The Day

On 2/15, I was on the way to Mission Viejo, CA to talk with my nephew and his girlfriend - more on the particulars later. Here's what happened on the plane ride there.

I had the most incredible time with God this morning as I flew from Dallas to Orange County. I was doing my BSF lesson about Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah. I felt like God wrote the whole lesson just for me to use today.

I was sitting on the plane and suddenly, the question popped into my head, ‘Why am I doing this? What is the justification for this radical action?’

First, Carla and I prayed and asked God for guidance.
We spent much time in prayer, together and alone, crying out to God. We thought he was telling us to go, but asked him for a sign. We decided, after some conversation, that we knew we should go, it was just matter of when.

Second, we received confirmation that God wanted me to go.
All of our Christian brothers and sisters who heard of the situation and our plan to go confirmed that it was a good idea. They offered airline miles and offered help to Carla at home alone with the girls. Most importantly, my niece gave me her ok to go. She had told us this terrible secret against her brother’s spoken request and we did not want to have to betray her brother’s confidence.
For Carla and me, getting her permission was the sign that NOW was the time to go. It was very hard for me to wait for this – I wanted to go ASAP. However, my wise wife counseled me by reminding me that we had asked God for a sign and we needed to wait in faith for his timing. Proverbs 12:4.

Third, I got confirmation from God’s word.
On the plane to Orange County, I decided to do my Bible Study Fellowship lesson (BSF). For those of you who know, it was lesson 20 of the Genesis study. As I studied, the passages from the study began to speak directly to me about the situation I was in. Almost every verse and passage spoke to my heart and encouraged me, or gave me wisdom for what to tell my nephew and his girlfriend.
Here’s list of the scriptures that God used to speak to me (NIV):

James 3:17, 18
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. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James 4:17
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t, sins.

II Corinthians 1:3 – 5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

II Corinthians 7:6a
But God, who comforts the downcast…

Colossians 2:2,3
My purpose is that they might be encourage in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Matthew 11:28 – 30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalms 25:9
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalms 18:16 – 19
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. 19He brought me into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalms 118: 5 – 7
In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. 6The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 7The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.