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Close Enough to Touch

Posted in God Stories, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Prayers, Service, Spiritual Growth, tagged bleeding disorder, cancer, divine touch, healing, hearing God, luekemia, power to heal, Prayer, prayer of healing on February 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »

This week I have had the opportunity to meet a sweet young woman who is battling cancer. She is a single mom with three children under the age of 10. We are partnering with her work family to take her meals, to visit with her, and pray. Needless to say, she has been a primary topic of conversation with the Father this week. A couple days ago as I was praying, the story of Jesus healing a woman with a chronic bleeding disorder came to mind. The story is found in both Mark and Luke’s gospels. Here it is from Luke.

“Luke 8:42a As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.””

I have prayed for healing for many people. There have been miraculous healings. There have been healings in other areas of lives than the physical malady we had begun praying for. There have been healings that have transpired through the efficacy of modern medicine which I take on faith the prayer helped to be effective. There have been terminally ill patients who in prayer it became clear that ending this life well was the appropriate prayer. And there has been a very small percentage of times when the results were not what I had hoped for.

Through today’s scripture the Lord showed me a new and crucial element of prayer for people who are ill. Notice that the woman didn’t ask Jesus for healing. She didn’t come to him with an elaborate petition for healing or a list of reasons she should be healed. There was not an elaborate process followed to gain his attention and favor. No, there was really only one thing she felt essential to be made whole. She needed to get close to Jesus. Close enough to touch the fringe of His clothing. Her faith was in Jesus and proximity to Jesus brought about the flow of His healing power.

That’s it. It is as simple as that – draw close to Jesus and let Him do what He will do. Jesus is in the “making whole” business. But be aware, to be made whole by Jesus will encompass much more than just healing from an illness. He who created us body, soul, and spirit is interested in the totality of our lives. He wants to perform a transformation in us in it’s entirety, not just on the surface.

This is liberating to me as an intercessor. I have always known it was Jesus who heals, but I have at times taken on a degree of responsibility that I had to pray it through, that I needed to fast and intercede sufficiently, that I needed to have the right faith to see the healing happen.

I remember a fairly long season of prayer for a 20 year old son of a work friend who was diagnosed with leukemia. We surrounded the family and prayed and he went into remission. “Yeah God!” It was but about 2 years later that it returned. This time they determined he required a bone marrow transplant. No match was found so he went through the auto marrow transplant where his own bone marrow was removed, it was radiated to kill all cancer, and then put back into his body. He seemed to be doing fine and then he picked up an infection. With no white blood cells to fight off the infection he slipped into a coma. I felt guilty because I had not kept this young man high on my prayer list. When he slipped into a coma I joined the prayer team interceding for his healing. I remember getting daily updates and praying each and every day. This went on for 40 days. Amazingly he hung on in that coma. He did not seem to deteriorate, but as the doctors began telling us, he wasn’t improving and he had to improve.

The break-through came about day 40. I remember crying out to the Lord from my hotel room in Montreal. It was in the evening and I looked up at the ceiling because that about how far it felt my prayers for Chase’s healing were going, bouncing off the ceiling and coming back to me. As I looked up, spiritually worn out, I asked a different question, “Lord, what would you have me pray?” “Pray for Chase’s mom, that she will release Chase to come home.” Suddenly the whole prayer changed. Instead of feeling like I was pushing against a wall, I had a real sense of being aligned with the will of the Father. Joy and peace filled me and prayer flowed.

It was only a day or two later and the Mom’s prayer request suddenly changed. Apparently she to had heard from the Lord because instead of the fervent plea to intercede for his healing, she asked us to pray for the Lord’s will to be done and for peace and strength for the family. Chase passed a day or two after that.

I know the Lord heals. The story above is one where the healing was Chase going home to be in the closer presence of the Lord. For others He will touch them with healing as evidence of His love and power on this side of the veil. In either case, the goal is the same, to draw us closer to Jesus and cause us to grow in our relationship with Him.

Closer to Jesus – it has become the cornerstone of my prayer for healing.

Closer to Jesus – it is the ultimate goal.

Closer to Jesus – where we live and move and have our being.

Closer to Jesus – it’s who we were created to be.

Closer to Jesus. Close enough to touch Him. Close enough to be touched by Him.

Be blessed today my friend.

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Want of Wisdom

Posted in Bible Study, Prayer, Vision, tagged coffee, coffee cup, Proverbs, wisdom on February 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

As I sit here sipping my morning coffee, reading this morning’s devotion, and asking the Lord for wisdom, a mental picture appeared. This passage is from Proverbs 3:11-20 in the New Living Translation.

“My child, don’t reject the lord ’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. By wisdom the lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky.”

As I started praying I had my arms crossed, but somehow that didn’t feel right. I relaxed, opened my arms, and held out my hands palms up. As I did so I felt my spirit open up and I looked heavenward – expectant and ready. I prayed, “Lord fill me with your wisdom.” and the image of my coffee cup came to mind and the thought that a covered cup cannot receive what is poured into it.

Wow, that stung a little. How often do I let distractions, frustrations, and general busyness interfere with wisdom the Father wants to pour into me. More often than I would care to admit. There have been blessed times of God’s breaking through, but as I ponder this word I realize that I must be intentional to slow down, relax, and listen to what the Father wants to say, wants to show me, wants to pour into me. I need to take the lid off and let Him pour.

Like a perfect cup of coffee wisdom feels good… smells good… tastes good. Those who walk in wisdom from on high are a sweet, sweet savor in a world that has lost an appreciation for true wisdom. It is the Father’s desire that His children walk in His wisdom. That wisdom will stand out in a way that draws people to Him. It is wisdom that embraces Jesus and cannot help but speak of His goodness and love. It is wisdom that orders our lives in a different way – forsaking self and putting others first. It is a wisdom that looks toward final outcomes and fulfillment of faith rather than how can I promote myself, meet my own desires, make myself happy.

God’s wisdom – the cross and all that Jesus has done and has promised to do, is described as foolishness to men, but it is the power of God unto Salvation for all who believe. Thank you Lord for your wisdom.

I pray this day that you are able to take the lid off and let God pour into you His wisdom, power and love. These are freely offered to any who would seek Him, who would chose Him and His way. Take the lid off and receive.

