The Power of Silence

 

As I sit here in the silence of the night, with only the whir of the air conditioner, and the occasional bug hitting the glass door, drawn by the light of the room, the clock ticking faintly in the background, I am reminded of the power of silence.

For the past hour or so, I have been sitting at the piano, letting my fingers glide over the keys, playing melodies that stir the emotions, feed the soul, lift my spirits, and release the creativity that lies down deep inside and is not often seen or felt due to the busyness of life.

As I played, I began to think of the power of silence. The power of the ‘pause’. Do you know what I mean? That little break in a piece of music where there is nothing but silence. The melody is flowing along, with its crescendos and decrescendos, moving gently back and forward with emotive chord progressions, speeding up an slowing down and then….. there is the pause.

There is a sudden break in the music. It is not the end of the song. It is just a pause. It hangs in the air, with a breath of anticipation, engaging its audience and giving them time to reflect on what they have just heard and eagerly wondering what is coming next. How long will the pause last? Will the melody change once it begins again?

And then, once again, the notes return and the melody picks up its former pace, maybe with a key change, or a rise in tempo, but the silence has been broken.

I love the pauses in a piece of music. Often, for the pianist, it simply gives them time to prepare for what is to come or gather their strength again after a difficult section of the song or get their pages in order. But what I love the most, is the power it holds. The hush. The breathless anticipation. The ability for the musician to use it to their advantage and engage the listener once again.

Is there anything quite so powerful as the hush that comes right before the thunder rolls and just after the lightning strikes? There is that anticipation. There is that wonder. How long will the silence last? How loud will the thunder be?

We have been having a lot of thunderstorms here in the Territory lately. With the wet season beginning to settle in, there is always a chance of a burst of lightning, a crash of thunder and a torrential downpour to send you running to get everything under cover.

There is power in silence.

And did you realise, that there is power in God’s silence too?

In the first part of Psalm 46:10, we read, Be still, and know that I am God:

There are many references in the Bible to being still. Standing still.

In the book of Exodus, we read of the Israelites miraculous crossing of the Red Sea.

Exodus 14:13 KJV - And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

How difficult it must have been to stand still. To know that Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them, and they were trapped. And yet the people were told to stand still. God was going to do something miraculous. Amazing. Astounding. He was doing a work that they could not even imagine!

Even Job was told to stand still.

Job 37:14 KJV - Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Standing still is not something I do well. Being, doing, walking, running I can handle. But standing still when the storm rages around me or there is work to be done, to do lists to check off, is not an easy task.

I guess what I am trying to say is this. There is power in silence. There is power in the times that God chooses to be silent. He has not abandoned you. He is not ignoring you. He is working in the background. He is stretching your faith. He is helping you grow.

He is putting the finishing touches on the next part of the melody. He is working on the next page of your story. And he is longing to teach you patience and the need to trust him fully.  If we can just learn to stand still, we will see the salvation of the Lord.

Just as the Israelites had to trust God and watch as God parted the waters so they could walk across on dry land, so too should we trust God and stand still, waiting on him.

The silence is our time to pray. Our time to wholly depend on God, waiting eagerly to see what he is going to do in our lives. The silence gives us the time to review what he has taught us, what he may be trying to teach us at this very moment and to listen for his still small voice.

When the clamour of the world’s busyness becomes too loud, it’s hard to hear God speak. And so, sometimes he puts a pause in our song.

Sometimes the pause comes in the form of sickness and forced bedrest. Other times it’s a brief pause, like an extended stop at roadworks, when you’re in a hurry. Or maybe it’s the tiresome waiting you do in the doctor’s office. Whatever it is and wherever and whenever the pauses come, take note. There is power in the silence. There is strength in stillness.

At times it feels as though you have cried out to God only to be brought up short with silence. The answers fail to come, the doubts arise and the only thing you can do is to stand still. Be still. Wait on God.

Ask God to speak to you in the silence, listen for his voice. He may have chosen to be silent in order to get your attention. Maybe you’ve been coasting along and neglecting his Word or time spent in prayer. Make good use of the time to reflect on his Word and learn from it. Take the time to lift prayers of thankfulness to him. Praise him for who he is and what he’s done.

He has paused the melody for a reason. We may not understand the reasons or what he is trying to accomplish in our lives, but I do know that the pauses in our lives have purpose.

His silence never means that we are alone.

