Our Duty is to Listen

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him. I will protect him because he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me and I will answer him;” (Psalms 91:14-15 NIV)

As a mother of what I lovingly call a chatterbox, I often found myself drifting off when she was talking. When she was little, the car ride could feel endless. It seemed like her little mouth would go into overdrive while my ears stayed in neutral. Often I was jostled out of my reverie by a voice calling,”Mom did you hear me?”

Usually I followed the conversation enough where I could repeat the words she had just said back to her. But even during those times, I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t really listening. Sure I heard the words she said, but I didn’t listen to the tone of her voice, catch an occasional glimpse of her face, or empathize with the story she was telling me.

Now she’s a teenager and I long for a car ride with my little chatterbox. It appears while I was off daydreaming about what to cook for dinner, or how to arrange it so all the kids made it to their after-school activities, and of course home again, my baby grew up on me and turned into a moody teenager.

Now, the words “Do you hear me?” are coming from my mouth and my daughter is the one nodding her head and repeating my words back to me. I know she’s not actually listening to me because hours later when I check to see if she did the chores that I had asked her to do, I find the litter box hasn’t been touched by human hands, the dishes never made their way to the dishwasher, and her backpack is still in the middle of the kitchen floor.

I feel sad that time has changed my daughter so much. I long for a bedtime chat where she is still talking incessantly. But she doesn’t have the time now. She’s too busy with her friends, sporting events, and even studying.

However, I am blessed to have a Heavenly Father who is more than willing to listen to my every word. If it’s important to me then it’s important to Jesus. How refreshing it is to know Jesus is up in heaven hearing my every word. Not once does His mind drift off to other more important matters.

He loves me so much; He even came to earth to die for my sins, enabling me the chance to spend eternity with Him. All He asks is that I believe in Him and follow His word; in exchange He gives me everlasting love. —Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom

Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving us enough to truly listen to us. Remind us to listen to the people we encounter today. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Blessed Easter 2013

And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.
~ Mark 16:6 (NAS) ~

Good Friday 2013

Remembering ...

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
~ 1 Peter 2:24 (NAS) ~

Days of Our Lives

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15 NAS)

Among the many lessons my wife and I learned in our marriage life is that a lasting and bonding relationship begins with accepting one another for who we are in spite of. This means the need for mutual understanding and the willingness to give and take in loving care for one another. We hide nothing from each other, share joys and sorrows together, and hold each other up during difficult times. We enthrone Christ as Lord of our lives and stay thankful always for what we have and what we do not have.

Our career lives have gone through many ups and downs like a rollercoaster ride. We have experienced what it means to get along with humble means and to live in prosperity (Philippians 4:12). No doubt, it is only right that we do our very best for the ones who pay our bills, but we have learned that our very best is seldom enough when it comes to the expectation of employers. Too frequently we have put our hearts and souls in our jobs only to receive more distress than necessary. Yes, in whatever we do we are to do our work heartily, and yes, we ought to be submissive to our bosses, even to those who are unreasonable (Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Peter 2:18-19). Yet when we fall ill, few are the bosses who care about our health or our wellbeing, while our loved ones are worried sick. They are the ones who care for us and deserve better from us.

One thing we are assured of as we draw nearer to our old age is that even in our graying years God will sustain us and hold us up (Isaiah 46:4). Though we may begin to wear out physically, we need not lose heart, because inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). All the things that have happened in our lives, our pain and our joy, our experiences, are for our benefit that the people who God has placed in our lives may have reason for thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 4:15).

Thank You, dear Lord, for bringing us together and for seeing us through the years of marriage. We know Lord that without You in our lives, things would have been very different. Renew us Lord and grant us the strength as we continue to walk in Your footsteps for the coming years. Help us do our best in our jobs Lord, and leave the impossible to You. Do not allow us to be over stressed, but keep us sane to focus on You.

Sharpening a Knife

Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NAS)

Knives must always be kept sharp because a blunt knife is dangerous, as it requires more pressure and is more likely to slip and cause a cut, according to an article on knife care at HospitalityInfoCentre.co.uk. A professional chef sharpens his or her knives every time they are used.

A sharp knife means a better, faster, and easier job for the chef to work neatly and more accurately. Once a knife is sharpened, the knife must first be cleaned to remove any filings that might be on the blade. A good way to test the knife’s sharpness is to cut a soft tomato to see if it slices through easily with little pressure.

Understanding knife sharpening provides many lessons we can take home. The Bible teaches that iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). Now think for a moment and ask ourselves, are we notable for sharpening others? Do we help others do better? How often do we reach out to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11)? Do we know that leaving our brothers and sisters in the Lord to struggle on their own is dangerous because without guidance they require more effort and are more likely to slip and fall?

