God In The Gentle Breeze

Silence is so hard for most of us. We don’t know what to do with it. Yet in the commotion of life it is so easy to miss the quiet things of God, to hear and know that He is God. We recently visited a church in Longview, Washington and the message that morning was brought by their assistant youth pastor who spoke on “silence.” Along with him sharing about his experiences of learning to be quiet with God he played a video which contained a lengthy period of silence, and in quietness we sat.

It is so easy to allow the distractions of noise to permeate our minds and interrupt our time with God. It is also easy for the ramblings of our mind to interrupt the quiet. This is not easy, but it is so necessary that we each find these times, maybe not as frequently as we might like and maybe not even as quiet as we might like. But nevertheless finding times where we can sit with God and pray, read the word, meditate, and even be quiet – being still before Him.

In 1 Kings 19 we read of Elijah fleeing from the hands of Jezebel, and in his fleeing we read of how God spoke to him so that he might hear before sending Elijah back out.

1 Kings 19:11-13 So He [the word of the Lord] said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Just as Elijah’s heart had been racing and he ran in fear, so he also experienced the power of God in nature and yet did not hear from Him. But then in the peaceful quietness of the gentle blowing wind, Elijah heard.

Psalm 46:10-11 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. [NIV]

For me, I have to be mindful of making sure that my schedule includes times and places where I can be still, and if I find my heart and mind racing a bit then I change it up. Sometimes that means a stool in my garage and other times it means an empty office or even a solitary shower. But one thing I know is that making this time a regular priority needs to be a priority of my life with God, and it definitely strengthens me for when the figurative wind is blowing hard or the fires of the day are raging.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/15)

When you approach Me in stillness and in trust, you are strengthened. You need a buffer zone of silence around you in order to focus on things that are unseen. Since I am invisible, you must not let your senses dominate your thinking. The curse of this age is overstimulation of the senses, which blocks out awareness of the unseen world.

The tangible world still reflects My Glory, to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear. Spending time alone with Me is the best way to develop seeing eyes and hearing ears. The goal is to be aware of unseen things even as you live out your life in the visible world.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole will earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Peace of Heart and Mind

Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.

As a teenager I had areas in which I excelled and areas in which I didn’t. While I found satisfaction in the areas in which I did well, I struggled with myself because of those areas in which I didn’t. I found that I had been measuring myself against others, and that others had become my standard for success. The result of this was seasons of unrest counterbalanced by trying to do better. During my junior year of high school a system for doing better in all areas of life was introduced in an art appreciation class, and I was impressed by its “scientific” claims. I approached my parents and got permission to learn about this new thing known as Transcendental Meditation, which to my surprise really wound up being nothing more than an eastern meditation religion repackaged and marketed for the western market. I went through the whole introductory period, leading up to a ceremony with incense and flowers surrounding a picture of the promoter (an altar). This ceremony culminated with the giving of a personal mantra that I was to chant over and over, supposedly allowing it to bring to a reality all of their promises. But as time moved on I found it to be very empty, and I was right back where I started though a bit more disillusioned.

During this time I was also taking a creative writing class and began to put my hand to poetry. Following is one I wrote which reflects my journey at the time.

Clutching, grasping

Trying to find

That everlasting

Peace of mind.

Thinking, groping

Always hoping

There to find

That everlasting peace of mind.

Giving, Taking

Flying free

Never catching

You or me.

In one ear; out the other,

There to find

Always another

Of that kind

Of everlasting Peace of mind.

The last few lines show the frustration of the search, something that I wanted which would last was nothing more to me than a constant search with only temporary answers. BUT GOD, during my senior year of high school showed me that it didn’t have to be this way. Visiting a church with a friend I heard the pastor speak on Psalm 139 and a God who not only created me, but who knew absolutely everything about me at every moment in time and who loved me and had a purpose for my life. I knew at that moment this is what I wanted. And it was at that time that verses I had learned in a midweek church program years earlier came to a fullness of meaning.

What I came to realize was that by accepting God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as my savior and trusting Him as my Lord I not only would receive forgiveness of sins but that I would be fully accepted by God and that He was giving me purpose for life. The search was over, and a walk for all eternity had begun. God had reached out to me, called me to Himself, and had given me the ability to believe. And since He has given me the ability to walk by faith as He has continued to enclose me and grow me and use me for His service, strengthening me during times of trial and allowing me to share that strength with others in their struggles as well.

