Roll it over onto Him

 

Proverbs 16:3 KJV - Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

For some reason this verse in Proverbs will not stay out of my mind. It floods my thoughts. It invades my wakeful hours in the night watches. Certain words pop out like a flashing neon sign as I read them randomly in other contexts. It is a well-known verse and one that I have quoted numerous times along with its related verses.

And so, here I sit, pouring over it once again. Straining to find any hidden meanings. Looking for any sparkling gems or treasures that lie beneath the surface. I dig a little deeper and begin to look into the Hebrew meanings. I read the verses surrounding it, but Proverbs is unlike any other book of the Bible.

There is no particular plot or storyline found in its pages. There are no main characters in the book. What stands out is wisdom. It takes center stage. It is a divine wisdom that spans all peoples, cultures and history. What we read is just as relevant today as it was over 3000 years ago.

I love that we have such a bounty of resources at our fingertips from men and women who have studied and researched and written for our benefit the things they have learned in order that we can better understand the Word of God. I am still and always will be a student of the Word of God. I am not an academic and I don’t even pretend to know the mysteries that lie in the pages of the Bible, but I try my best to interpret scripture correctly through my own study and through using the helps that are easily accessible.

And so, to that end, I want to share what I have learnt as I have dug into this verse a little deeper. I know it is not exhaustive and I encourage you to do your own study.

The very first word in this verse has had me praising God and rejoicing in the word choice as it conveys so much more meaning than a cursory glance.

Commit.

The Hebrew word used here is galal. For years I have treated this verse as a transactional verse. Almost like a gentle suggestion to include God in my planning. And if I did, he would help guide my paths.

But the Hebrew verb is so much more. It carries the physical image of rolling a heavy stone. It holds the meaning of rolling your burden off yourself and onto someone else. This is lifting what is too heavy for you and physically transferring it.

It’s not a transaction. It is a man, literally at the end of his strength, pushing a stone he can’t carry any longer, rolling it off himself and onto something or someone else. This word commit assumes you are already crushed. It assumes the weight is real. The burden is heavy. It is desperation meeting a God big enough to handle what you can’t.

You were carrying something. It was crushing you. And you found solid ground to roll it onto. God. The solid rock.

We see this Hebrew word galal used again in Psalm 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And again, in Joshua 5:9 where we read that the Lord ‘rolled the reproach of Egypt off the people’. It Genesis 29:3 it literally says that they ‘rolled the stone from the well’s mouth’. Same word. Galal. Commit.

Are you getting the picture yet? By committing our works to the Lord, we are rolling our burdens onto him. We are entrusting them to a God who is bigger and greater than everything we find too heavy to carry. It is a total surrender of our plans and actions to God, trusting him with the outcome.

These works that we are committing can be many things. They can be our everyday plans. Our never-ending to-do lists. Our future dreams and hopes. Our labours. Our endeavours. But all of these things can become weights that we are not able to bear. They can become heavy stones that need rolling over onto a God strong enough to carry them.

Make sure you keep in mind who it is we are to commit our works, our pursuits, our achievements to. Not a what, but a who. Commit thy works unto the Lord. He is the only one that can be fully entrusted with our lives.

And when we do, what is the promise?

Our thoughts will be established. Our plans, our purposes, our intentions, our imaginations. They will be established.

Established.

This is the Hebrew word kun. It has many synonyms and uses throughout the Bible. Fixed. Firm. Stable. Prepared. Made ready. Settled. Strengthened.

This is not a guarantee of success in every human endeavour, but rather an alignment of our plans with God’s will leading to our fulfilment. This goes along with Matthew 6:33 when we seek God first, he brings blessing.

When we roll over our plans onto God, he gives stability to what otherwise might ‘wobble’. He brings peace where there would be anxiety. He causes fruit to grow where there was barrenness.

When we commit our ways to him, he shapes, steadies and brings our plans to completion that serve him and align with his perfect and holy will.

So, are there some practical steps we can take to help bring some clarity to this verse? I believe there are.

1.        Acknowledge the burden or work you are needing to roll over onto God. The first step is to recognize and admit you have something that needs handing over to God. Acknowledge you are in need of divine assistance. Psalm 55:22

2.        Pray with faith. You need to ask God in faith, believing that he will do what he promised. In Philippians 4:6-7, we are reminded that if we bring our requests to God with thanksgiving, he will give us his peace. But we must believe that he is capable of handling the heavy burden we carry. We must pray in faith.

