“The sovereignty of God is way past our pay grade. Instead of spending all our energy trying to figure out the future, you need to focus on doing the right thing, right here, right now.”- Mark Batterson
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 4 of Whisper, he affirms his belief in God’s ability to speak audibly. Yet, more often than not, Mark notes, God speaks in “sign language.” In fact, Pastor Batterson adds, God speaks via sign language in Scripture. That’s our precedent as well as part and parcel of living a Spirit-led life. Thus, if we ignore God’s sign language in our life, we:
- miss the miracle
- become unwitting accomplices to the Enemy’s schemes
Furthermore, there’s no limit to God’s ability to speak in signs. However, God generally speaks through divine appointments and divine timing. Pastor Batterson refers to them as supernatural synchronicities. In addition, Mark, without apology, believes God strategically positions us in the right place at the right time with the right people.
Most noteworthy, God never leads us to do something contrary to His good, pleasing, and perfect will revealed in Scripture. But, Scripture doesn’t reveal the logistics- where we should go or what we should do. While Scripture give us the guidelines, the Holy Spirit is our Guide.
In conclusion, Mark asserts, to grow in the likeness of God entails better stewardship of language. And that includes both speaking and listening. Plus, hearing the voice of God starts with “longing to hear, loving to listen.”
Sooner or later, most people settle for secondhand spirituality. But we must not substitute listening to those who listen to God for seeking Him ourselves. Mark defines spiritual codependency as reliance upon others for inspiration. As Pastor Batterson exhorts, “God wants to speak to you.”
Today’s question: How does the sovereignty of God far surpass your pay grade? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Bibliolatry – the Bible as an end in itself”