There still are those times when I struggle, but in them I am also thankful that my God is not far away. In fact, He has gone nowhere and His Spirit it still residing in me. It is in these times that I turn my heart and mind back to Him, reflect on the truths of the Psalm He used to draw me to Himself, the others truths I have learned, and the years of His faithfulness that I have experienced and observed. It is then that even in times of unrest I can know His peace.

Psalm 139:1-6  A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace….

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/14)

I have loved you with an everlasting Love. Before time began, I knew you. For years you swam around in a sea of meaninglessness, searching for Love, hoping for hope. All that time I was pursuing you, aching to embrace you in My compassionate arms.

When time was right, I revealed Myself to you. I lifted you out of that sea of despair and set you down on a firm foundation. Sometimes you felt naked – exposed to the revealing Light of My Presence. I wrapped an ermine robe around you: My robe of righteousness. I sang you a Love song, whose beginning and end are veiled in eternity. I infused meaning into you mind and harmony into your heart. Join Me in singing My song. Together we will draw others out of darkness into My marvelous Light.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

Living In The Light

Grumbling is a huge joy killer. How will you spend your day, in the dark or in the light?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” (Genesis 1:1-5) When God created day and night He said that both are good as was all that he created. Yet with the advent of sin we began to see the two separated as metaphors for good and evil, for walking with God and walking apart from Him. And even in creation we can see the reason for this in that it was light that was introduced into the earth in order to create the separation, and that light was existent apart from the sun, moon, and stars which were not created to rule over the day and the night until the fourth day.

In the New Testament, in John 1:1-5, we find out more about that light that pre-existed the natural light. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

This Light was none other than God the Son who we came to know as Jesus Christ. He was in the beginning with God and is one in essence with God the Father and the Spirit. John tells us, as do other writers of Scripture, that it was through Him that all that was created came to be. God spoke and it happened. Jesus was in the beginning with God, and He was God identified as the Word Who created. And it is His Light that brings light to man. In John 8:12 Jesus tells us, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Ephesians 5:8, 13-14, 18-20 “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” … “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” …  “but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father….” In 1 John 1: 5 we go on to read, “…that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

So, getting back to the opening statement, “Grumbling is a huge joy killer. How will you spend your day, in the dark or in the light?” When we grumble it is because we are disappointed with something. Something did not happen the way we wanted or we did not get what we wanted to get. Maybe we were treated poorly or overlooked for a raise or promotion. There are so many things over which we can grumble, and every single one of them may be an indicator that our hearts, even if momentarily, are not right before God and that we are walking in the darkness of man and not in the Light of God - hiding ourselves in and entrusting ourselves to Him.

Note: Some people have a longer and deeper seated grumbling or even depression.  For them the thing doing the bothering is not so obvious and it may even have a physiological contributor. When reading devotional thoughts such as today's don't be quickly reactive, but rather go before God and lay everything out that you see to Him and ask His direction and His help as you move from a position of seeing things poorly toward seeing things with the hope that comes from walking in the Light. And it may be even advisable to seek wise help.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/12)

Let Me help you get through this day. There are many possible paths to travel between your getting up in the morning and your lying down at night. Stay alert to the many choice-points along the way, being continually aware My Presence. You will get through this day one way or the other. One way is to moan and groan, stumbling along with shuffling feet. This will get you to the end of the day eventually, but there is a better way. You can choose to walk with Me along the path of Peace, leaning on Me as much is you need. There will still be difficulties along the way, but you can face them confidently in My strength. Thank Me for each problem you encounter, and watch to see how I transform trials into blessings.

And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel. 1 Corinthians 10:10

“… to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79

Crowding Out Worry

Have you ever noticed how when you worry about something that other things get crowded out, and how things that would not normally bother you seem to pile on? Worry is a futile exercise in self-determination, an exercise in which we take our focus off of God and place it on the size of a particular circumstance and then we try to figure out how we will either slay it or escape it. It is no accident that fears and/or hopelessness often accompany worry. All of these point to our struggle to fix things on our own or to take a practical, though maybe not verbalized, position that God has for some reason abandoned you this time.

