Mon Devo: Seeing versus Hearing God

I'm posting for Jessica. (FYI - grap a tissue. It's quite moving. I had to blow my nose after tears of joy ran down my cheeks.)

This devo from crosswalk.com really spoke to me this week, I hope it will you to. 

"The one who listens to me, who carefully seeks me in everyday things … that one will find true happiness." Proverbs 8:34 (The Voice)

"I just need to know you’re here," I told God, as I mindlessly chopped carrots in preparation for dinner.

The baby whimpered in her bouncy seat, the toddler begged for a snack and I wished our meal would magically appear while I escaped to the bedroom for a nap.

My body was weary from the demands of a long day with little ones; my heart was weary from the weight of unanswered prayer. I was walking through a season of loneliness, and I desperately wanted to hear from God.

I’d never heard God speak audibly, but I’d experienced the Lord’s "still small voice" many times in my life. In the past, words of Scripture had often leapt off the pages of my Bible. I’d gleaned heavenly insight from the lyrics of a Christian song, a sermon that pierced my heart or the inspired words of a godly friend.

Why wasn’t I hearing anything now? I’d been begging the Lord for a word of encouragement for months. But it felt like my ears had grown deaf to the sound of my Savior’s voice. When I read my Bible, the words fell flat. When I tuned my ear to Heaven, I heard only silence.

Just then, my 8-year-old son skidded around the corner with a shiny blue ribbon pinned to his shirt. He hopscotched across the dingy floor, laughing as the ribbon caught air with every bounce and flapped like a baby bird trying out its wings.

Suddenly, my laments were trumped by my son’s noisy chatter about the track meet he’d enjoyed at school that afternoon.

"I can’t believe I won the race, Mom! I thought my legs were gonna give up, but I just kept moving my feet and suddenly I was at the finish line."

His happy prattle mingled with the rhythmic clank of my knife on the cutting board, and I looked up to acknowledge his words with a proud smile.

"Did you hear me cheering for you?" I asked.

I wasn’t sure if my little runner even realized I’d been in the bulging crowd of parents flanking the track that afternoon. Despite juggling the baby in one hand and the camera in another, I’d cheered as loudly as I could when my son sprinted past us toward the finish line.

"Yep," he said with a grateful grin. "I heard you."

"Oh, good," I replied. "I wasn’t sure if I was yelling loud enough."

My bouncing boy stopped hopping on one foot and shrugged his shoulders. Then he looked me in the eye and confessed, "Well, I couldn’t hear you with my ears, Mommy, but I knew you were there, ‘cause I was listening with my eyes."

My son wrapped his arms around my middle in a quick hug, then pointed those fast feet toward the back door and dashed outside to join his sister. I stood silent in the kitchen with the echo of those words in my head.

When my child couldn’t hear my voice, he’d sought my face.

When my cheers failed to echo in his ears, he’d let my presence encourage his heart.

My heart lurched with conviction. Maybe I hadn’t grown deaf. Maybe I’d grown blind. In my quest to hear God’s voice, I’d stopped seeking proof of His presence.

Today’s key verse reminds us God doesn’t just want us to seek His word with our ears. He wants us to listen with our eyes, as well.

This concept is woven throughout Scripture from the first page to the last. God’s people are often commanded both to listen and look, to hear and see.

Bending our ears to the promises of heaven involves tuning our eyes to God’s existence on earth. We can’t hearken His word without heeding His "with-ness."

I dumped the carrots into the simmering skillet and turned toward the window to watch my son chase his sister across the lawn. They blazed a trail of giggles across the emerald green, as the One who paints the sunset ignited the horizon with a blaze of orange glory.

I looked and listened while the day gave way to dusk. And as the sun sank low, I felt the weight on my heart soar high. Then, before I called the kids in for dinner, I changed my desperate prayer for an expectant plea: "Open my eyes, Father. I’m listening."

Dear Lord, teach me to listen to Your voice with my ears and my eyes and to seek You in everyday things. I want to know true happiness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Reward

18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre.  Ezekiel 29

I've listened to this chapter the entire last week, and this verse in particular stands out to me every time.  "Every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw."  Do you know how long they would have had to have a helmet on in order to rub a head completely bare?  I don't know, but I can only imagine the pain and exhaustion involved.  They were called to do something that would stretch them to the extremes, and even then, it says that there was no reward.  

