“God, who do you want me to marry?” Like most people in their mid 20’s, I had asked God this question too many times to count. I was following hard after God and deeply wanted to please the Lord. I knew that besides following Christ, who you marry is one of the most important decisions someone makes, especially anticipating the additional stresses of ministry and the challenges of missionary life. I knew it would take a special person to, first of all live with me, but secondly, to go anywhere and do anything the Lord commanded.
And so, I met this intelligent, spiritual, deeply committed Christian woman. (Who I couldn’t take my eyes off of!) We spent time together and, amazingly, it appeared she didn’t mind hanging out with me either! She was as committed to God and ministry as I was, if not MORE. But after one school year together she graduated and due to immigration and visa issues, she either had to go back to Brazil or we had to get married!
Now my prayer changed to “God, do you want me to marry Valorie??” I fasted and prayed and sought counsel and scoured the Scriptures for a sign. I put out “fleeces”, cast lots, and would have consulted the Urim and Thummim if I could have found them. None of these brought back a “Yes” or “No” answer from God. I looked for a “sign from God” and got nothing. What was I doing wrong? Was I not spiritual enough to hear from God?
This Sunday we continue our series on the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” In fact, in the first 17 verses of Romans 8, there are 17 references to the Pneuma (Spirit) that we talked about last week. God’s Spirit has plenty to say to us, but are we really listening? How much of our “seeking God” goes back to wanting God to make our lives easy, comfortable, or “safe”? Francis Chan writes, “I believe part of the desire to ‘know God’s will for my life’ is birthed in fear and results in paralysis. We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God’s will.”
I encourage you to read and meditate on Romans chapter 8, not just the beginning or the end, but also the rich teaching on the Holy Spirit throughout this amazing chapter. If you come to the first service, Messiah Brass will be playing the service prelude of a hymn tune based on Romans 8, “Jesus, My Joy,” arranged by J.S. Bach.
See you Sunday,
Kurt
P.S. Yes, we’ve been married for twenty-seven years, so you’ll have to come on Sunday to hear the rest of the story!!! 🙂