These God-sent pauses should cause us to stop and take spiritual inventory. They should cause us to look at our condition and see where we stand with God and whether we are walking in his will, obeying, trusting and faithfully serving him.

Just as the pause in a piece of music brings questions, so too do the pauses in our lives. Bring your questions to God. Ask him to show you where you’re straying off the path he has set before you. Ask him for wisdom. Then wait with eager anticipation, excited about what comes next, after the pause, when the melody begins again.

Be alert and listen for the pauses. Remember that God can show his power in the storm, the crash of the thunder and the flash of the lightning, but he also shows his Almighty power in the stillness. In the quietness. In the silence.  

He is working to build your confidence in him. He is teaching you to walk by faith. He is instilling hope inside of you and he is revealing his purpose.

Be still. Wait. Hope. Obey. Trust. And you will see the salvation of the Lord!

 

“All-loving Father, sometimes we have walked under starless skies that dripped darkness like drenching rain. We despaired of starshine or moonlight or sunrise. The sullen blackness gloomed above us as if it would last forever. And out of the dark there spoke no soothing voice to mend our broken hearts. We would gladly have welcomed some wild thunder peal to break the torturing stillness of that over-brooding night.

“But Thy winsome whisper of eternal love spoke more sweetly to our bruised and bleeding souls than any winds that breathe across Aeolian harps. It was Thy ’still small voice’ that spoke to us. We were listening and we heard. We looked and saw Thy face radiant with the light of love. And when we heard Thy voice and saw Thy face, new life came back to us as life comes back to withered blooms that drink the summer rain.”

 

 

 

 

 

Better Than I Deserve

 

When someone asks you how you're going, and things are going well, what is your default answer? Fine? Good? Okay? Great? I know that is often my reply.

I've been doing a lot of study and soul searching lately on the subject of gratitude, and its importance in our lives. True gratitude is something that we all have to work on. Given what God has done for us, the salvation He so freely offers, and the eternal security we can have, our lives should overflow with gratitude. We as Christians should be the most thankful people on earth!

But all too often, we choose to whine and not worship.

The Bible reminds us that everything we have comes from God 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

The title of this post is actually an answer to my question at the start. How are you going? I read of a man, whose default answer to this question was,

“Better than I deserve”. 

Gratitude is not just a reporter of details, but a revealer of the heart. If we got what we really deserved, we definitely wouldn't be 'fine'. But God, in is His great mercy, chooses to shower us with blessings, and so, we get 'better than we deserve' every day. 

God's grace is so abundant, that we often take things for granted. Little things, that if we were deprived of them, we'd be pretty miserable. There is so much to be thankful for, and yet, we neglect to give thanks to God. 

There are so many passages of scripture related to giving thanks to God. The Psalms are full of praise to God. In 1 Chronicles, David instructs the Levites to stand every morning and evening to thank and praise the Lord. In the book of Daniel, we see him kneeling before God three times a day, giving thanks to God. The Bible is full of men and women worshipping and praising God and giving thanks. 

I want my life to be a life of gratitude to God. A life of thankfulness. I have been convicted of my lack of thankfulness and my complaining spirit. When we sit down and seriously begin to count all the blessings in our lives, we find that there are so many and they are so numerous, that we are unable to write them all down, because our list would be never-ending. And not just physical blessings either. We have so many spiritual blessings as well. God's holiness. God's faithfulness. God's mercy. God's nearness. And the list goes on. And on. And on. 

And so, the challenge for us all, is to become more grateful. To worship and not whine. To make our default answer, “Better than I deserve”. God doesn't owe us anything, yet He chose to come down to earth and humble Himself and give His life so that we could experience life in Heaven with Him forever.

If we have salvation, we most definitely have better than we deserve. If we can think of nothing else to be thankful for, we have the greatest gift of all. Eternal security and a God who will never leave us or forsake us.

If we are alive and breathing, we have better than we deserve. If we have ears to hear, eyes to see, legs to walk, a mouth to speak, we have better than we deserve. If we have food on the table and a roof over our head, we have better than we deserve. Need I go on? 

Don’t be content to only recognize what you are grateful for but strive to speak out and express your appreciation to God and others. It’s not enough to be thankful in your heart, you need to speak it out, sing it out, shout it out! Let the world know about God’s goodness to you.

Psalm 145:3, 5, 21 KJV - Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. ... I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. ... My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. 

Psalm 135:3 KJV - Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Remember that each time you wake with the light of the morning, it is a blessing and a gift from God and you’re getting better than you deserve!

