It’s time to Lean In

 

There’s an interesting expression bouncing around in the world today. “Lean in.”

You hear it thrown around regularly in a variety of contexts. What it means, in a nutshell, is to embrace, to fully engage with, or to actively pursue something.

“Leaning into” something implies a proactive and enthusiastic approach to something rather than a passive, cautious or hesitant approach.

“Leaning into” something can also imply a willingness to face challenges or difficulties head-on and make the most of the situation. It’s about being bold and unreserved in your approach to a particular part of life. It’s persevering in spite of risk or difficulty.

So, how does all this relate to us in our Christian walk today?

What do you do when you’re in a season of life you don’t want to be in? You may be right now, living through a season you are not enjoying. You may be facing difficulties, unwanted, insurmountable, frightening and confusing.

You may be frustrated with the story God is writing. And in your frustration, you hear his voice saying, “lean in, my child, lean in”. Perhaps the very season you’re going through is an important season, and you’re not supposed to miss it. You’re supposed to LEAN IN.

We make our vision boards, whether figuratively or physically, and what we put on them often looks nothing like what we end up going through. We plan out our lives in neatly organized boxes of allotted times and then comes an unexpected season.

These may be seasons where we feel unnoticed, and limited and fruitless, where doors seem to shut more than they open, where we feel forgotten, our talents wasted or invisible. Or maybe they are seasons of hardship through ill health or death of a loved one, or busyness that leads to physical and mental exhaustion.

Sure, these seasons were not on our vision boards, but is complaining going to make it any better? What if these months or years have more purpose and meaning than we imagined?

What if by not leaning in, we miss something great?

What if by not willingly facing the challenge head on, making the most of the situation, being enthusiastic and boldly embracing the season, we miss what it is God is trying to teach us?

What if God wants you to lean in? What if he wants you to trust him more fully? What if he wants surrender? Surrender to his will. Surrender to what he has called you to.

What if he wants you to embrace fully the season you’re in by giving yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand, doing the best you can, for his glory, even when you don’t know the outcome or understand how to navigate it.

What is it that God has called you to do? Lean in. In spite of the risk or the difficulty. Lean in. Despite the darkness of the path ahead. Lean in.

When David was waiting to be King, his season of hiddenness and those long years of discouragement, living life on the run, were times of growth. They were times to lean in.

While Moses was a shepherd in the desert, a hidden season, before he would lead the people out from Egypt, it was time to lean in.

Joseph, sold as a slave, forgotten in a prison for doing the right thing, used his season to lean in.

And even the Lord Jesus himself spent 30 years of his life, in obscurity. Of his thirty-three years walking on this earth, only three of them were in public ministry. No crowds. No public platform. No popularity. As far as we know, he was a simple carpenter’s son, hidden from the world until God’s appointed time. He leaned in to his season.

I think we would all do well to learn to lean in. We all too often spend whole seasons of our lives discontent, discouraged, frustrated and angry at God, all the while missing out on what he has for us in that season. We don’t actively look for the lessons. We don’t give ourselves to him to be used for his glory. We don’t lean in.

These seasons of our lives are there to refine us. To make us more like Christ. To build into us Godly character. They are there to deepen our faith. To teach us reliance on God. To grow our spiritual roots and anchor us.

Embrace the season you’re in by:

Doing the best you can with what God has given you. (Colossians 3:23)

Working wholeheartedly and walking joyfully towards his calling on your life. (Philippians 3:14)

Being patient with the process and the length of the season. God knows better than you how long he needs you to stay in it. (Psalm 27:14)

Look for the lessons along the way. Be alert to what he wants to teach you. (Proverbs 3:13)

Seek his face daily and ask him for guidance. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Develop a heart of gratitude, taking time to thank him regularly for everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Be content in the season. Despite what you feel or whatever the circumstances, stay content! (Hebrews 13:5)

Trust that God knows what he’s doing and is doing what is best for you as he works to mold you more into his likeness. (Job 23:10)

Don’t let a so-called bad season of your life determine your future attitude. Use it as a growing period.

You’re not being buried, you’re being planted.

If you don’t resist God’s hand, if you lean in, you will see fruit.