Blessings to you today my friend. And as you receive His blessings allow Him to pour His wisdom, power, and love through you unto others.

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Bible In One Year 2017, Navigating Life

Posted in God Stories, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, tagged Bible Study, detours, guidance, helper, holy spirit, maps, navigation, Prayer, shopping on January 25, 2017| Leave a Comment »

A very good lesson today in navigating life’s temptations, challenges, and trials. Give it a read.

Also, if you don’t have the You Version app you might want to give it a try. It has dozens of bible translations as well as numerous bible reading plans. I have used about a dozen shorter plans. I intend on tackling this one in 2017. I recommend trying a few of the shorter plans before attempting a year long study. Source: Bible In One Year 2017

I am a “fastest route” kind of person. Long before GPS systems became so readily available and we are told step by step how to get from point A to point B, I was a map reader. I may have even been a little over the top about it. It wasn’t usually good enough to just assume I had the fastest route. If it was a regular route I took, I would specifically look for opportunities to validate my choice by either timing all the routes at different times, or, please don’t judge me, have my wife drive a vehicle on one route while I took the other. (Yes, I usually allowed her to go what I estimated to be the slower of the two routes. That strategy was only partially successful though. She happens to be as competitive as I am so I wasn’t always certain she / we observed all the traffic laws.)

Long trips early in our married life also turned into learning experiences. My wife enjoys the travel experience and prefers not to feel rushed. I preferred to conquer the drive. Frequent stops for shopping, eating, and bathroom breaks were a normal part of the journey for Lisa. In my opinion they were the enemy of a successful drive. The tension around this rose a bit as children arrived. We survived those challenges and we’ve grown to have a much more aligned view on our travel. Today I still plan the trips with an estimate of the journey’s duration given to the family. But we include time for potential stops. We talk about it ahead of time and generally come to agreement. And travel is much more harmonious.

The biggest difference in me is that I have realized that in my journeys, like in my life, if I make a plan seeking the Lord’s guidance and then give it to the Him, then I can let go of the need to MAKE IT HAPPEN. I can relax and trust Him with the outcome. This is liberating.

An illustration comes to mind. In a way it is like having a map and having the travel app WAZE on. I see the path to take on the map. But as I travel, WAZE is giving me commentary on the road ahead. It tells you of traffic ahead and reroutes you around it. You may still encounter a bit of a slow-down, but in the end you get around it in a bit better time and you make it to your final destination. The comparison for me is to reading the Word and listening to the Holy Spirit. When I read the Word I am encouraged, I gain direction for my life, I see a life to live that is pleasing to the Father and something I desire. But when I step out the door and into all the activities that make up life, I need the Holy Spirit to help take the truth of scripture and apply it to the myriad real life situations I encounter.

I used to have a problem when things interrupted my plans for the day. I am much better (not where I know I need to be yet, but better) today about letting the interruptions play out. I have learned that often in the interruptions God intervenes to teach me or use me in ways that wouldn’t have happened on the path I had planned. Last night is a case in point.

We were heading home late after watching our niece and nephew’s basketball games. While we really didn’t want to, we stopped at the store to pick up a few things. As we were checking out I noticed the cashier let out what sounded like a tired sigh as she finished the prior customer. I assumed she was feeling tired like I was so I casually asked, “Been a long day?”

“No.” she replied. “Stressed.” After a bit of a pause she said, “It’s not work. It’s something else… not here.” (Okay, let me just say that an opening like that is definitely a detour that a person intent on following the straightest and fastest route would say to avoid at all costs.)

I don’t remember exactly what I said in response, but we engaged in a bit of a conversation as she rang up our groceries. It turns out we had a slightly similar experience to share and encourage her from. It was just a few brief words of encouragement, but it seemed like they were somewhat of a help. But I think the bigger thing was the last thing we did. As she totaled our purchases and turned to me, I knew I didn’t have a specific answer to her dilemma, but I knew Who did. I asked if she minded if we prayed. Well she didn’t say “No.” so I reached across, took her hand and prayed a simple prayer of faith asking the Father to give her guidance and to bless her.

As I let her hand go she asked, “Are you a preacher?”

“No,” I said.

“Are you a Minister?”

Again, “No.”

“Where do you go to church?”

I told her. And she replied, “Well I guess Sunday I’ll have to come to visit.”

I walked away chuckling at God’s goodness. We took a detour. Shopping is not my thing at anytime, but especially late in the evening when I am ready for bed. But that little detour meant a young woman was encouraged and hopefully will make it to a place where she can meet the One who loves her more than she can imagine.

When we let go and let God, He will take us to the places we need to go and allow us to experience things that fit into His perfect plan. Just let Him navigate and you will enjoy the ride of your life.

Take care my friend and enjoy the ride.

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Empathy – A Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes

Posted in Prayer, Responsibility, Service, Vision, tagged anarchy, Ancient Rome, division, forgiveness, government, healing, protestors, protests, social discourse, strife on January 23, 2017| Leave a Comment »

We desperately need healing in our nation. Historians, Statesmen, and even our Lord Jesus have pointed out that division precedes destruction. A nation divided, like a house divided, shall soon fall. A look back in history shows us that the greatest danger to a thriving nation is internal division and strife. Ancient Rome was one of the greatest nations the world has known, controlling most of the civilized world of its day. Civilization flourished and stretched its influence across Asia, Europe, and Africa. But the soul of the nation became corrupt. Division, strife, intrigue, assassination, and disunity weakened the resolve of the people. Moral decay left a nation that had once been a nation of laws and nationalistic spirit a giant with a weakened will to fight. When Rome fell, the Dark Ages ensued.

There are several touch points in our nation that should give us pause. There is a radical element that has risen inciting protests, disobedience, violence, and even anarchy. This has been highly publicized, perhaps even with a favorable slant in the media, to the point that the greater portion of the public has chosen sides. Polarization has occurred and continues to do so as greater focus is given to the “protests” and little effort seems to be taking place to move in the direction of reconciliation. This is madness. At the very least it threatens our position in the world as a just and compassionate “leading nation”. At the worst, and it is a plausible worst, it threatens our security as a nation founded “under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”.

