It's Easy to Hear God

Did you know that it's easy to hear God? I'll bet that surprised you since you might not think so. I've encouraged my home group to write down a few things they have been seeking God about but with the expectation and the proclamation that it's easy to hear God and that they will obey when they hear.

A few weeks ago I was praying at the altar at church and God showed me that He clearly speaks to me but that I then take what He says and kind of put it through a test, passing it back and forth between "yes, I think its God" and "no, I'm not sure." I then run it through some kind of spiritual counterfeit machine and then i wait to see how i feel about it! All so that I can be sure I'm "hearing God" and not the voice of my own soul or the voice of the enemy. You could say its me trying to be careful and it is but it really ends up being kind of an insult to God and my relationship with Him.

What if you did that with your closest friends? What if they said something to you and you said, "Be right back, I've got to figure out if its really you saying this. " For the most part we know what our closest friends would say in any given situation, so why don't we feel confident in trusting that we can hear God? Do we know Him that well? If not, His Word is calling to be read and known! "His sheep hear His Voice, the voice of another they will not hearken to!"

Are we trusting the part of us that is flesh and wants its own way more than the part of us that loves God and is born of His Spirit and wants to hear God, indeed lives on every word that God speaks?

What if our daily proclamation was "I easily hear and confidently obey what God speaks to me!" I dare you to try this. You see, what happens is that we get so bogged down into questioning the hearing that we do not end up doing much at all. You would soon find out that if the enemy of our soul knows that you are going to act on what God says then he will no longer be able to use this stalling tactic on you.

Do you think Jesus had a hard time knowing the will of God? He said, "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing" (John 5:19)... It was easy because it was his first and only priority! Any hindrance was pushed out of the way. He HAD to hear what His Father was saying.

Will you occasionally get it wrong because of your humanity? It is a possibility, but a self-correcting one. Isaiah writes, "If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. ·You should go this way" (Isaiah 30:21). And the thing is one thing has changed to make it even easier since Isaiah's day: now that Voice is within you if you are a believer! Obviously, the voice of God never tells you to do anything contrary to the Word of God. God is not going to tell us to hurt someone, to hurt ourselves, to go against His commandments, to act against the nature of who God is, etc.

When we live to do the will of God, we will know very quickly when we have gone off the path because the Holy Spirit, in our spirit, will warn us. "Danger! Will Robinson, Danger!" God wants us to tighten up our ability to not only hear God but to obey Him in this hour. Please start to walk in the place where you expect to hear God easily "for as many are led by the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God" (Romans 8:14) and "all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

God is speaking clearly today, have a listen! and then obey!

-----------------------------
P.S. I hear God saying that someone will read this and think they are so far away from hearing God. OK, so, no matter where you are at, how far away you feel from being able to hear God's voice, if you will ask Him, you will know the next simple step you must take. That is all you need. Take that step, and the next one will be given to you. Step by step, we can walk out of the darkness into light.

Finding God in the Great Silence

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. 
--Mother Theresa 

winter walk in Robinson State Forest. Agawam, MA

Ignoring the Caution Tape

The last hurricane brought a tree limb down to rest on our power and utility lines. Thankfully, they did not
break under the weight, but they did slowly, inch by inch, take out our neighbor's cable and phone lines.
Despite a predicted long wait, the electric crew came quite rapidly : all seven of them and 4
trucks! They taped off the whole area, including over an adjacent  public sidewalk, with yellow
caution tape. They put yellow tape on the downed cable and phone lines. They cut off the offending
limb and drove off leaving my front yard looking like a war zone of  tree carnage.

Over the next few days we had a lot of lookers, and people passing by  made a wide path around
"whatever happened in that yard."  I learned a lot about people in my neighborhood.
Well, its hard to tell exactly what is now fixed as there is still one line down, kind
of hanging limply across the sidewalk. I suspect its an old fashioned telephone landline and
since these days that is kind of antiquated technology,  maybe its just not necessary for our
neighbors to get it fixed. I don't know.

What I want to write about is the caution tape. At first, people really obeyed it, and
walked onto the street to avoid the area. But between this and that,
part of the tape kind of lost it's way, and with it, lost it's authority, and I noticed that
people started to just walk under the downed line, the first time a little gingerly,
and then, with a "whatever" attitude as they walked down the street with their
DD coffee or cell phone or dog or what have you. I now do it myself.

The scary lesson is this: Is this how moral conscience gets hardened?
Is this how we become deaf to the leading of the Spirit? Is this how we
enter into dangerous or temptation laden situations when we know that God
has roped them off  for good reason?

At first we steer clear, then it becomes too much work to walk around
them, then we lose our fear, then we think we are safe and can handle
it when maybe the wire is still live and we are not safe at all. And maybe
we haven't radically cut off the offending limb that started the whole
situation, as Jesus told us to do, in  order to make it into the Kingdom,
even if we limp in?. (Mark 9::43)

Who are we to judge whether we can ignore what has been
already deemed as someplace to tread carefully? A phone line can
still give a small jolt but an overhead suburban power line can fry me
a thousand times over. I can't really tell the difference because
I'm not trained in that area. So are you willing to take a
chance based on your level of spiritual knowledge? That
would be about like playing Russian Roulette with your soul.
 "If I have spoken to you of earthly things and you didn't get it, then how
can I speak of heavenly ones?" Jesus said to Nicodemus,
(of whom He thought should have known better.) (John 3:12).