I must admit that a portion of my day today was consumed with worry, and the crazy thing is that it happened right in the middle of a study of Romans where I’ve seen over and over again how faithful my God is. This brings me face-to-face with another reality in our lives, and that is that there is an evil one who seeks to rob and destroy that which God has given us. The answer to his assaults is to be alert and to resist, and this is not something we do in our own strength but it is something that we do by faith in our Lord who has conquered sin and death on our behalf. We are no longer slaves to the evil one. His authority over those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation has been broken. We read in 1 Peter 5:6-11:

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

So, the answer for my worry party earlier today was found in resting in who my God is and the promises that He has made to me that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that He is aware of absolutely everything I encounter and that He makes me able to stand in the midst of it. This is a regular battle for all of us in various ways, and our God knows it. He has given us His Spirit to strengthen us and even to make His word alive for us that in those times it might serve as our defense as we push off the lies of the evil one. He has also given us one another to serve as an encouragement and even to instruct and set us straight.

Ephesians 6:16-17 says, “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

And in doing this we can find ourselves firmly established and able to even regain the supernatural spiritual ability to stand firm as we read in Ephesians 6:13. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/11)

Trust Me and don’t be afraid, for I am your Strength and Song. Do not let fear dissipate your energy. Instead, invest your energy in trusting Me and singing my Song. The battle for control your mind is fierce, and years of worry have made you vulnerable to the enemy. Therefore, you need to be vigilant in guarding your thoughts. Do not despise this weakness in yourself, since I am using it to draw you closer to Me. Your constant need for Me creates intimacy that is well worth all the effort. You are not alone in the struggle for your mind. My Spirit living within you is ever ready to help in this striving. Ask Him to control your mind; He will bless you with Life and Peace.

“surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Our Reasonable Spiritual Response

Today we drove home from a weekend of seeing grandchildren and spending time with their parents, in particular getting to meet our newest one born just two and a half weeks ago. As we drove home I took a different route past a church with which I have had some preliminary discussion, but nothing looking forward at this time. There was no agenda in going there other than just taking a look at it and its surrounding community and making it seem a little more real as a body of believers to pray for as we ourselves and they seek God’s leading. As we were driving away our kids asked if we would move there. Our answer was we don’t know, we’re trusting God to show us where He wants us. And that was okay with them just as it has been with us.

Sarah writes about resting in God and taking a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. We all have hopes and desires for things that we would like to see happen, and in those hopes there is always a point where we move from reasonable control to no control. In those areas of reasonable control we are to do the reasonably spiritual thing which is to step out prayerfully and do as we believe God is leading. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

In Romans 12:1 it says that the reason we are to present ourselves to God to be fully used by Him is because it is our “spiritual service of worship.” The word translated “spiritual” in the New American Standard Bible is also translated the same in most modern translations, but if you were to look at some of the foot or column notes you might find the word “reasonable” or “rational.” The reason for this is that Greek word used here is not “pneumatikos,” literally meaning “spiritual” or of the pneuma – spirit.

Rather, the word used is here is “logikos” or reasonable. In trying to accurately translate the entirety of the passage the translators seemed to think it best to be say that the most logical thing to do was the most reasonably spiritual thing. And it is the most reasonably spiritual thing that we respond by presenting ourselves fully back to God because of all that God has done for us. Because of what Paul describes in the first eleven chapters of Romans, it just makes spiritual sense that we present ourselves in service to Christ who is our Lord. So, when we have choices and even the ability to act on those choices we are to present them to God and seek His leading for them and then step out trusting His Spirit to direct our steps (Proverbs 3:5-6).

At the same time, there are those things over which we have no control or those or maybe we have control of some portion but not of others. It is here that we sit before God and ask Him to help us sort that which we can and should act on and that which we have to lay totally in His hands and trust Him to work. This may mean taking steps of uncertainty because of the leading of the Spirit, knowing that He will have to go before you and it may also mean waiting or even going another direction.

The key is whether we have control or not, that we take everything to Him and lay it in His hands, asking for His leading and His help. This is one way we worship Him as we truly rely on Him for our very lives and how we live them.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/10)

Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. When you try to peer into the future and plan for every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment by moment. As you gaze anxiously into the distance, you don’t even feel the strong grip My hand holding yours. How foolish you are, My child!

