I have learned that the test of faith can only happen in extreme circumstances, and I am experiencing one of those supreme situations as I write this blog. I also have discovered that there is a benefit in the experience of purification ~ which comes as the fire of the trial heats up and become so hot that it burns away the dross that is inside your spirit and flesh. This week the Lord spoke to me and said, “The only way for you to really be pure as the gold I described in the fire, is Richard, you need to become a little boy.”
I knew Jesus taught, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” I knew that God was now requiring me, a 61-year-old adult, to become childlike, simple in my thinking. The contrasting element in my situation, is that the complexity of the trial I’m going through would naturally make me think I need to be more adult than I am! But then God sends the prophet Vello and he speaks to us and prophesies, “You need to have the peace that your heavenly Father has in heaven. Think like your father.”
When your earthly father promises to do something special for you, you don’t worry about it, prepare for it, or even waste sleep on it. You trust your father’s words because he said he would supply it. As I prayed I began to see God’s view of my situation and what God had told me through prophet Timothy ~ that God would supply a certain amount of finances to the church this year.
Then God spoke to me one day when I had just woken up and said, “I will meet every financial need you have this year.” Two weeks later He told me to transfer the money from our church’s account and put it in a certain account that will completely pay off the church’s responsibility. I knew these messages from God were honest, true, just ~ and God would elegantly do every single thing He said He would do.
The only problem I’m having is, I’m trying to be a wise intellectual adult and ask the question of “How, and why, God?” Two weeks ago the prophet Paul Cain met with me and said, “Richard, there’s a greater reward to those who do not ask ‘Why?’” Wow! This thinking was above anything that I have ever considered in my mind. But now I needed to face it head-on. I realized that for me to think like a child was to have complete trust in exactly what God told me.
My daughter Rocki said the Lord spoke to her and said for me to read Psalms 131. Wow! This chapter had so much power in it! David begins with, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty.” I realize sometimes we might inflate what God is going to do for us. But this year I’ve learned to stand upon just what He said and be accurate concerning His words. “Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. “Lord, I’ve learned as your little boy to keep my nose out of other people’s business ~ everything from politics to what my next-door neighbor is doing.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother:” This part of David’s prayer became so personal because he is talking about how much a child is dependent upon his mother for every ounce of nourishment. Lord, you told me to give no thought of what I should eat or what I should wear. Lately I have learned to wipe away those needs from my daily thinking ~ and just become dependent upon Your divine supply. Since I’ve struggled to release control to you God, I have been dressing and eating better than I have in my entire life!
I remember the prophecy that Daniel gave to the great king of Babylon, who was the mightiest man on earth at the time. Daniel warned the king that if he thought and took credit for all of the accomplishments done in his kingdom, God would humble him down to eat grass like an animal. This did happen, the king was humbled, and his hair grew like feathers for seven years. I would rather be a loved son who is held in the Father’s nurturing arms, than an animal that is kept in the backyard.
My total dependency upon the benevolence and love of my heavenly Father is my family’s inheritance. I don’t understand the complications, but my trust in His word saddles any intellectual misconception. All I know is I am loved and I love being loved. As I contemplated these thoughts, a Christmas song came on that told about how much the songwriter had loved his wife when she was young.
The song made me laugh with joy and then go to joyful tears because of Sandy’s new youth ~ my wife is getting younger every single day. That’s the gift of my Father ~ my children have youthful stunning appearances, and my own mind is sharper today with God’s help. Memories that I didn’t even know I had have come back to me.
What a wonderful life our heavenly Father gives us. I look forward to every day, every year, every moment that I get to live under His complete wonderful Fatherly care.
Pastor Richard Gazowsky
A Place To Meet Jesus 