Embrace the season and lean in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step up and become an influencer!

 

You can be an influencer! You should be an influencer!

Yes. I just said that. Now, before you go thinking that I’ve lost all my marbles, and decided to take the blog in another direction, please, calm down and read on.

I wrote on this topic a few years back and I feel like bringing it up again for those, like myself, who need to hear it again, or for the first time.

My jumbled thoughts began bouncing around in my easily distracted, slightly scrambled brain and got me thinking about this idea of being an influencer.

This word is tossed around so much in our present day it got me thinking, what if we, as Christians, began to consciously, wholeheartedly, determinedly and steadfastly, set our eyes upon the goal of becoming influencers for God?

Before I go into more on this subject, I want to refresh your mind as to what an influencer is, in the world’s definition.

Firstly, an influencer is someone who has the power to affect the decisions of others, because of his or her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with their audience. Secondly, an influencer is someone who affects or changes the way other people behave, and they have the ability to influence opinions. Thirdly, an influencer is a person who is paid by a company to show and promote that company’s products and services on social media, encouraging others in their sphere of influence to buy them.

With those thoughts in mind, switch your thinking caps on, focus and be ready to be influenced by me to influence you to be influencers for God!

Did you know that we are all influencers? When we decide to trust Jesus as our personal Saviour and ask Him into our lives, we become influencers. Not just influencers, but ambassadors for Christ. Official representatives, messengers, commissioned by God to share the good news.

2 Corinthians 5:20 - Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

As an ambassador for Christ, we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the precious gospel message.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 - But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

As we go through our lives here on this earth, we are representing another kingdom. The heavenly kingdom where our citizenship lies. And we need to take the message of God’s love to everyone we meet.  We need to be Godly representatives of the heavenly kingdom. But we have to be wise.

Matthew 10:16 - Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

This world is full of wolves, and we are sheep. So, we must be wise. God is longing for His children to be good influencers. Wise ambassadors. People with clean testimonies, pure hearts and minds, Godly character, love, hope and joy.

As Christians, we are watched by the world. They are watching and judging all we do. We can choose to have a Godly influence over them and our fellow Christians, or we can choose to bring dishonour to God and have a bad testimony that brings shame upon God’s holy name.

The Bible reminds us that we are salt and light. Now that’s definitely an entirely different sermon on its own for another day. But let’s read what the Bible says.

Matthew 5:13-16 - Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We need to be salt, making the world thirsty for the living water. And we are to be light. A light in the darkness. Sharing the hope that lies within us. Letting God’s glory shine through us. When people see us, let it be God they see.

In the world, an influencer is all about getting attention. They want the glory and all eyes on them. Sadly, what starts as a small hobby or something to pass the time, can quickly become an obsession and a place of self-gratification. More likes. More great comments. More tags. More follows. More more more.

But as an influencer for God, we need to be turning all eyes upon Him. We need to be continually turning the focus back on the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be influencing those around us to turn to God.

We can become ‘someone who has the power to affect the decisions of others’.  By our testimony, we can help show others the way that in turn, Lord willing, will see them come to know Christ on a personal level. We can ‘affect the way others behave’, just by setting a Godly example. Lives are changed yes, by God, but He allows us to have a part in that by being an example. Now, we may not be selling anything or encouraging anyone to buy a product, but we can encourage others to learn about the marvellous gift that God so freely gives to those who will accept it.

So, how can we be influencers of God? Allow me to share with you 5 ways.

We need to be examples. Good and Godly examples.

1.       Be an example in our speech

 

Our words need to reflect the love of Christ and be edifying and thankful, full of grace and seasoned with salt. Your words are important. What you say matters. (and how you say it)

 

Ephesians 5:4 - Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

 

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

 

Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

 

2.       Be an example in how we act (our testimony)

 

Our conversation, or testimony, our manner of life, our conduct, needs to be a good and Godly example. We can’t expect to be influencers for God if we act like the world.

1 Peter 1:15 - But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

3.       Be an example in love

 

Now, I know this is a lengthy and well-known passage, but can I encourage you to read it all the way through? We need to be reminded about the importance of love in our Christian walk. We need to show love for others. Without love, our efforts are worthless. A tinkling cymbal.

