transform her faith and mine in hearing God. I invited her to ask Jesus for Scripture to confirm what she was hearing from Him. She opened her eyes and confessed that she didn’t really know God’s Word very well. I remember telling her, “It’s okay. He knows the Bible better than us. He may simply give you a reference.” I couldn’t believe I said that, and she looked at me like I was nuts. She closed her eyes and asked the Lord for Scripture to confirm what she sensed Him telling her. Soon, she did indeed hear a passage reference. I asked her if she knew what it was. “No,” she said. I handed her my Bible, and she looked it up. Tears streamed down her face as she read it to me aloud. We both were in amazement. What she read was exactly what the Lord was showing her. My heart did somersaults. She felt deeply that the Lord heard her heart and saw her situation. This woman is in a completely different place today.” (Excerpt: “God, Show Me More Of You” )

In the midst of life’s wilderness, these words from Isaiah below resonate, offering comfort and hope like a refreshing stream in the desert. Walking through such wilderness, I recall the tender moment above when God’s reassurance echoed in the midst of a challenging journey, much like John’s clarion call…

(Enjoy the Word and the Questions to Ask below…)

Isaiah 40:1-11 (MSG)

Prepare for God’s Arrival

40 1-2 “Comfort, oh comfort my people,”

    says your God.

“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,

    but also make it very clear

That she has served her sentence,

    that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!

She’s been punished enough and more than enough,

    and now it’s over and done with.”

3-5 Thunder in the desert!

    “Prepare for God’s arrival!

Make the road straight and smooth,

    a highway fit for our God.

Fill in the valleys,

    level off the hills,

Smooth out the ruts,

    clear out the rocks.

Then God’s bright glory will shine

    and everyone will see it.

    Yes. Just as God has said.”

6-8 A voice says, “Shout!”

    I said, “What shall I shout?”

“These people are nothing but grass,

    their love fragile as wildflowers.

The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,

    if God so much as puffs on them.

    Aren’t these people just so much grass?

True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,

    but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”

9-11 Climb a high mountain, Zion.

    You’re the preacher of good news.

Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.

    You’re the preacher of good news.

    Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid!

Tell the cities of Judah,

    “Look! Your God!”

Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,

    ready to go into action.

He is going to pay back his enemies

    and reward those who have loved him.

Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,

    gathering the lambs in his arms,

Hugging them as he carries them,

    leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.”

Mark 1:1-8 (MSG)

John the Baptizer

1 1-3 The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

Watch closely: I’m sending my preacher ahead of you;

He’ll make the road smooth for you.

Thunder in the desert!

Prepare for God’s arrival!

Make the road smooth and straight!

4-6 John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.

7-8 As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”

Questions for Pondering:

1. How do these verses reflect God’s unwavering presence and encouragement in the midst of life’s challenges?

2. In what ways do these passages speak to your current wilderness or areas of your life that need God’s reassurance?

3. How can John’s message of preparing the way for Christ resonate in your life as a catalyst for transformation and hope?

Questions to Ask Jesus:

1. Jesus, how can I prepare the way for You in my heart and in the lives of those around me?

2. Lord, show me how to find solace and strength in Your comforting presence amidst life’s uncertainties.

3. How can I echo John’s call to prepare the way for Your arrival in my daily interactions and encounters?

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