If we hope to do better, faster, and easier in accurately handling the word of truth, we must first keep ourselves constantly sharpened in God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15). The word of God is living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). We need therefore to be careful when seeking to encourage or correct another to first examine ourselves and remove our own bad habits, wrong attitudes, and presumptions (Luke 6:42).

A good way to test whether an encouragement or correction is helpful is to watch the receptivity of the person and how he or she responds. Remember, however, that just as not all tomatoes taste the same, so the people we seek to help differ largely in personality, sensitivity, experiences, degree of faith, among other things. Always understand them first before reaching out to them. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Do not force a correction, speak without thinking, or let eagerness take center stage.

Dear Lord, help us be sensitive to the leading of Your Holy Spirit, especially when encouraging or correcting a person. Do not let our hearts be hardened to leave our fellow believers to struggle for themselves, but guide us Lord as we help them keep from slipping or falling. Remove from us all that is not pleasing in Your sight O Lord and sharpen us by Your word that we may accurately handle the word of truth.

String Around the Finger

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deuteronomy 6:8 NIV)

Among the many strategies to help a person remember better is one we are all familiar with that is closely associated to the concept of tying a string around the finger. In essence, this approach is about putting something in our environment to create a visual reminder for ourselves, explained Molly Edmonds in her article on the top ten ways to improve memory at Discovery.com.

Directions on how to employ this strategy is found in another article on the same topic at Muskingum.edu. Steps to be taken include identifying the task or information to remember, picking an action or mental picture to remind oneself of the task or information, and rehearsing the action or mental picture several times. An example is turning the sleeve of a coat inside out to remember to bring something the next day or placing an object on the floor in front of the door leaving the house as an obvious reminder.

Like the visual reminder used in memory strategies, the Bible in the Old Testament mentioned a similar strategy to help the sons of Israel remember the instructions of God. The tefillin are two small leather boxes worn on the head and on one arm as a symbol and reminder of God’s word  to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). These boxes are held in place by leather straps and contain verses from the Torah or the five books of Moses.

What about us? How do we remind ourselves to love the Lord our God? Do we use something similar to tying a string around our finger to remind ourselves to walk rightly in God? What visual reminder can we employ to help us remember to put God first in our lives in every situation?

The first step of identifying is obvious and can only be achieved by studying the word of God daily and remembering what we have learned. The next is for us to pick an action or mental picture to remind us to seek God in every situation or to do something good each day. We can then rehearse mentally and purpose in our heart to dwell our minds on and do whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us Your word to guide us in our walk. Your word O Lord we have kept in our heart that we may not sin against You. Help us Lord to be mindful of You and Your teachings in every situation. Place in our minds visual reminders of whatever is good, pure, and worthy of praise Lord that we may put into action such things in love. We love You O Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength.

Follow Me

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24 NIV)

I see it all over the Internet ... "Follow me on Twitter"—"Follow my Blog."

And I wonder—if people really did follow us, what would they see?

When Jesus invited people to follow Him it was more than just viewing a few 144 character tweets or a few paragraphs of His thoughts on a blog. He invited them to walk along side Him 24/7. They saw Him when things were good (palm leaves and praises) and they saw Him when things were bad (death threats and rock throwing). They saw Him do miracles and they saw Him weep. They watched Him pray in agony and feast in victory. They watched how He reacted to each situation and they measured His reaction against what He preached to see if His walk lined up with His talk.

Guess what ... people are still doing that today. They are watching us (Christ-followers) to see if our walk lines up with our talk. Do we react to hard times in a way that shows we fully trust God?  Do we react to people who are rude, slow, or mean in a way that says, I love you? (We are supposed to love others, right?)

Easy to do? No, but, then that's what Jesus meant when he said "take up your cross and follow me". Our first reaction is the human one. We want to strike back, express our impatience, stand up for ourselves, but laying aside those initial reactions to respond in a Christ-like manner is what taking up your cross is all about.

Father, teach us to follow Christ in such a way that those who are watching us will be drawn to Him. Teach us to lay aside our desires and to take up our cross and follow Him. Amen.—Jan Christiansen

Risky Business

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)

One thing I've said time and time again is that I don't say things I don't mean. If encouragement is to be of any benefit at all, then it has to be sincere and truthful. Otherwise it's just flattery and has very little value. So if I've ever had an encouraging word for you, then take hold of it and believe that it's true! I meant every bit of it!