I have been praying for our nation, asking God for healing and for guidance. It has been my experience that God will guide our prayers when we offer them up in faith. Last week as I was seeking the Lord’s face, I sensed that I needed to pray for empathy… for myself and for people across this land. We need to gain a perspective of the issues we are arguing about from the other side’s point of view. As I have done so, I have seen an interesting thing happen within my heart. Instead of perceiving all the protestors in a totally negative light, I can begin to see them as human beings with real hurts, fears, and concerns… people a lot like me. People who have not had the same life experiences as me, therefore they do not have the same worldview. We live in the same pluralistic nation, but we see it differently. The only way for us to coexist is for us to have a large degree of compassion for one another that isn’t predicated upon our belief system, our political views, our skin color, our gender… upon the differences between us.

Our differences do not have to divide us. We have always had differences in this nation. Our nation was founded as 13 distinct and highly autonomous colonies. They had major differences. Our constitution is indeed a marvelous document written to forge a single nation of these distinctly different states. It leaves significant room for the different expression of beliefs and values of the people while establishing a foundation of law and joining us as a single nation. And we have persevered as a nation for over 240 years, through good and bad times, with strong dissention and disunity on occasion, with a civil war and many periods of internal turmoil. But we have remained one, united nation. Not uniform, but united. I take four things from this high-level view of our history. 1) There is an enemy, a spiritual enemy whose tool is strife and division, who wants this nation to fall. 2) There is a spiritual protector whose tool is love and compassion, who wants this nation to exist and succeed. 3) There has been, and I believe still is, a divine reason for this nation in the world. 4) It is incumbent upon followers of God to seek His guidance, wisdom, and help in healing this land and fulfilling the purpose for this nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 are the key verse that we, the Church should be heeding. “if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

As the Church, as people who have been rescued by Jesus’ love, as people who once were enemies of God through our sin and disobedience, we should be taking the lead in seeking reconciliation and healing. Our first step is prayer. Our second step is empathy. We need to open the dialogue with people with whom we disagree. We need to hear their perspective. We should work toward understanding why they believe what they believe. And we should understand why we believe what we believe as well. The Prayer of Saint Francis is a good model.

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

What I am proposing is not the easy thing to do. It is counter to the current mood portrayed in images on our TV screens and computer monitors. It is not aligned with the ever-increasing rhetoric I am seeing in social media. But as I seek the Father’s heart, it seems to be aligned with what the Spirit is whispering to me… “Blessed are the peacemakers…” “Love covers a multitude of sins…” “You will know them by their love…”

Friends, please join me in praying for healing in our nation. And follow that up by asking the Lord to provide opportunities to engage others in civil discussion. Seek to understand their perspective. And ask the Lord to help you understand, and when appropriate, articulate your point of view. While the media may continue to highlight the strife, let us humbly and quietly seek the common ground, the healing, and uniting that I believe the Lord desires. When we do, we will also see doors open for the Gospel to be shared and God will get the glory.

Be blessed today. And be a blessing.

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Gifts of the Spirit, Gifts for the Church

Posted in Church, God, God Stories, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Salvation, Spiritual Growth, The Father, tagged Body of Christ, Christ the Head, Church, gifts, holy spirit, spiritual gifts on November 30, 2016| Leave a Comment »

“For God so loved the World that He gave…” (John 3:16) Jesus is God’s most precious and most amazing gift. The fact that Jesus condescended at all is the most humbling gift imaginable. He, Who had always existed in splendid community with His Father, left heaven to come to a world that was beneath Him in every way. Yet He came to offer every single person the absolute best there is – a restored relationship with the Father, and an intimacy with the Lord that enlivens life in the best of ways and puts everything into proper perspective.

In coming to earth, dying for the sins of the world, and rising to new life, Jesus began something totally new. He created the Church – the Body of Christ present in the world today. For every individual who comes to faith, Jesus puts His Holy Spirit inside them. The Holy Spirit is a seal of our redemption and a very present Helper in living the life of faith in God. Jesus spoke extensively about the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life in the hours just prior to His crucifixion. See John 14:15-31, 15:26-16:15. Practically the first thing He did after His resurrection was impart the Holy Spirit upon His closest followers. John 20:22 reads “And with that He (Jesus) breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

In our continuing study of the gifts of the Holy Spirit we have focused upon writings from three different epistles written by the Apostle Paul – Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. In all three of these passages Paul discourses on Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The lists of the gifts in these verses contain some overlap, but each also contains unique gifts. One element that is present in all three is the imagery of the Body of Christ being the bearer of, and reason for, the gifts of the Spirit to exist. The Gifts of the Spirit are alluded to indirectly in a few other places, but these three chapters give the deepest and most comprehensive discussion of the Gifts of the Spirit.

As I have done in the last two blogs, I am going to include the teaching notes from our lessons on the Gifts of the Spirit. I begin with some open-ended questions and then we move into the Bible Study on the Gifts. I encourage you to use these as part of a personal bible study or perhaps a small group study. I know I was lead to new insights on God’s empowerment of the Body through the study and my personal walk has been strengthened. I pray that this will do the same for you.

Body of Christ as the Recipient of the Gifts of the Spirit

Have you ever been part of a team?
What were the positives of being on that team?
What were the less desirable aspects of being on a team?

Read:

1 Corinthians 12: 1 – 11
Romans 12:3-5,
Ephesians 4:3-7 & 15-16
1 Cor 12, Verses 12 – 27

How is the Church like a human body?

One Body. Not two… not many…
Many parts, but ONE Body.

Why do you think Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used the imagery of a body?

One Body. Not a team… Not an Organization… Not a Committee… A living organism, a BODY.
Not just any Body. The BODY of Christ.
Central nervous system. With what we now know about the body we can see the Holy Spirit living in the believer is like the central nervous system transferring vital information back and form between the brain / head (Christ is the “Head” of the Body) and all the varied organs and members of the body (That’s us, the Church)
White blood cells. The body has a defensive mechanism living and working inside it. The Holy Spirit serves in a similar role with the Body of Christ.
The interdependence of the parts. No part of the Body can live apart and independent from the other parts. The maximized capability of the body is when all parts are healthy and performing it’s intended role.
The body will not survive without several of the parts. There are organs of our physical body that we cannot live without… heart, brain, spine, etc. Some of the gifts of the Spirit are supernatural enabling that the Body of Christ must have… apostles, pastors, teachers, leaders, etc.
The body can be ill, but still survive. There are maladies that can and will affect the Body. Steps can be taken to help the body remain healthy, but we don’t always take those steps and we will at times succumb to illness.
Life and death are potential states for the body. Life is a matter of the body parts functioning. The imagery here is a little more of a stretch, but when taken in context of Jesus resurrection, there is a picture of the body living through death… like the Phoenix rising from the ashes of death.