Express your thankfulness to God often and share with others the blessings you receive.

When we get to Heaven, we’ll be singing God’s praises for ever. For all eternity. So, the praises you sing here on earth are just a dress rehearsal for Heaven. 

Start practicing now!

 

Revelation 4:8 KJV - And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Revelation 5:9 KJV - And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not the rest of your story

 

Are you struggling today with the way your story is playing out? Are you discouraged because the script of your life is not at all what you had planned? Are you frustrated with the season of life you currently find yourself in?

Maybe you are facing illness. Or maybe it’s the loss of a friendship. Or a very busy season that just won’t let up and let you catch your breath. Are you riding a wave of emotions that range from sadness to hurt, to anger, to bitterness?

Can I encourage you today, that although today may be part of your story, it’s not the REST of your story.

Although what you’re facing today seems hard and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, although you despair of change ever happening, God has a plan for you, and it is good.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Just because the story we find ourselves in right now is not to our liking, doesn’t mean that it won’t change, and that God is not working behind the scenes.

God loves to work with broken things and the healing of broken people and broken lives are one of the ways God chooses to show us his glory and his greatness.

He loves to rewrite the script of our lives, and weave into it his love, his mercy, his faithfulness, so we will see him for who he is and worship and praise him, allowing him to have first place in our lives, realising that but for him, we are nothing and he alone can take our stories and make something beautiful of them.

God is the God of the impossible and no matter where we find ourselves, or what circumstance we are in the midst of, God knew about it from the beginning, and he is able to work it for our good if we are faithful and obedient to him.

Our stories are often messy and unpredictable, full of ups and downs, twists and turns, but don’t you think that the God who formed the universe with his voice, the God who catches our tears in a bottle, the God who knows about each sparrow that falls to the ground, don’t you think he can handle your life’s story? Don’t you think that he can change your story around and give you a different ending than you foresaw.

He is able to do amazing things and he can write into the script of your life, grace abounding, love overflowing, mercy unfathomable and unspeakable peace.

Ephesians 3:20-21a KJV - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory….

Trust God with your story. Let go of the pen. Don’t try and change it or rewrite it. Submit the writing to him and let him add in the plot twists and the joy and laughter, the hurt and tears.

God, the author of the precious Word of God we so casually hold in our hands, the Book of all Books, the greatest piece of literature ever written, inspired by God Almighty, penned by men of God, passed down through the ages, never able to be destroyed, the most beautiful love letter ever written, God can be trusted to write your story. He knows what he’s doing.

Stop fighting with the pen, stop tearing the pages out, stop adding pages in, stop changing the fonts, stop messing with the pauses, the commas, the chapter divisions.

Let God take full control and rest assured that your story is in his hands. God is not finished.

 

Today is part of your story, but it is NOT the rest of your story!

 

 

Fill your Mouth with Laughter, 

Sing and Rejoice!

 

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been studying for our Ladies Bible Study, on the subject of gratitude. I have been convicted once again of my lack of thankfulness and regular verbal praise of our Great God.

Take a look at this passage in Psalms.

Psalm 126:1-6

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

I love the reminders in Scripture that encourage us to give thanks to the Lord and to remember all that He has done for us. Unfortunately, we need to be reminded. It’s sad that we don’t naturally give thanks and praise to God. It’s something we have to learn. Like learning to be content, we have to learn to praise.

In this Psalm, we see the rejoicing of God’s people. When God brought them out of captivity, and back to Jerusalem, it was like a dream to them. A beautiful, wonderful, unbelievable, amazing dream. It seemed too good to be true. But it was true! And it was cause for rejoicing.

The hearts of God’s people were overflowing with joy and their mouths were filled with laughter and singing. The heathen even looked on in disbelief, marvelling at God’s goodness to his people.

What I love about this passage is the fact that the people gave praise to God. They realised that it was his doing, and he alone deserved their praise, their worship, their singing and laughter.

How often do we neglect to give thanks to God for his goodness to us?

There are some times in our lives that we feel alone, lost and helpless. But those times should draw us closer to the Lord and should cause us to remember all the things God has done for us, and we should be glad. Our mouths should be filled with laughter, our tongues with singing and we should rejoice!

If we take time daily in praising the Lord and giving thanks to Him, it will change our view and our attitude. If we make time to remember all the good and all the blessings the Lord showers upon us, it will encourage our hearts and we will gain the strength to carry on.

