Tag Archives: God’s Presence

Can You Hear Me? Can You Hear Me Now?

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I thought that ad for a cellular company several years ago was a clever one. That phrase was everywhere for a while.

Who of us has never picked up a microphone and said, “Testing. Testing”?

The Bible speaks a lot about testing. Joseph tested his brothers before revealing himself to them in Egypt. (Gen 43-45) Jesus told Peter to get out of the boat and walk to him, testing Peter’s faith. (Matt 14) Psalm 11 tells us God’s “eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous…”

Why so much testing? (I sound like an Ohio public school teacher… and I was) Does God depend on the results of his tests to know where we stand with him?

That’s ridiculous. God already knows our hearts.

Testing, for us, has become about the test-giver. Results tell the DMV who is ready to drive a car. A math test is given so the teacher can assign a grade. But more than that, testing reveals to the test-taker what they know and how much more they can learn.

When God tests the righteous, it’s so we can know where we stand, we can identify our weaknesses, go to him and confess sin.

Do you feel you are undergoing a test from God himself? Maybe God is showing you a strength you didn’t know you had, or a weakness he’s able to strengthen, or a sin you need to confess. Maybe he wants you to know that you really do have faith in him, that you can do all things through Jesus, that you are more than a conqueror, that his promises are true.

No testing is pleasant. But the results can be life changing. Joseph discovered his brothers had truly changed in the years since they sold him into slavery. His brothers learned that they really could be faithful to their father. All of Jacob’s family learned that God can bring about good from anything Satan tries to use for evil. Peter learned he did have faith in Jesus and could walk on water in a storm. He also learned his faith wasn’t perfect.

So, what have you learned through your own times of testing?

Father, I hate tests. I hated taking tests and, as the person in charge of state testing in the middle school where I worked, I hated giving tests. So it feels kind of weird to thank you for the tests you throw my way. May I accept each test as a gift from you to encourage me, to prompt me to action, to learn more about you and walk closer to you. And, yes, may I thank you for testing me so I can know where I stand. May I use the results of those test to allow you to mold me into the woman you would have me be.

Stormy Seas

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I’ve never been in a storm at sea. I don’t even want to imagine the fear of being that exposed to danger out there surrounded by water miles deep. I’ve never been in a tropical storm or lived through a tornado. In fact, there have been only a few times I’ve even come close.

But as I read about the terror the passengers and crew experienced in the ship carrying Paul to Rome, I can relate. (Acts 27) Not because I’ve been there, but because I know to an extent, what it’s like to face storms of life.

Getting laid off from my job, Mom’s cancer, financial struggles, my sister’s cancer, my nephew Geoff’s death, Dad’s death. I can’t hold my storms up next to anyone else’s and say mine were harder or that mine were less significant. I only know there have been times that I felt hopeless and lost, when I found it hard to breathe, when fear of the future (or present) caused me sleepless nights.

The account of Paul’s storm at sea reminds me that, no matter how bad the circumstances, no matter how hopeless the future appears, when I am tossed about and can’t find the sun, God is standing next to me.

My only hope is to stay in the boat, holding on to my Savior, riding out the storm together. In this account in the book of Acts, God didn’t calm the storm. But the people on board made it safely to shore. This tells me that my circumstances might not change. The cancer diagnosis might not be a mistake. A broken relationship might not heal. Whatever the cause of my anxiety, depression, fear, might not magically disappear.

But God can see me safely to the other side. I can trust him. And I will.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your Presence. You are stronger than any storm I have to face. And I find comfort in knowing that… knowing You. I pray for those reading this today who are being bounced around in a frightening storm. I pray your strength, your comfort, your direction will be evident in the midst. I pray they will hold on, that they will trust you to see them through. Thank you in advance for what you are going to do in the lives of those of us who are facing stormy seas.

Bright Lights and Sweet Aromas

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Paul tells us to look at his life, he has nothing to hide. (2 Corinthians 2&3) He calls his life a Christ-like fragrant perfume rising up to God. He compares his life to Moses who, after receiving the Law, shown so brightly he had to put a veil over his face because the light blinded the people. Paul suggests his life is like that.