What key attributes does Paul exhort his readers to strive for in these verses?

Humility, gentleness, patience, love, seeking of unity, accepting of diversity, empathy

Why are these attributes so important in a body?

The Body of Christ is a diverse conglomeration of parts. The world tends to emphasize our differences, to puff up pride, and promote a self-centered world view. Isolation, whether as an individual or small group, is the antithesis of the unity pictured in a healthy, fully functioning body.

What are the outcomes of all the members of the body functioning as they are designed?

Not uniformity, but unity.
Not all the same, but each valued and vital.
The roles are varied. The parts are varied. The gifts and abilities are varied. The whole body knit together accomplishes far more than the capabilities of each part alone.

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

Christ Himself gave:

Apostles
Prophets
Evangelists
Pastors
Teachers

Imagery of the Body with Christ as the Head. We are to grow into unity and maturity within the Body of Christ. Growing in unity means growing more intimate with Him and allowing Him to transform us, to change us.

Every part does its part, its role.

Our role in God’s plan is to draw close to Him, live a life in intimacy with Him, receive His guidance and gifts, and operate in those gifts in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We will all fit into God’s plan. If we submit to Him, He will equip us and lead us in fulfilling our God-ordained destiny. Since He is sovereign, He already knows what our destiny is. Since He allows us to exercise free will, He does not force us to walk a certain path. He knows what is best – His perfect will, but He will work with us wherever we are. The optimum is consistent and continual obedience. However, He will work with us whenever we submit to Him and will use us wherever we are when that happens.

One short side story. There was a co-worker of mine for several years who steadfastly refused to turn to Christ. He was at times a very difficult person to deal with, but the Lord always, always kept bringing me back to praying for and loving this man. After he retired he got into serious trouble, was arrested, and sent to prison. During the time leading up to his being sent to prison he contemplated suicide. On one particular day he knew he had to make a decision. Either he was going to walk into his bedroom and end his life or he was going to pick up the old family bible his late wife kept in the living room to see if there was something there that could give him hope. Fortunately when he walked into his house he turned to the right and picked up the bible. In it He found a reason for hope. This prideful man who had lived for himself for 60+ years fell on his knees, repented of his sins, and accepted God’s forgiveness. Shortly afterwards he headed off to prison for seven years.

I wrote to him in prison. He was a different man… gentler, softer spoken, broken in good ways, hungry to know Jesus more. And after he got out I met with him and we had Church. It was good. I was blessed to play a role in encouraging him. The gift of exhortation and encouragement is a Spiritual Gift that God has given me to use for the benefit of the Body. This story I just shared is 25 years in the making. Yet God loved my friend enough that He placed people like me in his life to intercede, to encourage, to exhort, and to evangelize. Today he is walking in freedom and growing in the gifts God has given him to build the Body of Christ.

As we walk in the gifts the Lord has given us, we will become the part of the body we were created to be. God will not leave us guessing, but rather He will cause confidence to grow as we walk in the Spirit. He is able to send us counselors and teachers, people who have experienced God’s gifting in the same or similar areas, to help us grow in the gifts we are to walk in. We are His Body and He is passionate in His Body being whole, healthy, and beautiful.

Be blessed today my friend. And be the vehicle of God’s blessing in someone else’s life today.

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God is Love – The Wellspring of His Gifts to His Children

Posted in God, God Stories, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Father, tagged desire, desire of your heart, gifts, holy spirit, Matthew 7:7, spiritual gifts, truth on November 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The wellspring of the gifts of the Spirit is the loving heart of God. 1 John 4:16 tells us that “God is love.” He is the ultimate embodiment of perfect love. Many of us have a difficult time wrapping our head around what perfect love might look like because of poor examples we’ve seen or experienced in life. However, that does not diminish the reality that love exists or that it exists in a manner that is life-giving and transformative to the extreme. Such is the love of the Lord God.

I recognize that I am a fortunate man. I had two loving parents who modeled love extremely well. I fondly remember long talks with my Dad as he patiently taught me life skills. Mom was always there to sooth our fears and tears and encourage us in whatever pursuit we were engaged in. As we grew more responsible, they gave us the necessary tools for life – shelter, food, clothing, an education, a vehicle to drive, a foundation of faith and service to others, a legacy to live up to. I grow nostalgic as I think of how my parents strove to bless their four children realizing that my wife and I have tried, in our imperfect way, to do the same for our four children. The point of this is that if we as imperfect, often too busy, sometimes self-absorbed, parents want to give good things to our children, how much more does our perfect, always present, attentive Heavenly Father want to give good things to us, His children. If you have entered into the family of faith, you are His precious child. And if you have not surrendered your life yet, I can tell you He is drawing you and offering you the penultimate relationship life has to offer – adoption into His family, a seat of honor at His banquet table.

What I have described echoes the words of our Lord recorded in Matthew 7:9-11 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” God is the perfect Father and He gives His children good gifts. This is a truth we can hold on to. After 33 years of living for Him, I testify to the veracity of this scripture.

Even as I write this the Lord has highlighted another scripture – John 8:31-32. “To the Jews who had believed in Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Jesus wants you to know that He is for you and not against you. That He loves you with an everlasting love. That His banner over you is love. That you are precious to Him. That He gave Himself for you. And He wants to give you everything necessary to live out the life He has called you to. A life of joyful, fulfilling, abundant, faithful service in the family of God.

