The Bible is full of handles for life, but it doesn't show you the steps of the handles.
The reason is simple. It is so that we can depend on the One who has all the handles. Parables are not explicit on purpose, because only those who seek Him in relationship will discover the answers to the parables.
God, in His wisdom, has authored His book for relationship. This is why we can read the same passage over and over again, yet receive different revelations at different junctures. And because each of us is a unique individual with a unique relationship with Him, we receive differently from Him even though we read the same passage.
Some people say that the Bible is 'Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.' I beg to differ. It is not an instruction manual. It is a relational manual that points to the One who desires to have relationship with us. If it is an instruction manual, anyone can use it and achieve the same result. But it is obviously not. It all depends on relationship.
As Singaporeans, we love to have an instruction manual. We love to know the steps. We love handles. They give us clear-cut directions. They show us the way to go. Our culture has trained us that way. Our education has ingrained this long-standing attitude in us. As a result, it takes a longer time for us to obey the voice of the Lord. It takes greater effort for us to step out in faith, and at times, to take risks for the Kingdom.
I understand about handles. I understand about instruction manual. But more often than not, we rely on them MORE than the One who is the original Author. We choose the easy way out. We choose one that doesn't require faith. Neither does it necessitate us to step out into uncharted waters. We are so systematic that it becomes problematic in the Kingdom.
We don't realise that we have the ability to skip or rather, fast forward the steps in an instruction manual, because we are at different stages in life. For some of us, we don't even read any step in an instruction manual to operate a system. We rely on gut feeling.
The Kingdom is not by methods or steps. The Kingdom is in the realm of the Spirit and where the Spirit is, there is liberty (not just in identity, but also in the way we function). In other words, there are different paths to reach the destination.
A GPS shows you different routes to reach the end point. But the point is... there are different routes. Of course, there is always a fastest route calculated by the GPS. Even if we miss that route by making a wrong turn, the GPS will automatically re-calibrate to find the next fastest route. Our role as the driver is to align ourselves with the GPS.
The shortest route may not necessary be the fastest route. There are various reasons:
- Traffic condition due to peak periods
- Number of traffic junctions
- Traffic accident (which you can't plan for it)
Similarly, in the kingdom, there is no one fixed route to the destination. Everyone is unique in the eyes of the Lord. An earthly father never parents every child in the same way. What is true in the natural is sometimes also true in the spiritual. God the Father never fathers us all in the same way. For some, He has to take them through a longer journey. For some, it is shorter.
Analogous to the GPS, a shorter journey does not necessary mean a faster journey. The process depends alot on trust (and other factors) - where trust is the key foundation in our relationship with Him. Obedience is a by-product of how much we trust Him. You cannot tell someone to obey, unless he has first learnt to trust. In other words, one has to know how good and faithful the loving Father is, before he can trust and obey.
Our role as His unique child is to constantly align ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit (aka GPS).
Jesus Himself did not have a fixed procedure to reach the Cross. He did not know when He should reveal to His disciples unless the Father showed Him the time (Matt 16:17). He was constantly in communion with the Father and aware of the external signs.
The disciples of Jesus in the book of Acts did not have any fixed manual, other than the Old Testament Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.
Today, we rely more on books, seminars, conferences, big speakers, than the Bible and the Holy Spirit.
The Ancient One hasn't changed His stand on the Ancient Scriptures and the Ancient Ghost. Just because we are living in the contemporary world with technological advancement and urbanisation does not mean that we are progressive in the Kingdom. In fact, many of us are considered backward in the Kingdom and a small handful are in the process of returning to the original Way of the Ancient of Days.
The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord. - Ps 37:23 (TPT)
It is the footsteps of the Lord, not the footsteps of men.
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