God has given us the Holy Spirit to warn us, to guide is
in the safe way, to show us when to "go home by another
way." (Matthew 2:16-18).  But are we listening, and more
importantly, do we CONTINUE to listen? We can start out well,
but our enemy would be just as happy to kill us on
round 18 as he would on round 1.

I've started to look around for caution tape in my life.
Hoping that I'm not knee deep in spiritually broken
electrical wire. You might want to take a look
around yourself. There have been a lot of storms,
of every sort, of late. Don't be foolish. Take care.

I would cautiously hasten to say that, past how
this applies to all of us,  this is a  specific
message to someone out there. If you've
gotten a caution from the Lord, but are still
thinking of proceeding with your course
of action: DON'T.  If you wanted a sign
Here it is:

Even the silence of God gives me strength....

...even the silence of God gives me strength

--mattie stepanik, "reflections of a peacemaker: a portrait

through heartsongs", age 13 when he died

photo taken at Talcott Mountain State Park, Avon, CT

Consider Jesus. Know Jesus. Learn what kind of Person it is you say you trust and love and worship. Soak in the shadow of Jesus. Saturate your soul with the ways of Jesus. Watch Him. Listen to Him. Stand in awe of Him. Let Him overwhelm you with the way He is.

- John Piper

photo taken in Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs, Colorado

(as always, thanks for driving, Tara!)

Concealed

"It is the glory of God to conceal a ...uh, well, a baby moose: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."

Proverbs 25:2.

I've been away for awhile...out "somewhere they can't find me" :) --deep in Colorado
moose country....this little guy was my first siting....his momma calling to him
not to look but he still did, what a cutie....I'll be posting some wonderful photos
from this expedition....but do be thinking of this great truth: it is the glory of God
to conceal a matter, and it is our honor to seek God, Who, often remains mostly
hidden in the heavenly bushes, watching us with great compassion. 

Being in nature is a restorative process, for we must slow down, listen, watch, be, all very quietly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding from above. (Proverbs 9:10).  The best things in life....require us to seek.
 photo taken in Gould, Colorado

One Grand Providence

God's care is more evident in some instances of [His providence]

than in others to the dim and often bewildered vision of humanity.

Upon such instances we seize and call them providences. It is well

that we can; but it would be gloriously better if we could believe

that the whole matter is one grand providence.

- George MacDonald (1824-1905), "Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood

Photo: inside an orchid, Northampton, MA

Grace to be Taught New Things!

"In these days, God taught me as a schoolteacher teaches a pupil."

I remind myself that there are things God has to teach me yet,

and ask for the grace to hear them and let them change me.

--Ignatius of Loyola

photo taken in Worcester, Uk

Because You're Mine, I Walk the Line

Its a beautiful, warm midwinter day here. Sun shining and
I head out for the bike path along the river to walk. Its
nice to be outside, alone with the cold, fresh air, and
walking with God as I go.

The bike path has a bright yellow line down the center
and one is supposed to walk on one side or the other.
Few people are around and no bicycles and I hear
the voice of God saying, "Walk down the yellow center
strip and try to keep the shadow of your head centered
on the center strip." Ok. God and I often walk and talk,
so this does not surprise me. The sun is behind me
casting my shadow forward. Right, keep my head
centered! Ha! I try to keep it lined up the yellow
line but its amazingly hard.

The natural pace of walking causes the shadow
of my head to move first to the right of the line
then to the left of it as I walk. Then, also,
as the path winds, the sun behind me causes
my shadow to shift and I have to keep adjusting
my gate, first a few steps to the right, then
a few steps the left. The dynamics change with
every step so it becomes quite challenging.

I could feel God telling me, "This is what
walking with Me is like, you have to pay
attention and you have to keep adjusting
to stay perfectly centered on My leading.
If the sun is perfectly behind you, it
will make it easier, just as if you walk
listening to My voice and don't stray
off the path, you will only have to
adjust slightly. Lose the light behind
you and even your shadow will be hard
to find.


As the late, great Johnny Cash sang so
eloquently:

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

And even more sublimely and eternally, As it is written,

"[The Lord] is your teacher; he will not continue
to hide from you, but you will see your Teacher
with your own eyes. If you go the wrong way—to the
right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind
you saying, "This is the right way. You should go
this way." (Isaiah 30:20, 21 adapted).


Be sure to walk the Lord's line, and have a listen here: :)

I Walk the Line

Chippy and God

I have a little chipmunk that lives in my yard. By "little" I mean small in size,
but full of himself, and that makes quite a large package.  I'm not sure
how long he's lived in the maze of tunnels that completely encircle
my house. I've just noticed him a lot more this year. I assume its a "him"
but I could be wrong.