3.        Trust in God’s promises. This goes along with faith. We have to trust that God will fulfil his promises to us. We have to trust that what he says in his Word is true and faithful and he will come through. Proverbs 3:5,6.

4.        Meditate on Scripture. God’s Word brings comfort and guidance. When we saturate our lives with God’s Word, when we read it daily, when we commit verses to memory to think on them throughout the day, we are better equipped to walk through life with confidence. When we are in the Word, we learn more of God and when we learn more of his character, we are more able to fully trust in him. Psalm 119:105

5.        Seek fellowship and support. Here’s where I jump onto one of my hobby horses. Christian community should be a source of support, strength and accountability. We need each other. In Galatians 6:2 we are instructed to bear each other’s burdens. If you are carrying a heavy load, not only do you need to roll it over onto the Lord, but you need the support and encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ to help you to stand firm and keep on going when life gets hard.

6.        Practice gratitude. I can’t emphasize this one enough. I have seen it work over and over in my life. Gratitude helps to shift our focus off our burdens and onto the blessings we have been given. The simple act of thanking God for at least 3 things each day, writing them down and praying them back to God in thanksgiving is life changing. Try it and see if I’m wrong. Gratitude will give you an attitude adjustment and change your perspective. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

7.        Release control. This is not an easy one. This means we have to let go of the outcome and the future we have planned in our head and surrender it to God. We have to surrender to God’s will and his perfect timing, no matter how senseless it may seem. In Psalm 46:10, we are told to be still. The Hebrew word for ‘still’ is the word raphah. It doesn’t mean to sit quietly with your emotions. It doesn’t mean to sit in silence. It means to LET GO. Release your grip. Let it fall. Stop striving. Stop trying to control what you were never meant to carry.

8.        Rest in God’s sovereignty. We have to rest in God’s supreme rule and absolute authority over all that exists. We can rest in the knowledge that God is orchestrating all things for our ultimate good. We need to learn to trust and rest in the knowledge that God knows all things and is in control of all things and is a holy and just God. If we can do this it will bring more peace in our lives. Just knowing who God is and what position he holds can help to settle us and we will be more able to roll our burdens onto him. Romans 8:28

So, if I can encourage you today to do just one thing, to take one small step in the right direction, it would be this.

Take that ‘work’, that heavy burden, that ambition, that pursuit, that labour, take the stone that you’re carrying that is too heavy for you, the weight God never asked you to carry and roll it over onto him. Commit it to him. Trust the outcome to him. Don’t continue to let the burden of what you’re carrying crush you. He is able to bear it.

Commit it to him and let him steady you. Let him give you a firm footing. Let him bring his peace to your mind and soul.

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

 

 

 

The Never-Ending Mercies of God

 

This past month has been hard. I’m not gonna lie. The busyness has seemed at times overwhelming. I will admit that I have not been as diligent in my Bible reading and study as I usually am and I could blame it on this busy season, but honestly, that’s a pathetic excuse.

But what has struck me this past week, is the fact that God’s faithfulness does not depend upon mine. No matter how unfaithful I am, he still remains faithful. He still loves. He still cares. He still provides. He still comforts. I am so glad that God is a faithful God.

A few years back, I wrote this article on the never-ending mercies of God. I felt that it needed revisiting. I pray that it will be an encouragement to your heart as it was to mine.

 ***

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

There is a beautiful chorus, written a few years ago, that comes to mind every so often and I find myself singing it and playing its lovely melody occasionally as I sit at the piano.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness.

The song is based on the verses found in the third chapter of the Book of Lamentations.

The book of Lamentations is not a book I read often, with its woeful descriptions of Jerusalem’s downfall, and yet it holds great hope for God’s people. It was written by Jeremiah, often called the ‘weeping prophet’ (Lam. 3:48-49), because of his passion for the people and their city and the many tears he shed on their behalf.

It is a book of laments (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) over the fall of Jerusalem caused by the sinful condition of Judah. Lamenting is something we avoid and not a word we use commonly, but in ancient times, it was a very real thing.