 

Interestingly enough, the Greek word for tinkling is Alalazo which means to ring loudly, or clang. So, it’s not a nice little ching, ching sound. It’s a clanging sound! An annoying, loud sound. Hmm, our words are annoying without love. But so are our actions. Without love, there is little profit.

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

 

4.       Be an example in faith

 

People need to see our faith, not just hear about it. They need to see our faith in action. We need to practice what we preach. We need to share what we believe, and we need to live what we believe. We need to live out our faith.

 

James 2:14-17 - What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

 

5.       Be an example in our pursuits

 

Jeremiah 29:13 - And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all our heart.

 

What is it you pursue? The praise of men? Attention? Money? Fame? The Lord wants us to pursue Him with all our hearts. He promises that if we seek Him, we shall find Him. It’s not wrong to have goals, but we need to make sure that they are the goals that God would have us have.

 

We are all influencers. In some way or another. We are influencing those around us on a daily basis. Whether it be our families, our co-workers, our ‘friends’ on social media or our church family. Any number of people come across our path as we go about our business, and any one of them can be influenced by us. The attitude that emanates from us is often more powerful than our words.

 

To honour God with our influence, we need to start by remembering who we are and who God is. Put God in His rightful place, high and lifted up, and us, in our proper place, in a place of humility. Remembering that we came from the dust of the earth and God in His love and mercy, came down to this earth to rescue our wretched souls from eternal damnation. He doesn’t owe us anything, and yet, He chose to extend to us His free gift of salvation. Get the right perspective and be content to live in the shadows, letting God get all the glory.

 

John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

 

Be on the lookout to always be pointing others to Christ and away from ourselves. The influencers of this world want all the attention upon themselves, but God wants us to give Him all the glory and be humble and meek.

 

Don’t compare yourself to others around you, or those you see online. Be content to serve where God has placed you. In the town, in the church, in the family He has put you in. Don’t worry about what others are doing, just concern yourself with what you’re doing and where God would have you.

 

Be an influence on those in whose circles God has put you in. If God gives you the opportunity to share with a wider audience, then grab hold of it with both hands and pray that God would keep you humble and that you will be able to be an influencer of good in other’s lives.

 

And lastly, remain in the vine.

 

John 15:5-8 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 

The Bible is clear that if we remain in the vine, diligently seeking His heart and His wisdom, remaining close to Him, we will bear fruit. Much fruit.

 

I pray that as you’ve read through this post, that you have been challenged to be an influencer for God. I want to encourage you to take seriously this idea of letting your light shine forth into a dark world, influencing those around you for good.

 

Let’s encourage each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to be the kind of influencer that God would have us be.

 

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 

We are here to influence the world, rather than to be influenced by the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you care more about your hair?

 

 

This morning, I was reminded of something I had written 4 years ago, and I felt led to repost it, unedited and just as rough as it was when I wrote it what seems like an eternity ago. It is still just as relevant today!

 

The world has enough women who know how to do their hair.

    It needs women who know how to do hard and holy things.      Anne Voskamp

 

In our world today, there is so much pressure on women to make themselves more beautiful on the outside. You Tube and Instagram scream at us through thousands of videos, to promote ourselves, to use their products in order that we can look more attractive. And there are countless hair and make-up tutorials.

Now, I’m not saying that you can’t or shouldn’t watch them, as sometimes they can be helpful for information on which products to use or how to style your particular hair length or texture.

What I want to say is that the heart is so much more important.

And as the quote says, we have enough women telling us how to do our hair, but what about some women who know how to separate from the world, walk and talk a Godly lifestyle, glorify God with their testimony and lead others to Christ through their Godly witness as they show God’s love?

The world tries to tell us that they will love us if we are beautiful. But you are beautiful because you are already loved. You were made in God’s image.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Psalm 139:14 KJV - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

We don’t need the world to tell us who we are and how we should look. We need women who are willing to stand up for what is right. We need women who are happy with how God made them. We need women willing to sit at Jesus feet, as Mary did, and learn of him.