Gratitude doesn’t come naturally to us, just as contentment does not. It is something we have to learn. We have to cultivate it. Feed it. Grow it.

As I’ve studied these past weeks, I have made it a point, to take some time each morning, before I get busy with my day, to sit and write down a few things I am thankful for, from the day before, or any particular instance that comes to mind.

And do you know what I’ve found? I have experienced a happier outlook. It is amazing what some gratefulness and a thankful spirit does for your mood. I have felt more content, less stressed, and more able to deal with the challenges each day brings, and I have a sense of peace and joy in my soul.

The days have not been easier, in fact, I’ve worked so much in the past few weeks, that I marvel at the end of each day at the strength God has given me to perform my tasks and still stand upright!

But, although the days have been long, God’s peace and joy has pervaded my whole being and washed over me, enclosing me in a tender embrace, like a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket on a cold day, rising up inside of me in a way I had not experienced before.

It’s all a matter of perspective. When you choose to view everything through the eyes of thanksgiving and praise, the whole world looks different.

Often, I look at my circumstances from a cup half empty perspective. But I am learning, and believe me, it’s a process, I am learning to turn things on their head, and try and see something to be thankful for, in every situation.

A few years back, when I was going through a very difficult time in my life, I wrote this verse up on a card to hang above my desk, and I read it often.

Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

The Psalmist chose to remember. We need to remind ourselves of the victories in our lives, of God’s goodness to us, of his protecting hand upon us, of the blessings he has given us.

We need also to meditate on these things. Not just remember briefly, but think on them deeply, thoughtfully, carefully.

And lastly, the Psalmist says he will talk of these things. I will remember. I will meditate. I will talk.

It’s not only important to remember, and to meditate, but also to talk. That means sharing with others what God has done for you.

God’s exiled people, brought back from captivity, chose to laugh and sing, and cry and rejoice. They were verbal in their praise of God.

They shared what God had done for them, so much so, that the heathen marvelled.

When a newcomer sets foot in your church, do they see a joyful spirit amongst God’s people, laughing, singing, rejoicing, crying and giving praise to God? Is there something inside them that longs for what you have? Do they sense a difference?

Or are they met with long faces, hard luck stories, ungodly conversation, misery and despair?

We, as believers, need to be very conscious of how the world sees us. We need to continually remind ourselves of God’s goodness, and then we need to make sure we share it. We need to shout it from the rooftops, proclaim it from the mountaintops, show the world how great our God is.

Look for God in every situation. Look for things to praise God for, in all circumstances, good or bad. And then talk of those things. Share them with others.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Choose gratefulness over grumbling. Write a list. Pray prayers of thanksgiving regularly and have times when you don’t ask for anything, only give thanks and praise to the God who saved your soul and showers you with blessings and love and mercy.

We’ve all heard of and participated in media fasts, but how about a discontentment and grumbling fast? No whinging, no complaining, only praise and thanksgiving!

I dare you to try it for a day! Don’t give up when you fail, because you will. Just get back up, purpose in your heart to be thankful, ask God’s forgiveness and move forward.

God wants to grow a thankful spirit in every one of us. But it takes a choice on our part. Choose to let gratitude be your default. Let God work and praise him not only in the sunshine, but also in the storm.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invisible Blessings

“Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. But one Sunday morning, the weather was so dank and gloomy that the church members said among themselves, “Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything to thank the Lord for on such a wretched day.” Much to their surprise, however, Whyte stepped to the pulpit that dreary morning and began by praying, “We thank Thee, Lord, that it is not always like this.”

How are you on the scale of how grateful you are as a person? Do you score way up high or are you failing miserably when it comes to remembering to give thanks to God on a regular basis? For the good and the bad.

I’ve been doing some study today on this subject of true Christian gratitude for our next Ladies Bible Study and it has me thinking about how many blessings we experience without even realising it. It also has me feeling convicted for my lack of thankfulness.

Did you know there are invisible blessings? There are blessings that only show themselves by not showing up.

What do I mean by that?

Think about it. How many kilometres has your car gone without getting a flat tyre? How many years have you driven without being in an accident? What about that big tree in the front yard that has never dropped a damaging branch onto your house or car? Or maybe a very scary medical condition that you have never had to face, although you know many personally who have. Or maybe it’s God’s hand of protection over you when you didn’t even realise you were in danger.

These are blessings hiding in plain sight.

