Are you listening?

"He who has ears let him hear." Matthew 11:15

"'We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age, who are coming to noting. No we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if the had, they would not have crucified the Lord  glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." (Isaiah 64:4) but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him" In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgements about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgement: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that He may instruct Him?" (Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ." 1Corinthians 2;6-16 

Years ago when my boys were younger, I intervened in a loud ruckus from the back seat of the car. My youngest son was trying to tell his older brother something, but became frustrated and  more loudly vocal when his brother failed to respond. I finally spoke up from the driver's seat telling him, "Your brother can hear you."

His response has caused me to pause then and many times since.

"He can hear, he's just not listening."

From the mouths of babes.

How often have I been guilty of hearing someone or something, but failed to really listen, to actively participate in what I've heard.

As I sit here at my desk typing, I find I am straining to hear something that is yet inaudible, but with such a sense of urgency that I want to pay close attention.

We are living in turbulent times with a history unfolding before our eyes. Things that have been spoken of in the Bible are being played out in real time.

Now I am not a biblical scholar, nor will I pretend to be, but I find the words that I have heard and studied from the Bible compelling to pay close attention to what is currently happening.

My eyes scan the horizon and sky.

My soul waits in hopeful anticipation. 

The Bible has laid out God's full plan for mankind from Genesis to Revelation. We have seen much evidence of those things which have come to pass, and now look forward to what is to come. I personally long for the Day when those who love the Lord will be reunited with Him in heaven, and yet I grieve for those who won't. But I also know God won't drag people into His embrace against their will.

All I can do is continue to share what I know about the marvelous grace that has been bestowed on us through the birth, life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I won't be silent about how God has captured my heart with His love, and how He desires that none should perish. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict; Light came into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (Jesus as quoted in Joh 3:16-21)

The Bible clearly warns: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20 (I encourage you to read the whole book of Romans if you are unfamiliar with it).

My hearts desire is that people I know and love, and those I reach personal encounters and  through the things written here, will understand just how much God love's them and desires for them to come to Him. But all I can do is immerse myself deeply into the waterfall of God's amazing grace and pray for Him to speak to their hearts through my obedience to serve Him.

He's calling to all who will hear and respond.

Are you listening?

Keep your eyes on the Lord

 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Psalm 32:8 NKJV

It's been a bit since I've sat down to write. Life has been busy. In September we moved from the place we'd lived for nearly 15 years, into a place closer to town. The drive up and down the canyon had become less easy, and the family was concerned for our safety. Moving is never easy, but at our age it definitely took a physical toll. We are extremely grateful we have family and friends who worked together to make the transition as smooth as possible. Moving a 700-pound upright piano was one of the scarier things I watched them do. We had to stay in a hotel for a few nights in between places, and when we were checking out, the cat in the picture above, disappeared.  Literally. Although there was no way for her to escape the room, when it came time to put her into her carrier, she had simply vanished. After looking under the bed and every other conceivable place where she might have hidden, we figured she must have found a way out of the room.  Saddened by her disappearance, I had no other choice but to ask the hotel to keep an eye out for her.  I returned the next day to look again, but no sign of her, even though the hotel staff once again helped lift the mattress to look under the bed. Shortly after I got back to our new place, I got a call from the hotel saying they'd found her.  She had managed to wedge herself in between the wall and the base of the bed.  Not an easy feat for our plump girl.  She was quite happy to be reunited with us and her sisters.

Getting things unpacked and organized has been an ongoing operation.  In between all the crazy of the move, the pastor of our church resigned suddenly, leaving all of us surprised and grappling to get our footing.  Added into the mix was Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then just like a blink of the eye the new year was upon us. I am just now beginning to feel like we're settling in.

As we traveled through this place in our journey, I continually leaned deep into the Lord's embrace. There was so much change going on and I needed the constant of His Presence. 

One of the hymns that kept coming to mind was Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.  It is one of my favorites. I found myself playing Alan Jackson's rendition of it regularly. The sweet tune offers assurance of God's peace as we look to Jesus for comfort. 

Life can be hard. Trying times are part of our journey here on earth.  There will be seasons where life doesn't play out the way we think it ought to go. People will respond differently than we expect. Things will seem lost, that aren't. We might find ourselves in changing situations, or stuck (rather like my cat). But the one beautiful constant in every situation is God's love and His desire to teach and guide us. 

That is why it is imperative that we keep our eyes on Him.  How can He guide us if we aren't looking to Him?  How can we hear Him speak if we aren't listening? How can He teach us if we aren't regularly studying His word?

My cat got scared and hid because things weren't the same as they had been in all the years of her life. In her desperation to protect herself from the things that frightened her, she hid and got stuck.  She hid herself so well, that we were unable to find her for a season. But when I came and called her the third time, she answered me from between the wall and the bed frame.  Although she was pretty tightly wedged in her hiding place, when she called out to me, I was able to find her.

I found her because I was diligently searching for her, and when she called out to me, I was able to rescue her from her self-imposed prison and bring her safely into our new home.

God will do the same for everyone who calls to Him for help.  He is continually looking for those who are lost, frightened and stuck in their own crisis. He is our constant source of help and peace.

Don't let the world consume, distract of cause you to hide you from the One Who loves You best. He is diligently searching for you.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace....... His word will not fail you He promised, believe Him and all will be well, then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell." (A few of the words from that marvelous hymn.)