BV - Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.

Philippians 3:14

If ever there was an individual who was, to me, a true example of how to live a Godly life, it is the apostle Paul. Out of almost everyone mentioned in the New Testament (except Christ himself) Paul had the incredible ability to focus. He certainly had his fair share of distractions (imprisonment, being shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, being beaten, and the list goes on). And yet – most of these experiences seemed little more than minor setbacks. They almost seemed inconsequential to him – much like the constant pestering of a fly. He never focused on the trials of the day. You can almost hear him say “Yeah, I’m in prison. So? Bring me that guard. I’d like to share something with him.” Paul’s eyes focused on, not where he was, but where he was going and what God was trying to do through him before he got there. He was singularly focused on sharing the love and redemption of Jesus Christ. How nice it would be, in my own life, when someone tells me I’m standing in the muck, to be able to say: “So? I know it’s messy right now but let me tell you about the prize that awaits me.”

Encouragement of the day: Stay focused. Keep your eyes on Him and not where your feet are. It’s much easier to see where you are going if you’re looking up instead of down.

Question of the day: Is there someone whose life in the Bible really speaks to you?

BV - Matthew 13:16

But blessed are your eyes because you see, and your ears because they hear.

Matthew 13:16

When you look at the mountains, a butterfly, a flower or a rainbow, do you see God? Do you hear the voice of God through the rustling wind, roar of a waterfall or the song of a bird? What an amazing blessing! But it’s an even greater blessing to be able to see and hear God working in our own lives and in the lives of others. It’s thrilling to see the affects of prayer. It’s thrilling to see the transforming power of God’s grace. It’s comforting to hear the love of God through His words. Our faith is strengthened by those blessings.

But sometimes seeing or hearing God isn’t always easy. There are moments in our lives when we simply choose not to exercise the blessing. We simply stop looking and stop listening. But other times, despite our desperation, we can’t see or hear. Our senses have taken a hit. They have dulled. Our ability to see and to hear God can be affected by the pain of trials or our attitudes (bitterness, self-importance, etc). Other times we are simply desensitized by the constant streaming of worldly messages around us. Our amazing blessing is diminished.

Whether or not we see or hear God, the truth remains: He is there. He is working. In those moments when our senses fail us, God still provides an avenue to be blessed. He often uses other believers to be our eyes and ears. What we can’t see or hear may be clear to someone else. If we look for God, we will see Him. If we listen for God, we will hear him.

Encouragement of the day: Take time and look for how God is working around you. Listen with open ears to messages (even those you may not want to hear). Or find a friend who will share with you a Godly perspective.

Question of the day: Have you noticed times in your life where your senses were dulled? How did you sharpen them again?

BV - Romans 8:31

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Think how differently we’d live our lives if this verse was firmly ingrained into our being – our hearts and our souls. Where would our fear be? How much control over us would fear have? There is no one stronger or more powerful than God. Simply put - He created the universe. He can wipe it out. Surely our battles with the evil one or even our earthly enemies are no match for Him. Then why is it, at times, we get so defeated? It’s not because we actually are defeated – it’s that we think we are. There is a huge difference. We believe a lie when we believe we are capable of being beaten. Or that God is no longer with us in our battles or cares enough to fight on our behalf. If we are with God, rest assured He is with us!

Encouragement of the day: When the battles of this life overwhelm you, remember you have not been defeated. Don’t give into that belief. Take courage, stand up, put your armor on and ready yourselves. The battle belongs to the Lord.

Question of the day: Have you seen God fight some of your battles for you?



BV - Psalm 103: 1-13

As I read the passage below I was struck by its simplistic way of speaking the obvious truth. It so beautifully describes what God has done and continues to do for us. Let us not forget His complete and utter graciousness. We owe God everything!

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits –

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

He made know his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 103: 1-13

Encouragement of the day: The points made in this passage are worth memorizing and keeping close to your heart. I encourage you to do so. Whose heart cannot be warmed and uplifted by focusing on the truth of how God has redeemed us from the pit and crowned us with love and compassion.

Question of the day: What is something God has done for you specifically to show you how much He loves you?

What Do We Expect?

I was thinking (which is sometimes dangerous) about our desire to hear God speak to us. We want direction when we feel directionless. We want to hear an "I love you" when we feel unloved. We want to be comforted when we're lonely. We want to know we're not stranded out in this universe all by ourselves. I know for me this has been a struggle. In the hard trials of life, our desire to hear from God increases sometimes to the point of desperation. But what happens when God's voice is seemingly silent?

I have been at the point where I have begged and begged God to speak to me. The silence has been deafening at times. Talk about feeling rejected. But as I journey through my trials and my life, I'm wondering if there isn't a correlation between how much time I give God and how much He's willing to speak to me. You who are experts in the "hearing God field" will say "duh". But to the untrained, like myself, the light bulb may finally be turning on.

I give God my undivided attention during my prayer time. Okay - so maybe that'll last twenty minutes or so. And let's say I read my Bible for 30 minutes. Plenty of time for God to speak to me, right? I'm like "in the zone" and focused. Seems like a good time to connect.  I should be able to hear a message loud and clear. Oh - what's that you say? From a proportionate standpoint I'm actually giving God less than 4% of my day. I'm opening a tiny little window and asking God to speak through it. I’m basically saying “Okay God, I’m listening. I can't hear you. Can you get a little closer because I can’t hear you very well through this small opening?” Sure, one could argue that God has the whole rest of the day to speak to me.  But is it possible He doesn’t want to speak to me on my terms - only when I make myself available to listen?  What if He'd like to speak anytime He wants to and have me always "in the zone" – ready with listening ears?

I know from experience that it's hard for me to get “in the zone". It’s hard to dial into the right frequency with all the static going on around me. Like everyone else, I've got daily chores, I've got a family with needs, I've got my own wish list, and of course there are other outside influences and let's not forget the television. There's a lot of clutter in life - a lot of interference. No wander I'm having a hard time hearing God speak.

But a question now comes up: Is my lack of hearing because He’s not speaking to me anymore (has He given up on trying to get through all the noise) or is He still speaking and I just can’t hear? (Kind of like trying to ask your child a question when they're clearly focused on the TV.  Pretty near impossible to get through.) Maybe God's saying “I’ll come back when you can really make time for me. Maybe then we can have some good conversations again. I love you but please show me that you love me too. You say the words but your actions are what I prefer. You are my creation! I deserve your time and your best.”

So what do I really expect from God? Can I expect Him to focus on me 24 hours a day if I only focus on Him a tiny proportion of the day?  How can I expect Him to get a word in edgewise with all that other stuff drowning out His voice and taking away my attention? I do so want to hear His voice, though. I "expect" I'll have to make some changes.  I must reduce the static in the airways and practice listening for the still and quiet word of the Lord.