We don’t need more women telling us how to look more attractive, we need more women telling us how to live our lives glorifying to God. We need women who are not afraid to dig into the Word of God and find Godly examples to follow and then share what they learn with others.

We need women who are walking closely with the Lord, showing by their testimony, what God can do and has done and will do.

1 Samuel 16:7b …for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

The world looks at the outside and judges by what it sees there, but God is looking for women with strength of character, borne out of hardship and trial and a life spent trusting the Lord. He looks right through and into the heart. He sees beyond our immaculate hairstyles and flawless make up. He sees the beauty or the ugliness within.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

I recently listened to a series of lessons on having a meek and quiet spirit and what a conviction it was to my heart. It’s definitely not something that comes naturally. Meekness and quietness. No, it’s something that has to be worked on every day of our lives.

We all take some time, whether a lot or a little, to do our hair each morning. We make ourselves look presentable, whether it means straightening or curling or washing, or in my case, putting it in a ponytail and covering it up with a cap in a matter of seconds.

It doesn’t matter and I am not here to judge either way. But I do want to remind you that God is looking deeper than the surface. In order for our lives to count for something, we have to have a desire to grow spiritually and give God all the glory for what he does in our lives.

That means we need to spend time in God’s Word. We need to spend time in prayer. We need to spend time encouraging a sister in the Lord, coming alongside and being a friend and a help. We may need to give up some things that are drawing us away from what is Godly and holy. We may need to separate from some things.

We may need to take less time on our outward appearance so that we can make more time to focus on our heart condition.

It's not easy making time in our busy schedules to read and pray. It takes time to write that text or make that phone call to encourage a friend in need. It often means we have to neglect something that we may have thought important. But, if it has eternal value, then it is all worth it. If it means we don’t look as ‘together’ as we usually do, but God is pleased and glorified by our actions, then so be it. We have to do hard things at times to bring glory to God, but it is to be our all-consuming goal in life. Giving glory to God.

The beauty on the outside fades with time, but Godly character gets more and more beautiful as it matures and grows and blossoms into something God can use.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So, if I can encourage you in anything, please remind yourself of the way God looks at you. He’s looking on the inside. Don’t neglect your physical appearance, but don’t let it become your focus.

Let’s join together and become women of God, who are willing to do hard and holy things. Let’s encourage each other and support each other as we live our lives and strive to bring glory to God, the giver of all good things. He loves you unconditionally, and a bad hair day is not going to change that!

 

An added exhortation:

 

We need women who are more concerned about their hearts than their hair! 

Women who have a desire to study the word of God. 

Women who are not content to be spoon fed. 

Women who want more than just the pink passages of the Bible.  

Women who are not satisfied with a watered-down gospel and a social club type ladies meeting. 

Women who have a holy curiosity about the harder, deeper passages of scripture. 

Women who are not content with a sweet little devotional reading each morning.  

Women who lead their children by example.

Women who have enough Bible literacy to be able to converse with their husbands and others about Bible truths. 

Women who will lead other women and teach them how to grow in their spiritual walk.  

Women who love God and their families with a fierce passion. 

Women who want to serve, not just be served. 

 

Rise up, women! You have a divine calling!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cure is Eating

 

In my last post "Lost in Conversation", I asked the question, “When was the last time you got lost in conversation with God?” I talked about how spending time with God leads to a passion and desire to spending more time in his presence.

I encouraged you not to wait for ‘feelings’ to develop before getting serious about reading and studying God’s Word.

If you have lost your spiritual appetite, then eat! The cure for starvation, is eating!

The truth is, the passion and excitement for spending time in God’s presence will grow when you choose to lay aside how you feel about it, and just do it!

We like to live life based around our feelings. If we don’t feel it, then we don’t do it.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t live like this? God’s closeness is not based on your feelings; it’s based on his faithfulness.

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.

Verse after verse in God’s Word declare God’s faithfulness to us. We never have to be concerned that his trustworthiness, dependability, steadfastness, and loyalty will fail. God is always will be faithful.

Our feelings won’t change that.

I want to speak to those of you who have lost your spiritual appetite. I want to speak to those of you who have lost your desire to be in the Word of God on a daily basis. Those of you who find reading the Bible a chore. Those of you who find praying just another thing you ‘have’ to do as a Christian.

