Whispers

            Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about whispers, specifically, the whispers of God. The thing about whispers is that you really have to be listening closely to hear them. You have to be paying attention or you might miss them. You have to have your ears wide open in order to hear a gentle whisper. You might even need to have your eyes fixed on the direction of the whisperer in order to fully grasp what is being whispered. Listening closely is the key.

            I used to be a very shy and quiet person. I know it’s hard to believe, but ask someone who knew me in high school or a friend who knew me in my early adult years. I was so shy and quiet that if a person called on me to speak in a group or to pray out loud, my heart would race, I would almost melt into my seat in fear. Well, I still have some of those characteristics in certain situations, but most of the time, I’m a talker and sometimes I forget to listen. Sometimes I’m not a good listener at all. That is why this whole whispering thing has gotten my attention of late.

            In my early adult years I was so excited about my faith and about growing spiritually that I hungered to hear whatever God was trying to say to me. I was starving for His voice and direction. I longed to know what His plans for me were, I deeply desired to know and follow His ways. I remember that longing and that desperation to please Him. Everything was so exciting! Well, the older I got, the more the things of life seemed to suck the air right out of my lungs at times. I lost some of that hunger. I got busy serving. I allowed life’s circumstances to affect my joy level and my longing for more of Jesus. Sometimes I still do that even today. You’d think I’d have it down at my age! But I am still learning. I don’t ever want to stop learning. I truly hope that I am a better listener today than I was a year ago or even months ago.

            God is trying to teach me again to hunger for more of Him and His Word. It is always an ongoing process. I am learning to allow Him to rekindle that deep hunger in me again to hear Him and to wait on His direction. It’s a little harder on some days because again, I let the darkness of this life hide Him from me. Sometimes His glory is hidden from me by my own sin or the dark things of this world. Thankfully, He never stops whispering. He never stops calling me to Himself. He is always speaking, always working, always the same. He never changes, ever.

            I am reading a book right now about God’s whispers and how they changed and guided one man’s life. I read this last night and it really tugged at my heart. He said, “When the circumstances of your life start to shift…at least consider that it might be due to God. When you find yourself in a state of confusion or curiosity about the way things are going, go ahead and ask him if there’s something he’d like to say to you. Open your hands, open your heart, heighten your attentiveness to any small way he might want to communicate to you, and then agree in advance that you will comply with whatever he says…” (Bill Hybels, The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God. Having the Guts to Respond, 55) There have been many seasons in my life recently and I’ve often wondered what God is up to. At times, I’ve felt like my life circumstances have shifted a LOT! It does cause me to be a bit confused, curious and at times, even a little afraid. I start asking questions like, “What am I here for God?” “What good am I to You and Your kingdom?” “What is next for me?” “What doYou want me to do now?” “What in the world are You doing God?” “Am I of any use to You?” These kind of thoughts make me anxious or even sad at times. I start to let all kinds of lies fill my head and eventually it paralyzes me. And that is exactly where our enemy, the devil wants us.

            Well, according to Hybels, and more importantly, according to God’s Word, if we just take the time to ask Him and then, take the time to be still and listen, we’ll hear from God and He will direct our ways. He will guide us. We do not need to be anxious about anything. We can trust that He is listening to us and hears our pleas. We have to do our part and pay attention. I cannot express in words how strongly I want to get this right. Deep in my deepest gut I yearn to hear the Father’s voice and to obey it. More than anything I want to be walking in obedience. I want to know and live out God’s best. I want to live a life that shows Jesus to others. I want to please my Father and to leave a legacy of faith when I am gone. In fact, I don’t want to wait until I’m gone, I want to live out a life of faith NOW! If you are reading this and if you will, please pray with me that I will open my heart, my hands and especially my ears to hear what God has to say. I do not want to miss anything that He is trying to say. I pray this for all of you as well. I pray this regularly for my adult kids, my husband, myself, my friends and family and for my church. I’m reminded of something I used to say to the little ones I taught in Sunday School many years ago. I would say to them, “Let’s all put on our listening ears now and hear what Jesus is saying to us today.” Well, I hope we have our listening ears on today and I hope God has something very special to say to us. Listen…can you hear Him?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

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

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV)

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV)

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (ESV)

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)

Also see – John 16:13; Isaiah 30:21; Hebrews 2:1

I had to run and errand before I got this posted today. As soon as I turned on my car radio, there was a song playing called, “Help Me Find It” by Sidewalk Prophets. God whispered LOUDLY to me through this song. I had to add it to this post even if it makes it a little lengthy. Give it a listen. It says very clearly what I was trying to say in my post today. Thank You God for Your whispers!

I don’t know where to go from here

 It all used to seem so clear
 I’m finding I can’t do this on my own
 I don’t know where to go from here
 As long as I know that You are near
 I’m done fighting
 I’m finally letting go

 I will trust in You
 You’ve never failed before
 I will trust in You

 If there’s a road I should walk

 Help me find it
 If I need to be still
 Give me peace for the moment
 Whatever Your will
 Whatever Your will
 Can you help me find it
 Can you help me find it

 I’m giving You fear and You give faith

 I giving you doubt
 You give me grace
 For every step I’ve never been alone
 Even when it hurts, You’ll have Your way
 Even in the valley I will say
 With every breath
 You’ve never let me go

 I will wait for You

 You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You

 If there’s a road I should walk
 Help me find it
 If I need to be still
 Give me peace for the moment
 Whatever Your will
 Whatever Your will
 Can you help me find it
 Can you help me find it

 I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again)
 Have Your way my King (I give my all to You)
 I lift my eyes again (Was blind but now I see)
‘Cause You are all I need
 

 

Is There Evidence Against Me?

