When you picture a donkey, what is the first word that comes to mind? Ok, you probably shouldn’t say that word out loud, but I’m guessing it wasn’t the word “smart.” I can think of a lot of animals that I would consider smarter than a donkey. When I see bees spreading pollen or hear about a dog that saved someone’s life, it reminds me of how smart some animals are. However, when I think about donkeys, “smart” isn’t the first word that comes to mind!
There’s a story in Numbers 22 about a man named Balaam and his donkey. The story begins one morning as Balaam and his donkey set out for Moab. However, God did not want him to go on this journey, so He sent an angel to stand in the middle of the road. Balaam could not see the angel, but his donkey could! The Bible says the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a sword drawn. The donkey (which the Bible says was female – could it be this is why it was so smart?) turned off the road into a field. Balaam was mad at his transportation for going off the path and he beat the donkey.
As they continued to travel they ended up in a path between two vineyards with walls on both sides. Again the angel of the Lord stood in their way and this time the donkey saw the angel and pressed against a wall, crushing Balaam’s foot. Balaam beat her again.
Amidst the strange happenings of the day, Balaam continued on his journey and the angel again tried to block his path. When the donkey saw the angel for the third time, she laid down underneath Balaam. She may have been thinking, “Enough is enough! Maybe there’s a reason this angel keeps blocking our path!” Balaam again got mad and beat her.
To make a strange day even more absurd, the donkey spoke to Balaam and asked, “What have I done to make you beat me three times?”
Even stranger yet, Balaam answered her, like it’s an every-day occurrence to talk to your donkey! “You have made a fool out of me! If I had a sword, I’d kill you right now!” he answered.
“Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” (it’s hard to even type this because, really, donkeys don’t talk!) asked the donkey.
“No,” replied Balaam.
Then Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the angel of the Lord. The puzzling events of the day must have fit together as he realized that God was using his donkey to halt his journey.
Balaam wasn’t supposed to go on the journey, but he did so against God’s will. Then when God used his donkey to try and stop him, he beat his donkey because he “felt like a fool.” Balaam’s pride took over and how he looked was more important to him than what God was trying to tell him. He was willing to kill his method of transportation to save face.
Is that how we react when someone hurts us or offends us? I see it in my kids when someone says something that hurts them. They feel bad or foolish, so they lash out with words or actions that are worse than what was done to them. It’s such a pride thing!
I know I’ve said things to others out of anger or hurt feelings and I’ve regretted it later. If someone makes me feel foolish, my natural reaction is to want them to feel foolish, too. It’s not right. I should just turn away and I shouldn’t lash out. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. However, I don’t want God to have to follow me around and use taking animals to get me to see the light in this area. I want to learn how to deal correctly with situations when I’m wronged!
It’s ok to acknowledge that someone has hurt us or wronged us, but it’s not ok to get back at them. We may need to talk to that person and let them know what they said was hurtful, but it should always be done in a loving manner. When we’re in the midst of the situation, it’s better to hold our tongue than to say something we regret later. If only Balaam would’ve taken the hint and turned around, he would have skipped the whole part about feeling foolish and he would have have spared his donkey a lot of pain!
Prayer: Lord, people are going to say or do things that hurt me – it’s a fact of life. When they do, please help me keep my pride in check. Guide my reaction so that I do not respond out of anger or frustration. Help me to stand up for myself in a Godly way and to show grace and love to others … even those who say hurtful things.
Scripture: Numbers 22
Friday, September 3, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Pick up Your Coffee and Follow Him
Imagine yourself casually strolling down the streets of your town. You may be window shopping or just sipping a cup of coffee as you enjoy the day. As you stop to glance in a new boutique, you realize there is someone beside you. As you turn to face Him, you notice a kind man, a stranger looking at you like He knows you.
“I’ve been wanting to speak with you since I saw you get your coffee,” He says to you.
“Do I know you?” You ask, not really afraid, but a little perplexed.