It’s sad, but it happens. Every one of us goes through periods in our lives when we don’t ‘feel’ as close to God. Maybe we’ve become slack in our Bible reading. Or maybe we don’t have the passion we once had to diligently study his Word.

SPOILER ALERT: Just because you don’t ‘feel’ close to God, doesn’t mean he’s moved! He hasn’t. You have! He’s still there, faithfully awaiting your return to him.

The cure for your lack of spiritual appetite is to eat! It sounds kind of silly, but it really is that simple.

If you are not hungry for the Word of God, it’s not because you’ve eaten so much that you are satisfied. No. The lack of hunger is more than likely because you have nibbled so long at the world’s table, that you are no longer hungry for the things of God.

If you are feeling little desire for God, take a moment to consider your diet.

Ask any health-conscious person to explain to you how it is that the more junk food you eat, the less hungry you’ll be for the healthier options and the less room you’ll have for them. But the more you eat of wholesome, nutritious foods, the more you’ll desire to fill up on them.

So, what are you eating? What is your diet like?

If you are filling your soul and mind with too much scrolling, too much entertainment, too much of what the world has to offer in the way of reading, viewing and listening, you are not going to leave much room for the good things God has to offer.

If you consistently feed your heart on the wrong things, the more anaemic your fruit will be. You won’t produce the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) that God wants to grow in you. And you won’t desire the right things.

The Bible tells us that we are blessed when we have a hunger for God and his righteousness.

Matthew 5:6 KJV - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

It also tells us to seek God first (Matthew 6:33). We are told that God rewards our seeking (Hebrews 11:6).

Many times in the Psalms, we see David speaking of the thirst he had for God. (Psalm 42:2; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 143:6).

And you know what the hungering and thirsting after God did for those who sought him? It increased their desire. Their appetite. It helped to remove their spiritual apathy.

So, what do you do when you have lost your spiritual appetite? If you have lost your desire for God, then resolve to flood your soul with his truth until your appetite returns.

The more you pray, the more you’ll want to pray. The more you read his Word, the more you’ll want to read it. The more you study, the more you’ll want to study. The more you feed yourself, the hungrier you’ll get.

The cure is eating!

Now, I don’t want to leave you simply feeling seen and exposed. I want to give you some practical tips on how you can gain back the appetite you’ve lost.

Remember the cure for starvation is eating. So, stop the hunger pangs, and EAT!

One of the first things you need to do is to be real! Be honest with God. Open up your heart to him and ask his forgiveness. Lay it all out on the table. Reveal your apathy to him. Tell him how you feel. (Psalm 62:8) You won’t scare him away by being open and honest with him.

Next, if you’ve stopped praying, then start again! Don’t fear that God will laugh at your feeble attempts to talk to him. He longs to hear from you. Your prayers don’t need to be intellectual and articulate. Let your prayers flow from your heart in words that even a child could understand. Don’t stop praying. Remember, the more you pray, the more you’ll want to.

Stay in the Word. Get back into reading God’s Word daily. If you have neglected your Bible for so long you have become unfamiliar, then read the Psalms. Read through the Gospels. Remind yourself of God’s goodness to you and to his people. Don’t let even a day go by without reading a verse or two and meditating on it. The Word of God will do more for your soul then any self-help book, motivational speaker, daily affirmation or inspirational quote will ever do!

And lastly, get around God’s people! If you have isolated yourself and shunned Godly, Chrisitan community, then you need to force yourself to get back into it! We were never meant to live our Christian lives alone. We were built for community.

It’s God’s idea for us to live in community with others. He is a relational God who designed us in his image. Built within us is a pattern for experiencing intimate relationship with God and then expressing that love to others.

It is so important to be grounded in the life of a local church. It’s where discipleship takes place, compassion, friendship, encouragement, accountability, exhortation, prayer, mentoring, shepherding, and teaching.

So, if you have lost your spiritual appetite, then gain it back by eating!

Be real with God. Pray regularly. Stay in the Word. Get around God’s people.

And watch your appetite grow. The more you eat, the hungrier you’ll get.