            This past Sunday we had a guest pastor speak at our church. He said some things that have stuck with me all week. (And I hope will stick with me forever) He talked about the origin of the word Christian, and what that word means. (see Acts 11:19-30) He also talked about what that looks like in a person’s life. He said that if we are believers (Christians) then we should be Christ-imitators. I’ve heard this many times before, I’ve read about it in God’s Word and I’ve tried to live out a life that imitates Christ’s. More times than not, I fail. The good news is that God keeps picking me up and giving me another chance to get it right, by His grace and by the power of His Spirit. Our guest speaker explained that as Christ imitators, others will be able to see evidence that we belong to Jesus and that we will be accused of looking like Him.

            All week I have been asking myself if there is evidence against me in regards to this. Do I look like Jesus? Do I show others “Jesus with skin on” as one of my friends used to say? Is there sufficient evidence against me to convict me of being a Christ follower? It is my deepest desire that this is true in my life. I so long to be different and to act like Christ. When I leave this world for the next, I sincerely pray that I leave a legacy that shows that I lived my life for Christ and a life that I pointed others to Him and reflected His glory. I pray that others will see the fingerprints of God all over me.

            Our guest speaker mentioned a few evidences or characteristics of someone who is a Christ-imitator. He said that Christians who are genuine Christ followers are “going, growing and giving”. This made me think. In fact, I cannot stop thinking about it. What do I really look like? Who do I resemble? Am I “going”? Am I sharing the good news of Christ with those I love and those I meet on a daily basis? Do my words and actions display the Fruit of the Spirit? (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control?) Or, do people see more of me and less of Christ? Am I using my time on this earth to share the love of Jesus? Is my gaze set on eternity or on what I can gain here on earth? Am I self-focused or do I give everything I have for the sake of others and for the work of God?

            Additionally, am I growing? Do I start my days searching God’s Word, talking to Him in prayer and listening for His quiet Spirit to speak to me and lead me? Am I allowing His Word to change me? I can tell you without a doubt that when I start my days out in His Word and when I continue to practice being in His Presence all day long, I am a totally different person. His Word is the only thing that can change me. His Word in me makes me a better person. It teaches me about love and forgiveness and more than that, I get to know God more, and the more I know Him, the more I love Him! That is a very good thing!! It is the most important thing. I never want to stop learning about Him. I never want to stop studying His Word. Every time I open it, I discover something new or something old in a new way! It is amazing! His Word is absolutely the Bread of Life! I hunger for this Bread. I want to be filled up with it!

            Finally, am I giving? My husband and I love to bless others. We try to give a lot of what we have away. We love to feed others, open our home to others, love on others, adopt others, spend time with others, and to help others in any way that we can when we are able to. We look for opportunities to bless others. It blesses us to bless others. Sometimes because of financial restraints or because of my health issues, we are not able to do all that we’d like to do, but we do all we can and God keeps providing. He is so giving. We can never out-give Him! There is one thing that we can always do no matter what is going on, we can pray. I love to pray for others and it means so much when someone else is praying for us. Giving has many faces. It is not always financial giving or even physical giving. It is often just a prayer, or a hug, or just listening and being there for someone. Am I giving? Or do I grow tired of giving? Do I give with the right motives or do I give hoping to get something in return or to receive a pat on the back? I need to examine my motives regularly to make sure that I am seeking only to please my Heavenly Father. I want to live a life that is spent giving for my Lord. He gave His life for me and for you. I give back out of gratitude for this and out of love for Him. He loved us first. Now we can love Him back by going, growing and giving. He does not force us into this. We do it because we love Him.

            So, in closing, if I were put on trial today, would there be enough evidence to convict me of being a Christ-imitator? Oh, how I pray that the answer is yes. I know the truth is that most days I do not get this right. But, praise God, He keeps giving me new days to do better. He keeps teaching me how to live and to walk in a way that honors Him and that reflects His glory. I feel an urgency in my gut today as I write. I so deeply desire to look more like Christ and less like the fleshly Terry. I so want to show others what His love looks like. It’s the only way they will see it, through us, His followers. Please pray with me today, that I will look more and more like Him. Please pray that I will stay in His Word and learn to live out what it says. I don’t know about you, but I need some help with this. I need encouragers alongside me, reminding me to look and act more like Him. I need people to help pick me up when I mess up and to love me back to His gracious arms. And, I need to do that for others as well. Let’s all encourage one another and build each other up in the faith so that we all begin to look more like Jesus. God bless you and thank you so much for reading. It encourages me greatly to know that others read and are encouraged.

 

 

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;  and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2

 

 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11

 “ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:4-6

 “ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-3

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” I Thessalonians 2:16-17

  “ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

All Scripture taken from the New International Version