We have so many blessings showered upon us that we can’t even see or imagine. The goodness of God is so abundant.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God has done so much for us, and he blesses us every day. Whether they are evident or not, they are there. We can’t even fathom the depths of God’s love for us and the things he has prepared for us and saved us from.

Often times the reason we don’t see the blessing is because we are too focused on the burden. We have chosen to dwell on all the negative things we see in our lives, letting them sit at the forefront of our minds, when if we changed our view and looked at things from a different perspective, a heavenly perspective, with gratefulness in our hearts, our eyes would be opened, and the blessings would be revealed.

God wants to grow a thankful spirit in the heart of every person. He longs for us to remember that he is the giver of all things and the very breath we breathe, comes from him.

In order to recognize what God gives, we have to have our heart open and alert. We need to be on the lookout for blessings. Make it a treasure hunt. Purpose in your heart to take time each day to express your thankfulness to God. Whether you physically write a list or verbally say it out loud, it’s a good habit to get into. Then pray over this list, thanking God for each and every one.

Start your day by focusing on the goodness of God rather than the problems you know you will face and the challenges that await you.

And bit by bit, as you make this a regular practice, you will find yourself happier, more content and at peace.

God knew what he was doing when he put so many precious passages in the Bible on the subject of praise and worship and thankfulness. He knew that in order for us to live life more abundant, we would need to cultivate a heart of gratitude.

As we bring our praise to God, we are drawn closer to him. We grow in our relationship with him, and we are able to experience sweet communion with the giver of life, the creator, sustainer, saviour, redeemer and friend.

Start today, practicing gratefulness. And watch your happiness and contentment grow.

Take time to thank God for the little things. The seemingly insignificant things. The beautiful things. The hard things. The things difficult to understand. Everything.

It is God’s will that we be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Look for those invisible blessings, and whether you see them or not, thank God for them. If you make gratitude a part of your life, not just a few words briefly prayed when things are going right, but thankfulness overflowing from your lips, as natural as breathing, the blessings will be revealed, and you will marvel once again at God’s goodness.

Psalm 106:1  Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD;

 for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

 

 

 

 Who Am I?

I realized, after gaining some new followers recently, that I should probably re introduce myself to anyone who doesn’t know me.

I’m a wife of 27 years, a mother of 5 daughters, and a grandmother of 7. But most important of all, I AM A CHILD OF GOD! Saved. Redeemed. Justified. Forgiven. Blessed. Chosen! 

I have a passion for sharing God’s Word and trying to explain what I learn, in a simple, tell it like it is, yet loving fashion.

This was not always the case. For years I was happy just coasting along in my Christian walk, raising 5 girls under the age of 7, home schooling, teaching Sunday School, playing the piano for church, working in Youth Ministry, but not really growing in my Christian walk. I wasn’t searching out the scriptures in my own quiet time or digging deeper to find the precious truths held there.  

But God has ways of changing our lives for the better. He brought me through years of illness that left me depleted of energy, drained physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He was longsuffering with me and stayed beside me through all the hard times, despite my faithless, complaining, sad and sorry state.  

And, being a slow learner, he has had to take me through several seasons of growth through trial.

I began a family blog back in 2013, when our family first moved to Katherine, NT, where we still live today, as a way to connect with my family and friends and send them photos of our life and adventures here. And what an adventure it has been.

What started as a family arriving with all their belongings in a bright red truck, an old 60 series Landcruiser a camper trailer, a car trailer and a Hiace van, with 5 daughters in tow, ages ranging from 10 to 17, living in a motel room for 3 and a half months, to present day with 3 daughters married, 3 great sons-in-law, 7 adorable grandchildren and 2 grown daughters living at home but independent and growing in the Lord and serving him in the church! What a ride the last 9 and a half years it has been.

I have gone from being a stay-at-home mum, home schooling, baking, taking photographs, sewing etc to owning a Transport Company with my husband, learning to drive a truck, learning to drive a bigger truck, then learning and getting my license driving Road Trains and becoming the most unordinary Grandma this family has ever seen!

It’s amazing how God works. If you had told me 9 years ago that this is what I’d be doing right now, I would have laughed out loud! I pictured myself, happily sewing and baking and spending time with Grandkids on my knee, singing to them, dancing across the kitchen, teaching them silly songs and waiting on the verandah for hubby to come home after work, with dinner bubbling away on the stove.