But the flipside of that is that I may actually hesitate to say anything at all if the truth isn't quite so encouraging or pleasant. Part of this is out of a desire to not hurt anyone; but I have to admit that it also has a lot to do with self-preservation. The old saying about not "shooting the messenger" is an old saying because it can, and often does, happen. Unless you have very tough skin, being a truth giver can, more than occasionally, rebound back onto you.

There was a time, some years ago, where I found myself being prompted time and time again to be honest about some things that, for right or wrong, were on my heart. Unfortunately, speaking the truth in love can be a risky business when it isn't received in the same way, and is instead interpreted as being simply "trouble making".

I must be very honest here and say that no-one came out and ever said anything like that, however their actions seemed to support it. Little by little, as Steve and I shared our concerns, we were "cut off".

So much for the old "truth telling" ideal!

Not having the hide of a rhino, it's little wonder that I went back to doing what I felt most comfortable with—just truthfully encouraging, rather than truthfully exhorting. Before long we made our "home" in a new church and I had no desire to take any risks again. After all, no pain, no loss.

Ah, but unfortunately there's also no gain when the truth is avoided.

Still, I happily avoided for quite a long time—until I realized recently that I had gradually become less inclined to skirt around the truth, particularly when I knew that to do so would be unbeneficial or even detrimental.

I can see now that I had been loosening up for a while before I actually recognized it, but it wasn't until a recent meeting with our pastor, Grant, that I was struck by just how far I'd moved from being purely a giver of grace, to once again also being a teller of truth.

Taking my courage in both hands, I brought up a concern that I'd had regarding a certain aspect of the music ministry of our church. As the meeting was about the Music Team, and because I was the Music Team Leader, I knew that I had the right to voice this particular concern. Even so, it was a potentially sensitive area and I was aware, even as I broached the subject, that I was taking a risk.

Grant's response? Total agreement.

The relief was enormous. I'd done it! I'd shared something that wasn't just a "feel good" thing, and survived to talk about it. Truth had been told with love, and received the same way. Phew!

So with that out of the way, I prepared to leave—my mission was complete. As I stood to go, Grant casually asked for my opinion regarding a recent meeting we'd had. Even now, I don't know whether I was simply buoyed up with the euphoria of my recent moment of truth, or whether I was too tired to try and avoid the issue. Either way, once again I was honest—and it wasn't necessarily what this dear man expected to hear.

A few minutes later I was driving home with a "you should have quit while you were ahead" mantra running through my mind. Although I didn't regret sharing what I honestly felt, I did feel some concern that I may have taken a few steps down that old path to alienation.

As it turned out, nothing could have been further from the truth. Later that same day Grant sent me an e-mail asking for a little clarification as to what exactly I’d meant. I took a day or so to really think things through before writing back, but when I did, Grant thanked me for my input and honesty. Not only that, but he actually took hold of some of my comments and the next meeting reflected his willingness to listen and act.

Although the Apostle Paul was referring to the uncompromised proclamation of the Gospel when he wrote about speaking the truth in love, the same thing is just as true for us in our every day dealings with those around us. There's no denying that telling the truth, even in love, can be a risky business—but to avoid it at all costs ... that's disastrous.

Something to Think About ...

Do you always avoid telling the truth if you think that it may hurt someone's feelings or possibly rebound back onto your relationship with them?

Or ... do you tell the truth, no matter what – after all, it's for their own good?

At a guess, I'd say that you probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes—but it's most likely that you lean more toward one than the other, veering toward either the "encouragement only" or "truth at all costs" points of view.

As with most things, we need to be balanced and we need to do some checks before sharing our "wisdom" with the world. First of all, we need to be sure that we are actually speaking truth, or at least a well-founded opinion—and not just spouting off about something we don't like. We also need to make sure that the recipient of our truth-giving is able to cope with what we say and will most likely benefit and grow from it. We need to check our motives for needing to say what we want to say, and make sure that we are doing it for the greater good and not just to satisfy our own ego. Last of all, we need to make sure that we focus on the positive things first, and then fill every other word with love and grace.

Even when we do all that, there are no guarantees that it will always turn out the way we hope—but done with love, it will usually be a blessing in the end ... for all concerned. —Deborah Porter

Father God ...

Give me wisdom every day;

On my mouth, please place a guard,

So when I speak a word of truth

It won't be cruel or hard.

Instead I pray that I will know

When it’s the time and place

For speaking out the truth in love,

With gentle waves of grace.”

~ Deborah Porter ~

Unclench My Fist

This school year has been hard from the very start. I've been able to do what I love but only for a short time. I knew it was temporary but I waited for God to intervene. I knew He would. I was wrong. Lesson learned: sometimes God says no and I have to unclench my fist.

