Hearing His Voice

He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.

John 8:47

Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God's voice is first to be one of His children. One of the great mysteries of the universe to our logical mind is how God can communicate with six billion people on the earth at the same time. It is one of those mysteries we must let go of because our "hard drive" would crash if we had to explain and understand this before we believed and trusted in Him.

It is as though God places a computer chip in each human being, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, it becomes activated. We begin to communicate with Him. Jesus says that if we are children of God, then we can hear God's voice. He further explains this relationship in the following parable:

I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice (John 10:1-5).

The Shepherd is always representative of Christ.

Sheep are representative of God's children.

This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd's voice. There is another comforting aspect to this relationship. The Shepherd goes before the sheep to prepare the way. Jesus has already gone before us today to prepare our way.

Knowing the Shepherd and His voice allows us to have the assurance that we will not be fooled by another shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice. It is only when we are dull of hearing that we mistakenly hear another's voice and follow it. Sin can create a poor frequency in our communication with the Shepherd. Make sure your frequency is free of static (sin) today so that the Shepherd can lead you and go before you.

Finally, distractions can also keep us from hearing our Shepherd's voice. When the sheep get entangled in the fence or wander off, they get too far away to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must stay in close proximity to the Shepherd to hear His voice.

Stay close to the Shepherd today.

Listen and follow.

He wants to lead you.

To Live Is Christ And To Die Is Gain

Death—in a series of unrelated conversations and occurrences, death has reared its massive head several times over the past few weeks, and it’s got me thinking.

If asked the question, quoting the fictional Tyler Durden,

“If you died right now, how would you feel about your life?”

And in addition, “What are you doing about it?”

I like the question. I like it because it doesn’t bring into question where I’m going when I die. That is a good question, but when I am assured of my salvation (as the free gift of God, by faith alone), the question loses some of its impact. I know where I’m going when I die, praise God. But how would I feel about my life if I died right now?

It’s not that I haven’t thought about death before. Oh, how often I have longed to leave this earth and go home to my Savior… but I think at times this longing can supersede and therefore eliminate my desire and motivation to live for Christ while yet on earth. Paul found this balance, knowing that to die is gain, the best thing that could happen to him. But he also knew that as long as he was here, he was going to live entirely for Christ.

To answer the question quite honestly, I do not think I would be very satisfied about my life if I died right now.

I find myself thinking, “I just haven’t been alive long enough, yet. I haven’t had enough time. Give me ten more years and I’ll be a bit more satisfied with how I’ve lived my life and what I’ve accomplished.”

This thought concerns me, as I think it should.

I might not have ten more years.

For all I know, I might not have ten more days.

So what am I doing about it?

What am I doing to ensure that if I died right now, I would be pleased, in general, with my life. This is not perfectionism; I don’t expect to be happy with everything I have done… I don’t expect to have any regrets whatsoever either.

But I want my life to be defined by this desire to be generally content with the way I have lived. Admitting that I am not happy with my life is an important realization to come to, but I can’t stop there. I must then decide what to do about it.

Following the logical and structural format of this thought, I should now explain how I am going to change my answer to the question of how I would feel about my life if I were to die right now. But it is not clear in my mind yet.

I do know that I desire to fulfill the calling on my life and to see great things accomplished for the Kingdom here on earth through me—my talents, skills, abilities, time, and energy. I would also spend meaningful time with those I care about and are close to my heart. And seek out adventures that will leave lasting memories for those that follow in my foot steps—to leave a legacy.

Again, to live is Christ.

Christ is worth really living for—as in, all of my life, nothing left out; this is everything I am and could possibly be. That’s what matters right now. For the next ten days, and the next ten years, I am going to attempt to improve my answer to the question; not because this life is so great, but because to live is Christ.

Fears That Keep Us From His Presence

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So He got into the boat and left.

Luke 8:37

Jesus did many miracles when He lived on earth. One of those miracles involved the deliverance of a demon-possessed man. The people of the community witnessed this awesome demonstration of God's power when Jesus commanded the demon spirit to come out of the man and go into the herd of nearby pigs. The man was healed and sat at Jesus' feet.

You would expect the people who witnessed this to embrace Jesus as one performing good deeds and to honor Him. The opposite was true. Instead, they were overcome with fear. Why? Many of us respond the same way to Jesus when He does an out-of-the-ordinary act among His people. We are fearful because we have never personally experienced this before. So, we draw wrong judgments. The result is that Jesus removes Himself from us.

The Lord is able to do far exceeding above what we think.