“You may have heard of Me, but we haven’t officially met in person. My name is Jesus, and I want you to put down your coffee and follow Me.” He states this so matter-of-factly that you immediately set down your favorite latte and walk with Him. There are others following this man, too, and you suddenly realize this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of Israel.
Of course, this is a modern-day example of what it may have been like when Jesus chose his disciples. John 1:35-51 shows Jesus choosing His first disciples. Andrew, Peter and Philip followed Jesus without hesitation, but Nathanael waivered. Personally, I can relate more to Nathanael’s reaction than the other three who followed so quickly. Change doesn’t come easy for me, and I don’t think it came easy for Nathanael either.
Nathanael needed a little confirmation before he would take the plunge and follow Jesus. “How do You know me?” Nathanael questioned. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were sitting under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Jesus knew all about Nathanael before He even met him. This intimate knowledge convinced Nathanael and he replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
Let’s talk about the other three disciples for a minute. According to this scripture passage, they followed Jesus without question from the beginning. Reading these verses made me wonder what it was about Jesus that caused these men to quit their jobs and refocus their lives to follow Christ. My conclusion is that the reasons for following Jesus are the same today as they were 2,000 years ago. Anyone who meets Him wants to learn more about Him.
The disciples followed Jesus because they could tell there was something special about Him. They wanted to know more, so they dropped everything to follow Him. It’s the same for us. The more we learn about Him, the more we want to know. The more I dig into the Bible, the more I want to learn about Jesus. There is something amazing about Him that draws us in today just as it drew in the disciples so long ago.
One irony is that unlike the opening story, I am usually not setting down my coffee to follow Jesus, I’m picking it up! The best part of my day is sitting on my favorite couch with a hot cup of coffee, reading the Bible and getting to know more about the Lord. “How do you know me?” I ask Him during one of these quiet moments. “I saw you here while you with your vanilla hazelnut coffee.” That’s all I need to know.
Scripture Reading: John 1:35-51
Prayer: Jesus, it’s amazing that you know us just by looking at us. After all, You created us and so You know everything about us. Please help us to make time for you each day to get to know you better.
“I’ve been wanting to speak with you since I saw you get your coffee,” He says to you.
“Do I know you?” You ask, not really afraid, but a little perplexed.
“You may have heard of Me, but we haven’t officially met in person. My name is Jesus, and I want you to put down your coffee and follow Me.” He states this so matter-of-factly that you immediately set down your favorite latte and walk with Him. There are others following this man, too, and you suddenly realize this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of Israel.
Of course, this is a modern-day example of what it may have been like when Jesus chose his disciples. John 1:35-51 shows Jesus choosing His first disciples. Andrew, Peter and Philip followed Jesus without hesitation, but Nathanael waivered. Personally, I can relate more to Nathanael’s reaction than the other three who followed so quickly. Change doesn’t come easy for me, and I don’t think it came easy for Nathanael either.
Nathanael needed a little confirmation before he would take the plunge and follow Jesus. “How do You know me?” Nathanael questioned. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were sitting under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Jesus knew all about Nathanael before He even met him. This intimate knowledge convinced Nathanael and he replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
Let’s talk about the other three disciples for a minute. According to this scripture passage, they followed Jesus without question from the beginning. Reading these verses made me wonder what it was about Jesus that caused these men to quit their jobs and refocus their lives to follow Christ. My conclusion is that the reasons for following Jesus are the same today as they were 2,000 years ago. Anyone who meets Him wants to learn more about Him.
The disciples followed Jesus because they could tell there was something special about Him. They wanted to know more, so they dropped everything to follow Him. It’s the same for us. The more we learn about Him, the more we want to know. The more I dig into the Bible, the more I want to learn about Jesus. There is something amazing about Him that draws us in today just as it drew in the disciples so long ago.
