Whose voice are you listening to?

It seems to me that sometimes we as believers doubt that we hear the voice of the Lord. There is a scripture in the Bible that tells us that God’s people hear his voice and follow His directions. (I am paraphrasing here)

So then why is it that we run around asking other people their opinion? When we find ourselves in need of guidance from God, and when the answer comes, we doubt that we have heard from God. Maybe we do not like the answer or maybe we are unsure whether we heard the answer properly. Either way we can be swayed by the words of people.

1 Kings 13 tells the story of how a “man of God” from Judah is sent by the Lord to confront King Jeroboam at the altar in Bethel, where the king is offering sacrifices to false gods. The young prophet sent by God declares that the altar will be split apart and its ashes poured out as a sign of God’s judgment.

King Jeroboam invited the prophet to his house to eat and drink, but the prophet rejected the invitation because God had already told him not to. An old prophet that lived in the land came and invited the young prophet to his house to eat and drink, but again the younger prophet chose to listen to the voice of God and say no.

This is where we pick up the story in 1 Kings chapter 13: 18-19 AMP says, He answered, I am a prophet also, as you are. And an agnel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. (19) So, the man from Judah went back with him and ate and drank water in his house.”

In this story, disobedience cost the man of God his life. Because he ended up dying. In this story the man of God had heard the voice of God but had only partially obeyed the directions of God. Instead of following through on what God had said, he chose to listen to a person who told lies. Which brings me back to my thoughts.

Why do we seek to listen to the opinion of others? Why do we doubt in our own ability to hear the voice of God? Why do we choose to please people instead of pleasing God? There is a time and a place for seeking godly counsel. But most importantly, there is a time to just listen and obey the voice of God.

I pray we all chose to practice listening and obeying the voice of God. Blessings come from obedience. Consequences come from disobedience.

Reflecting on Life

What about being sick causes you to look back over your life? As you may be aware I was pretty sick the last couple of weeks. I ended up in the hospital for a few days and am just now getting my life back.

Being sick is not something I like to experience. I am not the person who likes to stop or slow down. I like to be constantly on the move. But getting the flu caused me to slow down first and second to stop.

As I was getting well, I was thinking about my life. All the things I had planned to accomplish. All the things I have accomplished. All the things that I still might be able to accomplish. I have goals within goals on top of goals. Goals, goals, goals…

But what will be left after we are gone? Once we pass on to our eternal life, what will remain? Of all the things we have done or will do, what will stand the test of time? What is really worth our time here on earth? One hundred years from now will anyone even know who I was? I doubt it.

So, what is important enough for us to spend time on? What is it that we should stive for? While goals are great and can move us along the road of life. The most important thing according to the Word of God is love. To love people. John 15:12 says “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The most important thing to the Lord is to love each other. Incorporated in that love is to pray for each other. To support each other. To be kind to each other. To be truthful with each other. To check in on each other.

Let’s stop beating each other up with our words. Let’s start acting like we love each other. Let’s start acting like we like each other. Let’s start showing each other kindness and mercy.

One hundred years from now our names may never be spoken, we may not be remembered even by our family. So, let’s focus on what is important. Let us all learn to love each other. Lord help, us all learn to love each other the way you Love us.

The Breath of Life!

I have never really given too much thought to breathing. It is just something that happens naturally. Breathing is not something that we give a whole lot of thought to. It is normally something that happens without effort. Our lungs just take air in and expel air out.
Last week however, I gave a lot of thought to breathing. See I got Influenza A, and my lungs came under attack. Breathing was no longer something I did unconsciously. Breathing became a labor-intensive task. Breathing was no longer a luxury that ran in the background giving me life. It now had become a necessity for living that I had to consciously monitor.
Genesis 2:7 says the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Think about that for a moment. God had to breathe his breath into the creation He had made in order for that creation to have life and live. Life giving breath had to enter our lungs so that we could live!
While I was sick, I had a hard time living well. My lungs did not want to process the air that was brought in. My lungs did not want to cooperate with getting oxygen from my lungs to my body.
When we are not in the right relationship with Lord it is like we are sick. Our spiritual lungs are not functioning in the proper way to feed our bodies. We need the life-giving breath of the Lord to pour through our veins and tissues. We need to be full of the life of Jesus in order to stay healthy both spiritually and physically.
Without life giving air properly going through my lungs, I was not able to perform my basic tasks for living. Without the breath of the Lord pumping through our spirits, we will die spiritually.
If you are feeling sick and separated from the Lord, may I suggest, check the status of the quality of the breath of life you are receiving from Him. Without the breath of life we can all slowly waste away.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU?