Jeremiah 29:13 KJV - And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

Lost in Conversation

 

For those of you that are married, do you remember the early days of getting to know each other? Do you remember the extra long conversations? The lengthy phone calls, or in my case, the pages and pages of handwritten letters about life. (To my frustration, I couldn’t have long phone calls as my dad, being a Pastor, always needed the phone). And yes, I am showing my age by referring to handwritten letters.

I can vividly remember taking days to write a letter, adding to it, a little each day, wanting to share the best and worst parts of my day with my special person, wanting them to know who I was, what I loved, what I hated, what I wanted in life. And more than anything, wanting to get to know them better.

Do you remember getting so lost in conversation because you longed more than anything to get to know this person so fully, that you lost track of time? Hours went by and yet it seemed like only minutes, and the ‘curfew’ was up, or the phone was needed by someone else (sorry, no mobile phones in those days) or maybe you had talked for so long, you needed to take a break to think up more to talk about as you had exhausted your list of discussion topics.

Okay, let me get to my point. I’m going to be blunt and upfront with you,

When was the last time you spent so much time with God that you lost track of time? Time flew by because you just wanted to talk to him. You wanted to be in his presence.

When was the last time you got lost in conversation with God?

When I was going out with my husband, the more time I spent with him, the more time I wanted to spend with him. The more I learned about him, the more I wanted to know about him. The more I heard his stories of his everyday life, the more I wanted to hear.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

The more time you spend with Jesus, the more time you will want to spend with him. The more the time flies as you sit and meditate on the Words of Scripture. The more you find yourself digging into the Bible, spending time in prayer, in worship, in study.

It wasn’t passion that led me to spend more time with my then future husband. It was the time spent with him that led to passion. The more I got to know him, the more I loved him and the more I wanted to be with him.

And I personally feel that it’s the same with God.

We often think that our passion or desire leads us to spend time with God, but it’s actually the other way around.

Passion and desire don’t lead to time with God. Time with God leads to passion. (Disclaimer: once this cycle begins, it becomes a little blurred as to what came first, but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say).

Time with God leads to loving him more. Desiring what he wants. Longing to follow his will. Wanting his best and not our own.

Now, for those of you reading this, maybe there is someone that is struggling right now with a desire to spend time with Jesus, can I speak to you for a moment?

If you are waiting around, just hoping the desire will come upon you, just waiting to feel excited before you open your Bible and pray, you could be waiting a very long time.

If you are waiting for ‘feelings’ to develop before you get serious about reading and studying God’s Word, then you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Our duty as a Christian is to strive to become more like Christ. We are to be daily following in his footsteps, watching him, imitating him. You can’t do that if you’re not in the Word, looking for instruction on how to do it.

The truth is….the passion and excitement for spending time in God’s presence will grow when we choose to lay aside how we feel about it, and just do it!

Yes, it’s a choice. We have a choice to obey. And it is a step of obedience to discipline ourselves to be in the Word daily.

But what a blessing it is and how amazing it is when the desire begins to grow as you cultivate the seed that is growing within you, watering it with God’s Word, feeding it with his teaching, pruning it with his loving rebukes.

There is so much in life that we do, even though we don’t feel like it. And yet we do it. Why is it that we don’t apply the same dogged determination when it comes to God’s Word?

Why do we think we can go a day without hearing from him? Why do we think we have to ‘feel’ something before we act?

I know from experience, that time after time, when I have made the choice to put aside something else, in order to be in his Word, despite my feelings at the time, my desire for him grows and my desire for more time with him lengthens.

I find myself lost in conversation. I bury myself in some beautiful truth and before I know it, the minutes have flown by, and I rise up to go about my day eager for my next encounter in God’s presence.

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

Did you know that there is joy in God’s presence? And not just joy, but fulness of joy. Abundant joy. Satisfying joy.

King David knew something about being in God’s presence and he longed for it.

Psalm 27:4 KJV - One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

David’s longing for close fellowship with God caused him to continually seek God’s presence. The ‘one thing’ that he desired was so important to him. He wanted to know God intimately. He longed to be in his presence continually.

