John 16:7-9 English Standard Version

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

When the Helper comes, do we accept His help? Maybe this will help us to decide.

Psalm 119:17-19 English Standard Version

Gimel

17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!

Gimel is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet and represents the number 3 in numerology which is the number of God and the third person of God is the Holy Spirit.

I was not finished with this devotional when I woke up this morning and my accountability partner asked me if I was going to continue on with Psalm 119 alphabet devotionals. I answered him by saying that I had followed a bunny trail that led me away from Ps 119 beginning with Moses’ sandals. Then I added if the bunny trail comes full circle, I would know I was to return to Ps 119.

We have come full circle, being led back to Psalm 119 alphabet passages because of my relationship with another member of the body of Christ. Is this just a coincidence or the Holy Spirit bringing me full circle?

While faith comes by the Word, we must remember that the Word abides in others within our circle of acquaintances. God speaks to us not only through His Word but by each other.

Does that mean that we need to answer every suggestion given to us by others? No.

It means that we judge rightly if God is working in that moment by looking around us to discover what God is doing because Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes so that I might see your works Lord”.

That is righteous judgment, to see God working in the moment by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 11:30 English Standard Version (ESV) If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:1-6 English Standard Version

Paul’s Visions and His Thorn

1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

The first thing that I see here is that the editors of the ESV added the chapter comment “Paul’s Vision”. That is an editorial opinion added to give us the impression that Paul is talking about himself when he writes “I know a man in Christ”.

Secondly there is the issue of this compulsion to boast. This is a conversation that begins in chapter 11 and continues in 12. Letters are not numbered. Those are editorial additions for us to find scripture for our convenience.

Our third experience here is how to handle things we know that in the spirit we are not allowed to share. Paul never shares what that vision was spoken of in verse 4.

How did Paul know that those visions, his or anyone else’s are not to be shared?

If the Word is given to us to rightly handle the word of God then the example set before us might have some instruction for us to handle our own experiences.

That does not mean we will or that we should seek to have them. 

If we allow ourselves to be convinced by editorial displays of excellence, who are we following, man or Christ?

This is where discernment differs from instruction. We are to judge which examples we are to follow, man’s or God’s.