Paul also says that this sweet aroma offends those who don’t know Christ, the light is hated by those who reject Jesus. But Paul doesn’t let that stop him from living to please God.

I am convicted. Sometimes I wonder if what people see in me offends them at all. Or do I just blend in? Is there a veil over my face to hide the fact I spend time with God each day? Do I splash enough of the world on me to disguise the scent God loves?

I can be such a hypocrite.

I want to impact my world the same way Paul did his. Oh, I don’t feel called to be an itinerate preacher. Paul lived an honest, open life that pointed everyone who met him to the Savior. He ruffled feathers, but pleased God. That’s the life I want to live.

May others see Jesus in me, know it’s real, and want him in their lives, too. May God love my scent, and be the light in me.

The Devil Is In The Details

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The devil is in the details. I know I might be taking some liberties here, but isn’t that kind of what Jesus told Martha? (Luke 10) She was busy preparing dinner – not a bad thing because she had guests in her home. But she was so intent on serving the perfect meal, she neglected her guest: Jesus Himself!

I don’t think this Scripture is teaching us to not plan, not pay attention to details. I know I certainly get frustrated if I’m in a class where the teacher has not spent time preparing, or at a meeting that hasn’t been organized, and wouldn’t it be silly for a football team to run onto the field without someone planning strategies and teaching the plays before they meet their opponent?

I think this passage teaches us about priorities. Jesus HAS to come first. Sure there are demands of the day, obligations we must meet, things to do that require careful planning. But none of that should have precedence over our time with Jesus.

Someone once said, “if you’re too busy to read the Bible, you’re too busy”. Choices, my friend. Choices.

Bill Hybels wrote a book entitled, “Too Busy Not To Pray”. Google Grace L. Naessens, and read her poem: “I Didn’t Have Time.” I think that’s the attitude Scripture would have us have.

So get busy doing work for the kingdom. But not before you spend time with the King.

Nothing is more important.

The Show Must Go On

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I remember, when Mom was dying of cancer, I would drive to work with a heavy heart. Most mornings I would cry as I talked to God about Mom. But when I got to the stop light a mile from school, I would dry my tears and take a few deep breaths. And before walking into the office, I’d put my hand on the doorknob, breathe again, put a smile on my face, and pray, “God, let’s do this. I need you to go in there with me today.” I didn’t want to be there. I wanted time with Mom. I wanted to be alone in my grief. But I was a middle school counselor, and I had a job to do.

It was hard. And listening to the familiar complaints of 11-year-olds tested my patience like never before. Suzie took my pencil. Billy made fun of me. Nobody likes me. The teacher yelled at me. Even the: Mom grounded me or worse, didn’t separate me from my own pain.

But I loved my job, loved those children, and it wasn’t their fault my mother was dying.

I realized today Jesus knows exactly how I felt. His cousin, John, was murdered. His heart must have hurt like mine did. And he needed to be alone. He needed time to grieve. So he went off to a remote place to be by himself.

But the crowds followed him. They had needs only Jesus could meet. So Jesus put a smile on his face, and preached, and healed their sick.

Did you know the feeding of the 5,000 from five loaves and 2 fish happened in the midst of Jesus’ grief? (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9) He had compassion on those needy, demanding, insensitive people, even when his own heart was broken.

I know some of you are going through hardships of your own. Sickness, finances, relationships can cause us to live with the burden of grief on our shoulders. Yet that doesn’t stop the “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy”, or “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” demands from your children, or the deadlines your boss gives you at work, or the electric from being turned off for lack of payment. Life goes on even when we want it to just stop for one minute.

Jesus knows what that feels like. Jesus shows us by example that sometimes the show must go on. Sometimes we have to choose to let God pick us up and help us meet our responsibilities even if we don’t feel like it.

But here’s something else Jesus teaches by example. He made time to get alone and pray. (Matthew 14:23) He didn’t go off to “find himself”. He spent time talking to God.

That’s where our society might be wrong. It says we’ve got to be happy before we can make someone else happy. Put yourself first and things will get better.

But doesn’t Jesus teach us something different? Didn’t he take “self” out of the picture? Didn’t he place God first, others second, and himself after that? I’m thinking if it worked for him, it probably will work for us, too.