Well………okay, so maybe I do do a lot of these things. But not quite the way I pictured it. My days and nights look nothing like what I had planned, but they are what God has planned for this season of my life, and who am I to disagree with the Creator of the Universe and the Saviour of my soul!

So here I am, working most days, either driving a road train, or maybe a small truck or ute, lifting heavy boxes and delivering them around town, tying down loads of hay, shifting things around with a forklift, loading and unloading, sweating it out in 38 degree heat, dry, dusty, dirty and yet strangely enough, happy with where God has put me!

I still get to spend time with family and hold those precious grandchildren, I find a little time for hobbies and I’m able to prepare meals for my family, it just requires a lot of juggling and prioritizing and a whole lot of prayer asking God for wisdom for my days.

God has worked in my heart in a big way the past few years. He has given me a passion for women’s ministry and a desire to be an encouragement to others, teaching through writing and speaking wherever and whenever I have the opportunity, longing to share with others what God has taught me through the trials he has brought me through and to give hope to others struggling in their Christian walk or just in need of a word of encouragement straight from the pages of God’s Word.

As the desire to serve in this way grew, I decided to start a second blog, Learn. Live. Love. Share. (learnliveloveshare.blogspot.com) devoted completely to writing about my Christian walk and sharing what God teaches me through his Word.  

Having gone through long illness, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, I felt that I needed to write and encourage others that they too could make it through with God’s help. Sometimes we go through things so that we can help others in their time of need. God can use our trials and testings, our failings and our victories to speak to others.

And so, I pray that as my posts pop up in your feed on social media, that you don’t just click ‘like’ because you like the photo or the quote or the verse, but I pray that you would actually read the content, not because I have finesse or am eloquent or have great knowledge, but because I am writing to encourage, to inspire, to convict at times, to lift up, to bring hope and to share what God shows me through his Word.

We are all going through things, and we are all in different seasons of our lives and we just never know how God is going to work through something we say or share. If God has showed us something through his Word, or if we have gone through a difficult time in our lives and God has brought us miraculously through, we need to encourage others and give them the hope that they too can make it through those hard days and that God will be there to guide them.

So, please don’t be content to just ‘like’ pretty pictures, but take time to read the whole post, and not just mine, there are many others with the same passion as me, take the time to sit and read and meditate on the Word of God.

And please feel free to comment and share if what you read has helped you or what God has taught you through his Word. We really never know whose lives we can touch and the help we can bring by just being willing to speak up and let others know that God is a good God, and he is faithful, and he sees you right where you’re at and he loves you and cares about you and longs to hear your voice.

God bless,

Jill

 

Philippians 1:9-11

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

 

What are you Resting in?

Does anyone else feel like they’re living life TIRED? Do you go through your days just longing for night to come so you can get some much-needed rest? Do you ever have so much to do and so many ideas and plans for things to do, but not enough energy or hours in the day to do it all?

If you find yourself in this place, then rest assured, you are not alone.

The tiring season of babies, late night feedings, toddlers and home-schooling turn into long days of other occupations, whether at home or at work. It really never ends, and sometimes we can begin to question God’s goodness.

“God, I want to live faithfully and serve you with all my heart, soul and body and yet I’m so tired. How am I supposed to do all you’ve called me to do when I’m so tired? Why aren’t you giving me boundless energy to be able to serve you more effectively?”

Often, we feel like we would be able to shine more brightly for the Lord and be a better reflection of him if only we had more time, more rest, more sleep, more energy and the list goes on.

And yes, having more of those things may very well prepare us better for our daily struggles and the endless tasks we face each day, but God wants us to rest in him and find our strength in him.

Victory is found in relying on his strength. Victory is found in finding ourselves totally depleted and being forced to utterly depend upon him.

I was struck by a very convicting quote recently:

“My confidence is not in how well-rested I am,

but in how well I am resting in Christ.”

Often, we place all our confidence in our energy levels and how much we can achieve because of how we feel. If we feel rested, we can take on the world.

But it’s not about how rested I am and how well and energized I feel, it’s all about how much I am relying on God’s strength and how well I rest in him. This is where we can gain confidence. We can’t rely on our own strength; we have to rely on him. We have to trust and rest in him.

If we are trusting in him, although we may feel tired and depleted, he will give us the strength to do the things he has called us to do.

Psalm 18:32 KJV - It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

Maybe the reason you are feeling weary and worn is because you are busy doing things that he has not called you to do. Maybe you’re wearing yourself out doing a task that God wants someone else to do. Just because there is a need, doesn’t mean God wants you to fill it. We have to be in tune with him, walking close to him, seeking his guidance and wisdom so we know when to step up, and when to take a step back.