I’m reminded of a sweet season of extended prayer many years ago. We were living in Louisiana, but I was praying for my family who all lived on the east coast. Literally I had been drawn to pray for an hour or more every day for certain things going on in the family, but specifically for my family who lived a long way away. My wife and I were reasonably content having started a family of our own, but I had a real burden of prayer upon me. One night as I was pacing and praying in our closet, the Lord spoke very clearly to me. “Son, I’m going to give you the desires of your heart.” I distinctly remember saying, “No Lord, not my will, but your will.” To which the Holy Spirit responded, “That is why I’m going to give you the desires of your heart.” I was humbled, thankful, and awed all at the same time. Now I had not been trying to get back to the east coast. I don’t think I had done anything to start the process or even look for another job, but within 9 months or so, through a series of amazing (you could even say miraculous) circumstances we found ourselves living in southeast Tennessee. By the way, I don’t know if I had read the verses in Psalm 37:4 prior to this event, but today they stand as one of my life verses. “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

As we pour our heart into knowing the Lord, growing in our relationship with Him, obeying His prompting, He wants to give us good gifts. He desires us to desire the things He wants to do in us and in the lives of those around us. Let’s go back to the verses just before Jesus talks about the Father giving good gifts to His children. In Matthew 7:7-9 Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks the door will be opened.” When we are His children and we are responding to His love, when our desire is to love and obey Him, He will give us good gifts. Even before a person turns to Christ the Lord loves them and has offered the ultimate gift, His Son, Jesus, so they can enter into the family of God. He wants us to have the gifts of the Spirit to edify us and to strengthen the Church – the body of Christ. His love toward us and His love for the Church are the wellspring of the spiritual gifts.

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On the Other Side of the Clouds

Posted in Church, God Stories, Prayer, Worship, tagged break-through, clouds, depression, discouragement, divine conversations, faith, flying, inspiration, sunshine, Travel, truth, work on October 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

As I looked out my window at the rain-splashed tarmac a heaviness strove to lay hold of my soul. Gray thoughts swirled through my mind –

“it’s cold, damp, and nasty outside and this is just the beginning”…
“winter’s coming and outside fun is gone for several months”…
“I have too much to do and too little time to do it”…
“this country is heading in a dangerous direction and I don’t know why people don’t see it”…
“this election isn’t going to provide a leader to unite and heal this country”…

A whispered prayer – “Lord help me to see differently.”

Suddenly my thoughts shifted. Even though the plane had not yet moved my mind went to the ascent we were about to make. In my mind’s eye I could see the gray giving way to the white of clouds all around. That white growing gradually brighter until suddenly we burst through into brilliant sunshine. And my spirit soared.

I know the sun is always there – clouds or not. Yet there are times when what I see overwhelms and dominates what I know. More importantly, my mind can then make projections from what I see to build a future that carries me away from what I know. Worry, anxious thoughts, discouragement, and depression are waypoints on the road my thoughts will wander if I forget what I know.

Jesus is every bit as real as the sun. In fact Malachi prophetically speaks of Jesus as “the sun of righteousness who will rise with healing in His wings”. Simply stated that is what I experienced in a small way that morning.

Interestingly my flight was a rather short one so we did not get to a high enough altitude to fully break through to sunshine on that leg. I watched for it with eager anticipation but the brilliant break-through was not achieved. But it was not an issue. I remembered the sun and I was content to wait.

As I sat on my next flight I engaged my seat mate in some light conversation. He was amenable and so began a 90 minute conversation starting with work but ranging far and wide from family to travel to the election (I usually don’t go there) to church and faith. And it was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed making a new friend… so much so that I hardly noticed the weather outside.

After landing I grabbed my bags knowing I had a fairly tight schedule, but I felt the Lord’s nudge to linger for a final word with my friend. As two new friends it would be normal to part with a firm handshake and a word of encouragement. But as two newly found brothers in Christ we had the opportunity to go to our heavenly Father with a word of prayer and thanksgiving before parting.

As I then hustled to my car I stepped out the front door of the airport into glorious sunshine… and my heart soared with gratitude anew. It may have taken a little longer than I first thought, but the sun is always there on the other side of the clouds. Faith reminds us it’s there. Patience and perseverance help us get to where we can see it. And thanksgiving is our right response when we arrive.

Thank you Lord for your loving-kindness to us and to all mankind. Please use me, use us, to point to you, to reflect your grace in a manner that others can see and receive. Be glorified in us today. In Jesus Name!

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Hope

Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Responsibility, The Father, tagged Care Team, care-giving, Christianity, faith, holy spirit, hope, Jesus, love, newspring, truth on October 11, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I serve on the Care Team at Church. We meet people with God’s love and give them hope. I feel called to this. But it’s not always easy.

From the conversations I have I see that Hope is a commodity often in short supply. Usually the visit for care is the result of multiple crises in a person’s life. Often it is the result of personal decisions combined with events outside their control. Almost always there is some degree of loss that precedes the loss of hope… decline in health, the passing of a loved one, a job loss, a broken relationship… The end result is that the initial loss precipitates a void wherein hope is drained from the individual.

Our goal in Care is very simple. We seek to allow the Lord to work through us to help the Care Receiver know that Jesus loves and cares for them. It is amazing how He does this. Empathy is our connection point. Often the Father matches life experiences that the Caregivers have walked through with the challenges the Care Receiver is facing. This empathy is more than just important, it is essential in being a conduit of God’s love and hope. We do not theorize, postulate, or pontificate, but rather we seek to be like Jesus and know the person as a valued child of God. With this relationship established we are able to take the next step.

With sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and an attitude of love, we seek to help the individual identify the root of the loss. In most cases there are decisions that have been made that need to be understood. While we seek to deal gently with the broken, we do not treat sin lightly. It is vitally important that sin be clearly identified and labeled as what it is. While not all poor decisions are necessarily sin, those that are must be confessed and repented of. The Word of God is the key here. With Love we share what the Bible says and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. (Sidenote – It appears to me that where we Christians gain a black eye in the public realm is when we take on the role of prosecuting attorney for God. Don’t get me wrong, we are to flee from sin, to resist the devil, and do all in our power to promote what is good, decent, and godly. But if we simply speak the truth from the Word of God, we can leave the emphasizing of what that means to the Holy Spirit.)

Where it is possible, attempts to undo the damage of the sin are appropriate. Restitution is a bold, and often beneficial step in the process of repentance. When I became a believer there was a person I had wronged in my college days. The Lord impressed upon me that I had a concrete step to take with that person so I drove 600 miles for a face-to-face confession of my sin and to ask for forgiveness. At the time I was just trying to be obedient to what I understood the Lord was showing me I needed to do. Today I recognize that it was a major step in my growth as a believer which freed me to be ready for what lay ahead.