The people of Judah were experiencing God’s judgement because they refused to turn from their sin back to God.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in a time of grief and mourning after the once great city of Jerusalem fell to Babylon. God allowed the Babylonians to plunder, burn and destroy the city of Jerusalem because of their unwillingness to repent. Even Solomon’s temple, which had stood for 400 years, in all its splendour and glory, was burned to the ground. (2 Kings 25:9)

As you read through the book of Lamentations, the tone is that of despair, weeping, captivity, persecution and desolation. It’s not a pleasant book to read. And yet, as we make our way through the misery we read verse after verse, we finally come to chapter 3 and verse 21. And there, right in the middle of the book, like rain after drought, like the dawning of a new day, we read a beautiful passage of confidence and hope.

Jeremiah’s despair turns to hope.

Lamentations 3:21 KJV - This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

After all the expressions of sorrow and heartache, we begin to see a glimmer of hope. Jeremiah, even after all he’s seen, hasn’t given up on God. He still has hope.

Skip down to verses 24-26, and we’ll come back to 22 and 23 soon.

Lamentations 3:24-26 KJV - The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

These verses, in the middle of the book, are a statement of faith. The faith of Jeremiah standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness that shines a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin.

Yes, the book reminds us of the heavy price we pay when we choose to sin, but it also gives hope to those who choose to repent.

As we know, later on God restored his people to their land and blessed them once again.

The beauty of this book of Lamentations is that even the most sinful person can find hope in God who is willing to pour out his abundant mercy and grace on any who come to him in repentance.

And for the Christian, as we live our daily lives and we falter and fail, God is willing and able to forgive.

Now, back to the most familiar verses in the whole book of Lamentations and the verses the little chorus is based upon.

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

In some Bible versions, the word stedfast is used to paint a picture of God’s firm, immoveable, unchanging love.

We know that God’s love abides even in times of trouble and in times of judgment. God never once stopped loving Israel, despite their sin. It was God’s great love that spared the people from being utterly wiped out by Babylon.

When you grasp the fact that God’s love is never ending and unchangeable, you will understand more about God’s mercy. Mercy is a byproduct of God’s love. Since God’s love will never end, neither will his mercy.

God’s mercy, put simply, is God’s goodness, compassion, lovingkindness and favour. Though we deserve punishment, God reaches down and extends his arm of blessing.

And so, it is because of God’s great love and mercy that we are not consumed, destroyed, finished, given up on.

It’s nothing we have done; it is all that he has done. On our behalf.

We are told that his mercy and compassions ‘fail not’. The Hebrew word for this is ‘kala’. It literally means finished. Completed. Worn out. Failed. Perished. Used up. Exhausted.

Think about it like this.

God’s mercy towards you:

Will never finish

Will never be gone

Will never fail

Will never perish

Will never be exhausted

Will never run out

Will never fail

Will never grow weary.

And just when you thought this promise was too good to be true, keep reading, there’s more!

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

So, if you thought that God’s mercies would tire, Jeremiah reminds us that they are new every morning. In other words, every morning is a new beginning.

God gives mercy for each day, and it is refilled and refreshed every morning.

It’s not just about availability; it’s also about access. Regardless of how often we have to rely on his mercy, which in reality is every day, you can always come back for more.

It’s not a license to sin but it is a promise to those who walk in obedience to him.

The last line of verse 23 ties it all together. “Great is thy faithfulness”.

The reason we can depend on God’s mercy and compassion, is because of his faithfulness. It is God’s faithfulness to his Word and the promises we find there that ensures us new mercies each morning.

We are told in Psalm 138 that God honours his Word above his name.

Psalm 138:2 KJV - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

(interestingly, the word for lovingkindness is the same Hebrew word used for mercy)

God is true to his Word. He never breaks a promise.

There is no expiration date on God’s mercy. With the dawn of every day comes another store of compassion made available to us. His stores are infinite.

No matter which side of the bed we get up on, we will find God’s mercies awaiting us.

Don’t neglect the conditions on your way to the blessings though.

Lamentations 3:25 KJV - The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

We are granted new mercies, but we are reminded that God requires us to wait on him (patiently) and also to seek (follow) him.

We need to repent quickly. We need to keep short accounts. Recognize the value of his mercy and don’t let it be an excuse for sin. Instead, let it be the reason you come running to him in repentance.