Jesus does not remain in the places where there is fear of His goodness. It is often subconscious fears that prevent us from going to a deeper level with Him. The people in Gerasenes could not benefit from Jesus' presence because of their fears.

Have you feared Jesus because of what He might require of you?

Have you feared that He might ask of you something you are not prepared to give?

Do not let your fears drive Him from your presence. His motive is always love for His children—you can trust Him.

Tests Of The Heart

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.

Deuteronomy 8:2

Has God performed a heart test on you lately? There are times in our lives when God leads us into the desert in order to let us find out what is in our heart. These times can be very difficult and humbling, but at the same time enlightening and inspiring. They can test our bravery like no other time.

Desert times often mean we are living without those things we are normally accustomed to: water, food, limited supplies and with few comforts. In modern terms, it may mean a different environment. God is performing a very important work during these times. He wants to know if we can be obedient to Him in these times; or will we be obedient only when times are good?

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you (Deuteronomy 8:3-5).

These desert times may mean experiencing new ways of provision from the Lord. Like manna from Heaven, it may mean seeing miracles we've never seen before. Like clothing that never wears out, it may mean seeing your normal capabilities expanded. Like walking hundreds of miles without pain, desert experiences provide new lessons and new experiences that only these times can teach us.

What desert experience has He brought into your life lately?

Perhaps it is a lean time in business. Perhaps it is a new environment. Whatever it is, when God decides to bring new disciplines into our lives by bringing us into the desert, do not fear the heat (or pleasure) that is sure to come. He is walking beside you in order to test you and find out what is really in your heart. Ask for His grace to carry you through. He wants to bring all of His children into the Promised Land.

Ability Versus Availability

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Psalm 147:10-11

Do you ever feel so skilled in what you do that you require little help from others?

Perhaps you may feel that you are more skilled than any other in your field.

Does God need your skills and abilities in order to accomplish His purposes on this earth?

The answer is "no," but He chooses to use us to accomplish He’s great purposes.

One thing God does not need is our skills and abilities. However, He does give us the privilege to exercise our skills and abilities He has gifted us with for His service. That service may be as a computer technician, a secretary, a missionary, or a mentor. God calls each of us to our vocations to work unto Him.

To believe that He needs our skills to accomplish His mission on earth would be to lower our understanding of an all-encompassing and all-powerful God.

The psalmist tells us that His pleasure is not in our strength and ability, but His pleasure is in the attitude of the heart. It is what we find in the heart that helps determine whether ability is translated into availability.

You see God is looking to and fro throughout the earth for a man or woman who is fully committed to Him. A man or woman who is committed to fearing the Lord and placing their hope in His unfailing love is the person God seeks to support. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9a). When our agenda becomes His agenda, we can expect God to fully support all that we do.

If we want to see our skills and abilities multiplied a hundredfold, then we must make them completely available to His service. Where are the opportunities in which God is calling you to be available to Him?

Next time someone asks you to be involved in some activity, before you say yea or nay, make sure you check in with the Master of our decisions to ensure that your skills and abilities are being used, as He desires.

The Value Of Words

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No"; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:36-37

Imagine for a moment that you are living in Jesus' time. It is before Jesus has begun His public ministry. He is a carpenter in your local town of Nazareth. You have asked Jesus to make a table and chairs for your dinning area. You're on a deadline and you must have it in a week. You agree on the price of $100 for the table and chairs and the date of one week for completion. A week later you arrive to pick up the table. You lay your money down on the table and Jesus says,

"Mr. Smith, I am sorry the table is not ready, but the chairs are. I ran into complications. Also, I can no longer honor the price I gave you. It is now $150 instead of $100."

Two years later you hear about this same Jesus who is preaching to the local townspeople. How are you going to view this Jesus? You probably won't give much credence to His message because of your personal experience. Our lives have an ability to reinforce the message we stand for, or they can violate it and make it totally ineffective. This literally happens all over the world in different settings with Christian believers. Our message becomes ineffective because we have not done what we said.

We all know people who, when they tell us they plan to do something, we can expect them to follow through about 50 percent of the time. However, we know others who will follow through almost every time. The only time they don't is when something falls outside their control.

There are times when we are unable to perform or deliver what we promised due to outside influences. The key to turning these potentially negative circumstances into a witness for Christ is communication. If we are unable to pay a bill on time, we must communicate with those we owe and make a good faith effort to resolve it within our means. In these cases, God's purposes are being performed as well if we seek to do the right thing.