One irony is that unlike the opening story, I am usually not setting down my coffee to follow Jesus, I’m picking it up! The best part of my day is sitting on my favorite couch with a hot cup of coffee, reading the Bible and getting to know more about the Lord. “How do you know me?” I ask Him during one of these quiet moments. “I saw you here while you with your vanilla hazelnut coffee.” That’s all I need to know.
Scripture Reading: John 1:35-51
Prayer: Jesus, it’s amazing that you know us just by looking at us. After all, You created us and so You know everything about us. Please help us to make time for you each day to get to know you better.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
One of Those Days
Have you ever had “one of those days?” I recently experienced “one.” I was mad, frustrated and annoyed with everyone around me. You could say I was tightly wound. It’s a good thing I don’t own a dog, because I probably would’ve kicked him!
It was a day where it seemed I could do nothing right. My husband and I were arguing about minor miscommunications. My kids weren’t obeying. No one liked the supper I made, and I was beating myself up over not being a good enough friend. I was starting to feel less and less valuable as the minutes ticked on.
We ended up running errands as a family that night. As many of you know, kids and errands don’t always mix well. This time it was a lethal combination. To give an example, even a store clerk had to reprimand my kids. It was not my most shining moment as a parent. By the time we arrived home at 9:30, I was mentally exhausted.
My son, however, seemed to have a bounce in his step. There’s nothing more annoying to someone in a mental pity party than to see a cheerful person. The minute we got out of the car, he ran up to me and excitedly asked, “Mom, can I tell you something?”
I blankly stared at him with the I-can’t-believe-you-would-dare-to-be-cheerful-after-what-you-pulled-at-the-store-tonight look. He watched my face for a few seconds, assessing the situation. Then he carefully said, “I’ll just tell you about it tomorrow” and turned and ran in the house. Smart kid.
The rest of the evening didn’t improve much, so I was hoping the next day would be better. Since the kids were grounded, it turned out to be a productive day around home. We baked a triple batch of banana bread, cleaned the wood floors and even played a game of “Life” together.
We also went into the Community Center so they could burn off some energy in the pool and I could work out my previous frustrations in the fitness room. As I was cruising on the elliptical machine, the song “Who I am in You” by Addison Road played on my iPod.
Oh, you’re bringing me to life
And I’m finding who I am in You
Who I am in You
Oh, You’re changing me inside,
And I’m finding who I am in You,
Who I am in You
As I listened to the song, I realized that my self-imposed inadequacies fade when God looks at me. It’s who I am in Him that really matters. I had been focusing on what I thought were my failures instead of seeing myself as God sees me. As the words to that song played, I felt God’s love wash over me and the painful memories of the previous day faded in comparison.
Scripture verse: “From everlasting to everlasting,
The Lord’s love is with those who fear Him,
And His righteousness with their children’s children.”
Psalm 103:17
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of my failures and inadequacy. You love me not just today or tomorrow; Your love is from everlasting to everlasting. Even when I am frustrated with myself and those around me, Your love is always there for me. I need to focus on who I am in You and cling to that beautiful thought. Thank you for extending Your righteousness to my children and grandchildren. I am blessed by Your love for me and for my family.
It was a day where it seemed I could do nothing right. My husband and I were arguing about minor miscommunications. My kids weren’t obeying. No one liked the supper I made, and I was beating myself up over not being a good enough friend. I was starting to feel less and less valuable as the minutes ticked on.
We ended up running errands as a family that night. As many of you know, kids and errands don’t always mix well. This time it was a lethal combination. To give an example, even a store clerk had to reprimand my kids. It was not my most shining moment as a parent. By the time we arrived home at 9:30, I was mentally exhausted.
My son, however, seemed to have a bounce in his step. There’s nothing more annoying to someone in a mental pity party than to see a cheerful person. The minute we got out of the car, he ran up to me and excitedly asked, “Mom, can I tell you something?”
I blankly stared at him with the I-can’t-believe-you-would-dare-to-be-cheerful-after-what-you-pulled-at-the-store-tonight look. He watched my face for a few seconds, assessing the situation. Then he carefully said, “I’ll just tell you about it tomorrow” and turned and ran in the house. Smart kid.