Many times forgiveness is a key act in the repentance and healing process. One of the diabolical aspects of sin is that the victim is often the one who ends up bound in cords of unforgiveness. There is great liberty in forgiving someone who has done you wrong. I have had a few “done unto” events and I can honestly say that the Lord has blessed me, not in spite of those things, but through those events after I forgave and then gave the situation to Him. This is something I have personally experienced and it is essential in the healing process. (Truth in writing, the forgiving part requires persistence. The enemy will initially bring the event back up to try and revive the pain and emotional turmoil. This is a good time to rebuke the thought and repeat your decision to forgive and verbalize that it is in the Lord’s hands.)

This post is about hope, but it is necessary to understand that hope is a tender flower that requires the proper soil. What I have described above is required to prepare the soil of the heart to receive the seed of hope. Make no mistake, hope will not flourish in the wrong environment. There is a plethora of hope-killers waiting to stamp out the flower of hope, but Jesus’ words should encourage us – “Fear not, for I have overcome the world.” He is the MASTER Gardener and the Giver of Hope.

Which brings us to the next step – sharing the Word of Life. The bible is full of God’s promises. In caregiving this is an apt time to share words that speak into the Care Receiver’s life situation. Frequently after a conversation I stand amazed at how the Lord brought the right scripture to mind at the perfect time in a conversation. It is important to regularly read the Word so that it performs its transformative work in you (Romans 12:1-2) and becomes the source of your wisdom to share with others. The final piece of this is the active work of the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the right word for us to speak and then apply that word in the Care Receiver’s life.

This leads to the climatic step in Care Giving – Prayer. I’ve mentioned speaking and verbalizing a couple of times already. I’m prompted today to mention that it is often necessary to speak things into existence. The bible begins with God speaking all of creation into existence. Through the Old Testament we see God putting His words into the mouths of His prophets. When Jesus walked the earth He spoke and people were changed, healed, delivered, saved. He even spoke to the wind and waves and they obeyed Him. He is the Lord God Almighty. To Him every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess (Phil 2:9-11). Now for a time He has chosen in His great mercy to give mankind a little more time to turn to Him. In this window we do not yet see everything under the heavens fully submitted to Him. But make no mistake, it is all under His dominion.

As believers God has placed His Holy Spirit into us. We are His ambassadors. An ambassador is a representative of a sovereign nation living and residing in a foreign land. Even though they live in a different country, the full weight of their home country rests upon them. When they speak, they are speaking for their home country. As Christ’s ambassadors, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are to speak God’s Word and His words into lives. Prayer is how we do this. God gives us the responsibility and privilege of praying what He wants to do in the lives of those He sends our way. The enormity and mystery of this overwhelms me, but I have experienced it too many times to ignore or discount.

The final step is living out the hope which God has called us to dispense. In some instances, it will mean we walk with the Care Receiver for a time, for a season, or as life-long friends. In other instances, it will mean praying for and encouraging them for just that intersection of time, trusting the Lord to continue the good work He has begun. In every situation though, God has called us to look to Him in child-like trust and nurture the hope that He promises us in His word and He places in our heart.

A final application. Please forgive me ahead of time for this final inclusion, but it is a burden I’ve been bearing for several weeks now. It is also the primary reason I haven’t blogged in a while. You see, I, like a lot of Americans, am disappointed in what I see in our political process. It wearies me to see the division and acrimony blasted forth for all to see and endure. I do not see hope there. I have chosen a candidate to vote for, but it is more because I see a terrible choice and a little less bad choice. My friend this has tended to get my eyes off the Lord and onto lesser things. This weekend I was able to minister care to others dealing with real world, right now issues and I was able to fellowship with others who love God and are striving to live lives of abundant hope. In so doing I saw my malady for what it was. I was being drawn to put at least a portion of my faith in things that are not worthy of my faith, nor able to give real hope.

And then I lifted my eyes… Jesus is the only one worthy of my total faith and the only one who gives real hope. And that hope does not disappoint! (Romans 5:1-5)

Two final thoughts. I finished this blog last night, but for some reason I didn’t post it. This morning I woke and called my wife to do our devotion. (I travel a lot in my work so we do our devotion together over the phone each morning.) The following scripture just jumped out at me. It is the exclamation point from the Word on what I have said.

Psalm 62:5-8

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.

Today is the one year anniversary of the passing of four of our youngest son’s friends in a tragic car accident. James, Josh, Mills, and Sarah are not here with us any longer. The pain and loss is still very real for their family and friends. But with eyes of faith we look forward to the day when we will see them again. They trusted the Lord and were His children. And one day we too will pass from this life to larger life. And the reunion will be real and it will be good. This is hope that we can hold onto.

Take care my friend. May the Lord richly bless you today as you live a life of tangible hope.

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Eternal Significance

Posted in Church, God Stories, Prayer, Service, Spiritual Growth, tagged faith building, fruitful, Haiti, hearing God, Jesus the vine, Love Him, Love Them, obedience, orphanage, Orphans on September 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Our devotional this morning used John 15:5 and I saw a portion of that verse in a whole new way. Jesus is speaking. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” I guess I have tended to zip over the last part of that verse, the part that says “apart from me you can do nothing.” Today it struck me that from Jesus’ eternal perspective, the things we do for ourselves, the things that create a lot of busyness in our day but are not done from our connection with Him don’t really amount to much. Actually I guess more accurately they amount to nothing. That’s a sobering thought.

So how does that square with having a job to support our family, raising our children to be good citizens, or just being a good neighbor to those around us? Using the rest of this scripture for context, it comes down to our connection with Jesus and our on-going growth in that relationship. Our purpose is to become more like Jesus. That is accomplished in and through every aspect of our life. Our relationship with Jesus is what prepares and then propels us forward into those things that He has purposed for us to walk in.