Pray, dear one. Pour yourself out before God, give him yourself and your circumstances. Ask him to empower you to be who he wants you to be in the midst of your pain. Bathe yourself in prayer, then trust God to be exactly what you need him to be. Yes, the show must go on. But you don’t have to go on solo. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have someone who has been there, to guide you, to strengthen you, and to love you like no one else can.

If we take the world’s advise and concentrate on ourselves, we are concentrating on the wrong person. Concentrate on God. Notice the opportunities he gives you to minister to someone else. Take him up on his offer to never leave or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5-8)

Is that a recipe for a trouble-free life? What do you think?

It is, however, a recipe proven by Jesus himself, to be exactly what we need to face the worse life hands us. And to be victors. And to let others see Jesus in us.

God, I pray for grieving people today. Some have burdens that are breaking them. Father, I pray they will come to you and lay that burden down. Give them strength. Give them purpose. Help them to look to you instead of looking within themselves. And may they find peace from allowing you to be exactly what they need to get through today. May they feel your love right this minute. And may Jesus be seen in and through them as they walk through this storm.

Stay Or Go?

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The people wanted Jesus to stay. They were amazed at his teaching, and their diseases were being healed. They probably would have made him king. People from all over, from many nations, were flocking to Jesus. His reputation was spreading like wildfire. (Mark 1, Luke 4, Matthew 4)

So why didn’t Jesus stay? Why didn’t he set up shop right there in Capernaum, preach what he wanted to preach, heal everyone who came to him? It sure would have been easier than the course he chose: the dusty roads, the danger, hot, sandy deserts, and rough seas.

What is God saying to us today through Jesus’ example? Maybe he’s calling you to go to a foreign country to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Maybe he’s nudging you to walk across the street and share him with your neighbor. I’m pretty sure he’s not calling you to sit in your recliner and wait for someone to knock on your door.

I think it’s also a message for our churches. Maybe we are wrong to focus our energy on making our churches attractive to sinners when God, by example, personally went to where the sinners were. Jesus went out and spoke to Samaritan women, lepers, and tax collectors. He didn’t wait for them to come to him, or orchestrate a rocking worship service to attract non-believers. There were no shortcuts in the course Jesus took.

So, dear one, are you going to stay where you are? Or are you going to get out there and befriend someone who needs the Savior, rub shoulders with sinners, reveal Jesus through your life choices and the words you speak?

Dear Jesus, thank you for your example to us today. May you find us who know you as our Savior walking where you walked, sharing the Gospel with neighbors and friends. May we never be satisfied with sitting on the sidelines, watching others do your will. May each of us obey your call, whether across the ocean or across the street, to lead a soul to their Savior. And thank you for promising to walk with us on our journey.

Living in the Promised Land

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Deuteronomy begins with Moses reminding Israel of their history and the amazing ways God had brought them to the Promised Land. He wasn’t going across the Jordan with them but he wanted them to go knowing how important it was that they continue to obey God. Follow God, he told them, and you will inhabit the land. Turn from him and you will be driven out. 

Moses predicted that the nation of Israel would lose the land, then said that at some distant time they would return to the Lord and the land would be restored to them. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”

What is the spiritual application? If the Promised Land represents the sanctified life and a close walk with the Lord, then we are warned that when we begin to drift, when we neglect time in his Word and prayer, when we allow our thoughts to turn to sin, we will lose that sweet fellowship with the Savior. We may even wonder where God is or why he’s deserted us. 

But here’s God’s promise: If we seek him with all our heart and soul – truly seek him at the exclusion of all else – we will find him waiting with open arms. He’ll forgive our sins and hold us close as long as we let him.

God wants us to inhabit the Promised Land every bit as much as he wanted Israel to inhabit the land. And he’ll take us back when we seek him with all our hearts and souls, no matter how far we’ve roamed. 

I’m praying that you and I will seek God and enjoy the blessings of living in the Promised Land. That we will know a right relationship with the Creator and the joy that comes from receiving his grace, forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it Jesus, is my plea.
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, Dear Lord, let it be.

A Winter’s Storm

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God’s power is definitely displayed in the weather. Man has been trying to control the weather for centuries, but I’m pretty sure that’s one thing that won’t totally happen. Nature is a God-thing.