Remembrance of Me is a daily discipline. Never lose sight My Presence with you. This will keep you resting in Me all day, every day.

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

Finding Rest In Our Father's Arms

Yesterday we had the privilege of spending time with our three granddaughters, including our newest one who is a whopping two weeks old who we met for the first time. Two we only had time with for a couple of hours as we drove north, but it was so great to see them and their mother. And being able to go to a park and watch the oldest, now two, run and play and express herself was priceless.

Then arriving at our end destination for the weekend and being able to hold this tiny baby and have her look at me and even sleep in my arms was a wonderful experience, especially knowing that she was so comfortable that she could find that kind of rest while I held her. But an even greater joy is seeing her parents and the joy that their precious daughter has brought to them. This was a trip well worth the making if only for a short time.

As I reflect on this and what Sarah has to write about for today, seeking to live in God’s love and allowing His love to overwhelm me. To think that God’s love for me far exceeds mine or even here parents’ love for our new granddaughter is incredible. Our God calls us to Himself and wraps Himself around us and He has given us His Holy Spirit to indwell, guide, enable, empower, and even intercede in our communication with Him. This is absolutely true for all who are His children, those He has called as His own and those who have believed and placed their trust in His Only beloved Son, Jesus Christ. And it is Jesus who proved God’s great love for us when He willing emptied Himself of His equality with God to be born into this world of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit for the express purpose of shedding His blood for our redemption and then to rise again and bring us with Him in time to a newness of life without end.

Philippians 2:6-8 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

I can sit and imagine how great God’s love is and grasp it to some extend and be incredibly thankful, and then I can hold my children and my grandchildren and appreciate it even more.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/9)

Seek to live in My Love, which covers a multitude of sins: both yours and others’. Wear My Love like a cloak of Light, covering you from head to toe. Have no fear, for perfect Love decimates fear. Look at other people through lenses of Love, see them from My perspective. This is how you walk in the Light, and it pleases Me.

I want My Body of believers to be radiant with the Light of My Presence. How I grieve when of darkness increasingly dim the Love-Light. Return to Me, your First Love! Gaze at Me in the splendor of holiness, and My Love will once again envelop you in Light.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Revelation 2:4

God Makes The Roses Grow

There are so many things which we enjoy, but what do we truly and deeply desire? So often it is easy to lose ourselves in the things of life that we don’t stop to consider that which might be more important. While there is nothing inherently wrong with enjoyment, enjoyment at the expense of thoughtful consideration often leads to what we might call foolishness, folly, or even waste.

At the same time there are those whose desires are so strong and drive them so thoroughly that they allow no time or sense of enjoyment now because what they have to do is so important that they can’t let up. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” We can substitute other things in the place of “money” whether they be success, recognition, position, or approval. But being driven for something so strongly that it brings about your loss of focus on God and your connection to others is very destructive.

God’s plan is different and it is found in aligning ourselves with Him and His desires for us. As we do this we will find that He fulfills the desires of our hearts and brings joy and blessing along the way. In Proverbs 3:5-8 we read, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." In Psalms 37:4-5 we read, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Scripture is overflowing with words from God telling us that the real way to find joy and fulfillment in life is to thoughtfully spend time with Him aligning our desires with His and then stepping out and trusting Him to do what He fully intends.

Living this way does not mean that everything in life will be problem free or that your portfolio will be overflowing with riches. The reality is that Scripture says the contrary, but it does mean that even in the midst of the strongest storm as in those moments of greatest joy we can know His joy and experience His peace and even satisfaction in seeing Him work.

Take time to smell the roses knowing that everything that makes it possible for the rose to exist and grow and our ability to live and even smell and visually enjoy is a gift from God. As we count the petals take time to thank Him as you recount your many blessings.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (6/6)

Seek My face, and you will find fulfillment in your deepest longings. My world is filled with beautiful things; they are meant to be pointers to Me, reminders of My abiding Presence. The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear.

You had a darkened mind before you sought Me wholeheartedly. I chose to pour My Light into you, so that you can be a beacon to others. There is no room for pride in this position. Your part is to reflect My Glory. I am the Lord!

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2

See, darkness covers the earth and the darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Isaiah 60:2