We also need to renew frequently. Regardless of the sins of yesterday, we need to come to God in repentance, renew our commitment to him and begin each day afresh. When we fall on our face and fail him, we can reach out our arms to him, letting him set our feet on solid ground once again and bathe in his forgiveness and love.

And we need to remember to rejoice continually. Because of God’s stedfast love, we don’t have to wonder if God has changed his mind. We can live with the assurance that his mercies are never-ending and that they will always be accessible. This should give us cause to rejoice each and every day.

The Lord Jesus, the God of creation, is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never change. We can rest on his promises and hold fast to his Word.

Hebrews 13:8 KJV - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

 

 

The Disservice we do when 

we don’t tell it like it is

 

Can we talk just a bit about a worrying concern in regard to the upcoming generations and possibly something you have faced too?

Do you agree with me that all too often our world is handed a very shallow version of Christianity? Maybe you were brought up in a church culture that promoted youth groups, Sunday school classes, worship nights, camps, conferences, Bible studies and the like, which, by the way, are all good things. Maybe there were altar calls and emotional decisions made under pressure and you wanted and desired to ‘feel close to God’ but for some reason there wasn’t any depth.

There was very little actual discipleship. Maybe you weren’t taught how to study the Bible or defend the faith or how to stand firm on what you believed or even articulate what you believed.

And now, as the world around you gets darker and more hostile towards the Christian faith, you realise that the Christianity you were brought up with was very shallow.

Maybe you weren’t taught much theology. Don’t be afraid of that word. In a nutshell, it just means the study of the nature of God and his truth.

Maybe you weren’t taught how to study the Bible for yourself, instead relying on the Pastors and teachers in your church to do the hard work and spoon feed you. Possibly you weren’t taught well how to persevere under pressure or how to exercise discernment.

You were taught of God’s love and how to respond emotionally to the invitation, the lights, the music. You were taught that Jesus is the way and he can make your life better. You were taught that he was the source of your fulfilment. There was a lot of feelings, but not a lot of strong, deep-rooted faith.

And then adulthood hit. And life got hard. Marriage was difficult. Child raising was on another level. Prayers went unanswered for months or years. Anxiety was at all-time high. Your faith started costing something. And suddenly, the Christianity built mostly on feelings was no longer enough.

Emotional Christianity works fine when life is easy and things are going well. But what happens when your world comes crashing down? What happens when life gets hard and the struggles pull you to pieces? What happens when unexpected suffering arrives and the waves crash heavy overhead?

A faith built mostly on feelings will eventually collapse. It cannot be sustained. It won’t survive the storms.

I say this with humility and without any sense of pride as one who has it all under control. Because I do not. And I did not. That’s not to say that I wasn’t brought up with the right values and the right tools. It’s just that I have spent years realising that I didn’t know much. And that’s my fault. For a long time, I didn’t see the need to be discipling myself in the Word of God. I didn’t see the need for in depth study.

And I think this is why so many are ‘deconstructing’ their faith now. Not because they didn’t love God, but because there wasn’t much of a foundation underneath the emotional Christianity they experienced. They are deconstructing a faith that had very little theological foundation to begin with. They were handed a shallow version of Christianity based on feelings and emotional experiences and not biblical discipleship.  

I wonder if many Christians feel betrayed. They were told that being a Christian would make their life better, and they would be fulfilled, whole, successful, happy. And then life hit. Real life. The nitty gritty hard things.

The Word of God and Jesus himself never promised a bed of roses. He never promised an easy life. He told us to remain steadfast. Endure hardship. Overcome temptation. Stand firm. Persevere. Expect tribulations and trials.

But our modern church culture wants to keep those things hidden behind a curtain and instead portrays a very different sort of Christianity. It’s exciting. It promises wealth. Happiness.

God is love. God forgives. God cares. God will prosper you. God cares for you.

And yes, all of these things are true and backed up by Scripture. But we are doing the new Christians a disservice by not teaching them the hard truths and by not being diligent in our discipleship of them.

We are neglecting to teach them how to study the Word of God for themselves and the need to ‘try the spirits’ (1 John 4:1) to keep from falling prey to false teachers or to “search the scriptures daily” as did the Bereans in order to make sure what Paul and Silas were teaching was legit. (Acts 17:11)

I, for one, don’t want my children or grandchildren raised on emotionalism or feel-good Christianity. I want them grounded in the Word. I want them to know what they believe and why they believe it. I want their faith to be firmly rooted in Scripture. I want them to know truth. To learn from it. To practice biblical discernment. I want them to love God deeply and not crumble when life gets too hard. I want them to stand firm and hold fast even when it costs them something.

