Our supernatural loving God does super things quite naturally. (April 2025)
I’ve recently thoroughly enjoyed various studies by the Bible Society. The last course encountered has been especially enlightening and engaging. Excellent videos offer exceptional exegesis.
BUT. I’ve been reminded that relationship with God comes from the heart, more than the head.
In a different context, I’d interpreted and simplified something said in a way that made me tearful and want to give up preaching in church.
Perhaps a response magnified by Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) issues. This was a problem because I was leading and preaching the next day.
I wrote an email of retreat from any future preaching. I’ve learned not to send things at crisis point in my new TBI framework for functioning.
I did not send it. I woke up distressed in the night and turned on my smartphone.
The moment I switched it on, a Facebook page automatically appeared, displaying a photo of an open Bible. Had I really left the phone logged onto Facebook? I am 57.
It spoke directly and precisely to my concerns. I took a screenshot in disbelief. The quote was from 2 Timothy 4:1-5
I certainly had not seen or searched for this post. Parts of the Bible had been underlined. The red arrow was already there along with calming background music.
Next day the service went well. Someone unknown came up and offered me a beautiful little wooden cross at the close.
Helpful conversions were had. A local preacher sat with me long after, all but the key holder, had left. I don’t think they knew how helpful they were being. We’d not spoken before.
Next day I took the dog for a walk. Whilst walking, I knowledgably, but unwisely, reasoned God out of these instances. I know a bit about website cookies and targeted internet content.
Our supernatural loving God does super things quite naturally.
No formula needed.
Two unknown people from Birmingham passed me during the dog walk. One stopped, the other turned and walked back and offered to pray for me. I asked if they were Christians. They were. As they responded to me they said they’d had Goosebumps when I spoke. Their prayers could not have been more affirming.
Still on the dog walk I stopped and shared my faith with two strangers sat on a bench. They asked questions for quite a while.
All this in three consecutive days.
I need to read the Bible and reflect through the lens of God’s love, not just cognitively.
Post accident I have grown to love some quite deep (for me) Bible study. But, the Bible, is not there to be worshipped. We must worship the awesome God that it points to.
I should not oversimplify what I hear from other Christians, or what I read in the Bible. Christian faith is about relationship with God, not the world.
I can learn from people, even when we disagree. God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.
God can never be fully understood or predicted by any human beyond Jesus. God is to be discovered not invented.
I’m learning and loving.