Or if we are in a business meeting and things are said that do not match up with our spirit, we need to convey this to those present. But we need to think through how we are going to respond so that we are being a faithful witness for God through our words and not just venting how we view the discussion taking place in the meeting. It is important to voice your opinion(s) but do so in a manner that is God honoring and glorifying as well.

Do your words mean anything to those who hear them?

Do you sometimes say things that you need to, but not in a manner that is honoring to God or to the other person(s)?

Do you make commitments and fail to follow through on them?

What would others say about how you follow through?

Ask the Lord today to show you how you are doing in this area. You might even want to ask three people who are the closest to you about how you are faring in this area of your life—be quick to listen and slow to comment, because there is value in the words you speak.

Second Chances

..."I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

Jonah 4:2

Have you ever gone through a time of disobedience with God? Jonah was a prophet of God who decided he didn't want to prophesy for the Lord. God wanted him to deliver a message to Nineveh to warn them against impending destruction if they didn't turn from their ways. But instead, Jonah developed a hardened heart toward the people of Nineveh. He didn't really care if they repented or not; so rather than travel to Nineveh and deliver the message, he hopped a boat in the opposite direction.

You probably know the rest of the story. He was eaten by a fish and spent a few days in the belly of this fish thinking about his decision.

There is a place where we all will obey. What circumstances must take place for us to become obedient? For some of us, it requires a good shakeup. For Jonah, it required a big shakeup because he was God's man to be used to save 120,000 people. He was chosen by God to be used by God, and God didn't give up on him.

God understands our disobedient heart. He sees what we really are; yet He gives second chances. God gave Jonah a second chance. He gave the people of Nineveh a second chance. It is a lesson of love from a heavenly Father who specializes in second chances. Have you blown it? Have you disappointed someone? God is the God of second chances. All we have to do is acknowledge our waywardness.

He will restore.

He will give grace.

And He will continue to use us to accomplish His great plans!

Knowing Our Limits

He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Proverbs 28:19

Webster's defines entrepreneur: "one who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk in a business venture."¹ Entrepreneurs can smell an opportunity a mile away. However, what is often their greatest asset can become their greatest downfall. The road is littered with entrepreneurs who have been successful in one venture only to fail in countless others. Is this the natural way for an entrepreneur, or is there a better way?

King David was an entrepreneur. He grew up as a shepherd boy and later became Israel's greatest warrior. He responded to opportunities, like the time when no one would fight Goliath. He saw this as an opportunity. He ultimately became king of Israel and faced many opportunities placed before him. David learned an important lesson somewhere along the way that each of us as believers should learn.

As an entrepreneur the greatest danger is engaging ourselves in activities in which God never intended us to be involved. This is poor stewardship of what God has entrusted to us. When the Philistines attacked David, he always inquired of God as to if and when he was to counterattack. When he was attacked a second time on one occasion, David inquired of God as to whether he was to attack yet. This time God said yes, but with a condition, "Wait until you hear the sound of marching in the balsam trees" (See 2 Samuel 5:24).

This story tells us that David had learned an important lesson about staying vertical in his relationship with God at all times. David had learned the important principle of staying focused on what God wanted for him, not what seemed logical. He was an opportunist, but only through the filter of the Holy Spirit in his life.

How do we approach opportunities? Do we consider the merits of the opportunity only? Or do we inquire of God as to whether He desires us to pursue? It may be a wonderful opportunity, but it may not be God's will for us to be involved. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to direct us as we seek to use the skills He has given us.

[1] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth ed. (Springfield, Massachusetts, 1993).

The Strength Of Brokenness

The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

1 Samuel 2:4

There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be? How can brokenness be strength? In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength that is not human in origin. It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness.

Paul was broken on the Damascus road. Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner. Jacob was broken at Peniel. David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba. The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom.

When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength. Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before. Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless and use for His glory.

Seekers Of God

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

Psalm 53:2

Are you a man or woman who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there is only one thing worth seeking—God Himself.

We can always tell when we have not been seeking God. The cares of this life, the urgent over the important, and the petty irritations are the symptoms of a life that has not been in the presence of God. Do we understand, really understand?

That is the question God raises to each of us today. If we understand, then why do we spend day after day toiling and fretting over what doesn't matter? Can we set proper boundaries in our lives that don't allow our time with Him to be continually stolen away? It is a challenge in a world that screams "activity, busy, strive!"

Do you have a consistent time of seeking Him in your life? Are you committed to developing that intimacy with your Lord that He so desires? If not, ask Him today to help you. This is the longing of His heart. Ask Him to make it the longing of your heart too. Then you will demonstrate to Him that you understand, and you will be a seeker of God.