I want them to have a love for God and for his Word. I want them to be always searching and learning more of what the Bible teaches. I want them to be able to interpret verses, in context, and expound on them to others, humbly accepting correction if they have something wrong. I want them to have a desire for the whole counsel of God. Not just the easy, feel-good parts or the promises that bring comfort. I want them to feel uncomfortable with hard truth. I want them to let the Word of God pierce them (Hebrews 4:12) just as it does me the more, I read and study it.

Ask yourself this question. “What kind of faith are you passing down to your children? What kind of Christianity are you teaching in your Sunday School classes? Your youth groups? Your Bible studies?”

Perhaps some of today’s generation are beginning to search for something more solid. Maybe they are done with the lights, the fog machines, the hype. But what do we have to offer?

Only ritualism and traditions? Or do we have an authentic, Bible based, God-fearing, but loving Christianity?

Are we training our men and women to search out the Scriptures? Are we truly discipling them?

There is a growing problem in our world today amongst Christians. Bible illiteracy. Bible illiteracy is widespread. Bible literacy is not dependant on church attendance – sitting in church each week doesn’t guarantee you will go home with a better understanding of the Bible or who God is.

Bible literacy involves a deeper awareness of the meaning of what’s in the Bible. It’s the ability to rightly read and understand the Bible by using the proper tools of study.

Bible literacy involves a person’s ability to read the Bible with enough understanding to explain its basic meaning and comprehend what is meant.

Bible Study goes even deeper than Bible literacy - it is more rigorous and detail-focused. It is research focused interpretation (known as exegesis- the careful analytical study of scripture). It involves more than reading for meaning. Bible study focuses on the world behind the text such as the biblical culture and context, the archaeology and geography that support the Bible.  The social issues and events at the time the writers wrote the text.

Bible study looks into the heart of the text through word studies and language meaning etc. But Bible study doesn’t need to be complex. (More on this is this post - Bible Study)

Studying the Bible naturally leads to increase in Bible literacy.

I think this is where we are failing our new converts. We are not properly teaching them how to read and study their Bibles. And it’s a shame. It leads to shallow Christianity. And shallow Christianity doesn’t hold up under pressure.

Discipleship is hard. And if you are someone who is working with a new Chrisitan, you’ll know it’s no walk in the park. But it is so worth it. We need to be raising a new generation of strong, faith-filled, deeply rooted, discerning, obedient, tested and tried and come forth as gold, Christians!

Let’s forgo the shallow Christianity and replace it something real! Don’t hide the truth. Let the truth speak for itself. Teach the truth. All the truth.

John 8:32 KJV - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.              

 

 

 

 

 

Is there Pain in your Praise?

 

I have loved to sing since my very earliest memory. Whether it was singing at the top of my lungs while I swung back and forth on a rope and board swing in the backyard as a child, or singing with a group of kids at Sunday School, shouting loudly, “I’m in the Lord’s Army”, or humming under my breath as I worked in my local supermarket as a teenager, or singing through tears as I stood before the congregation of our church sharing in song a message full of hope and comfort. Whatever the case, I loved to sing and I still do. Unfortunately, my voice has not aged well, and I struggle to reach the notes and keep my voice steady nowadays.

But I want to speak about something I’ve discovered over the years.

In my younger years and even in my newly married and raising toddler years, I sang about God. I sang the hymns at church, I sang specials with my family, I played the songs on the piano and knew the words by heart, but let me tell you, anyone can sing about a God they’ve heard about, but there’s a different sound that comes from someone who has walked through the fire, stumbled through the valleys and made it out alive.

Because when you walk through what seems like Hell, and you make it through alive, you come out CHANGED!

When the fires should have destroyed you, and God carries you through it, you come out different. When the storms of life see waves crashing overhead with such fierce that you feel you’re going under for the last time, and you find your footing on solid ground, you come out changed!

Darkness has a way of changing you. Valleys have a way of transforming you. Storms have a way of growing your faith.