The rest of the evening didn’t improve much, so I was hoping the next day would be better. Since the kids were grounded, it turned out to be a productive day around home. We baked a triple batch of banana bread, cleaned the wood floors and even played a game of “Life” together.
We also went into the Community Center so they could burn off some energy in the pool and I could work out my previous frustrations in the fitness room. As I was cruising on the elliptical machine, the song “Who I am in You” by Addison Road played on my iPod.
Oh, you’re bringing me to life
And I’m finding who I am in You
Who I am in You
Oh, You’re changing me inside,
And I’m finding who I am in You,
Who I am in You
As I listened to the song, I realized that my self-imposed inadequacies fade when God looks at me. It’s who I am in Him that really matters. I had been focusing on what I thought were my failures instead of seeing myself as God sees me. As the words to that song played, I felt God’s love wash over me and the painful memories of the previous day faded in comparison.
Scripture verse: “From everlasting to everlasting,
The Lord’s love is with those who fear Him,
And His righteousness with their children’s children.”
Psalm 103:17
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of my failures and inadequacy. You love me not just today or tomorrow; Your love is from everlasting to everlasting. Even when I am frustrated with myself and those around me, Your love is always there for me. I need to focus on who I am in You and cling to that beautiful thought. Thank you for extending Your righteousness to my children and grandchildren. I am blessed by Your love for me and for my family.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Happy Birthday Me
It was my birthday yesterday. I want you to know that I’m not a birthday diva. Really, I’m not. However, if someone wants to call me to wish me happy birthday or send me a card, I’m not going to turn them away. That would be rude. After all, you only turn 29 … once!
Who am I to refuse a free Caribou birthday drink or a complimentary Pollo Fundido and fried ice cream at Mexican Village? And if my family wants to get me a pedicure for my birthday gift, I will humbly accept it as the loving gift it was intended to be. If my son wants to make my bed, who am I to refuse that once-in-a-lifetime experience? If my kids want to stand a little closer to me on my birthday or hold my hand a little more often, then you can bet I’m going to soak in all the extra attention that my birthday brings.
I can’t help it if my little friend Sawyer and my niece Stella call to sing me an adorable birthday song. When texts pop up with sweet birthday wishes and encouraging words, I have to admit I feel pretty special. When I look at my facebook wall and see all the birthday messages from friends and family, I am touched and blessed to know that so many people acknowledged my special day. I’m not a birthday diva – not at all!
I am so thankful for all the birthday wishes, gifts and free food and drink, but there is more to my birthday than that. As you can see, I love all the attention my birthday brings, but it would mean nothing without love of one person; my Lord. It’s wonderful to have the love of my family and friends, but it’s astounding to have a Savior who loves me. He shows me He loves me every day through His Word, through conversations in prayer, through nature and through people He places in my life.
Psalm 16:2 says, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” Not even birthdays! God gives me everything good in my life.
In Psalm 16:11 David says, “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to love getting my pedicure, but eternal pleasures sound pretty good, too. I wonder what a heavenly pedicure would feel like?
Scripture passage: Psalm 16
Prayer: Lord, thank you for every good thing You’ve brought into my life. I acknowledge that You are the reason I am on this earth and I want to thank you for giving me life and for giving me the opportunity to spend eternity with You. You do fill me with joy and I give You honor for every blessing in my life. Help me to use my life to honor You. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Who am I to refuse a free Caribou birthday drink or a complimentary Pollo Fundido and fried ice cream at Mexican Village? And if my family wants to get me a pedicure for my birthday gift, I will humbly accept it as the loving gift it was intended to be. If my son wants to make my bed, who am I to refuse that once-in-a-lifetime experience? If my kids want to stand a little closer to me on my birthday or hold my hand a little more often, then you can bet I’m going to soak in all the extra attention that my birthday brings.