Maybe it’s a case of not listening for his still, small voice, as he gently calls you to stop and rest and give him your burdens.

There are many reasons for tiredness, and sometimes it’s simply poor eating choices, or not taking time out for rest, or sickness or a myriad of other things, but I do know that God calls us to rest and to rest in him. He longs for us to stop and sit at his feet, just as Mary did and was commended by the Lord Jesus for doing so.

Proverbs 18:10 KJV - The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

God is our strong tower, and we can run to him as many times as we need. I feel as though I am in a perpetual season of busyness at this point in my life, and I have to force myself to stop. To sit. To rest.

Often it means putting aside something urgent for something important. The urgent screams for our attention, but often the important is quieter, a soft prompting, a gentle leading, and if we’re too busy, we won’t hear it.

We have to learn to make the most of those moments we’re given where we have a few minutes of quiet. It might mean putting aside your phone, or leaving the dishes in the sink, or letting the washing in the machine sit a little longer, just so you can spend a few minutes communing with the Lord, listening to him and sharing what is on your heart, reading his Word and meditating on what you read.

The busier you are, the more important it is to take times of rest. If you don’t force yourself to stop, it won’t happen until your body or your mental state forces you to stop. (Believe me, I know this from experience!)

Make the most of those God-given opportunities. I really believe that’s what they are. God-given opportunities. It’s not coincidence or luck. It’s also not because we are so good at prioritizing. God can cause our plans to go awry at any moment, and yet he often chooses to give us little windows of time, hoping that we will use them wisely to sit at his feet.

People often ask me how I find time to write and study. Honestly, I don’t. It finds me. And by that, I mean, that God finds me. He gives me those little moments. He gives me a day off work I didn’t expect, or a couple hours of quiet because of plans being cancelled, or a few  minutes of solitude early in the morning before the rush of the day begins.

It all comes down to choice. We have to choose what we do with our quiet moments. I am not perfect, by any means, and sometimes I sit and aimlessly scroll on my phone, letting my brain go into dull mode, or I sit and play the piano, letting the music wash over my soul and calm my thoughts. And sometimes we need that. But the most needed thing, the ‘one needful thing’ (Luke 10:42), is to rest in Christ and to sit at his feet and learn from him. We have to place our confidence in how well we are resting in him, NOT in how rested we feel.

God knows our desires. He understands the longings of our hearts and whether we are excited to do what he has called us to do. And he will give us the strength, the time and the energy to work for him and to serve others as we yield ourselves to him and rest in him.

Isaiah 40:29-31 KJV - He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Give your tiredness to him. Let him renew your strength, let him give you the power you need. He will give you wings when you rest in him.

Rest. Trust. Obey and watch what God can do!

 

 

 

 

The One Needed Thing

As Christian women, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, we all know the struggle it is to make time each day to spend alone with the Lord. We all battle with feeling pressured, rushed and anxious. We never seem to have enough time. There are just not enough hours in the day. We’ve all said it before, and we’ve all felt it.

William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”

We can become plagued with guilt over not having enough time to spend with our families, with our husbands, on our careers, on our hobbies. But what about not having enough time to spend in quality time alone with God?

Can we ever really say, “I don’t have enough time?”

Who decided how many hours in the day we needed? God. Who directs the sun and the moon and their risings and settings? God.

So, who are we to say we don’t have enough time? We know that it is a matter of choice and it’s a matter of priorities and what or who it is we put first on our list. We make time for what we love. Read that again. We make time for what we love.

We all know who and what it should be. God is to be our highest priority. God must be our first love. He must be at the top. He must be the one we run to before anyone else. God is to be the foundation we build all other relationships on.

In our all too busy lives, we often neglect our relationship with the Lord. It gets put on the back burner. Yes, we’ve been redeemed, and we trust the Lord to supply our needs and protect our families. We give thanks for our food, we go to church, but how much time do we really give to God each day? How much time do we spend in prayer, in study, in reading His Word? How much time do we spend each day, quietly meditating on His Word, listening for His voice, pouring out our hearts to Him?

For any relationship to flourish, we must spend time on it. If we want a closer relationship with God, we must spend time talking to Him in prayer, learning about His character through the Word of God, listening, waiting, obeying, loving and learning from him.