Psalm 26:8 KJV - LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Morning by morning, day after day, David desired to experience God’s goodness and God’s presence. He wanted to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. He desired to worship him. He adored God not for what he could get from him, not for God’s hand, but for his face. His presence.

Pursuing God’s face is about developing an intimate relationship with him. But you can’t have this without putting in some effort. For any relationship to work, both parties have to be intentional about communication.

God has already done his part. He gave us his Word. He gave us his Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us.

It is our job to do our part. We have to come into his presence and seek his face. We have to communicate with him. We have to read his Words of life. We have to meditate on them. We have to come to him in prayer and humility.

Just as Mary chose the ‘one thing’ (Luke 10:42) that was needed, sitting at Jesus feet, listening to his teaching and spending time in his presence, so too do we need this ‘one thing’.

The apostle Paul pursued the ‘one thing’ in life as well. He longed to know Christ for who he was, so he could worship him and serve him better. (Philippians 3:10-14)

Do you have a desire for the ‘one thing’? Is the greatest longing of your heart to seek God’s presence?

If your soul is running low on joy today, maybe it’s time you spent some time with Jesus, getting lost in conversation as you get to know him better. Allow him to bring renewal. Allow him to refresh you as you gaze on his beauty and his holiness.

Sometimes we read our Bibles simply to answer our questions or highlight Bible verses, or to find thoughts to jot down, but how about getting lost in conversation with God? How about spending some time in admiration of him. Talking to him about his goodness to us.

Take time today to come into God’s presence and sit with him. Commune with him. Listen as he speaks. Learn from him. Worship him.

Get lost in conversation and watch the desire grow.

 

 

Are you being led or driven? 

Do you know his voice? 

 

I learnt something interesting this week regarding shepherds.

“On one of my trips to Israel I once saw a man behind a flock of sheep, driving them down the road by holding out two long sticks, one on either side, in an attempt to force them to stay together in front of him. Puzzled that I had never seen a shepherd lead his sheep like that, I asked my guide, Zvi, “Why is that shepherd driving his sheep that way? I’ve never seen that before.” “Oh,” he answered. “That’s not a shepherd. That’s a butcher. He has bought those sheep and now he has to drive them to the slaughterhouse. They won’t follow him, because they don’t know him. He can’t lead them, so he has to drive them.”

Shepherds lead from the front. Butchers drive from behind.

It makes me think of a passage of Scripture found in the book of John.

John 10:3-5 KJV - To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

What a beautiful word picture we have here in John’s gospel. I had never really thought about the position of the shepherd in relation to a herd of sheep. I mean, I know some of the basics of ancient shepherding techniques but never before had I seen it put so clearly in illustrating so well the importance of the shepherd.

Look at some of the phrases found in these verses.

“the sheep hear his voice”, “leadeth them out”, “the sheep follow him”, “they know his voice” and finally and so importantly, “they know NOT the voice of strangers”.

There are many references to sheep in the Bible. 187 of them as a matter of fact and 43 references to shepherds. And there are many more verses that refer to a lamb or THE lamb as well. Needless to say, sheep and shepherds were very relatable to people in Bible times and the stories told only helped to make clear the message God was trying to get across.

When we look at verse 4, we see that the shepherd ‘goes before’ his sheep. In Bible times, the shepherds would gather their sheep into a communal pen at night for protection. When dawn came and the sun began to peek over the horizon, each shepherd would call his sheep, and no matter how many sheep there were, each shepherd’s particular sheep would follow the sound of his voice.

The beautiful imagery we find here in this passage not only highlights the personal relationship between the shepherd and his sheep, but it also symbolizes Jesus’ relationship with His children.

Each shepherd knew his own sheep. Individually. Personally. And it is the same with Jesus. It reflects the knowledge and care Jesus has for His followers.

John 10:14 KJV - I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

We have only to look at Psalm 23 to read about the Lord Jesus’ care for us.

In thinking of this example of the shepherd in Israel and the man driving the sheep from behind, I was so intrigued that the shepherd leads and the one who does not have ownership or relationship with the sheep, drives them. One leads. One drives.