Through all this, something was stolen from me that I need and depend on. The person was confronted and denied it. I had to let it go and allow God to sustain me and He is and I'm learning some things about my body through it all. It's not completely a bad thing but it's hard. Very hard. And I'm angry. So very angry. Lesson learned: sometimes God says, "Hold onto Me and you will make it, Laury. I know it's not fair but just hold onto Me."

Letting go of something I love to do and working with kids I understand and love to work with has been hard and yet ... I love what I'm doing now too. I had to get past the initial shock and anger before I could see it though. Besides that, I still get to work in the class one hour a day and I've made relationships with the teacher and the kids. It took that letting go of the emotion before I could settle down and see things for what they were. So silly. God made me a pretty effective educator wherever I'm placed. It's not anything I learned or did, it's the talent He instilled in me and I'm so thankful.

Smoldering anger ... I don't know where that comes from because I'm not an angry person. Injustice and unfairness upset me though and this year and past years but especially this year, has hit me full in the face and I haven't been able to do a thing about it. I have tried, trust me. But once the temper tantrums haven't worked, and the sulking, and the pleading with God, falling into His arms and resting, I know for sure Daddy will catch me and take care of me—then, and only then does everything begin to fall into place.

It's funny, situations don't change. The stolen is still gone and God has helped me through in amazing ways. The school thing is the same too. It's me. I'm the variable that needed the adjustment. The anger and resentment and feelings of unfairness are still there, I am human after all, but they aren't right there at the top ready to spill out. Sometimes I even forget about them for a bit.

Ephesians 4:31 (ESV)
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

When the world seems to be going crazy, the best thing to do is let go of it and cling to God. When everything else falls away, He will still be here. He is eternal. Our Rock. And for that, I am eternally grateful. —Laury Hubrich

Come, Thou Weary Souls!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NKJ)

… all you who labor: to feel fatigue, to work hard, to labor with wearisome effort, to toil, to grow weary, exhausted, tired.

Exhaustion plagues many people after a long day’s work at a job they hate. Stress consumes the worker as the economy serves up less and less for each dollar. Everyone toils to stay afloat, to make ends meet.

What is the return for the strain of intense labor? Solomon asked, “What does a man get for all his hard work?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3 TLB). He lamented, “All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied” (Ecclesiastes 6:7 NKJ).

The stomach may be full but the soul is not satisfied. The body is sapped of energy. So many are just plain wearied and tired. It hits all of us at one time or another. And just as it is possible to get weary physically, it is equally possible to get weary emotionally and spiritually. 

Do you ever feel tired, overburdened, and weary?

… and are heavy laden: to load up as a vessel or animal, to bear, something carried, to heap on.

When you encounter heavy burdens from …

• relationships that are strained to the breaking point,
• the job market being almost non-existent,
• prices on everything continuing to climb,
• family problems that loom,
• a death in the family,
• daily schedules,
• the attacks of the enemy and you feel like giving up,

… does the stress overwhelm you? Do you need a rest?

… I will give you rest: to repose, refresh, to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength to give rest, intermission from labor.

Work is not always laborious; it can also be fulfilling. Solomon also said, “Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 NKJ).

So, how many enjoy their work? How many realize it is a gift of God? Enjoyment of our labor comes much easier if we praise God for what we have, keep a positive attitude, and take a break to rest from it once in a while to avoid burnout.

Even God rested on the seventh day. Jesus got weary and rested. He took time to enjoy Himself. He attended weddings and dinners with friends. He laughed and teased and had a good time.

He also spent time in prayer to recharge Himself. He took time to slow down and be with the Father, going off to the solitude and serenity of the mountainside or the gardens to pray. One day, Jesus sat by the well of His forefathers to rest and recuperate, to quench His thirst.

What do you do before every last drop of your physical, emotional, and spiritual vitality has evaporated?

• Do you rest from your work?
• Do you take a vacation?
• Do you take a day off now and then (especially if you cannot take a vacation), just to enjoy yourself and your family?
• Do you relinquish your will, surrendering to God’s leading?
• Do you keep a positive attitude?
• Do you spend time in prayer?

When labor becomes arduous and circumstances burdensome, sit by the well of the Father, lowering your bucket into His spring of Living Water to quench your parched spirit and soul, and regain your strength and power, pausing until every thought of stress is lifted.

Rest in God’s promise, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:25 NIV). —Lynn Mosher

“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.”

(Isaiah 40:31 NLT)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and

are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”