Trust

I was interested in learning about the bible and wanted to live my life in accordance with its teachings.

At the time, I was wondering about gossip, what it is and if I did it. In my position as a leader and manager I frequently give feedback about people and wanted to know if it is considered gossip. I asked a colleague about it and that night had a dream where I saw a book flipping its pages and the words/ numbers James 3 6 9 floated above the book.

I had no idea what it could mean and after several days of thinking about it I thought to look in the bible to see if there was a book of James. Sure enough, there was and I found the numbers relating to a passage ( below) spoke about holding our tongues. I gasped! I was afraid and excited at the same time. This is how I learned that our interaction with the bible is God's way of communicating with us!

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

God intermingles with us when we give permission. We give permission when we take the action of asking, seeking and knocking.

Tina's experiences in her posts below show us how to discern what we are hearing or how we are being lead. The most important part of the discernment formula is trust.  There are some scripture passages about trust below.

Another part of the discernment process is to measure the experience against the character of our Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

We can ask; does this experience have any of the HS characteristics?

Spend time with the Bible. Start with the passages below. The magazine The Word Among Us is a resource for daily education and inspiration. http://wau.org/

Romans 15:3: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 13:6-7: Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

James 3: 6-12  3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider that a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James 3:13, 17: (13) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.(17): But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.