“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”.
Romans 8:14 NKJV
Welcome to the 21st week of our Devotional Recap. This week, we were reminded what it takes to properly understand the Bible, to be open to hearing the still small voice of God and we were encouraged not to despair but to keep spreading the Gospel regardless of persecution. We were also reminded that we are always led by God and in order to grow in leading, we need to be patient and seek His word.
We kick-started this week on Monday with a reminder on understanding the Bible. There are three core ways to understand the Bible:
The first is having a good Bible teacher as seen from the experience between the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip (Acts 8:31). The second is through spending quality time in studying the Bible (2 Tim 2:15). The third is recognizing the Christ-centeredness of the Bible just like Jesus and the apostles did when they preached about Christ from the Epistles (Luke 24:25-26).
On Tuesday, we were charged to be encouraged regardless of the persecutions we face. Instead of being in despair, our response should be to pray for the persecuted and be more confident about preaching the gospel because God is for us and no one can be against us (Eph 6:19-20, Col 4:3-4, Rom 8:31, 2 Cor 4:8-9, Rom 8:31, Phil 1:14).
Wednesday’s study highlighted being led by the still small voice of God. Many have idolized spectacular leadings and therefore, missed out on spirituality ( Matt 12:39). We must be open to the still small voice of God leading us just like it did so many people in the Bible (Acts 16:6, 1 Kg 19:12). In following simple and subtle leadings, we train our hearts to trust God and be open to even more leading from Him.
On Thursday, we were reminded that we are always led by God. God’s leading and our perception are intertwined because God leads us through inward witnesses which we perceive. God’s leading is not always visible or physical; sometimes He leads through impressions on our hearts or giving subtle nudges (Acts 18:5, Acts 27:10). As we go on studying the word, praying, and seeking His face, we must remember that God can lead us in any way He chooses, so we should be open to His ways of leading.
We rounded up the week on Friday by learning about growing in leading. In leading, God’s word is paramount because no matter what kind of leading we receive, whether spectacular or otherwise, we must test them and base them solely on God’s word (Psalm 119:105). One major sign of growth in leading is patience; it is wise to seek confirmation and wait for further instructions when we hear a word from God (1 Thess 5:21, Phil 2:13).
According to our anchor scripture, we are led by the spirit of God because we are sons of God and have been adopted into His family (Eph 1:5). God wants to lead us and He wants us to grow in leading. Remember that every step in our Journey with God is important so we must not skip the process, even as we grow in His leading.
Bible Reading Plan:
Mark 15:42-47, Galatians 5:13-26, Psalms 117, 2 Samuel 22