Spiritual Intuition

How can we be sure that God--whom we have never seen, or touched, or heard--will take care of everything?

My smartphone has lots of functions I don’t use. Most of us don’t use the full capacity of our brains either. Similarly, we are equipped with spiritual intuition, even though most of us rarely use it. We are accustomed to making judgments about things and people based on sensory data and personal experience. We have honed these physical senses through daily usage. Can we also fine-tune our spiritual senses by continual practice? I believe so. We need the Spirit to open up our spiritual eyes and ears so that we may perceive beyond our physical senses. We can develop our spiritual senses by continually operating from this divine sphere of influence rather than from our default earthly perspectives.

Our capacity for spiritual intuition enables us to transcend beyond our limited human understanding and sense the Unexplainable, the Ungraspable, the Unfathomable.

Committed Relationships

“Open up before God, keep nothing back; he’ll do whatever needs to be done.” (Psalm 37:5 MSG)

Committed relationships involve love, trust, faithfulness, acceptance, and openness. When you commit to someone, you close yourself off to other options. This is why commitment feels risky. We wonder if we are making the right choice. What if there are better options out there?

When we commit to God, when we go all in--holding nothing back--it feels scary. We are letting go of ourselves, our personal convictions, our visions, our individualism, and our independence. We are relinquishing our illusions of self-sufficiency and our reliance on worldly options.

Can we commit to God exclusively? Can we trust Him to do whatever needs to be done?

Listening to Voices

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG)

When I am running outside in my neighborhood, I wear sunglasses and headphones. When I see someone I know, I take off my sunglasses and ear buds, even if it is just to exchange pleasantries.  I can see them just fine through my sunglasses. I can hear them if I turn my music off; I don’t have to take off my headphones completely. But I find it easier to connect with someone when they can see my eyes, and when they can tell that I am listening to them.  I think it is disrespectful to wear headphones while someone may be trying to communicate with you.  It’s a sign that you don’t want to engage or listen to those around you. When someone is wearing headphones, the message I receive is: Don’t bother speaking; I’m paying attention to something else.

When we pay attention to our own understanding, when we try to figure out everything on our own--we are essentially saying: God, don’t bother speaking; I’m paying attention to some other voices. Sometimes these voices are merely distracting; other times they are skewed messages that misdirect us. Listening to God’s voice requires us to shut off the other noises. It involves constant attentiveness and engagement. God’s Voice always speaks Truth. His intentions are good and pure.  He always directs us toward the right path.

Mind Storms

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)

Have you ever had a bad dream from which you couldn’t wake up? Once you realize you are dreaming, you are more likely to be able to manage your thoughts. You can prod yourself into a semi-conscious state by reminding yourself that it is just a dream, and these thoughts are not real.  

During a mind storm, we are covered by dark clouds, whipped by our fears, and flooded by hopelessness. We can choose to stay exposed in this storm, or we can move to find shelter. Just like in a bad dream, once we realize that our thoughts are merely based on our current, limited perspective--we can prod ourselves into a state of higher consciousness.

God is the best shelter during every kind of storm. When we shift our focus to God, when we trust Him, we are lifted up into a state of perfect peace.  

Transparent Pain

Another morning of waiting for the sunrise. As I stare out into the dark sky, I notice the even darker clouds. All I can see are shadows. I see the outline of a rabbit stretching to gnaw a thorny rose bush. How do these little creatures make it through these harsh winters? I look away...partly in despair...partly in prayer.

The next time I look up, the sky is ablaze in a glorious shade of coral pink. I cannot take my eyes off of it. I don’t notice the mounds of snow in the foreground, or the shriveled vegetation, or that my circumstances have not changed.

I wonder if my experience of darkness has any value. Should I speak about the pain, or always stay positive? Should I only mention God’s glory?

God’s greatness becomes obvious when it shines through the dark clouds of suffering. Unless I share my struggles with pain, I cannot comfort; I cannot speak of hope; I cannot express God’s grace.

No-till Fields

Many farmers no longer plow their fields before planting. Special equipment is used to plant seeds directly into fields without turning over the soil. No-till farming is becoming more and more popular, because it decreases soil erosion and increases water retention while saving time and fuel. The main disadvantage of this method is that it uses more chemicals for weed control.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could also figure out a way to have undisturbed, no-till lives? Turmoil erodes self-confidence and saps energy.  We would prefer to grow without suffering. 

Yet, unplowed lives are easily taken over by weeds of worldly diversions. We try to promote growth through more and more artificial additives, but eventually realize it is fruitless.

“You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2-4 MSG)

Raised-bed Cultivation

“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put together--spirit, soul, and body...”

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 MSG)

My husband and I are planning our vegetable garden for the spring. We are trying to decide between a raised-bed garden (topsoil is mounded up inside a frame) or just planting straight into the dirt in our backyard. We have tried both methods in previous years.

Planting straight into the ground requires less of an initial investment in new soil and materials for the frame. But once the plants start growing, weeds are much more prevalent. As you walk in between the rows to tend to the plants, the soil gets compacted as well. Raised beds require more work in the beginning. It seems like a waste to buy new topsoil when you have plenty of it in your backyard. But the plants seem to thrive better in raised beds--maybe because of better drainage and less interference from pre-existing  weeds and pests.

In our quest for physical, mental, and spiritual growth, many of us attempt to cultivate wholeness in earthly soil. We dig up a patch amidst our existing concerns and plant seeds. Yet, we notice that our efforts don’t yield much fruit. Worldly preoccupations compete with growth and wholeness. Sanctity is best cultivated in quality soil that is raised up and separated from daily worries. This detachment can sometimes be mistaken for indifference; in actuality, our concerns have merely shifted--to a higher plain.