We are all called to be a part of God's purpose.  What specifically that is will vary between each of us.  However, we do know one thing, we have a reward waiting for us in heaven.  No matter how hard things get, how painful or how strenuous, we have a place of rest ahead of us.  We have a place that will be joyful and peaceful.  Set your eyes on Jesus to help you through those times when you feel that your head and shoulders are rubbed raw. 

Thurs Devo: Secrets Known

My sisters and I were trying to keep a secret from my parents for their 40^th anniversary dinner. The secret didn’t last long, though. My parents almost booked a trip to visit my granddad (in Texas) for the same weekend my youngest sister and her husband were secretly flying here (to Michigan) to celebrate! The secret had to be revealed so that my parents could plan to be here to enjoy their own anniversary dinner!

Even as grownups, it’s hard to keep a secret from our parents. With Jesus, it’s actually impossible! He knows everything about everyone! 

Revelation 2:18-23         ¹⁸ “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ¹⁹ I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰ Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Jesus knows all. He sees our secret sins. He also sees our loving actions that no one else recognizes or appreciates.

How is it both comforting and challenging to know Jesus searches each of our hearts?

As holy and perfect as Jesus is, He patiently gives us opportunities to repent. Sometimes it takes bringing things into the open to motivate us to repent and turn from our sinful ways. Then, we can enjoy a renewed relationship with Him!

Alice

Obsolete Children

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.  Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  1 John 3:1-2

The other day, I read a silly quote that said, “Adults are obsolete children.”  That was written by Dr. Seuss.  I read Dr. Seuss books when I was little.  In fact, I can still recite my favorite quote from his book, ‘Stop That Ball!’  It said, “I whacked it high!  I whacked it low!  I whacked it so hard the string let go!”  There is a far greater lesson for me in remembering this other than a childhood memory.  It is a reminder that the innocence and joy I had as a child is something to aspire to.  It is important that I bring the exuberance, excitement, pure heartedness, and fun loving attitude about my faith like a child.  It is not because being a follower of Christ is fun and games.  Instead, it is knowing there is no better place than to be a child of the wonderful, majestic, and Holy God.

We are to embrace our role of children of God.  I love the letter in first James as today’s verse as it discusses our place as God’s children.  We have the knowledge of knowing Him intimately through His word and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us.  Are there times we will feel like we are in utter darkness and experience fear?  Yes.  Will we be tempted into sin and may at times fail?  Absolutely.  But as God’s children, we have the shining perfected example of our Heavenly Father, and this becomes our guide to righteousness.  We see Jesus as foretold in Isaiah 9:6 as the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  We take on His traits as born again through Christ.  Yet while we continue to grow in Him, we must not lose the child like joy in being with Him.  There is no greater love than Jesus Christ has for us, and to have it, we should feel comfort, peace, warmth, and that feeling when you have an abundance of everything you ever needed.  That’s what it is like to truly understand you are a child of God.

To be a child of God does not come with just personal fulfillment.  It requires us to act.  Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  The children’s gospel song “This Little Light of Mine,” simply says, “This little light of mine.  I’m gonna let it shine!”  As God’s children, we contain His light within.  We in kind must let it shine with brightly inspired by the energy all children possess.  What is taking away your child-like passion for Christ?  How can you better embrace the idea of being a child of God?  My prayer is that we go joyously in our journey of faith and not become ‘obsolete Children.’  Amen.  

Tues Devo: The continuation

Hello,

As the Pistons start the new season off at 3-0, I thought perhaps a basketball analogy would be a slam dunk!

Continuation – the hope to be rewarded when you are fouled in a more positive way than just the foul call itself; either by counting a basket or being awarded some free throws.

Things in life rarely are super smooth – especially for too long! But when things don’t seem to go your way and you want to call foul, what do you do? Do you stop and complain – or do you push through it hoping to still do something great in spite of the foul? I thought it may be good to read a couple verses on continuation – the best things come when you don’t stop in the face of challenges.

·         John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” (NASB)

·         2 Timothy 3:13-15 ”But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (NASB)

·         Hebrews 13:1-2 “Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (NASB)

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Cast your anxiety on him!

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Today I’m keeping it simple and real. I’m actually writing this to myself and hopefully it’s something that someone else benefits from as well. Without going into a lot of detail, I’m dealing with a medical procedure today and being honest, I’m anxious. It’s nothing really but still, I’m anxious. I’m spending time this morning trying to give it to God because I know that he is in control and takes care of us.

What is it that you need to give to him? What is it that you find yourself anxious about that you need to turn over to him?