John 3:16 the quote on the background of the heart, calligraphic text symbol of Christianity hand drawn vector illustration sketch.

Like much of the town during this time of year, I have the flu. It started off slow on Friday. I was completely out of commission Saturday and Sunday. Now here we are on Monday and I think I might live.

Last night while I was tossing and turning in my bed, I decided to open my tablet and scroll through YouTube. I found a message by Dutch Sheets. He was reading a prophecy by another individual. The message was so good I wanted to share it with you.

Now I do not know this other person. I do not know how accurate they are on their prophetic abilities. But the message gave me hope and excitement about the season we are coming into.

The basic premise of the prophecy was that Jesus was going to show up as the lion over America. He had all four of His paws on the four corners of America. The scripture John 3:16 was going out over land. The lost were saved.

Another part of the prophecy declared that the Lord was basically saying enough. The enemy has messed with us long enough. Now he must let go of America. We were once a beacon to the world of the love of Christ and we would be again.

I do not know about you, but when I heard those words I got excited. Our prayers for America have reached the Lord. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I little flash back from last week there.

John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

If you have ever interceded for our country, for our community; your prayers have reached heaven. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is roaring and every bondage must be broken. Every hinderance my be loosed and removed.

I am thankful I found that prophecy. Whether true or not it reminded me to never stop praying. Never stop seeking the Lord. It gives me something positive to pray about. So often we focus on the negative when God always seems to work in the positive.

I TRUST IN GOD!

Calligraphy of Psalm 37:5 saying commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass — A beautifully decorated scripture verse encouraging trust and commitment to the Lord

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves who we are putting our trust in. There is a popular Christian Worship song out with the title I Trust in God. There is a line in the song that says “I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered”

Sometime the answer we are seeking from the Lord takes a long time to come. Sometimes it can seem like the answer will never come. Sometimes the answer will come instantly. Whatever the case, we can be assured that when we call on the Lord, He will hear and He will answer. He will answer!

Psalm 37:5 says Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

So, according to Psalm 37:5 not only do we call on Him in times of trouble. We must also commit our ways to Him and we must trust Him. I guess the question we need to be asking ourselves is this, “Do I trust the Lord”?

Do I trust Him to pull me out of the situation I find myself in? Do I trust Him to do what seems to be impossible? Do I really believe He will work all things out for good? I mean, do I REALLY believe and do I REALLY trust? I think each of us can ask ourselves the same questions. Only we know the answers.

Think back to a time when you sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. Think back to a time when it seemed like all hope was lost and then when you least expected it, the Lord showed up with an answer you never would have thought about.

Think about a diagnosis you received that seemed like your quality of life was over. Think about a financial situation where you were sure you were going to be ruined. Think about a family member who needed salvation that you thought would never get saved.

I am sure as you do you will find the same thing I find when I look back. The Lord is good! He hears and he answers. The Lord is good and His provision is never ending.

I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered! That is why I trust Him! As I wait on the Lord for my answers, I am praying that you know this trustworthy God. He hears and He answers. Seek the Lord, He will hear you!

HELP IS ON THE WAY

Psalm 27:14 biblical verse with sun, mountains, lanterns, and floral decorations

Last week I shared with you that I had a situation I was dealing with. A situation I did not know how to handle or how to fix. I shared how the only thing I could do was call out to God for help.

Psalm 27:14 says Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Wait on the Lord! We as mature independent adults are used to fixing our problems. We are accustomed to diving in and finding solutions. Really, that is what makes us adults. We can find a way to take care of ourselves.

Gone are the days of depending on our parents to take care of us. We are grown. We make our way in life. We fight our battles. We pay our bills. We take care of our families. We depend on ourselves. Which really is the ultimate picture of a well-adjusted adult.