Two quick stories from the past two weeks illustrate this. A little over a week ago I was involved in an auto accident. Actually I was waiting at a cross-roads and the accident was in front of me and one of the vehicles then rammed me. I was not injured but my little car is badly damaged. In the moments preceding the accident I had plenty of time to cross in front of the vehicles, but I uncharacteristically waited. Because I waited, I became involved. I don’t feel like I did much in the ensuing care-giving, but others seemed to take comfort in my support and prayer. And I had a tremendous peace both at the time of the accident and in the days that followed that I was where I was supposed to be and I did what I was supposed to do. Nothing fancy, but the Father’s peace was tangible. I am still in contact with some of those involved and I believe the Lord will use this event for good in each one of the lives involved.

Second story – earlier this summer friends of mine in the Care Ministry at church mentioned that a choir of orphans from Haiti were in the US touring to raise awareness and funds for the orphanages they represent. The family that has been instrumental in making this happen – Linda and David, also go to our church. These stories raised an awareness that became a Holy Spirit nudge to “do something”. Yesterday they came for a day of swimming and fun at our house.

In my prayer leading up to this I wanted to have a message of ringing clarity for them or some spiritual insight from the Lord to share. But what I got was a strong sense of just loving on them and sharing from what the Lord has blessed us with. In my younger years… maybe even just a few years ago, I would have been dissatisfied that the day wasn’t more spiritual.

Talking with the host family at the end of the evening though, I heard how the Lord had provided so many manifestations of His grace throughout the process of getting the children here. And then they explained how they so badly needed the break that our day provided. They have literally been performing 2 and 3 times a day all summer. They cleared their calendar to just relax and join us. That statement just confirmed to me that we did what we were supposed to do.

Friends, I encourage you to spend quality time with the Lord. Allow His love to color your perspective on all things. Become one who consistently listens to the Lord whispering to your heart. Learn to recognize when the Lord is speaking to your heart and obey your heart over what your mind tells you in those cases. As we do so, we are vines that become more and more fruitful. And that fruit is the sweetest of fruit because it is fruit of eternal significance.

Blessings to you in abundance. And let the Father bless others through you today.

By the way, the ministry that our friends run to support the Orphans in Haiti is called “Love Him, Love Them”. You can find it at the website of that name.

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A Silence Too Quiet

Posted in Beautiful Places, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Photography, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Father, Worship, tagged forgiveness, hearing God, holy spirit, Jesus, nature photography, photography, sin, spiritual growth, Sunrise, sunrise pictures, sunset, sunset pictures, worship on June 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

At some point in our lives, most of us want to hear God speak directly to us, directly into our life situation. I am convinced that intimacy with God is our highest calling. What Adam had in the garden before the Fall is a picture of what life in Christ can become… intimate, familiar, loving, without secrets or shame, the PERFECT relationship. But for almost all of us we are still a long, long ways from it.

If intimacy with God is our highest calling, then why do we struggle so with achieving it? Why is it that we don’t hear about or see where God is speaking to people regularly? Why does my prayer life feel more like a one sided conversation than a dialog? Why is the silence so quiet?

A conversation this weekend has brought this question into my spirit and I have been wrestling with it for three days now. While I suspect there may be other reasons, I have insight into some of the reasons and a path through a season of silence that may be beneficial for you.

Let’s begin with the order of priorities God has for us. The most important thing God has for us is to know Him. That is priority #1. Not knowing ABOUT Him, but knowing Him. He sent Jesus to earth to engage humanity face to face, skin to skin, heart to heart. Jesus’ life on planet earth was brief – 30 or so years, but in God’s providential plan, He inspired the writing of the Word which not only fleshes out the “God Story” for the billions of us who did not get to know Him in the flesh, but creates the pathway to meet and truly know Him. Also in His plan, Jesus’ resurrection means Jesus is alive. If He is alive then He is knowable. At my conversion, I believe Jesus was right there with me, talking to me, offering me life in Him. When I accepted, He placed His Holy Spirit within me and I was changed. I know it. I felt it. Others saw it and commented on it. It really happened. Now humanity’s enemy, the bible calls Him Satan, has periodically tried to convince me otherwise. Most of His attempts have been to get my eyes off Jesus, my spiritual ears from listening to the Holy Spirit, and my actions away from intimacy with God. Those times I have been diverted, quiet ensued. This brings me to the first reason we may enter a time of silence in our relationship with the Lord.

Spiritual warfare is a reality. The enemy actively fights against God. The children of God, believers who have been saved through faith in Christ, are at the frontline of that war. There are many similarities in warfare we see and what goes on in the spiritual realm, but I want to focus upon one aspect – communication. Knowing the battle plan and keeping in touch with command is vital in battle. This is often hard to do, particularly when the fight is intense and the din of battle drowns out all other sound. Spiritual warfare will have times when we are getting hit with any number of assaults. The good news is our Lord God is the ultimate Commander in Chief. He has both a plan and resources to win the war and bring us through the battle. When we are in the battle, we may not clearly hear Him, but we can trust Him. We make our requests, we hold our position, and we do what we know from His Word we are to do. In the absence of a clear word from the Lord, we trust the Word of the Lord and the last thing He told us to do. And we hold on. We also look for reinforcements. This would be Godly friends who can come alongside us in the fight. Ones who will join us in the battle. Ones who will also be communicating with our Commander, the Lord God Almighty, about our needs. Scriptures for this are 2Cor 10:3-5 and Eph 6:10-18.

Reason 2.

On-going sin. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins – all of them. God in His wisdom has given us a role to play in our salvation. We repent – we turn away from sin and turn to God. There are many things that can be said about why sin is such an evil thing, but for the sake of this discussion I’m going to focus upon just one aspect. From where we stand sin lies in the opposite direction of God. If we choose to run after sin, we are turning our back on God. Have you ever noticed the orientation of our ears? They are cupped forward. This allows the capture and amplification of sounds in front of us. This also provides a degree of shielding from sound waves coming from behind us. This is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. When we turn away from God, it becomes much more difficult to hear God’s voice calling us back to Him. That which we are facing grows louder and more strident. The voice of God grows harder to hear. And God seldom shouts. Hopefully I can come back to that theme in another post. God can and will shout, but it is the exception rather than the rule. His gentle whisper and subtle nudges are the norm.

The remedy when on-going sin causes us to lose awareness of God’s voice is simple, if not necessarily easy. Cease the sin immediately, repent, confess, and seek the Lord’s help through Godly friends and counselors who can help you take your next steps. In this I have seen an accountability partner provide tremendous benefits. God works through His people in the healing process.

