Learning To Listen

This is what the Lord says - the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Jeremiah 33:2-3

I have been full of questions lately. A lot of those questions start with "why...". It has been a confusing time, a time when I have tried to figure things out. I have been somewhat unsuccessful in these efforts, and have been left feeling frustrated and confused.

I've actually been a little upset at God about this. But it's not His fault. He doesn't want me confused. He is not trying to frustrate me. He is quite willing for me to know the truth, but I think it is just that I am having a hard time listening. After all, He did say, "Ask me and I will tell you..."

I don't sit still very well. The joke is that if I sit still for too long, I fall asleep - and that is not far from the truth. I get caught up in this whirlwind of activity, not realizing until later that I am accomplishing nothing. By the end of the day I am exhausted, but as I try to figure out why, it all seems so futile. It's like all my efforts were in vain. And as I drop into bed at night, I am almost instantly asleep. I never remember much past turning off the light - and sometimes I don't even remember that!

God is calling me to be still... But there is just so much that needs to be done! I don't have time to sit still!

"Be still and know..." But I CAN'T be still because I know... how much there is to do and how little time there is to accomplish it!

"Be still and know that I am God." Could it really be that simple? He wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true. He is God. He is capable of taking care of all of those things I am concerning myself with. He is GOD! What is so complicated about that? It's the letting go... Trusting... I've been asking, but I haven't been waiting for Him to answer. That's got to change!

"Be still..." Can't do that here. I've got to go and get busy being still! It's time to listen...


It's not complicated, but it is... just a thought...

On the Road Again...

The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. Exodus 13:21

It's one of those seasons... Nothing seems to make sense... What I thought was the right direction was apparently the wrong direction... What I thought was the wrong direction was apparently the right direction! Anybody else ever have those times?

I'm beginning to understand, on a small scale, what the children of Israel must have been feeling as they left Egypt. They had seen the mighty hand of God at work, miraculously delivering them from slavery, setting them free to pursue what looked to be a very bright future. So they're on their way to the Promised Land. They're following God, and maybe don't even realize that God is taking them on a round-about kind of journey to their destination. So they're following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, and they know they are on the right path because they are following God. Then, all of a sudden, God pulls a u-turn on them because He's working on a plan to show His glory to Pharaoh. But still the children of Israel follow - no problem!

There they are, all camped out where God said to camp. They're happy. They're content. They're just waiting for God to tell them to go, and then they'll be on their way. But they look up and see that Pharaoh's army is after them! Then they look the other way, and suddenly that sweet beachfront property they're camped on doesn't look so sweet anymore! Now they're panicking. They're crying and complaining because, understandably, they're scared to death!

I can relate, and maybe you can, too. I thought God was leading in a certain direction. It was exciting, looking to the future, wondering exactly what the road would look like, but exciting because God was in it. I was following God, but soon realized we weren't going the direct route, so I figured there must be "Philistines" out there He was protecting me from. That's okay. I'm ready for the journey, as long as God's leading the way. But then came the u-turn, and that was almost more exciting because it seemed He had spoken so clearly, "Camp here."

But then, somehow, here I am - Pharaoh's army is behind me, and the Red Sea lies ahead, and even though I know how the biblical account turns out, I confess I'm feeling a little panicky.

I've told you before how I prefer the big-picture of the road map to the turn-by-turn instructions of a GPS... Well... God's taking me on a GPS journey! I'm following the pillar of cloud, but I'm frustrated because I can't see past it - all I can see is the cloud. But God is in the cloud! And that's got to be enough! He is MORE than enough!

So step by step, putting one foot in front of the other, following God even though I'm not quite sure where we're going or how we're getting there, I'm hitting the road again...

A wise pastor once told me that it's easier for God to steer a moving vessel... Well, I'm moving. Lord - steer away!

So if you find yourself adrift, like a ship with no direction, I want to encourage you to get in motion, then let the Lord lead the way, learning to trust your Captain even when you can't see the shore. I'm right there with you - just along for the ride!

...Just a thought...

The Old Life Is Gone!

Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:14b-17

I love New Year's! I've always wanted to have a big New Year's Eve party with silly hats and confetti and everything... It seems like a fun way to bring closure to the past and usher in the new with an attitude of excitement and not dread.

Often, as we come to the close of a year, I find myself breathing a sigh of relief. It seems when I look back, often what seems most obvious are the hard times and difficulties I have survived in the course of the year. I remember the good times, too, but I do tend to focus on the bad. But fortunately, there's something about New Year's that makes it somehow easier to let go of the bad stuff...

Maybe you can relate.

2011 is like this grand opportunity the Lord has placed before us. Regardless of what 2010 looked like, now is a wonderful time to stop living for ourselves and start living for Christ! It is a time to stop looking at life from a human point of view and start seeing life from God's perspective, seeing others the way God sees them. It is time to let go of the old and embrace this new life we have in God through Christ Jesus!

If we look at things from His perspective, there is no doubt: it's going to be a GREAT year!

...Just a thought...