Go With God’s Flow

God’s flow is like a divine, one-way tractor beam sent by Him from His heaven and enveloping each person He has created. It has His almighty power, His love, and His energy and, but for one thing, it is irresistible. In His love, He has given each person the ability to choose to accept, embrace, ignore, go against, or reject this all-powerful divine force  – to go with His flow to heaven, or not.

The setting Sun, a two-hundred year old oak tree, and squirrels finding acorns under it never say, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” It’s not that they do their own thing – they do God’s thing. Each of them as a creation of God, 24/7, does His will and shows His glory – but they do not choose to do so. Unlike each of us, as glorious as they are, He did not make them with free will, nor did he make them immortal. Knowing what we can know here and now about His kingdom in heaven, every day we get to freely choose whether we go with God’s flow – or say, “No,” and choose otherwise.

“God’s flow.” His being, His will. His plan, scheme, program, way, wish, intent, His life, His grace, in short, His love for us. A love so infinite and unfathomable by which He made us truly free, that, hopefully, we freely choose to go with His flow, to be with Him.  He has said, “This is how much I love you – you can choose not to be with Me and I will not stop you.”

Each of us can freely choose not to love Him.

How Do We Know?

 To say God speaks to us to tell us His will for us is an oversimplification. He is a Father, with His arm around His child, speaking to describe, explain, and convey His love.  “My precious child,” He says, “you are the only You I have made and it sure would be great and I would be so happy if you decide to be with Me forever.”

We do not simply say, one time, “OK, I choose heaven,” a33nd that’s that.  Until physical death, every day we get to make choices, free choices. Each of those is either in accord with God’s will or not, depending on how we choose.

He has let us know this will of His in several ways so that it is clear, understandable, and present for us. The many and varied ways in which He lets us know His will show how much He cares for us:

• Revelation. His inspired words in Holy Scripture with all the different ways in which He tells us His will, including stories, teachings, prophecies, commandments, history, and poetry. If we do what He says, keep His commandments, we will be in God’s flow: “And he who keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him.” (John 3:24). “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him.” (John 4:16).

• Divine Care. His evident care for us in our own lives, daily. We have all experienced times when something seems to go just right and the only explanation for this is that God our Papa has been taking care of us. In heaven we will also get to know many times when He cared for us of which we were unaware.

• Actions of Love. The actions of others, both those directed to us or involving us and also those of love for another toward someone else which we witness. Each of these people in our lives and their actions of love are subtle ways for God to tell us, “I love you more than this and I want you home with Me.”

• Choosing otherwise. Our own experience when we realize we have chosen not to go with His flow; our subsequent repentance; His seeking us like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep; His forgiveness; our going on and continuing to then make choices in accord with His will.

• Hearing Him. When we talk with Him in prayer and also when we are silent and we listen to His voice, our Conscience; sometimes asking Why; sometimes being still while He talks to us; sometimes saying, “Thank You.”

Yet We Go Against the Flow

One would think, all this being so, it would be so easy –  child’s play, falling off a log, dancing like a monkey on a cupcake – and that everyone would do His will all the time, joyfully.

This author, and just about every reader here, despite all the “How’s” for knowing God’s will, has gone against it, ignored it, discounted it, and intentionally rejected it. Of our own choosing, we have tried to overcome the force of the divine tractor beam and taken detours from the direction of His flow. Yet again and again, like Francis Thompson’s divine Hound of Heaven, He relentlessly pursues us. Like the father of the prodigal son, when we decide to return, He sees us “afar off” – because He has been waiting for us! – and rejoices that His child has decided to come home.

Confession puts us back on the right path, the way home. He has always and will always forgive us and say, “Come on back, come home to Me, come home and let’s start again.  You were lost and now I have found you, I will always find you no matter how deep your darkness. I will find you for your whole life, until your last breath. My love is not bound up, not spiteful, not vengeful, forever infinite, and it is for you from Me.”  To quote Thompson: “All which thy child’s mistake fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: Rise, clasp My hand, and come.”

Go, Don’t Stand Still

One key to “Go With God’s Flow” is the going. Inertia is not the way to heaven. God’s flow is dynamic.  This word is derived from a Greek word meaning energy, force, or power, but the English word conveys a sense of active energy, non-inertial force, and moving power. You can’t stagnate or stand still and go with God’s flow.

Believe & Trust

 Simply knowing everything that has been provided us about God’s will is not enough to get us going with His flow. We have to believe what we know, trust in our belief, trust in Him, and then choose to act.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.(Psalm 37:5).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6).

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

This is the beauty and joy of going from knowing His will, to believing, to then choosing to act in accord with it:  We realize not only “I did that,” but we were never alone.