pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: hear


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Do You Hear?

What name best identifies you?  Is it father, mother, sister, grandma, brother, grandfather?  Is it accountant, teacher, lawyer, mechanic?  Is it artist, athlete, musician, dancer?  Is it giver, helper, volunteer, caregiver?  In our life we fill many roles and sometimes the roles vary by who we are around and what we are doing at the time.  Often the names others give us and know us by reflect who we are and how we are known.  Sometimes we even live into the names we are given.

In the quiet alone times with God, do you hear Him calling your name?  He does call out to each.  God calls out to each of us by name – Susan, Paul, David, Alice, Greg.  Jesus called the twelve to follow Him and become His disciples.  In doing so they were called to a new way of life.  Through their time with and in relationship to Jesus, they came to see themselves as worthy, loved, redeemed.  As we hear Him calling our name and begin to live into that call, we too come to see ourselves as worthy, loved, redeemed.

As God calls out and stakes an increasing claim on our lives as we grow in the faith, one of or true names becomes more and more evident: child of God.  As we grow into this name our other names become secondary.  Instead of father we become known as a Christian father.  Instead of a lawyer we become known as a Christian lawyer.  What we ‘do’ becomes secondary to who we are as God increasingly is our first consideration in all of our choices, decisions, priorities.

Being a child of God is a journey.  Once we realize we are a child of God, we begin living into a new identity.  We will still stumble, fall, make mistakes.  But as a child of God, when we stumble, we will fall into His arms of grace.  As a beloved child of God, we never walk alone.  Do you hear Him calling your name?

Scripture reference: 1 John 3: 1-7


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A Voice Calling

Job description: challenge the status quo, push people to grow and stretch themselves, be directly accountable to God

Any applicants?

Many jobs can be thankless.  Among them the job ‘prophet’ could be pretty high on a lot of people’s lists.  For most that were called in the Bible,”Yes!” was not their first reaction.

Prophets of old and prophets today have pretty much the same role.  A prophet has two primary job functions.  The first is to keep people oriented towards God.  A prophet calls us to live our lives with God at the center, following His ways and commands.  This runs counter to what the world so often tries to tell us and is therefore difficult.  A prophet tells us that ‘me’ does not come first.

The second role is to call for justice and equality for those whose voices are not heard by the those in power and in positions that can affect change.  A prophet calls for the care of the weak, for fair treatment of all, and for the stranger to be welcomed into our midst.  These calls too run counter to society’s norms.  A prophet tells us to give of ourselves and to become less so that others can become more.

Today most of us like to be comfortable, to maintain the status quo.  Change can be hard.  No wonder being a prophet is difficult.  But a faith that is not active and growing, bringing light into darkness, is dead.  That is not a good place to be.

May we learn to hear and welcome the prophet’s voice, both for what it calls us to spiritually and for the words spoken on behalf of the poor and powerless, words that bring hope, healing, justice, and love.

Scripture reference: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20


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Attuned to the Voice

Who would we identify as prophets of God in our world today?  Is it the big TV evangelists or the mega church lead pastors?  Is it the pastor of your local church or the leader of your small group?  Is it your spouse or best friend?  Yes, yes, yes, and yes!  A prophet can be all of these at certain times and points in our life an it can be others not mentioned above.  God can still speak in many ways through a wide variety of people.

Surely prophets are people like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.  While this is a pretty impressive list, the Bible is full of prophets – many of whom came from out of nowhere.  Many spoke the word God gave them and faded back into regular life.  In this sense, we live today among many prophets.  Some are here for a while and others only for a short period of time.

One of the main jobs of a prophet is to align the people of faith with the will of God.  In this sense they help guide like a shepherd.  A prophet can also offer correction as we stray from God’s plan.  In our personal lives this comes mostly when we pursue worldly idols and when we fall to temptation.

In these terms, the voice of God can be heard from the many prophets in our lives.  We too may be a prophet to others.  We all need to be attuned to the voice that God has given a message to.  God is still very much alive and well and active in our world.  May His voice continue to lead and guide us all.

Scripture reference: Deuteronomy 8: 15-20


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He Is Good

Have you ever gotten a word from God or one of His messengers that was hard to hear?  Have you ever struggled with the direction that God is trying to lead you?  Ever tried to be the one in control?