Reason 3.

Emotional wounds not dealt with. My understanding of God is that He has saved me utterly and completely. My experience has been that in a few cases God walks me through the healing of damage created by sin, my sin and the sins others have done to me, over time. Although I have been a believer for 30+ years, there are still times of periodic cleansing, teaching, and healing that He does in me years after I felt Him power-wash my soul. I am getting into an area that still holds a degree of mystery for me, but I have seen this at work in my life and in others. God will choose to heal some things from our past years into our walk with Him. The forgiveness has long since been applied, but sometimes God wants to heal the scars. In some cases our stuffed hurt actually encases a bit of poison that must be removed. If the Lord wants to do the healing, our role is to allow Him, the Great Physician, to do surgery. Covering it up, holding it in, saying it doesn’t exist does not further the Lord’s work in this area. Giving it to the Lord, confessing and lifting it up to Him, is the right thing to do. One of the areas I have seen this frequently take place is for people who have been victimized by sexual sin. Opening up about this to a caring and wise counselor is a one of the most benefical steps in the healing process.

Reason 4.

Our unrealized expectations of God leading to a “God Grudge”. An unfortunate situation often occurs when a person comes to faith. A well-meaning soul will tell the new convert something like, “You are changed and your life will be rich, full, and exciting because you are a Christian.” While there are many blessings that come with being a Christ-follower, absence from life’s difficulties is not one of them. In fact, when we immerse ourselves into living a fully surrendered life we will experience times of need that lead us into greater dependence upon Him. Sadly many believers reach a point where their expectations are not met, but rather than seeking Godly counsel, they bottle up the disappointment and trudge on. Over time and as more unrealized expectations occur, a God Grudge develops.

I have seen this and been fortunate enough to speak words of encouragement to people to help them identify the source of their grudge and help them take it to God. He already knows we are holding it. He just wants us to admit it and then give it to him. I can think of five situations where the persons took this step of faith and within a month a break-through in the natural realm of a long-standing problem was manifested. Intimacy requires honesty. God can handle our honesty. We just need to be open to what He has to say back to us. Psalm 51 resonates for Reasons 2 – 4.

Reason 5.

Disobedience to what the Lord has said. I know that disobedience to the Lord is sin, but I want to zero in on disobedience to God’s personal word to us. I shared my most poignant and painful example of this in a post last summer. https://areliablefaith.wordpress.com/2015/06/23/responding-to-the-nudge/. In this story I share how I rationalized my way out of obedience to the Holy Spirit’s nudge and the consequences were significant. This example and some lesser periods of waffling when presented with promptings from the Lord have clearly shown me that quiet ensues when we ignore what the Lord tells us.

Our Pastor has shared this with us as well. “Have you done the last thing I told you?” This is the question the Lord has laid on his heart when he has tried to maintain a dialog, while not being fully obedient to the last thing the Lord told Him to do. I admit to the same thing. A few years back I went through an extended time where the Lord repeatedly brought the same scripture to my mind as I prayed. It wasn’t until I obeyed the practical application of that scripture that my prayer life moved forward.

God is not into superficiality. There is no façade that works. Obedience is essential if we desire unhindered dialog with the Lord.

Reason 6.

We are to wait. This one is perhaps the most common for me. And it really only becomes an issue when we get our priorities backwards. At the beginning I said our #1 priority is to Know the Lord. For the finite to know the Infinite takes all our life and at the end we will still fall far short of knowing God fully. But that is what God desires and has called us to. Part of the process for getting to know the Lord is that we walk in our second priority which is: Know and Do the Things God Wants Us to Do. Life spent being where God wants and doing what God created us to do is a life well lived. However, our “doing for God” can usurp our first priority – Knowing God. When this happens we can get out of the Lord’s whisper range and we can move into the realm of silence.

I have fallen into this pit more than once. I am an active person. I also tend toward being a workaholic. I struggled to type that because in my mind I am just thorough, but my wife and others have pointed this out with enough examples that I cannot deny it. It is not uncommon for me to get involved in a good thing but fail to take the time to validate it against the Lord’s leading. Being over-committed to good things invariably leads to being under-committed to the best things.

The solution here is pretty simple. Make the #1 priority the #1 priority. Isaiah 40:31 is on the spot. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. The shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint.”

If we seek first God and His righteousness, then we put ourselves in position to hear, to learn, and to move when He says move. For me waiting is manifested in a number of ways, but let me share my primary few.

1) Rising early with the bible, a cup of coffee, and a heart to enjoy anything new that I perceive is from the Lord. This may be a new insight in the scripture. It could be a person the Lord brings to mind that I pray for. It is often an idea that rumbles around in my Spirit picking up scriptural ties that becomes a blog post.

2) Attending worship with the sole intention of lifting up adoration and praise unto the One Who is worthy of every last bit of praise I have to give. There was a time in my life when I had to listen to a number of praise songs, concentrating on their lyrics before I moved into deep worship. I seem to have moved to a place where I come expectant and ready to commune with the Father in worship. This is awesome within our church, but it now occurs regularly whenever I listen to praise and worship.

3) Serving others has become a source of blessing for me. I have found that in praying for and caring for others, I become more sensitive to the Lord nudging me, prompting me, leading me. I know Who the answer is and so in listening to others in need, I am open to the Holy Other speaking life and hope to them. Sometimes it may be through me. Sometimes it may be through another in the conversation. But I have consistently seen the Lord minister. My role is to simply wait, be open and receptive, and do or say what I believe He leads me to do or say.

4) Out in nature – particularly at sunrise or sunset. For this one I generally am simply swept up into the awesomeness of Who God is… Creator, Sustainor, Artist, Master Designer, intimate Friend, Loving Father – and worship ensues. The utterences of my heart flow unbidden to the throne of grace. Sometimes I sense something specific in my Spirit. Always I receive the Lord’s refreshing.

I know this has been a long post. I hope and pray it has been encouraging for you. The Father loves you and He has a message for you. Seek Him and He will speak to you. Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

In closing I share a few of my favorite pics from my sunrise and sunset devotions. Be blessed my friend and allow the Father’s blessing to flow in, through, and around you to in rich abundance.