His Voice

A Bible lesson from Teach Me, Lord

John 10:27 My sheep know my voice and they follow me.

How would you describe God's Voice? Do you recognize when He is speaking to you? He speaks to us on a continual basis. Prayer is talking to God. Listening and responding to Him is a conversation. These are Biblical examples of His Voice and how He speaks into our hearts.
Jer. 33:3; Heb. 10:16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17, John 10:27; 1 Cor. 2:16


God's inner voice leaves impressions on the heart. These impressions influence our soul. The first time we heard from God and had a conversation with Him was at salvation. We became aware of our need for Him, confessed our sins and invited Him into our lives as Lord and Savior. A life changing conversation, a life changing experience. (By the way only God can lead a person into salvation.)

Everyday we receive impressions that motivate us to think, speak and act in either the world's way or God's way. Ask this question: Is this impression from God? Is this something He would say or do or think? To answer those questions accurately we must know God's goals, desires and character. He tells us about His love, His plans and His goals in the scriptures. Through prayer, worship and Bible reading we can know Him and His voice.

When reading the scriptures think about keeping a record of the descriptions of His character. Then make a record of the world's character. A good place to start is in Gal 5:19-23. Both the world's voice and God's voice are described in these verses.

God's voice inside your spirit must agree with His character. Motivations, intentions, emotions, experiences and the deep hidden secrets surface. Are these revealed truths leading to decisions, desires and goals consistent with God's Character or are they leading to self-centered, self-motivated, self-absorbed living (Heb 4:12)?

Do you hear from God? Can you describe His voice? Of course you can. You're a child of God.

My sheep know my voice and they follow me.

Alone

Loneliness happens to us all. Major events create a void often, a move, death, divorce, separation. Even adult children leaving to a new life or the five year old leaving for school all day can cause that alone feeling. Any change to the routine of our lives brings the unsettled adjustment. Wrong decisions that interrupt peace also bring loneliness. Everyone of us fights loneliness. Sometimes to the point of making very unwise decision.

Well fear no more. God offers the answer to this pain. He fills the void. He is the answer.


I can point to many moments of loneliness. Some came as I've mentioned. I remember when my children left for school. I cried. Just recently my adult children have decided to move farther away from me and that empty feeling came again. But the biggest moments of loneliness came three times, times when I felt like someone punched me in the stomach and knocked the breath out of me.

The first time came when I was as a child, age six. I took a trip with my Aunt May. I loved being with her and looked forward to the event. The second day in I experienced what is called home sick. The empty, lost, where is home pain hit. Knowledge of where home was and that I'd be there again fixed the problem. Once you over come that one, it never visits again.


The second moment happened in my 20's. I'd married and left the state. No friends, no connections. The empty, lost, where is home came again. Church became a part of my life and we eventually made friends but it never felt the same...home. I now became responsible to create my own home, my own life.


The third came in my 50's. Divorce broke into that home I created. Everything lost meaning. Possessions meant nothing. My children were on their way to new lives and I felt alone, empty, lost, where is home? It was with me all the time, for home is Christ.

Practical ways to overcome loneliness.

Practice the presence of Christ: Talk to Him. Listen to His voice. Know He is in your house, at your job. Walk with Him. Enjoy His presence. Worship Him.

In all your ways acknowledge Him: Submit to His will. Involve yourself in His life and goals. Respond to His direction.

Let His love flow through you: Let Him love you then release that love to the world around you. It turns out that life is not about us. It is about Him and His life inside us. Begin to meet the need He calls you to meet and discover you ministry to others.

Loneliness is that empty, lost, where is home feeling. The answer?

Christ finds the lost
Christ fills the empty heart
Christ is home.

Walked On

Proverbs 11

Ever feel sometimes because your a christian you get 'walked on' or even before you were a Christan you got taken advantage of often? We try to be nice, turn the other cheek, step aside and get laughed at, put down, cheated, and similar stuff. Why do we let all this happen? Should we stand up and take over? In some cases, yes. Boundary's always apply especially when the innocent in your life are in danger. But mostly, no.

I've always been self sufficient. NO one takes advantage of me. I learned young to take what I needed, strike back, stand my ground to death if necessary and be strong. This is not who I am today. Thank you Lord.

Did I get what I wanted? Yes, one way or the other. Did I feel confidant? Usually. I was raised around verbal, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. It left a ton of baggage to over come. It taught me to be self sufficient and stand my ground. Not what the scriptures teach. But God in His mercy showed me a better way when He saved me through Christ and turned those perverse traits into good qualities. The grit, stand my ground and fight to the death turned into tenacity, patience and a never give up attitude once in the hands of the Master. The rest died, eventually.

In Proverbs 11 it talks about how the soul is destroyed when you are cruel. That the soul is nourished when you are kind. Coupled with the verse that says do not judge for you will be judges as you judge and I see a comparison. What you put out there you get back. Put out cruel actions and you punish you own soul, get involved with evil and evil comes to live with you, judge others and you judge yourself with the same veracity. Why? Exactly.

When Christ comes into our life no one can walk on us. He takes the sting out of death and the cheat out of life. We are never really cheated again because the riches found in Him are not only greater than what the world offers but actually fulfill everything the world works so hard to attain. (In My book Faded Purple)

In this one chapter alone (proverbs 11) we gain much understanding of evil and the result of christian living. Think about making a list of the evil actions. Call it the worlds way. Then make a list of the results found in Christian living. Call it Gods way.

Here are a few of Gods way benefits that can ONLY be attained as a child of God:

Rewards that lasts forever, integrity that guides, wisdom, we flourish, blessed now and forever, we're satisfied, prosperous, happy (joyful), we find freedom and life, we become fruitful and nourished.

Walked on? Depends on our perspective and how we view our position in Christ.