Sometimes our independence gets in the way of what God wants us to do. There are many scriptures in the bible that tell us to wait on the Lord. I just picked Psalm 27:14 because it spoke to me. Wait on the Lord!

I might be like a lot of you. I want to dive in and find a solution right now! I want things to move quickly to resolve the situation I am in. Yet, if we were able to take care of our own problems all the time, would we really be dependent on the Lord?

The Lord has a lot of names in the bible. Each one represents an aspect of His character. Currently I am learning once again about JEHOVAH-JIREH, which translates as, The Lord will provide. The Lord is my provider! He will solve the problem.

See, I can rely on the Lord who provides. I have seen him provide many times! I have seen Him correct situations I did not know how to deal with. I have seen provision come in when I thought all hope was lost. And I am not just talking financially.

So by changing my focus away from being on me and my situations. I am choosing to turn and look to the Lord. I am excited to learn another aspect of the character of the Lord who is my provider.

I have spoken with many people in the last few weeks who are going through situations they do not know how to deal with. My challenge to us is this. Let’s turn our eyes to the Lord. Let’s praise Him for his provision. Let’s thank Him for being the Lord our provider. And if you do not know this providing Lord I am speaking of, I hope you yield your dependence on yourself for a moment and cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GOD WHO FIGHTS OUR BATTLES

Sunrise over mountains with a cross, rainbow, flowers, and Isaiah 54:17 Bible verse

So recently I had a situation at work that left me stressed to my core! I am sure we have all been there. Something happens that you were not prepared for! It usually happens when we least expect it! Some major event that causes us to feel as if the floor just fell out from under us!

These events can include any number of shocks to our system. Maybe we get fired, or a bad report for the doctor. It could be that a family member or close friend suddenly passes away. Maybe the threat of financial ruin. Or worse yet, betrayal! Oh man, that is worse feeling ever. Nothing worse than to be betrayed by someone you trust. Been there, felt that!

Whatever the case, these types of life events can leave us feeling isolated, alone and vulnerable. That is how I felt at work last week. Something happened that left me feeling like I was in a situation I could not fix. I really did not know where to turn or what to do. My mind kept telling me that things were bad. My mind kept telling me I might as well close shop and move on. My mind kept bringing me down into a place of darkness and despair.

That is what my mind was telling me! But I do not have to listen to my mind. I do not have to worry or stress. I do not have to try to come up with a plan. I can turn the whole situation over to the Lord and let Him work it out. I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves to fight my battles.

The book of Isaiah says ““No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:17

I was in church Saturday night, worshiping the Lord and listening to the message. Not even thinking about the event that caused me despair just the day before. When suddenly God spoke to my heart, “I already new this was going to happen”

I just about leaped out of my seat! Yes, you did! I thought to myself! Yes, You did! I know that You know all things! Since You know all things, You also have a plan to take care of the situation for me. I am so thankful! I do not have to fret! I do not have to worry! I just give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it.

That is one of the blessings that come from being a child of God. He takes care of us. I write this to give you hope. If you are a child of God, you have refuge in the Lord! He is your strong tower, your fortress, your hiding place! If you are not a child of God, I hope this gives you another reason to call upon His Name.

Just call out to Jesus, tell Him you are ready to follow Him! Tell Him you are ready for a relationship with Him. Tell Him you repent and start to follow Him. I can tell you from many experiences, God has got our back.

DON’T RESIST CHANGE

Sometimes we get comfortable where we are. Maybe it is not where we want to be or where we think we should be, but we are comfortable, so we stay. Maybe we are not comfortable, but we are familiar with our situation, so we stay put. The fear of doing something different can be frightening. The fear of failure is a real thing!

People who are in abusive relationships stay in it for various reasons. One of them is because the fear of change overrides the pain of staying put. Some people will never try a new business for fear of failure. Sometimes we will not ask for a promotion or raise at work because we fear rejection.

Sometimes God is calling us to something different. Sometimes He has plans for our lives that require us to trust Him and take a step of faith. Maybe you have a similar situation this week. Are you stuck in a situation you can’t see your way out of? Have you made bad choices along the way and now you are frightened to change? Are you feeling overlooked at your place of employment?