I can’t help it if my little friend Sawyer and my niece Stella call to sing me an adorable birthday song. When texts pop up with sweet birthday wishes and encouraging words, I have to admit I feel pretty special. When I look at my facebook wall and see all the birthday messages from friends and family, I am touched and blessed to know that so many people acknowledged my special day. I’m not a birthday diva – not at all!
I am so thankful for all the birthday wishes, gifts and free food and drink, but there is more to my birthday than that. As you can see, I love all the attention my birthday brings, but it would mean nothing without love of one person; my Lord. It’s wonderful to have the love of my family and friends, but it’s astounding to have a Savior who loves me. He shows me He loves me every day through His Word, through conversations in prayer, through nature and through people He places in my life.
Psalm 16:2 says, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” Not even birthdays! God gives me everything good in my life.
In Psalm 16:11 David says, “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to love getting my pedicure, but eternal pleasures sound pretty good, too. I wonder what a heavenly pedicure would feel like?
Scripture passage: Psalm 16
Prayer: Lord, thank you for every good thing You’ve brought into my life. I acknowledge that You are the reason I am on this earth and I want to thank you for giving me life and for giving me the opportunity to spend eternity with You. You do fill me with joy and I give You honor for every blessing in my life. Help me to use my life to honor You. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It's Sooooooo Easy!
One of my high school teachers used to say a phrase that still echoes in my head today. After he’d finish teaching his lesson, he’d add the statement, “It’s sooooooo easy” using his patronizing voice. The tiny word “so” was never as long as when his low voice would drag it out. That phrase always made me feel like I was in idiot if I didn’t catch on to what he was teaching that day.
I was reminded of this phrase the other day when I was reading in 1 John. I came across one simple verse that epitomizes the Christian life. “And this is His (God’s) command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us (1 John 3:23).” You can see why I fell in love with that verse! In that one verse, we have the essence of what it means to be a Christian. I thought to myself, “It’s sooooo easy!” Even though living the Christian life isn’t always easy, God made it easy for us to understand what being a Christian is all about.
The first part of that verse says that we become a child of Christ by believing in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. John 6:40 tells us that “Anyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.” Believing in Jesus is not always easy or simple for some people. There are many reasons that people use for not believing in Jesus. However, to those who do choose to believe in Him and are willing to trust and serve Him, He has promised eternal life.
The second part of the verse says to love one another as He commanded us. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we show we are true disciples of Christ. After we accept Christ, we are instructed to love one another. Notice that there are no stipulations to this verse. (I kind of wish there were!) What about the co-worker who has it out for us? What about the Christian friend who has hurt us? What about that family member who works on our last nerve? What about people who have done despicable things? Are we really supposed to love them?
The end of this verse makes it clear that we are called to love everyone. Sometimes it’s not soooooo easy to love certain people. It’s easy for me to love people in my life who are kind to me. It’s a lot harder to love people who are difficult.
God set the ultimate example of love by sending His only Son to die for a sinful world. That sinful world includes you and me. We have done nothing to deserve God’s love, yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Loving others can mean different things for different people. Some people love others by helping those in need. Some people show love by participating in a missions trip. Some people show love by choosing to forgive someone who’s hurt them. Other people show love by reaching out to people in their community. There are many ways to show God's love.
No matter how God wants you to show love, the important thing is that you are doing it. It’s not always soooooo easy to show love. Take God for example. I’m sure it wasn’t sooooo easy for Him to give up His Son and watch Him suffer, but He did it out of love. After God’s ultimate sacrifice, all He asks of us is that we believe in Jesus and love others. That doesn’t seem like much to ask!
Scripture reading: I John 3
Prayer: Lord, I believe in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to obey Your command by loving others. Please show me how to love others around me and in other parts of the world. Thank you for Your sacrifice of love for us when You sent Your Son to die on the cross for my sins.