Over they years, I’ve walked through many fires, and yes, some of those were in those early years, but the songs that come from my lips now hold a different sound. There is pain in my praise. I no longer only sing about a God I’ve heard about or a God I’ve read about, but I sing about a God who has walked with me through many trials. A God who has walked through the fire with me. A God who has weathered the storms alongside me. A God who stayed. When everything else fell apart. A God who remained faithful even when there was doubt in my heart and words of hurt on my lips. (Isaiah 43:2)

Anybody can talk about God or sing about God when life is easy, but when you cry real tears, when you face real fire, when you deal with real heartbreak and pain, when you fight real battles and survive real nights of anxiety and worry, and still lift your hands in praise anyway, that worship hits different.

There are some things you only learn about God in the fire.

You learn his peace when your world is falling apart. You learn his love when you experience heartache. You learn of his faithfulness when everybody else leaves and you are left standing alone. You learn so much of his character when you walk through hard things and he remains beside you.

You learn that he is near to the broken hearted when you see that he meets you where you are and doesn’t leave you. (Psalm 34:18)

And so, today, as I sing the same songs I have sung for 50 years, the words hit different. They hold more meaning. They speak volumes to me.

When I sing of his amazing grace, I understand what it means that he saved a wretch like me. When I sing about Heaven, I am overjoyed at the prospect of a future in eternity in the presence of my Father. When I sing of his goodness and mercy following me as I walk through the valleys, I know what it means. I’ve been there. I’ve experienced it. When I sing about tomorrow and what it holds, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he will be there, in my tomorrows, because he has proved faithful, over and over. And because he lives, I can face the future, with hope and with a peace that only he can give.

So, when you see me sing songs about God, don’t ever think I’m singing about someone I don’t know, be assured that every part of my being knows who he is and I will sing until there is no voice left in me. I will raise my hands in praise to him. I will let the tears flow unhindered down my cheeks. My voice may falter and shake but there is pain in my praise. And I won’t apologize for it.

I will stand in awe of a God who knows me intimately yet still chooses to love me. I will stand in worship of a God who sees me fall and yet keeps stretching out his hand to pick me up.

Never be ashamed of the way the message of a song hits you as you relive those hard moments in your life and remember God’s goodness to you. Praise him anyway. Let there be pain in your praise. Keep praising him. During the storm. After the storm. Before the next one arrives. Praise him anyway.

“Let not your harp then hang upon the willows but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. With every morning’s dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Belt the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.”   

 C. Spurgeon

 

 

 

 

 

Listen with your Eyes

 

I’m going to show my age here, and maybe some can relate to what I’m about to say, but if not, then come along for the ride anyway and let’s see what we can learn from this thought.

Listening requires quiet.

Have you ever found yourself, driving to a new area, perhaps looking for that little coffee shop you want to try out, or possibly trying to find the street number of a house you’ve never been to before. Windows down, music playing over the speakers and instinctively, you reach for the volume dial, turning the music down to a quiet hum, or off completely, because you need to see!

You turn the music off because you need to see where you’re going. You hush those in the car, “Be quiet! I can’t see!”

This happens to me on the regular. Just ask my daughters. If we are driving into the city, in a more heavily trafficked area, or manoeuvring into a tricky parking space, I need quiet.

Logically, it makes absolutely no sense! You see with your eyes! NOT your ears!

Our brains have limited processing powers. When loud sounds, or complex music demand our attention, our brains divert resources away from our visual cortex to focus on the noise, making it harder to concentrate on complex visual tasks, like parking or finding our way in a new area.

Silence helps the brain thrive by allowing it to focus on processing and regulating information more effectively. So, there is a science behind my need for quiet at times, it’s not just old age.

It is true that what you hear, affects what you see. Too much noise clouds your focus.

One speaker said it like this, “Noise doesn’t just distract your ears, it disrupts your vision.”

What we listen to affects how we see.

Let’s bring this thought home.

If you can’t hear God, you also can’t see where he is leading you. When there is too much noise in your mind and in the environment around you, it’s harder to ‘see’ God.

We need quiet.

The concept of God’s presence in the quiet is a theme found all throughout the Bible. The theme is woven into the very fabric of Scripture, and it illustrates clearly how God often reveals himself not in the chaos and noise, but in the quiet moments of life.