Only Him

Open your eyes, little girl

See the world

For what it really is

Oh little girl

The world is dead and dying

Lost and crying

Open your eyes, little girl

See the Lord

For Who He really is

Oh little girl

The Lord is alive and reigning

Sovereign and sustaining

Open your eyes, little girl

Leave the idols

The empty wasted miles

Oh little girl

The Lord is calling

Keep on following

What matters, little girl?

What matters?

Only Him, little girl

Only Him

Thrive With Clean Eating

At the end of the ten days they [Daniel and his friends] looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men that ate the royal food.

Daniel 1:15

While feeding on fast food, restaurant meals, and prepared boxed dinners, do we really ever know exactly what we're eating? We may "think" we know (sure, it's a hamburger—ground beef, a bun, some lettuce, a slice of tomato and onion, some ketchup, and mustard—how bad can it be?), but the reality is there are many unknown ingredients harboring preservatives and chemicals we really may not want to eat.

Ingredients like heart-clogging saturated fat, blood pressure rising sodium, and body weight packing extra calories exist in the messy mystery ingredients that you may not consider or think about in convenience foods. And, while these processed foods are convenient, why don't we feel good, look good and or stay healthy eating them? Well, it's because these over-processed, manufactured, heavy foods weigh you down mentally and physically. Is “convenience” really worth the price our bodies pay in added weight and poor health?

The answer to the "mystery" food downfall is to eat clean. Eating clean means you know exactly what you are eating. Clean foods are down-to-earth, basic, fresh, nutrient rich, and delicious. Clean foods are easy to prepare. Unlike heavy, fatty, sugary and processed foods that are dense with calories that spike the blood sugar and lead to mental or physical "crashes" after a meal. On the other hand, clean foods allow the blood sugar to stabilize and energy levels to stay even. Clean foods are beneficial to the body and allow the body to function as God designed it with life and vitality—clean eating allows you to thrive.

Since clean eating is so beneficial, what foods are clean and how are they prepared? Great questions! Here are the larger groups of foods that are optimal nutrition for your body:

• Vegetables: These are power packed foods that have wonderful health benefits. Vegetables are low in calories (one cup raw vegetables or one-half cup cooked vegetables has about 25 calories), rich in vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, quick to prepare, and come in a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors. Choose leafy greens (spinach, dark lettuce, cabbage, kale, mixed greens, chard, collards), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes (technically a fruit but found in the veggie section of the grocery store), red, green and yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, green beans, beets, celery, pea pods, yellow squash, zucchini, and asparagus. Combine raw vegetables in a salad mixture. Look for other vegetable options at your local farmers market or in the produce section of the grocery store.

• Fruit: These are sweet foods, filled with fiber, loaded with nutrients, easy to eat and prepare, and are portable. Choose apples, oranges, bananas, berries of all varieties, mango, plums, peaches, cherries, pineapple, grapefruit, apricots, kiwi, melons, and papaya. Make a snack from one piece of fruit or combine chopped fruit for a filling fruit salad.

• Protein: Lean protein sources help the body to rebuild and repair, provide necessary amino acids for proper body function, and are rich in healthful fatty acids. Lean protein sources contain very little artery clogging saturated fat. Choose chicken and turkey breast, salmon, tuna, and other white, solid fish. Other non-meat protein sources include egg whites, legumes (starchy beans), nuts, skimmed milk, non-fat yogurt, soy-based milk, and textured vegetable proteins.

• Whole Grains: These are fiber-filled, blood sugar stabilizing carbohydrates that keep the body functioning properly. Whole grains have limited processing and are as close as possible to the original plant grain. Options include oatmeal, wheat berries, barley, brown rice, and millet. Check out your local health food store for other options of whole grains.

• Healthy Fats: These fats are ones that provide essential fatty acids, are unsaturated (do not clog arteries), and provide fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. The body needs a small amount of fat for proper functioning. Choose small portions of fats from nuts, olive oil, avocados, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

To healthfully prepare this bounty of clean foods—for optimal flavor and nutrition—stick to the following methods of cooking:

• Steam
• Grill
• Poach
• Bake
• Broil

Of course, you can always choose to eat the fruits and vegetables in their most natural state—raw.

While this type of eating may be foreign to you, try just one day of clean eating and see how you feel. If one day seems too much, try it just one clean food meal. Combine foods from each of these groups for your meals and snacks and see how healthy and vibrant you will feel. Clean eating relies on food sources as God created them—fresh, whole and uncomplicated by chemicals, processing, and preservatives.