I was reminded of this phrase the other day when I was reading in 1 John. I came across one simple verse that epitomizes the Christian life. “And this is His (God’s) command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us (1 John 3:23).” You can see why I fell in love with that verse! In that one verse, we have the essence of what it means to be a Christian. I thought to myself, “It’s sooooo easy!” Even though living the Christian life isn’t always easy, God made it easy for us to understand what being a Christian is all about.
The first part of that verse says that we become a child of Christ by believing in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. John 6:40 tells us that “Anyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.” Believing in Jesus is not always easy or simple for some people. There are many reasons that people use for not believing in Jesus. However, to those who do choose to believe in Him and are willing to trust and serve Him, He has promised eternal life.
The second part of the verse says to love one another as He commanded us. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we show we are true disciples of Christ. After we accept Christ, we are instructed to love one another. Notice that there are no stipulations to this verse. (I kind of wish there were!) What about the co-worker who has it out for us? What about the Christian friend who has hurt us? What about that family member who works on our last nerve? What about people who have done despicable things? Are we really supposed to love them?
The end of this verse makes it clear that we are called to love everyone. Sometimes it’s not soooooo easy to love certain people. It’s easy for me to love people in my life who are kind to me. It’s a lot harder to love people who are difficult.
God set the ultimate example of love by sending His only Son to die for a sinful world. That sinful world includes you and me. We have done nothing to deserve God’s love, yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Loving others can mean different things for different people. Some people love others by helping those in need. Some people show love by participating in a missions trip. Some people show love by choosing to forgive someone who’s hurt them. Other people show love by reaching out to people in their community. There are many ways to show God's love.
No matter how God wants you to show love, the important thing is that you are doing it. It’s not always soooooo easy to show love. Take God for example. I’m sure it wasn’t sooooo easy for Him to give up His Son and watch Him suffer, but He did it out of love. After God’s ultimate sacrifice, all He asks of us is that we believe in Jesus and love others. That doesn’t seem like much to ask!
Scripture reading: I John 3
Prayer: Lord, I believe in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to obey Your command by loving others. Please show me how to love others around me and in other parts of the world. Thank you for Your sacrifice of love for us when You sent Your Son to die on the cross for my sins.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Shut up and Listen
Being still is a foreign concept to many of us. I know I often have a hard time quieting my mind. Sometimes when I pray or read my devotions, my mind wanders off to a hundred different places. What do I need at the grocery store? What do I have on my agenda today? I haven’t called my friend back yet. There are so many thoughts going through my mind during devotions, but not all of them pertain to God!
Our world today offers such a wide variety of conveniences that we don’t feel we should ever have to be still and wait for anything. I can get a hold of people in a flash through my cell phone, e-mail or facebook. Sometimes, if I don’t need an immediate response, I actually send a letter through the mail (how archaic) or use my landline to make a phone call. If the person I call isn’t home, I can leave a message for them to call me back as soon as possible.
In less than 5 minutes I can get a pizza, sub sandwich, fresh salad, burger, chicken dinner or a loaded burrito. At home I can make a skillet meal in 15 minutes and then put the dishes in my dishwasher, which will clean & sterilize an entire load of dishes in less than two hours. I can microwave leftovers in one minute and heat up my coffee in 20 seconds. Yesterday I actually stopped the microwave after 19 seconds because I couldn’t wait any longer!
It’s hard to practice the discipline of being still in a world where we don’t have to wait for anything. Sometimes we even use multiple modern conveniences at once. For instance, I can talk on my phone at home (through my “Madonna” headset) while I wash & fold laundry, clean my house or cook dinner. I like to call it multitasking! However, when I multitask, I’m not 100 percent focused on any one task.
In Psalm 46:10 the Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When I was reading this verse, I realized something. God doesn’t want a percentage of our attention. He wants all of it. When I spend time with God, I need to be fully devoted to Him. I need to be still and listen.