He's quite the character. No matter what time I look outside, no matter
what part of the house I  happen to be in, if  I look out, there he is.
He's charged with too much energy. Zoom, zoom, zoom.  This way,
that way, upside, down way. I'm beginning to see him as an analogy
of our relationship with God.  He furtively runs around, thinking that
no-one is watching. If he sees me, he throws himself into whatever
bush or hiding place he can, but he's kind of wired so he calls so
much attention to himself that even if  I hadn't initially seen him,
I would have after he tried to hide  because  he cant seem to make
himself small or inconspicuous. 

He doesn't know that I spend a lot of time watching him. I've begun
to put extra food items down his holes, just to let him know that
I know where he lives and to kind of bless him.. He's not much of
a vegetarian. And he has a sweet tooth. He likes the organic sugar
cubes, but not the lettuce I've stuffed into his hole. Furthermore,
he's absolutely selfish.

The most bizarre thing that has happened so far is that I put
raisins out for the robins that we also feed. A little while after I put
them out,  I looked out and a mourning dove had seen them
and had flown down to eat them. There was also a robin
who had come. Chippy flies out of his hole and actually gets
into a fight with the mourning dove. He lunges at the bird
and runs around in circles madder than you can imagine and
chirping  loudly at the poor dove. The dove, not exactly peaceful,
 tries to chase him away also. Its quite a loud confrontation.
They are hopping and fluttering and chirping in both bird
talk and chipmunk talk.

I go out to see what is happening and they are so embroiled
in arguing that they don't pay attention to me. The robin is there,
just a few feet away. The robins in our yard know us, so they
dont fly away unless we are within a few feet. The robin is trying
to figure out what is going on. The robin looks at me and then
at the fighting duo, and cuts them a wide swath, moving closer
to me and farther away from them.  "There goes the neighborhood"
I could almost hear the dignified robin intimate toward me.

When I watch this little guy, crazy and reckless as he is, I think
of us and God. God is closer than we think, watching us more
than we know. He leaves food where we can find it. We take
the sweet stuff readily and leave the healthy stuff behind. 

God is aware of how we treat others. And we, much of the time, are oblivious
to His Presence, thinking we are sneaking around unseen, and
full of our petty jealousies, spending a lot of time not sharing, or
worse yet, getting quite beligerent when people take things that
are not even ours.

Chippy  also has a hole by the downspout. Our gutter was having
problems so I put a large container, during the dry weather,
under the spout to catch the rain. I didnt know that it partly
covered his hole. When he came up the hole, I heard this
extremely loud commotion. He had panicked when
he could not get out of his hole and pushed the container over,
scaring himself silly  in the process. He is quite the character.
Not very accepting of new things.  Not quite able to adapt
to changes. Not liking new things on his turf.

I've started to be more bold with him. It startles him. I speak
to him when I know he is hiding in the bushes. I ring a little
bell when I am putting food down his hole. I want him to
know that I care about him, but also have a little fun. :)

Gee, this is sounding more like our relationship with God
all the time. Hmmmm..... I wonder if He sees me like
I see Chippy.  Yikes.

P.S. I have a picture of him somewhere. I will try to find it
and post it.

The Voice of Strangers

....the sheep hear his voice and he calls His own sheep by name
and leads them out....yet they will by no means follow a
stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the
voice of a stranger." (John 10: 3, 5)


What a great promise and a sobering warning this is to us!
God knows His own by name and calls them out. He leads
them safely and gives His life for them. But many strangers
try and raise their voice to lure the sheep toward them.
The land, the world, is full of such voices. They are
everywhere and they are in places you would not
expect them to be. So we must listen to who is calling us.

So many are trying to gather people unto themselves
for their own purposes. Some of those people are
naive. Some are misguided. Some are malevolent.
Some are ravening wolves. Some are in league with
the devil. None have a  shepherd's heart toward you.
Beware!

Our sole job is to listen and know the Shepherd's voice.
We are in the midst of a war. Strange voices
are vying for our souls. Many want to eat us.
Only Jesus, our good Shepherd, can protect and keep us. 
It is not really a scary matter, but a simple matter of faith and
of hearing.

There is not much we can do to defend ourselves:
sheep don't have much in the way of offensive
resources. But we can trust our Shepherd and
listen to Him. That we can do. He will protect
us. The others do not care for our souls.

How will we hear? First, we must listen. Then
we must discern. Is this the One who loves
me and has given His life for me? Is this
the One who leads me beside still waters?
Is this the One who restores my soul?

When we spend much time with our Beloved
we know what He is like. We can feel His
protection and love for us. We know His
demeanor and His ways. We know His
protective Hand. But the voice of another
we do not recognize.

Dear Ones, when you do not recognize the voice, do not
follow it no matter how sweetly it calls to you. If it promises
that which fulfills the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, or the pride of life, beware! The hook is
hidden by the bait!

Listen! Listen! Listen!


photo taken in the Yorkshire Dales, UK