Did Anyone See That?

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
1st Corinthians 10:31-11:1 NLT

A friend sent me a poem that reminded me of this Scripture passage. I've seen the poem at least a dozen times, but it's a great reminder every time I read it. It's not about performing to the best of our ability for performance's sake. It's about doing and being the best we can be because someone - in this case, a child - is watching... and learning. (The poem is included at the end.) 

Our Christian walk is under the same scrutiny on a daily basis. Somebody somewhere is watching, is listening, is waiting to see what we will do in any given situation. Sometimes it can be about judging us, but mostly it's about silently observing and learning.

What will they learn if they watch you and me? Will they come to know the Christ of Calvary? Will they learn of His love or only of His Law? Will they know mercy or misery? Will they see patience or pouting? Hear praise or prattle?

What do we WANT them to learn from watching us?

Prayer:

Father,
           According to Your Word, let me so live my life in Your Light, that You will be glorified. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I learned while I watched you, when you thought I wasn’t looking.'

Friends' Favorites - Sit Still

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Luke 5:16 NLT

I'm about to write a sentence that could very well be nominated for the understatement of the year.

Life is busy. (I'm hearing a mixed chorus of Duh... Ya think? And No kidding!)

Listen, satan doesn't have to entice us into sin - all he has to do is keep us preoccupied. It's way more effective at keeping us ineffective and subtle enough to make us think we're not sinning.

Jesus - King of kings and Lord of lords - often left the crowds and all the happening events where He was the main attraction and got alone with God. He knew He needed to be uninterrupted to formulate His thoughts and prayer and He had to be able to hear the still, small voice of God. How could He have done what the Father instructed Him to do if He couldn't hear the Father?

How often I've heard, Oh, I don't watch the TV, I just have it on in the background - for noise... Can you hear Him over the teaser for the latest episode of Survivor? How about over the commercials for the latest drugs and their many possible side-effects?

When was the last time we sat STILL for 15 minutes - no phone, no music, no TV in the background, no computer screen glaring, waiting for us to return to it... sat STILL before the Lord with the express intention of praying without interruption or just waiting to hear His direction? Just askin'...

Prayer:

Father,
           Shine Your Light of Truth on the time thieves in our lives. Help us to understand the great value of being still to learn and know who You are. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I Knew It

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 
1st Peter 1:6 NLT

Yes, that IS where I finished yesterday's Promise... but it seemed like a "heads up" alert when I first became conscious this morning. Plus, I woke up with strains from Zach Williams' Old Church Choir, 'There ain't nothin' gonna steal my joy...' Then a quick, two-phrase email sent this morning from a friend and former Bible study leader, his last phrase was "keep pressing on in His joy..." Sometimes, it's like listening to the radio - you can be tuned in, but not really listening. But all three within minutes of awakening lent a whole new meaning to "out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall everything be established" 😊 I knew I was being warned and fortified for the day and sure enough, within moments, it began. An onslaught diabolically designed to steal my joy. 

The truth is, I have had 10 straight days of diabolically designed, and I haven't been winning as much as I'd like, but this morning, thankfully, I was tuned in AND paying attention. I am pleased to report that when the opportunity came to be ugly, by the overwhelming Grace of God, I was able to count it all joy because He had created a right spirit within me. By His grace and all for His glory! 

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for preparing me and equipping me for the day's battle. Thank You for making it a day of sweet surprises, full of Your overwhelming Grace. I pray again as I prayed this morning, please put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth... In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Turn It Off - by request

My sister, Michelle, asked me to re-post this one today. She said somebody needs this again... 

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But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 

Matthew 6:6 

I remember being in my early twenties when I read the first article about how much more I could get done if I would multi-task. Oh, I thought it was marvelous! Today, the ability to multi-task is highly regarded - both in the business world and socially. But it's become a Frankenstein of sorts.

Thirty years ago, multi-tasking meant making lists or catching a few paragraphs of a good book while you were waiting in inevitable lines. Now, it's checking e-mails while you're talking or texting to someone on your phone, and IM-ing in another window, with YouTube playing in the other window, and Facebook notifications in yet another window, and perusing what's available on Amazon in still another, while checking your bank balance in the final window to see if you can afford to purchase what's on Craig's List in the window that's in the far right corner of your monitor... unless of course, you have a dual monitor, in which case you can add a lot more...

It's the constant state of partial attention that makes me crazy. With all this technology, we supposedly accomplish all that much more. However, the fact of the matter is, we do not. And lest you think I have finally reached the age of being an old fogey, out of touch with today, let me tell you that even Intel "sees information overload as a serious problem" in its own company. Balex Research has estimated that the corporate world lost an average of $900 BILLION dollars in revenue due to time inefficiencies having to do with "information overload." ¹ 

And while I will agree that the next generation coming of age has unbelievable technical ability and more intelligence at the literal tips of their fingers, I also find an overwhelming number of techies - no matter what age they are - have very little ability for sustained attention, have absolutely no patience, they cannot and will not tolerate anything or anyone that slows them down, and they are most uncomfortable with silence. And you can flat forget about being still, so it is not only the corporate world that has lost...