The leading of the shepherd demonstrates guidance and protection. As the shepherd lead his sheep, he would not only be looking for the green pastures and good feeding grounds, but he was also on high alert for predators or anything that may cause harm to his sheep.

As the shepherd leads the way, we see that the sheep follow him. Why? Why do the sheep follow their shepherd? Because they know his voice.

It was essential for the sheep to know and recognize their own shepherd’s voice. There had to be an unmistakable familiarity between the sheep and the shepherd for the sheep to feel safe enough to follow the shepherd and to know which voice to follow.

John 10:27 KJV - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Did you notice whose voice they don’t know and won’t follow? Have a look at verse 5.

John 10:5 KJV - And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

They don’t know the stranger’s voice. Sheep will not follow a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice. There is no relationship there. There is no familiarity. No trust.

The reason that the butcher had to drive the sheep is because they didn’t know his voice. He couldn’t lead them. So, he had to drive them.

Isn’t it amazing that as God’s children, we know, or we should know, his voice. We should be so much in tune with God through our personal relationship with him, through our daily communing with him, that we instantly recognize his voice.

And because we know him, we can trust him.

This leads me to a point I want to make. When we find ourselves weighed down with worries and burdened with anxious thoughts, we have only to look to the shepherd. We have only to listen for his voice as he leads us.

When sheep trust their shepherd and know his voice from constant interaction with him, they can be content in letting him lead the way, knowing that he will take them on the path they need to go, resting along the way, offering nourishment and avoiding the things that would harm them.

And so it is with us. As we walk with Jesus, day after day, connecting with him through prayer and reading of His word, listening to His still, small voice, we develop a life of trust, recognizing his voice and allowing our anxieties to be cast on him, letting him lead the way.

When we add tomorrow’s burden to today’s, the weight is often more than we can bear. As Corrie Ten Boom so aptly put it, “Worry (and anxiety) does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength”

If we find ourselves in this overwhelmed, overloaded state, remember, it’s not God’s doing, it’s ours!

F.B.Meyer put it plainly when he said, “This is the blessed life-not anxious to see far in front, nor eager to choose the path, but quietly following behind the shepherd, one step at a time. The shepherd was always out in front of the sheep. He was down in front. Any attack upon them had to take him into account. Now God is down in front. He is in the tomorrows. It is tomorrow that fills men with dread. God is there already. All the tomorrows of our life have to pass Him before they can get to us.”

Did you see that? God is already in my tomorrows, in your tomorrows. And that is why we can trust him. That is why we can cast our anxieties on him. In humbleness, we throw our cares upon him (1 Peter 5:6-7) and he bears our burdens on his shoulders.

And you know what is so wonderful? If we can stop worrying about tomorrow, we can work on trusting God today, and living out his purpose and plan fully and wholeheartedly today, knowing that he knows the path that lies ahead, and he will lead as we listen for his voice and follow it.

It is not the strangers voice we should follow. The stranger that masquerades as the Devil, but disguises himself as many other things. It’s not the lies he feeds us that we should follow.

If we know the Lord Jesus’ voice, that is the voice we should be following. He is not driving us from behind. He is leading from ahead.

Everything he is going to take us through has to pass through him to get to us. He decides what we go through. We decide the attitude we have as we walk through it.

Is our attitude one of worry and anxiousness? Is it full of fretting and trembling in fear?

We have a good shepherd. A shepherd that knows us fully and yet loves us unconditionally.

He speaks and we need to be listening.

As we read the Word of God, we hear him. We hear his voice. We begin to understand more of his character. We allow ourselves to trust. We grow in our faith. And we obey his leading.

The more in tune we are with the Lord, the more we will recognize his voice and the less likely we will be to follow the voice of a stranger (or false teacher, or misguided friend, or deceitful liar, or sincere believer that is sincerely wrong with their advice).

It pays to walk close to the Lord through daily communication with him through prayer and study.

Not only will be more readily recognize his voice, but we will be less likely to develop an anxious spirit and a discontented heart.

We can walk in full assurance that God is in control of each and every situation. We can follow his leading, trusting him in the light and in the dark as we listen for his voice.

Don’t let the butcher drive you, let the shepherd lead you!

Psalm 23:4 KJV - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.