One of the most well-known examples of God’s presence in the quiet is found in the story of Elijah on Mount Horeb. (1 Kings 19) After he runs from Jezebel, he experiences some crazy things. We see him deal with a powerful wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But God was not in those things, all though he caused them. His presence wasn’t in the chaos; it was in the stillness. In the still, small, voice.

In Psalm 46:10 the concept is reinforced with the command to “Be still and know that I am God”. This verse calls for us to cease striving and focus on God’s sovereignty. It suggests a quietness that is needed in experiencing God’s presence.

I won’t go into the history of having a ‘quiet time’ or where and when the phrase was coined, but we do know and Scripture backs it up, that setting aside time to spend with God is of utmost importance, whatever you like to call it.  Even the Lord Jesus saw it as important, withdrawing to solitary places for communion and prayer with his Father. (Mark 1:35)

The primary purpose of having time with God is to deepen our relationship with him and to learn from him, drawing close through prayer, reading of the Scripture, and meditating on it.

So, in order to see God more clearly, to learn of his character, we need quiet. We need times of quiet. We might listen with our ears and see with our eyes, but we need the world to shush, so that we can see.

Be quiet, I can’t see!

In a world so filled with constant noise and activity, this call to stillness and seeking God’s presence in the quiet is both countercultural and also deeply transformative. It invites us as believers to step away from our busyness and the things that distract us and find strength in the stillness.

It’s hard to hear God speak when we are letting the world shout in our ears. The devil screams in our busyness but God speaks in the stillness.

What we hear, affects what we see. And if we are letting the noise of the world keep our ears busy, we will become blind to what God has for us. It won’t just distract our ears, it will cloud our vision.

So yes, I will continue to turn the music down when I need to focus and I will most likely still be ridiculed by the younger generation for this ‘old age’ habit, but I will also intentionally practice sitting quiet before the Lord so that I can see better.

Listen with your eyes and see what you can see!

 

 

 

 

The Pathway we didn’t know

 we needed to follow

In my last post, I wrote about the fact that God often chooses not to remove the pressure we are facing but instead increases our strength to bear it. 

(Read it here - Praying upside down)

It was an eye-opening moment for me to realise that I had been praying for the wrong thing. I needed to be praying for God’s strength to enable me to bear the pressures of life, not just to remove them!

I want to dig into this a little deeper for a few minutes.

Doing some reading today, I came across something I hadn’t thought about before and realised it was a crucial link in this search and longing for strength.

Did you know that there is a pathway in the Word of God to get this strength we so desperately need? Most of us, as Christians, are trying to get it the wrong way.

We pray harder, we fast longer, we read more….but we’re missing the actual path that God laid out for us.

What do we do when life gets hard? I know what I do. Usually, my first request is for Him to remove the pressure, take away the burden, give me relief. Then I ask God for strength. I ask him for courage, for power to keep going.

And there is nothing inherently wrong with that.

Except, I’m starting at the finish line.

You know, God’s strength isn’t something you just ‘ask for’ and receive. Magically. Instantly. It’s not a microwave blessing.

There is an actual sequence God established and laid out in the Word of God. It’s a pathway of sorts. And most of us skip right over it.

Have a look at what it says in the last part of Nehemiah 8:10.

Nehemiah 8:10b……..for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Did you catch that? “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.

It’s not the prayers, it’s not the fasting, it’s not the reading, although all of that is good and helpful. It’s the JOY OF THE LORD. That is what is our strength.

This changes everything.

So, this begs the question, if JOY is the source of our strength, then how do we get this joy? Because, let’s face it, when you’re struggling, when you’re down and out, when you’re heartbroken, burnt out, at your wit’s end, “JOY” feels absolutely impossible!

But remember I said that it was a pathway? Keep going with that line of thought. Let’s look at another verse.

Psalm 16:11 KJV - Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Where do I get this joy? The answer is in this verse. In his presence!

Joy comes from being in God’s presence.

Joy doesn’t come from our situation changing. It doesn’t come from getting what we want. It doesn’t come from the struggle being over.

It comes from being with HIM. With God. In his presence.

Let’s trace this back to the beginning. Stay with me.

You need STRENGTH to face what lies ahead.

Strength comes from JOY.

Joy comes from His PRESENCE.

This is it. This is the pathway. This is what we’re missing.

So, when life becomes unbearable, when you struggle under the weight of your circumstances, when you feel you can’t take another step, don’t just beg for strength. Don’t just ask for removal of the pressure.

