Revelation of God

[IanAG]

I am a father. When I wish to communicate something important to my children, I do not leave them cryptic clues from which none of them reach the same conclusions-- and then, punish them for not being able to get the instructions right.

Hi there, I didn’t feel that you were ranting at all, possibly expressing some frustration but definitely not ranting.

Firstly, I just wonder, and please forgive me if this is too intrusive, but has something significant happened in your life…maybe a tragedy or some misfortune, or some loss of some kind…that has caused you to doubt your faith? Or has the doubt just evolved organically?

Secondly, maybe I should clarify that I believe you are right…God speaking is something of a metaphor mixed up in a mystery, but nonetheless speak he does. But like any relationship we have to do our part and learn not only to listen but to understand.

Additionally, I have come to realise over the years that this ‘speaking’ is not in terms of specific, detailed instructions but in principles. I’m not one of those people he has ‘told to buy a lottery ticket, where to find a parking space, or what colour to paint the house’. I believe that God has given us a brain and free will for a reason, and He expects us to use them!

As a parent of adult children I don’t tell them what to do any longer. I hope that the principles I’ve taught them will help their decision making. And I’ll offer them advice if they ask for it. But I don’t make their decisions or give them instructions.

Of course, sometimes they make mistakes, sometimes even quite painful ones, but they eventually learn from them. That is growth. But I never punish or criticise them for their mistakes…I just love them and help them to heal. And that’s how I see God.

God is love and all He can do is to love unconditionally. I don’t believe in a punitive God any longer. That’s been a journey in itself…I had a punitive, critical human father and I naturally projected my experiences onto God. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Hope that helps. Don’t give up…I believe that in questioning you are growing and that you will find the answers you are looking for.

 

[IanAG]

May you always have smooth sailing on your faith journey

Oh, and please trust me when I say that my faith journey has really not been plain sailing…I have had periods of both consolation and utter desolation…faced death, suffered major illness, been made redundant, been divorced and remarried.My life has been one of chaos, but I have always chosen to draw closer to God through these experiences , and when I have shared my anger, fear and disappointment with him he has never been anything less than loving, comforting and healing.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Oh, and please trust me when I say that my faith journey has really not been plain sailing…I have had periods of both consolation and utter desolation…faced death, suffered major illness, been made redundant, been divorced and remarried.My life has been one of chaos, but I have always chosen to draw closer to God through these experiences , and when I have shared my anger, fear and disappointment with him he has never been anything less than loving, comforting and healing.

What an amazing testimony.

 

[Dan_Defender]

I have had periods of both consolation and utter desolation…faced death, suffered major illness, been made redundant, been divorced and remarried.

Life is full of trials, but often they are temporary. The important thing is to persevere. Sometimes when I look back, I think that if at the time I had known what would come later through God’s mercy, my attitude would have much less negative.

 

[fhansen]

Actually, I’d love to hear from other folks also about how they perceive God communicating with them, but you put up the original post about revelation and the question regarding to whom God chooses to reveal himself. This was right up my alley, so to speak, in terms of faith concepts I’m struggling with these days. And you’ve been very good to continue the discussion and engage thoughtfully.

The forums prohibit getting too specific amount “mystical experiences” but suffice it to say that such experiences can be incomparably, ineffably profound where the recipient absolutely knows themselves to be the recipient, with no doubt that they’ve been communicated to by an infinitely superior Being who’s orchestrated the whole thing. The experience simply cannot be related to anything we know in normal life.