I have many favourite women in the Bible that I love to read about, but two women I find very relatable are Mary and Martha. Mary’s heart and Martha’s hands. Yes, for most of my Christian life, I was more of a Martha than a Mary, but I’ve come to realise that both are needed. But, although they are both needed, there is ‘one thing’ that is needful, more than any other.

Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In this passage we see the ‘one thing’. What is the ‘one thing’ you must do today? What is the one thing that is needed?

As mothers and wives, we are often pulled in every direction. We have huge to-do lists. And the things on our lists are often very important, but the one thing I need to do today, the most urgent thing on my list, is to keep my relationship with God a priority. To sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from His Word.

That one thing we need to do today and every day, is to pray and read the Word of God.  We can’t physically sit at Jesus feet, as Mary was able to do, but we have His Word, and we have the wonderful gift of prayer and being able to talk to God.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The Bible tells us in Matthew that we are to seek God first. First. Before our to-do list takes over. In order to develop a closer relationship with the Lord, He must be the one we go to first. And not only first, but regularly.

I love the verses in the Bible that encourage us to come to him often.

Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Even the Lord Jesus rose early to talk to the Father

Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

In the morning.

Psalms 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

At midnight.

I often find that the wakeful times I experience in the middle of the night are some of my most profitable prayer times. There is nothing to distract me from communing with the Lord. Like the saying goes, “When you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep, talk to the Shepherd”

Martha often gets a bad rap, but she was very hospitable. Jesus didn’t usually come visiting alone, she had to serve the disciples as well and often a myriad of curious onlookers and followers. She was a hospitable host. Running back and forth serving. But the Bible tells us she was cumbered. It’s not a word we use much in our modern language, but a word I can absolutely relate to!

Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving

In the Greek, this word cumbered has the idea “to drag all around” or “to distract”. She was distracted and dragged down with much serving. MUCH serving. Would less have been more? Could she have done more with less?

Often, we are dragged down with much serving. Running back and forth, in and out, over and under and so it goes. We are run ragged. Stressed. Fretful. Anxious. Worn out.

But where do we find Mary? Mary is sitting at Jesus feet. It says that she “also” sat and heard His Word. So, others were sitting at His feet too. Why wasn’t Martha? Mary had chosen that ‘one thing’ that was needed, sitting at Jesus feet. Putting God first.                                                                

I have come to recognize that we need a balance of both Mary and Martha. Both are needed. There are times that we must be hospitable and serve others. We read of the Proverbs 31 woman and her servant’s spirit,

Proverbs 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

and we know that God looked on her with favour, but we also read that a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. And that fear has to do with reverence. Bowing down in worship before God.

Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

In the story of Mary and Martha, our attention is drawn to Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart. Both are necessary in a woman’s life, and both are needed. But the order is what is most important. We must first sit at Jesus feet, and then rise to serve Him.

Sitting, then standing. Priorities and progress.

The one thing we must do, is to put God first. Then everything else will fall into place. That doesn’t mean your days will be perfect. God orders our days differently to how we order them.

God honours our time and helps us to be more productive, when we come to him first. We don’t have to control the day’s events. Hand them over to God and let him decide what’s best. Let God prioritize your lists of to-dos. Give your lists to God. And give him your cares.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We pour our hearts and our energies into our families, and that's a good thing, but is it the best thing? Whatever it is that we pour our hearts into, whatever occupies our thoughts or becomes a priority in our lives over that of loving God, is something we are putting above God and it is unfaithfulness and sin.

Putting our husbands above God or our children above God or our clean house or our careers above God, will always lead to disappointment.

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

God has set the order for our priorities. God first. Everything else afterwards.

When our relationship with God breaks down, our relationships with people, break down.

The one thing we need is God’s Word, and the one person we need to put first, is God.

Our relationship with the Lord is of great importance. God is the foundation we build our lives upon. It needs to be a strong foundation. Developing a closer relationship with Him should be our utmost priority.

Make God your priority. Make your relationship with Him the most important thing. Everything else will crumble around you if you don’t take the time to work on this relationship. The Word of God is your life manual. And don’t neglect prayer. Prayer and the reading of God’s Word go hand in hand.

Reach for that ‘one thing’ that is needful today. For just a little while, somewhere in your day, forget about the many things and work on that one thing. Put your cares aside and spend time alone with the only one who knows all your troubles and can carry all your burdens. Sit at Jesus’ feet and your time will not be wasted.