Get into God’s presence.

This means worshipping when you don’t feel like it. Praying when your thoughts are running wild and you don’t feel calm enough to come to him. Sitting still in silence when you just want to scream and run. Just BE with him.

This is where the joy comes. This is where joy begins to rise. And this joy brings strength.

We read over and over in the Psalms how King David spent time in God’s presence. He understood the sequence. Yes, he lamented. Yes, he poured out his heart to God in desperation. Yes, he understood despair and abandonment and suffering. But he also understood that the pathway to strength was to be found in God’s presence.

Presence – joy – strength.

We have to stop trying to get strength on our own terms. We have to stop chasing it. We have to chase his presence instead.

We have to take time to sit. To be still. To just be with God.

Open your Bible and read. Meditate on what you read. Think about it. Dwell on it. Sit with it. Pray aloud the verses back to God. Claim the promises. Talk to him like a loving Father, because that is what he is. He longs to spend time with you.

Joy is a tremendous source of strength. We all know the science, so I won’t go into it all except to say that happier, more thankful people do better during illness. Joy often helps us forget our pain as we change our perspective.

Joy can come from many places. People and circumstances. But people fail and circumstances change. And so, the joy level decreases.

But when we rely on God as our source of joy and let the joy of the Lord be our strength, we are trusting in One who is constant, never changing, and ever-present.

Joy is rooted in God’s character. Joy has the power to lift our hearts above our circumstances and strength begins to flow as discouragement loses its grip.  Joy fuels our endurance and enables us to keep going.

But to receive this joy, we need to be in God’s presence regularly. Not just in a Sunday morning worship service or a mid-week prayer meeting.

We have to be intentional about meeting with God daily.

Let me give you 5 things to help you seek out God’s presence to pave the pathway to the strength you need:

1.        Embrace silence and solitude – this is a hard one in our fast-paced world and it’s easy to overlook the importance of it. God often speaks in the silence, in the quiet moments when the distractions fade away. Embracing solitude allows us to reflect, pray and connect with God on a deeper level.

How you choose to do this is up to you. I like to go for a walk or climb up on the roof and watch the sunset or listen to quiet worship music while I drive.

2.        Engage in prayer – prayer is one of the most direct ways to seek God’s presence. It is a conversation between us and God, allowing us to express our fears, thoughts, gratitude. It is more than just reciting words, it is a dialogue with a divine, holy, righteous and loving God with whom you can share your life and receive guidance on how to move forward. Make time for prayer. Pray as you lay awake in the middle of the night. Pray before you even set foot out of bed. Pray throughout your day.

3.        Study Scripture – this is one of my favourite way’s to be in God’s presence. Studying scripture is a very powerful tool for deepening your relationship with God and strengthening your faith. As you study, you learn more of God’s character and how to navigate life’s challenges. As you dig deeper into the Word, you find treasures that give you a better understanding of who God is and who you are and how to grow in your faith. There are so many ways and methods to studying scripture, but if you’re just starting out, start simple. It can be as simple as getting a notebook and a reading plan and noting down verses that stand out to you and then looking into the words that you don’t understand or topics you want to explore. The important part is that you do it. Seek God’s presence through reading and studying his Word.

4.        Practice Gratitude – I have written extensively on this topic as it has made such an impact on my life. One of the ways of being in God’s presence is taking time to thank him for all he has done in your life. Being intentional about expressing gratitude to God bring so much joy. It shifts your focus off what you don’t have and onto what you do have and helps to reconnect you with God. One of the simplest ways to do this is to keep a journal. Write down 3 things each and every day that you are thankful for and bring them before the Lord in worshipful gratitude. Be thankful and watch your joy grow.

5.        Serve others – the act of selflessly giving back to others imitates God’s teachings and reveals his love to others. Serving shifts our focus off ourselves and onto others and reflects the heart of God. You experience God’s presence as you work for him by giving to those in need. Look for ways to help others, whether in your community or church or neighbourhood. As you serve, God goes with you and you find his presence a comforting and encouraging companion.

So, let’s remember the sequence.

Presence – Joy- Strength.

Seek God’s presence. As you do so, he brings joy and as you experience the joy of the Lord, he gives you the strength you need.

Psalm 95:1-2 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.