My prayer for you today is that in all things, big or small, you would turn to God and cast all of you’re anxieties, concerns, excitements, praises, everything, on him. He cares!

Thurs Devo: Faithful and True

Would Jesus say you and I are faithful and true to Him? He said that about the Pergamum church.

Revelation 2:12-13    ¹² “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Do we openly identify ourselves as a child of God? What if we knew we would be killed if we said we were a Christian? Antipas was supposedly burned for refusing to renounce his faith. Jesus called him His faithful witness for living a consistent faithful life in the face of satanic evil.

Similar situations happen today. The gunman in Oregon reportedly asked his classmates if they were a Christian and asked the Christians to stand up. Then he shot them and continued down the line. Would you and I boldly claim to be Christians after seeing what happened to the first victim?

Antipas and the Christian victims in Oregon are safe in God’s arms now. Nothing will ever harm them again. Jesus has eternal rewards for His faithful and true followers! That's something we can cling to, no matter what happens! 

Alice

Strength in Weakness

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

What is true strength?  We are taught to always be a symbol of strength to others.  This is something I believe in, but as I’ve grown, showing strength is so much more than just being strong.  My success as a husband did not come from always being wonderful to my wife.  In my younger years, I would complain too much.  There were times I felt she was not sensitive enough, and other times where she did not do enough.  However, those were not her faults.  They were mine.  I was the one who did not love her and appreciate her enough.  I expected her to fix our failings in the relationship rather than look at the mirror and deal with my own.  In accepting my own weakness as a husband, it allowed God to be the strength of our marriage.  It made me better to her and more accepting.  It gave me not only forgiveness for my flaws but also inspiration to do better.  To be better.  The most amazing thing about it is my story, while unique, led me to the same place other Christians found themselves; saved and loved by Jesus Christ.

God shows His greatest strength through our greatest weaknesses.  We often feel that we must show our strength to others so as to lead them to a better place.  While it is true that we are to live our lives as examples of Christ, it is important that we also share where we are indeed flawed.  The vision Paul shared in 2^nd Corinthians spoke to this very point.  What brings others to God is not how perfect we may seem.  What brings them is realizing just how imperfect we are.  Our flaws are not so dissimilar from those who are lost souls.  However, our difference is that we have been born again through Christ, and He has shown us a different path.  It is a path that we not only proudly follow but also show to others.  A man struggling in his marriage and contemplating divorce is someone God may connect with me where I can say, “Hey.  I know where you are, and I have been there!”  Then God’s light can be revealed to them.

God’s glory is best revealed when He is allowed to shine above all.  There is no better way for it to be revealed than in our own story of weakness.  Romans 8:26 says, “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”  Even when our prayers may be weak, God intercedes to ensure they are heard.  So let us focus not just on being the face of God’s strength.  Show others the flawed image of yourself because lost souls do not follow a God they don’t know.  They follow someone who understands them and can be used by God to help them see a righteous path.  How can you reveal your weakness to show God’s strength?  My prayer is that we are able to show true strength through own weakness.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Real delegation

2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (NASB)

Hello,

Delegation – a fancy business word! Have you ever had anything delegated to you, only to be asked about it every 5 minutes? Have you ever delegated something to another person, but then told them how to do every little step of the way? Neither is real delegation! Paul though, he delegated! OK – a bit of a stretch from the true meaning of delegation, but go with me for a moment here. Paul delegated his eternal destination/ticket to Jesus. Paul left it all in His hands. He left it all so assuredly, that he didn’t worry about the “price” he was paying here on earth. He fully trusted Jesus to not just handle his eternity, but to handle the method of getting from where he was at the moment until he entered eternity.

So – you delegated eternity to Jesus and the cross? How much are really showing your trust and faith in that delegation?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

God-breathed

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

For those of us that write these devotions, I think we all sometimes find ourselves trying to figure out what to write about. We want the words that we share to have an impact on someone’s life, to touch someone that day. I certainly don’t expect that everything I write will have huge meaning to everyone that reads it, however hopefully it helps one person who is maybe dealing with that same topic. For me, that is why I write. That is why I try to share topics that are real to my life. Yet still, I find myself wishing that I was more profound.

Today, this verse really spoke to me, it reminded me that it doesn’t matter what scripture that I use, all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching and training in righteousness.

I want to encourage everyone today, if you have a scripture that really stands out to you that you want shared, feel free to send it to me. I’m sure that God will help me to use it in a devotional.

May His word bless your day!