Have You Ever Been Alone with God? (Part 2)

January 13, 2021 at 6:01 AM

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. (Mark 4:10, NIV)

Oswald Chambers said that God, through various circumstances, brings us into solitude to deal with our inner selves.

When I’m caught up in things, I feel like the “thing” itself is so important that it becomes “a big deal.” Consequently, I’m filled with hesitation. But no matter how complex things are, they are actually simple. In the end, it’s about weighing the pros and cons. Even my 11-year-old daughter can make such judgments.

Ultimately, behind all things, it comes back to the “heart.” The things that trap me usually bring out these issues in my heart: fear, worry, guilt, anxiety, gain and loss, bitterness, anger…

Heart issues need to be “dealt with” before God, to be cleaned out. Otherwise, even if I “get by” this time, the same issues will return, triggering the same problems.

For many years, I’ve been dealing with inferiority as a “heart” issue and made some progress. Now, I’m facing “fear,” which seems to be something my kids are facing too.

Thank God for:

1. Conversations with WD and joining the book club discussion. YJ’s sharing was excellent: “Most of the descriptions in the Bible are not about victory, but about being in the wilderness, in sorrow, in doubt. That’s the real human condition. The most admirable aspect of people of faith, like the psalmist, is their ability to express themselves honestly, even crying out ‘Where is God?’ or cursing ‘dashing the enemy’s babies against rocks,’ yet still staying connected with God, being in God.”
2. Sister WL’s help;
3. Teaching my son to read aloud in the evening, having him watch my lips and repeat after me (though my Mandarin isn’t perfect), and seeing his formerly vague pronunciation become clear. I’m very pleased with his obedience (even during the spankings, alongside the candy rewards) and change;