Elihu tells Job in 37:6&7 that storms often cause people to stop and watch. I remember, as a child our dad used to take us girls to a window during a storm. He taught us to count seconds between lightening flashes and thunder to guess distance. We’d watch trees bend in the wind and learned to be awed by their strength. We saw beauty in the dark cloud formations and looked for rays of sunlight because Dad did.

I’m in southern Georgia and they are calling for snow today. Schools are closed and people are tucked in their homes in anticipation. My neighbor hopes it snows like she remembers in 1958 when she enjoyed her one and only ever snowball fight.

Ohioans have been treated to some pretty awesome winter phenomena this year, laser-like light shows and snow rolls fashioned by God himself.

Nature declares the glory of God!

I am reminded that this same God is as evident in our storms of life. Hardships and trials are avenues through which God can demonstrate his power and love. Sometimes those very challenges can cause us to stop and watch God do his thing.

Are you side-lined by depression, grief, anxiety, uncertainty, loss, worry…? I would challenge you to give it to God, then sit back and watch what he can do.

You’ll be as amazed as those of us watching a southern Georgia snowstorm.

December 14

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Colossians 

I grew up singing and loving A.B. Simpson hymns. Yes, I know the melodies are often difficult to sing and, as a church organist, I also know chord progressions are tricky. But Dr. Simpson packed so much truth into those hymns.

One of those hymns is based on Colossians 1:27 where Paul is once again writing about the mystery that had been kept hidden for ages. The inclusion of Gentiles into what had been a Jewish religion was accomplished because of Jesus. And because Jesus lives, he lives inside believers of every nationality.

Do you believe Jesus is able to do that? Paul identifies Jesus as God in the flesh. Look at the first chapter of Colossians and meet Jesus. In 2:9 Paul tells us “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”. Yes, Jesus is God and in 3:4 Paul calls Christ “your life”. Not just a part of my life. My life, my existence, my everything.

Here is what Dr. Simpson wrote in his hymn, “Christ in Me”:

This is my wonderful story – Christ to my heart has come;
Jesus, the King of glory, Finds in my heart a home.

I am so glad I received Him, Jesus, my heart’s dear King;
I who so often have grieved Him, All to His feet would bring.

Now in His bosom confiding, This my glad song shall be:
I am in Jesus abiding. Jesus abides in me.

Christ in me, Christ in me. Christ in me – Oh, wonderful story.
Christ in me, Christ in me. Christ in me, the hope of glory.

I am so grateful that the God of Creation lives in me. My prayer is that as one of his chosen, I will clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (3:12) I will forgive as the Lord forgave me. (3:13) And over all, put on love. (3:14)

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. (3:17)

November 10

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Matthew 28:11-20; Luke 24:13-53; John 20:19-21:25

Reading these Scriptures emphasizes to me just how personal Jesus is. Ours is not a God of a one-size-fits-all religion. Jesus died for individuals.

Like Thomas. We read that when Thomas expressed doubt and said he needed to see Jesus to believe he was alive, Jesus came to him and stretched out his hands for Thomas to see.

After Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus lovingly allowed Peter to declare his love not once… but three times.

Jesus walked with the men going to Emmaus, then sat and ate with them. He spoke to them about what was on their minds and answered their questions.

My experience has been the same. Jesus always meets me where I am. If I am distressed, he reminds me of Scripture that assures me he is able. If I am mourning, his Word brings comfort. He has often prompted one of his children to be his arms to hold me.

If I am guilt ridden because of sin he forgives me and replaces it with joy. At every crossroad of my life he has been faithful to open and close doors to help me find my way. 

It’s not that the rules change for individuals. Sin is sin. The penalty for sin is always death. But what is so precious about our Lord is the reality that his love, his presence, his attention is on each of us as individuals. He knows what each of us needs, and he is faithful to meet us right there.

Dear Father, thank you for showing us just how interested you are in each of us as individuals. Thank you that Jesus showed what a personal relationship with you looks like through his dealings with the people we read about today. And thank you for the many times that you revealed yourself to me in such a loving and personal way. I may not be able to touch your hand yet. But I see evidence of your presence every day. Thank you, God. I look forward to walking with you today.