As a preacher who's in the pulpit every week, I want to express how encouraging it is when people share with me what God has done in their life. I preached a message today called Good & Angry. I shared the passage about Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20:2-13 where Moses snaps and loses the ability to enter the Promise Land. After the service today, there were many that shared how practical the message was and how it had spoken to them. Apparently there are many who are dealing with anger right now!
It never ceases to amaze me how God and His Spirit can work in the planning. I didn't just come up with the message this week. This message and the passage were planned at least 2 months ago. But God's timing on His preaching calendar for me must have been just right. I was both overwhelmed and humbled when I talked to person after person who said that they had received just what they needed from the message. Some of them needed the steps to self-control. Others were convicted. Others were just needing to own up to their anger and explosions. Still others just needed to hear the message for preventive maintenance, I guess.
Many preachers today pride themselves in "letting the Holy Spirit guide them". All spiritual leaders should strive for this. But I find more often than not, that preachers who are not planners claim that the Holy Spirit is somehow more at work in their spontaneity, if you will, than those who plan ahead. It's a cheap way to act spiritual if you ask me. Sometimes I think that preachers who are throwing together messages on Friday night and Saturday aren't waiting on the Holy Spirit to guide them. They are just procrastinating and trying to make it look as if it's something spiritual. I know this because I used to work for someone who wasn't good at planning anything ahead because they "wanted to leave room for the Holy Spirit to work." Whatever! What I am finding is that the Holy Spirit is in the planning. He was obviously in every part of the service today. I am open to God's changes at the last minute and have done that before, but more often than not I find that He's been guiding me all along, yes, even several months ago. I just pray as I plan that His will be done and that He would guide us every step of the way as we look to future service planning and teaching series.
I'm thankful for the comments and stories because they do encourage me. I feel God's accomplished what He's desired through me. I'm simply His slave. I'm committed to do what I feel that God is leading me to do regardless of how people respond, encouraging or not. But today was a special day that God orchestrated at just the right time for so many people that needed it. And to have the affirmation that God is using you...wow. I'm humbled, amazed, and so glad in my heart.
Now I'm just praying...do it again, God! Do it again! (Maybe even next Sunday!)
2 comments:
I'm a student, and i've had the opportunity to lead students' fellowship. I used to do much of late planning too.But this certainly sounds good and i quite agree with you. God knows the end from the beginning, and He already knows those that will be present at every of your services all thru the year...so, He could tell you what to tell you today what to tell someone who will come to the church, three months from now.
great, I'm blessed.
Thanks for the comment!
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