Follow Me

John 8:12; 10:4; 10:27; Psm 1:1-3; 2:12; 84:5; 118:20

I learned something today I never knew before. It applies to the christian walk so thoroughly that I decided to check my life again with the principle and share it with you.

Trapeze artists apply a non negotiable safe guard as they fly through the air... trust. You see, the catcher does all the work. The flier goes into the air, lifts his arms arms toward the catcher and trusts him to grab his wrist. He must not reach out or grab for the catcher. If he does, they run the risk of breaking each others wrist. He is caught and then he holds on to the one who saves him. That takes trust!

We are asked to do the same thing in our christian walk. Let go of the bar, reach up to the Lord and let Him catch us.

Do you ever notice that sometimes when the Lord has spoken to us we hesitate, question and wonder if we heard right? He has asked us to leap out and we, out of fear, wait. Granted, the scripture should always be the guide on listening to God's voice ( something I will cover in a later blog) but if you are sure of His direction and still hesitate then let me encourage you...leap. He will catch you.

I know, sometimes He leads into situations that require continual faith. Sometimes things do not get better, maybe even worse. However, if God is leading, His peace, joy, love and all the rest of the fruits will comfort, and place confidence in each step. When He leads and we follow, He is there in the situation with us.

What has God called you to trust Him for today?
What is your leap of faith?
What has He asked you to do?
Is He leading you into salvation, a special task, a walk of faith. Has He pointed to a situation that needs to change, a relationships? What ever it is, don't let fear stop you.

Follow Him. Jump, fly through the air into His arms. He will catch you.

Father's Day

Any man can be a father but it takes a special person to be a dad.

Did you know about Father's Day? A woman named Sonora Smart Dodd got the idea after a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Her mother died and her dad raised her so she wanted to honor and appreciate him for all he had done. She called him a courageous, selfless, loving man. Sound familiar?

Many of us do not have fathers any more. Some of us never knew our fathers. Others of us never developed a close relationship with a dad. Maybe the father you knew did not understand the power of his position and remained a threat. So many scenarios, maybe as many as the sands in the sea. I pray your father was as loving and selfless as Sonora's dad and that he is there this week to smile your way.

Regardless of the earthly father in your life, know that there is a Heavenly Father who delights in the smile on your face, who is proud of you His creation and waits daily to listen to your voice. He holds you close and shares all sorrows and joys. Yes, a Dad that knows your every breath, that counts the hairs on your head and keeps all tears in a bottle. He loves you, adores you and wants you with Him now and forever. For this Dad never dies, or harms or makes mistakes. He never sleeps, He keeps watch over all your comings and goings, He sees it all and loves you unconditionally. This Dad has prepared a home for you in heaven and lives inside your heart this very moment. Take a moment and enjoy this Father of yours.

We may not all have fathers like Sonora but we all have a Heavenly Father.

Psalm 56:8; Luke 12:7; John 14:2-3

Worry

Luke 12; Matt 6:23-27; Prov 12:25; Psm 55:22

The Sunday sermon today was too good not to share with you...Worry

Finances, health, relationships, family, world crises, life, death, children and now for me grandchildren are all things most of us worry about. Yet we are distinctly instructed by God not to worry.

Here are a few facts about worry:
Worry and greed are related. Greed never gets enough. Worry is afraid it will never have enough.
Worry is unhealthy
Worry tears you apart inside and in every area of your life.
Worry in English means to strangle or attack.
Worry attacks the brain chemistry and causes less ability to cope.
Worry is unbelief in God's ability to keep His promises.
40% of what we worry about never happens.
30% of our worries are from the past
12% from what people think of us
10% about our heath
8% Are real things that can be handled.

How do we eliminate worry? Trust God with the details of our lives.

• God only gives us enough grace to handle one day at a time.
• Tomorrow's troubles need to wait till tomorrow.
• Seek God first and let Him take care of you.
• Remember you are His child.
• Reframe those worry thoughts. Put them into God's perspective.
• Turn the problems over to the promises of God.
• Cast them away.
• Put God first in every area of your life.

Once again...trust God to take care of you.

Gone Tomorrow

Luke 12:28; Matt 16:25; Gal 2:20

The other day my son-in-law asked me a question that stumped me a moment. I knew what he wanted in a way but had trouble with the answer. It took me awhile to understand the confusion in me.

The question: "Donna, what would you do if you had no children or grandchildren? What would you do if you could do anything you wanted to do? What would you do for you, if there was just you?

The first impression was sadness for I could not imagine not having my children and grandchildren. To think of life without them hurt some. After I wrapped my mind around the reason for the question, I realized that he, someone who had not children, could not understand the myriad of emotions that ran through me. Children change your life. You get your first lesson in self sacrifice, a sacrifice that causes you to die, if necessary for your child. Because of the pause he asked again.

"You seem to have lived your whole life serving others, living to help friends, your children and now grandchildren. What would you like to do for just you? What would you do with your life if it was just you?"

The answer finally came something like this: "I've made a lot of mistakes, however the one thing I am sure of and thankful for is Christ. Giving my life away to Christ means I no longer live. So the choices I make are based on that relationship. Since I gave my life away, I am doing what I want to do."

After they left I spent a few days thinking deeper about people in general and the unrest all around us. The lack of peace, direction, joy and the preoccupation with "I want it my way."
You see, life will be over soon. Life is as unstable as an evaporating drop of water. The only thing that matters is Christ and His life, His ways, His direction, His will and He clearly states His will in the Scripture. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Then love your neighbor as yourself.

What does that mean to you? To me it means Jesus first, Others second and You last. It has taken years to come to this conclusion. Many mistakes, wrong turns and selfish decisions. But real joy is found only in Christ and what he wants. My life is not my own.