Sometimes it starts with just a little change. Do something different this week to break your routine. Start to see yourself living the life you want to live. If you are stuck in a rut, start little changes so that you can get out of the rut you are in. Remember that many successful businesses did not start that way overnight. There were usually many failed attempts along the way.

Start by telling yourself that it is possible to change. Change the way you are thinking about your situation. You are not in a life sentence. Nothing about your situation says you must stay there forever. You are not doomed to a life of unhappiness because of the choices you made to get you where you are.

Remember if you are a child of God, He tells us more than once in His word that He will never leave us or forsake us. Pray to Him. Ask Him to reveal His plan for your life. Ask Him to give you the strength to change your situation. If you are not in a relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ. Call out to him today. He is ready and able to come into your heart and lead you into a new chapter of your life.

DON’T BE A FOOL

This morning as I was doing my morning time with the Lord I came across Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 which says “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools.”

I remember I used to have the worst temper. I had a short fuse and an impatient heart. I would snap at the least little thing. I wanted everything when I wanted it. I did not want to wait in a line, or get behind a slow driver, or wait for something to come in the mail. I was impatient with people, impatient with circumstances, impatient with life, and I was miserable.

Shortly after I was saved, I started praying that the Lord would help me with my impatience. It was kind of comical, because the more I prayed the more I was thrust into situations which needed my patients. Without realizing it I was asking God to put me in situations where my patients would be tested.

When I went to the grocery store no matter how short the line was it was always the slowest line. I remember standing in lines at various stores in town, watching the longer lines zip right by. I would run over to stand in the fast line, only for the line to suddenly stop for one reason or another.

If I was on a trip, it would seem I was always behind the driver who had no idea they were driving below the speed limit. I would get to mad and irritable that I would have to pray to God the help me be patient and enjoy the slow speed.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 tells us that being patient and angry shows us to be fools. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be labeled a fool. Let’s learn to be patient with our circumstances, patient with each other, and patient with ourselves.

Let’s go into this new year with a commitment to have a more peaceful year by being more peaceful ourselves. See we want things to change but we usually try to get that change to start in somebody else. Maybe this year we try to change ourselves. Call on God to help us and remember if you do not know the Lord as your personal savior; calling on Him to come into your heart is the best way to start.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.

Sometime when we come to the end of the year, as we are now, we tend to want to look back over our lives. What was it we did right, what was it we did wrong. While this may seem like a good idea, the Bible tells us a different story.

See what happens when we look back is we tend to dwell on all the negative things we did. We tend to rehash old conversations in our head. Someone said something that hurt us. Maybe we made a mistake that everyone was talking about for a while. We look at the choices we made and wish we would have made different ones.

The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 3 that we should forget those things behind us and press forward toward the things in front of us. We are called to finish this “race” strong. We are called to press on toward the mark. What does that mean? Look at it like this.

Think about a person who competes in a race. They compete to win a prize. The goal is to finish the race. The prize we are looking to attain is eternal access to the Father. Our goal is to finish this life strongly. What about a soldier? The Bible calls us soldiers in God army. Soldiers are there to fight a good fight and to win the battle.

In both of these instances, the athlete and the soldier will hinder their objective if they are dwelling on the past. Why bog us down focusing on our past mistakes? Even focusing on past wins is not a good idea. Focusing on past mistakes will keep us bound to the mistake. Replaying the image over and over in our heads will cause us to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Focusing on past wins can cause us to be overconfident. When we become overconfident, we tend to let our guard down. Maybe we do not feel the need to prepare or keep ourselves ready. This is one reason the Bible tells us to stop looking back and start pressing forward. Make new goals for this next year. Focus on what you will do to attain the objectives you have set for yourself. Maybe we pray a little more, fast a little more, read our bibles a little more.

Maybe we ask God to show us the direction he has for us this upcoming year. Maybe we ask Him to lead and guide us. If we must look back, maybe we repent for any area where we were disobedient. May we all focus strong this upcoming year. Let’s make it our best year ever. No resolutions, just a plan to keep moving forward.