In Psalm 46, God challenges us to Be still and now that I am God. When was the last time you remember being absolutely still before God? When was the last time you turned off everything - music, cell phones, TV in the background - EVERYTHING - and got before the Lord with your total attention on Him (and not with one eye on the clock)? Just asking, not accusing.

We complain that we cannot hear the voice of God. Scripture describes it as a still, small voice. Listen, He's speaking... If we can't hear it, then let's turn something off.
Prayer:

Father,
Forgive us for not being fully in the moment with You, while always expecting You to be fully in the moment with us. Help us to focus our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole strength on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

1 http://www.basexblog.com/2008/12/19/information-overload-now-900-billion-what-is-your-organizations-exposure/

Time Together

I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:9-17 NLT

I love spending time with my family and friends. I love talking to them and finding out what's going on in their lives - rejoicing in their good times and helping to bear the tough times. We don't get together nearly as often as I would like, but I never tire of talking to them. Thankfully, we live in a time when there are so many ways to do that! I don't ever reach a place where I think I already know everything they're going to say, so I stop talking or listening to them. Can you imagine? Me, either...

And yet how often do we do it with God? He speaks to us through His Word - do we make time to read it? It doesn't matter how many times we've read it. His Word is alive and powerful. His mercies are new every morning. He speaks to us when we get in His presence - do we take the time to get there? Do we talk to God or at Him? He promises to hear us - Do we take the time to listen for His response? Do we spend enough time together?

Prayer:

Father, 
          Open our eyes to see You. Open our ears to hear You. Open our hearts to love You as You have loved us. Purify our hearts, O God. We want clean hands and a pure heart. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Can You Hear Me Now?

Doing something for you, bringing something to you— that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious— that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears  so I can listen.
Psalm 40:6 The Message

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone when all of a sudden, you realize you have no idea what they're saying? Their voice didn't change. They're speaking the same language. They're following the line of their story, but somewhere along the line, you stopped listening. It's all in how you hear. Yes, there IS a difference. Jesus said so. Look...

Turn to Luke 8, starting in verse 11. 
    The seed is God’s word. 
12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 

13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 

14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 

15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

How you hear is SO important. Jesus went on to say in verse 18, So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.

Can you hear Him now? Are you listening?

Prayer:

Father,
           I tremble at the thought of the consequences of a hardened heart that refuses to hear You. Forgive us for those times we have ignored Your voice and gone our own way. Father, by Your mercy and Your unfailing Grace, please give us a listening ear and a servant's heart to hear and obey Your voice. Teach us, Father, we pray. In Jesus' Name. Amen
           

Deal with It

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
Proverbs 28:9 NKJV

There are times we feel as though God does not hear us when we pray. It begs the question - How often have we heard ourselves say, Every time I turn around, God’s really been dealing with me about ______? 

So, why haven't we dealt with whatever it is He’s been dealing about with us? Have we stopped - or started - or changed whatever it is? Or do we think something idiotic like, Oh, God knows how I am…

Yes, He does know how we are, that’s why He’s dealing with us about it. Just because He knows about it, doesn't mean He likes it, plus He loves us too much to leave us that way. Yet more often than not, we make excuses or just ignore Him. We do the very thing that we would dole out consequences for if our children did it to us.

God, I need__________. No response.  
God, did You hear me?  Nothing.
God! Are you ignoring me? And exasperated, we ask, God, what ARE You doing?
And He replies, I’m doing what you do when I ask you to do something. How does that feel…?

This is how Proverbs 28:9 reads in the Message Bible: God has no use for the prayers of the people who won't listen to him.

Prayer:

Father,        
            Give us first-time obedient ears to hear You and first-time obedient hearts that will hasten to do Your bidding. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Shhhhhhhh, Hear Him?

But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.

Proverbs 1:33 NLT

Some people call it their conscience; some that little voice. But those who are following after Christ know His voice. John 10:27 reads, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. How many times have we heard it? I should call so-and-so and see what's going on in her life... And we call and she answers with a tear-filled voice, a voice that had just asked God to send someone who cares...

Isn't it inexplicably wonderful when that happens and you get to see the hand of God touch someone's life? I know the joy of that. However, I also know the pain of missing it. I'm too busy with stuff, or worse, I'm not listening...

The thought comes unbidden, I should send a note to encourage him and tell him how cool it is to see his growth.  Or we get the idea to hand somebody a little money and the whole time we're thinking,  I really can't afford this or I might run short this week or They don't look like they need it. What if they think I'm crazy or think I'm being prideful? God, they drive a better car than I do!...And yet, you really feel like you're supposed to do it. So, you go and stammer a little, hem and haw and finally say, I think the Lord told me to give this to you... And their eyes fill with tears as they clutch your hand and say, I had no lunch money for my child this week. I didn't know what I was going to do...

So what will you do?   “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts..." Hebrews 3:7b-8a

Prayer:

Father,

          In this lost and dying world, help us to listen with our hearts to hear Your voice and hasten to do Your will. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen