What is the secret to hearing the voice of the Lord?

The strange scene at the beginning of the book of Ezekiel holds a secret as to how we can get the voice of the Lord and the ability to hear it. Ezekiel 1:25 says, "And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings." Just like a bird resting on a branch, the secret is found in the fact that for the angels to let down their wings they must be still.

For my 2010 jubilee year (this year I turned the big 50) the Lord prompted me to take a sabbatical to rest and heal from the trauma of 2008-09. Since the new year broke, God has repeatedly sent me the message to "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. He sends me this message over and over through e-mails, in the various devotions I read, through reading other's blogs, and many other ways. If it doesn't come up in my heart, He manages to get it before my eyes at least every other day. Last Wednesday was the most creative and made me smile. Driving home from meeting with a friend, I managed to get behind a Honda CRV from close to my home in Florida. I couldn't believe my eyes. There on their tire cover were the words big and bold--BE STILL AND KNOW! Have you ever in your life seen those words on a tire cover?

Then today I read a beautiful poem my Streams in the Desert Devotional:

Be still! Just now be still!

Something thy soul hath never heard,

Something unknown to any song of bird,

Something unknown to any wind, or wave, or star,

A message from the Fatherland afar,

That with sweet joy the homesick soul shall thrill,

Cometh to thee if thou canst but be still.

Be still! Just now be still!

There comes a presence very mild and sweet;

White are the sandals of His noiseless feet.

It is the Comforter whom Jesus sent

To teach thee what the words He uttered meant.

The willing, waiting spirit, He doth fill.

If thou would'st hear His message,

Dear soul, be still!

O Dear Jesus, I understand you want me to be still, otherwise you wouldn't send me your message over and over. Thank you for sending the Comforter to teach me what the words you uttered while here on earth meant. I am willing. I am waiting. I trust you to fulfill and heal me to shine like a star in the universe as I hold out the word of life (Phil. 2:15-16). Speak to my listening heart, Lord. Yes, speak to my listening heart. I have made up my mind to cease striving and be still. Amen.

Picture courtesy of Flickr.com by Stephie 189

Do you believe?

On a beautiful flower poster of "words to live by" I read: "Believe that love is forever and forever you will be in love." Will just believing really keep you in love? The word believe can mean so much more than to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, especially in the New Testament Greek. The word believe in Greek is pisteuo (pist- yoo'-o). It means to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing); by implication to entrust (especially one's spiritual well being to Christ).

My favorite verse on believing is John 6:29. One day some followers asked Jesus, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (verse 28) Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:29). When I read this verse in the Amplified version it gives me the full scope of what pisteuo really means: Jesus replied, "This is the work (service) that God asks of you, that you believe in the One Whom He has sent-that you cleave to, trust, rely on and have faith in His Messenger" (John 6:29AMP).

Put that way I must ask myself, Do I cleave to Jesus every day? Do I trust in Him for all things? Do I rely on Him for all things? Yes, I have faith in God's messenger, Jesus, but do I really cling to, trust in, and rely on Him all of the time? I must admit I fail at God's work sometimes. I get forgetful and start clinging to my kids or my husband. I get anxious and scared and stop trusting in the only One who can take care of me. I even rely on my friends and family to listen to me when I'm hurting, instead of the One who gives peace that passes understanding.

My dearest Lord Jesus,
Thank you for loving me with an everlasting love, even when I mess up. Thank you for forgiving me when I fail to do your the one work you require. When I believe in (cling to, trust in, and rely on) the One who is love, I truly will be in love forever and live with You for eternity. O Jesus, give me the strength I need to believe more and more as each day passes--until we meet face to face. Oh how I look forward to that day. In your precious name I pray. Amen.

Photo by Greg Schulz

You do not have because you do not ask!

We are loaded down with cares--for our children, our work, our homes. How many times do we forget to ask God because we feel like our concerns are too little to mention or we just don't take the time to sit down and pray?

I read about a visual example of not having answers to prayer because we don't ask recently that stuck with me (in a devotion by Charles H. Spurgeon on James 4:2). Spurgeon told a story of an angel of mercy who flies around the homes of God's people and brings an abundance of precious blessings. Sometimes while we sleep, the angel of mercy hovers on soft wings, but there are no empty containers in which to pour the blessings. Later, the angel visits another home, where in their prayers, the residents set out a number of empty containers. The angel fills the containers from the supply of overflowing mercy, and when the petitioners awake they find an abundant supply of rich grace. Mind pictures like this one have lasting affects on me. I love them!