All of these are easy questions to answer.  We wrestle all the time with these issues because we like to be in control and we do not like to be wrong.

Samuel and Eli give us great insights into what it means to be honest when it is hard, to be open to God’s word even when it brings bad news, and to accept where He is leading us.  Samuel reveals to Eli that God indeed plans to carry out His plans against Eli’s house.  Eli responds with these words: “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”  No groveling for his sons’ lives.  No anger towards God.

For us life can get so busy that it is hard to slow down enough to hear and process what God would like us to hear.  Yet we must.  Sometimes when we do so we question – you want what?  Go where?  Sometimes the news is hard to share – it may cause conflict or call something into alignment with God’s will.  In all cases we must be faithful and willing to hear God’s call and to walk in the way He is leading us.  We must remember that He is God and that all He wants for us is good.

Scripture reference: 1 Samuel 3: 10-20


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Allow His Voice

This morning I hear wave after wave of rain as it lands on the windows, buffeted by the wind.  In the quiet of the early morning, the rain is an audible presence.  A few days ago the sunrise broke over the horizon in a beautiful fashion.  The streaks of light and glow of the sun came forth in the stillness of the morning.  God and all of that creative ability shines forth in so many of the things in nature.  We can connect to God so easily in the beauty and stillness of creation.  To sit alone under a tree listening to the birds sing or to sit on a rock listening to the crash of the waves can renew and refresh our soul.  We can come into tune with God in these moments.

Sometimes though, we struggle with silence or the lack of noise.  We turn on the radio or TV or make small talk to fill the void of sound.  But if we always surround ourselves with noise, it is easy to miss God’s still, small voice.  In daily prayer time, allow God a moment or two.  Give Him a space to speak into your life.  In your time of reading and study, do the same.  God has so much to offer into the silence if we only slow down and seek out His voice.  Allow His voice to speak to you.  It may be to reveal something, to give you guidance, or simply to say, ‘I love you, my child.”

Scripture reference: Psalm 19: 1-6


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Ears to Hear

Jesus ends the parable of the sower with these words: “He who has ears, let him hear.”  On the surface I thought, ‘all of us have ears so everyone is included’.  But going a bit deeper I realized that although we all have ears, we do not always really hear.  Often people are talking but are not being heard.  Often God or the Holy Spirit seeks to speak into our lives, but we don’t always hear them all of the time.

Jesus sowed good seed into the disciples and those He interacted with all the time.  But many people walked away scratching their heads or dismissing what Jesus had to offer.  We continue to be sown into through the reading and study of the Word, through hearing the Word proclaimed, through Christian fellowship, and so on.  But Satan also sows seeds – seeds of evil and of temptation.  As we grow in our faith, we need to develop attentive and in-tune ears to hear God’s voice while tuning out the voices of evil.  There is both a lot to hear from God and a lot to tune out from Satan!

May we learn to listen long and hard, with compassion and patience, to Him who reigns both now and forevermore!

Scripture reference: Matthew 13: 36-43


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See, Hear, Smell, Touch

Often times Jesus and God are portrayed as one.  While they truly are in each other, I more often see them as two sides of the same coin.  Each plays a somewhat unique role in my life.  Yet they really are one – as I come to know Jesus more I also come to know God more.  As I draw closer to one, I draw closer to the other.  So, how does one make the relationship more intimate?

One way is to enter into the stories of Jesus.  Not just to read them but to enter in and become a part of the story.  To see, to hear, to smell, to…  For example, consider the story of the widow’s offering found at the end of Mark 13.  Pretty simple story – Jesus and the disciples are sitting in the temple area, watching people put their offering into the temple treasury.  The rich put in large amounts.  A widow comes along and puts in two small coins.  Jesus gathers the disciples close and tells them that she put in more than the others.  he goes on to explain that the rich put in some out of much wealth but the widow put in all she had, every last cent.  Only four verses.  Just as the disciples did, I am sure you get Jesus’ point.