Sometimes I pray about the same request over and over. I wonder why God is not answering my prayers. Then I think about how much time I’ve actually spent with Him being still, reading the Scriptures and listening. It is possible to pray and yet not listen to God. There are poignant words to a Christian song that say, “I try to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time.” Those lyrics hit me hard because I am guilty of praying and not hearing. I talk to God, but I don’t listen quietly for His response.
A big part of seeking God involves being still. It’s a discipline. We need to practice being still and restructure our devotional time to include quietly listening. Keep a notebook nearby so that when your mind wanders, you can write down your thoughts (like your grocery list and who you forgot to call) and deal with them later.
If we want to hear from heaven, we need to shut up. Please don’t tell my kids I said shut up or I’ll get in big trouble! I’m going to conclude by rephrasing Psalm 46:10-11 into a prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, I am going to shut up and listen. I acknowledge that You are God. You are more than enough for any situation I encounter, so I will trust You. Part of trusting You is presenting my requests to You and then sitting quietly to listen for Your response. You may not answer immediately, but I realize that You can’t answer at all if I’m not listening! You will be exalted among the nations and You will be exalted in the earth. You are that amazing! The Lord Almighty is always with me, He is the God of Jacob and He’s my fortress. You have always been around and You will protect me through any storm in life.
Scripture reading: Psalm 46
Our world today offers such a wide variety of conveniences that we don’t feel we should ever have to be still and wait for anything. I can get a hold of people in a flash through my cell phone, e-mail or facebook. Sometimes, if I don’t need an immediate response, I actually send a letter through the mail (how archaic) or use my landline to make a phone call. If the person I call isn’t home, I can leave a message for them to call me back as soon as possible.
In less than 5 minutes I can get a pizza, sub sandwich, fresh salad, burger, chicken dinner or a loaded burrito. At home I can make a skillet meal in 15 minutes and then put the dishes in my dishwasher, which will clean & sterilize an entire load of dishes in less than two hours. I can microwave leftovers in one minute and heat up my coffee in 20 seconds. Yesterday I actually stopped the microwave after 19 seconds because I couldn’t wait any longer!
It’s hard to practice the discipline of being still in a world where we don’t have to wait for anything. Sometimes we even use multiple modern conveniences at once. For instance, I can talk on my phone at home (through my “Madonna” headset) while I wash & fold laundry, clean my house or cook dinner. I like to call it multitasking! However, when I multitask, I’m not 100 percent focused on any one task.
In Psalm 46:10 the Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When I was reading this verse, I realized something. God doesn’t want a percentage of our attention. He wants all of it. When I spend time with God, I need to be fully devoted to Him. I need to be still and listen.
Sometimes I pray about the same request over and over. I wonder why God is not answering my prayers. Then I think about how much time I’ve actually spent with Him being still, reading the Scriptures and listening. It is possible to pray and yet not listen to God. There are poignant words to a Christian song that say, “I try to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time.” Those lyrics hit me hard because I am guilty of praying and not hearing. I talk to God, but I don’t listen quietly for His response.
A big part of seeking God involves being still. It’s a discipline. We need to practice being still and restructure our devotional time to include quietly listening. Keep a notebook nearby so that when your mind wanders, you can write down your thoughts (like your grocery list and who you forgot to call) and deal with them later.
If we want to hear from heaven, we need to shut up. Please don’t tell my kids I said shut up or I’ll get in big trouble! I’m going to conclude by rephrasing Psalm 46:10-11 into a prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, I am going to shut up and listen. I acknowledge that You are God. You are more than enough for any situation I encounter, so I will trust You. Part of trusting You is presenting my requests to You and then sitting quietly to listen for Your response. You may not answer immediately, but I realize that You can’t answer at all if I’m not listening! You will be exalted among the nations and You will be exalted in the earth. You are that amazing! The Lord Almighty is always with me, He is the God of Jacob and He’s my fortress. You have always been around and You will protect me through any storm in life.
Scripture reading: Psalm 46
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Because God Says So!