But take a minute and explore the story with me.  Go a little deeper and be part of the story.  So, here you are sitting there with Jesus.  No one is talking.  You are just sitting there watching people make their offering.  Across the way is a Pharisee, arms folded across his chest, staring at the people as they make their deposits, mentally recording the ‘gift’.  Person after person, in fine clothes all beautifully adorned walk by him and place their coins in the top of  the box.  You can hear the rattle, rattle, rattle as they drop onto the pile already in the box.  They barely even slow down to put it in – except that last woman – took her a while to get all the coins through the slot.  You see the smug looks as they exchange glances with the overseer – you can almost hear them say, “See how much I love God!”  That lady pauses a second in front of the Pharisee – an extra wink included.

Then almost as if the breeze has shifted, you smell something different in the air.  It is not fine perfumes or burning incense.  It’s that smell of sweat and dirt, the one you carry with you after as long day’s work out in the sun.  Next you hear the shuffling of feet dragging across the hard floor of the temple.  It is not the click-clack of the fine footwear that has been passing the overseer.  Then you see her – messy hair, clothes a little more than worn, sandals that you would barely call shoes.  In your mind you begin to think, ‘Wow, who let her in…’ but then you snap back to the reality that you are sitting there with Jesus.  In your mind you maybe even slap yourself across the cheek!  You watch her as she slowly shuffles towards the treasury box.  Glancing back at the Pharisee you can see him frowning as he too watches her.  You can image what is running through his mind.  As she nears the box, her pace slows down.  It surprises you that she could go any slower.  Others that have come to make their offering slow down and the line backs up a bit behind her – they are keeping a bit of distance.  You notice her hand tightly clutching something, knuckles turning a little white.  Then she comes to a halt in front of the box.  She closes here eyes and you see her lips moving as she offers a prayer to God.  She slowly extends her hand and lets go of its contents.  You hear clink, clink as two little coins join the massive pile inside the box.  She shuffles on and does not even look up at the overseer.  You see him smirk and see his shoulders bounce a little as he chuckles at the meager offering.

Suddenly Jesus is quietly gathering the disciples around him.  His quick, simple whispers reveal why she was moving so slowly, why she was clutching the coins so tightly, why she stopped to pray as she made her gift.  As the circle breaks and you return to your perch across from the box, you have a whole new thinking concerning giving.  You see each person as they approach the box differently now.  Suddenly you know Jesus and God a little better than you did before.  Who knew a poor woman in such simple attire could teach us so much about giving?

 

 


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Tuning In

The words form heaven, “This is my beloved, whom I love.  With Him I am well pleased,” revealed to the disciples present just who this man was that they had been following for around the land.  It must have been reassuring to Peter, James, and John to really know who this was.  The transfiguration should have been a defining moment in their lives and in their relationship with Jesus.  But, like us when we catch a glimpse of God’s presence in an amazing way and then simply return to our ordinary lives, they seemed to return to just being themselves.  How easy is it to just go back to our everyday life!!

Peter shares with his audience and with us the amazing experience he had when he saw Jesus transfigured and then heard God speak.   It is one of those, ‘no really, you gotta believe me – I saw and heard it!’  He wants them and us to know that Jesus was and is magnified in glory through the Father.  At times in our lives we are privy to times when we catch a glimpse of God’s glory in our own lives – when we see or witness a miracle , when we look out at the sunset and can just feel God alive in it, or maybe when we slip into His presence on a Sunday morning in worship.  Yet we so often turn our attention to something else or move onto the next thing on our to-do list.

So often in the day to day of life, it can be hard to experience or find God.  We get so busy with our own lives we fail to be in tune with God.  I wonder how many times I miss God in the person I pass on the sidewalk or in the person who calls or visits me or in the people I don’t even notice.  And it is a shame because in each one there is an opportunity to either share God with them or to be blessed by the living God within them.  We must work at training our eyes to see God, our ears to hear God, and our hearts to feel God when He is near.  The means to this end are found in God’s holy word, in time spent in prayer, and in making an effort to be in tune.  It usually must be intentional.  True, there will be mountaintop experiences where God is just right there and fully present in all of His glory.  But in the day to day, we must work at experiencing the presence of God in our lives.  As one works at tuning in and being being aware of  God in the day to day, we can see, hear, and feel better.  Gradually, over time, we can draw closer to the example Jesus set for us – we come to see Him in all of the people we meet, in all of the situations we encounter, and in all of the events of our lives.  May we all grow in our tuning!