A few years ago I was walking in Minneapolis with some friends. As we walked, we passed a homeless man who was asking for spare change. While most of us looked away and ignored him, one of my friends walked over and gave him some money. I think her act of kindness touched our hearts and also taught us a valuable lesson. God wants us to help others, not walk by them.
I can only speak for myself when I say I was humbled by that experience. In the past I have walked or driven past people who ask for money. It’s not that I don’t care about them, it’s more that I don’t care enough to do anything to help them. My heart would feel bad for them, that they had no place to live and that they were surviving on spare change. My hands, however, did not bear any of the fruit from my heart.
When I graduated from college I worked in the city and saw people asking for money every day. I became callous to their needs. I began to justify the fact that I walked right past them by telling myself these people with their tin cans or guitars looked perfectly capable of getting a job. Maybe they were just lazy. They probably didn’t make good use of their money while they had it, so why should I be responsible to help them out of their crisis?
Why? Because God says so!
Psalm 41:1 says, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.” My study Bible says that God wants our generosity to reflect His own free giving. As He has blessed us, we should bless others. Now that’s something to wrap my little brain around! He has given me so many earthly blessings and on top of that I have the promise of eternal life with Him. With that in mind, I feel humbled when I think of how many needy people I’ve walked by in my life.
This weekend my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in downtown Minneapolis. We took a little time to “people watch” after dinner. I may seem like a redneck for even saying this, but I have to admit it was fun to sit and watch all the “city folk” and see the diversity of people enjoying the city that evening. As we sat on a bench, a homeless man came up to us and asked us for a quarter. At first we said we didn’t have a quarter, but as he walked away I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me.
I quickly decided that it was time I stop feeling bad for people in need and actually do something about it. I called to him, “Sir!” As he turned around, I reached into my purse to find some money. It was only a couple of dollars, but he seemed grateful. I realized that it didn’t matter why he was homeless or how he got to that place in life. What matters is that God wants us to have regard for the weak and needy.
Prayer: Lord, help me to not only see the needs of others around me, but to do something about their needs! Please show me how I can help someone today.
Scripture: Psalm 41
I can only speak for myself when I say I was humbled by that experience. In the past I have walked or driven past people who ask for money. It’s not that I don’t care about them, it’s more that I don’t care enough to do anything to help them. My heart would feel bad for them, that they had no place to live and that they were surviving on spare change. My hands, however, did not bear any of the fruit from my heart.
When I graduated from college I worked in the city and saw people asking for money every day. I became callous to their needs. I began to justify the fact that I walked right past them by telling myself these people with their tin cans or guitars looked perfectly capable of getting a job. Maybe they were just lazy. They probably didn’t make good use of their money while they had it, so why should I be responsible to help them out of their crisis?
Why? Because God says so!
Psalm 41:1 says, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.” My study Bible says that God wants our generosity to reflect His own free giving. As He has blessed us, we should bless others. Now that’s something to wrap my little brain around! He has given me so many earthly blessings and on top of that I have the promise of eternal life with Him. With that in mind, I feel humbled when I think of how many needy people I’ve walked by in my life.
This weekend my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in downtown Minneapolis. We took a little time to “people watch” after dinner. I may seem like a redneck for even saying this, but I have to admit it was fun to sit and watch all the “city folk” and see the diversity of people enjoying the city that evening. As we sat on a bench, a homeless man came up to us and asked us for a quarter. At first we said we didn’t have a quarter, but as he walked away I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me.
I quickly decided that it was time I stop feeling bad for people in need and actually do something about it. I called to him, “Sir!” As he turned around, I reached into my purse to find some money. It was only a couple of dollars, but he seemed grateful. I realized that it didn’t matter why he was homeless or how he got to that place in life. What matters is that God wants us to have regard for the weak and needy.
Prayer: Lord, help me to not only see the needs of others around me, but to do something about their needs! Please show me how I can help someone today.
Scripture: Psalm 41
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