Oh Dear Lord,

I don't want to forget to put out my containers by having feeble wishes, small desires, and slender prayers, or hardly any prayer at all. Oh God, like the disciples in Luke 17:5 asked, "Show me how to increase my faith." With stronger faith I will hold on to my big desires, earnest prayer, and great expectations. I will make sure I put out my containers tonight for your angel of mercy to fill with your abundant supply of rich grace and whatever else you have in store for me. In your precious name I pray. Amen.

Picture courtesy of Flickr.com "An angel made of cloud" by Jonina

Be Still and Know

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

How do you sit still in a world that is always running at full speed? Nevertheless, in order to truly know God, inward stillness is absolutely necessary. When emergencies arise my first instinct is flight. Every part of my being throbs with anxiety, and yet circumstances are usually out of my control.

Sit still for more than a second and you will hear God's still small voice say, "Be still, and know that I am God." There is a perfect passivity which is not indolence. It is a living stillness born of faith and trust in our almighty God. Quiet tension is not trust. It is simply compressed anxiety.

Not in the tumult of the rending storm,

Not in the earthquake or devouring flame;

But in the hush that could all fear transform,

The still, small whisper to the prophet came.

O Soul, keep silence on the mount of God,

Though cares and needs throb around like a sea;

From supplications and desires unshod,

Be still, and hear what God shall say to thee.

All fellowship hath interludes of rest,

New strength maturing in each poise of power;

The sweetest Alleluias of the blest

Are silent, for the space of half an hour.

O rest, in utter quietude of soul,

Abandon words, leave prayer and praise awhile;

Let thy whole being, hushed in His control,

Learn the full meaning of His voice and smile.

Not as an athlete wrestling for a crown,

Not taking Heaven by violence of will;

But with thy Father as a child sit down,

And know the bliss that follows his "Be Still!"

-Mary Rowles Jarvis

*picture from our vacation: Fernandina Beach, Florida, sunset

I Can See Clearly Now

"I can see clearly now," my niece, Shanna's, facebook status read. Shanna just had Lasik eye surgery and can see great without glasses or contacts for the first time since she was eight years old. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT) says, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

One day soon we will have full body Lasik surgery, physically and spiritually. Oh, what a day that will be! As I prepare for Easter the excitement grows for Jesus' return. As we walk through this world of trial and sorrow, half blind or impaired in other ways, we can look forward to the day we shall see Him face to face. We will be perfect and complete in every way.

"Just a-wearying for you,

Jesus, Lord, beloved and true;

You'll be coming back again,

Under all I say and do,

Just a-wearying for you."

"Some glad day, all watching past,

You will come for me at last;

Then I'll see you, hear your voice,

Be with you, with you rejoice;

How the sweet hope thrills me through,

Sets me wearying for you."*

*Poem from devotional, Streams in the Desert (March 27), by Mrs. Chas. E. Cowman

Family picture of Shanna (before she threw away her glasses) with her firstborn child, Olivia, who was born 12/16/2009. Shanna can now see Olivia grow up with perfect clarity, without the aid of glasses. Praise the Lord for the blessings he gives while we wait for our full body overhaul!

From the Trash Heap to Fame

A black man, son of a sharecropper, wanted to buy a home in rural South Carolina. The neighbors worried that if he moved next door to them, he wouldn't take care of his house and yard. Determined to prove them wrong, he worked 12 hour shifts, 4 days a week at a can factory and bought a modest home on a few acres in Bishopville, South Carolina. With the exception of attending church, he spent most of his time working in his yard. To grow his treasured garden he went to the local nursery and asked permission to take home the dying plants they had thrown in the trash heap.

The art and beauty this man named Pearl Fryar created with these discarded plants is nothing short of amazing. A self-taught horticulturalist, his 3 acre yard now a famous topiary garden represents one of the most majestic and magnificent gardens I have ever seen. Pearl's garden is a picture of our Redemptive God, the Master Gardener. He seeks the lost and discarded and prunes and trains them to excel beyond their wildest imaginations. The Master Husbandman redeemed me from the trash heap of the world where I lived only for myself. He picked me up, planted me in Georgia and clips away the selfishness, anger, and bitterness that holds me back. He continues to prune me year after year causing me to bear fruit and accomplish things I never thought possible.

Pearl gives us God's perspective on life by saying things like, "There's always gonna be obstacles. The thing is, you don't let those obstacles determine where you go. With our God, "Nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20). So today, welcome the Gardener's pruning. It may hurt for a little while, but the results are worth it all.

"Follow Me, and I will make you" . . .

Make you speak My words with power,

Make you channels of My mercy,

Make you helpful every hour.

"Follow Me, and I will make you" . . .

Make you what you cannot be-

Make you loving, trustful, godly,

Make you even like to Me. *

Pearl and his mastery of horticulture have given him much acclaim. So renowned for his topiary skills, he recently appeared in a John Deere commercial. For more information about Pearl Fryar rent the documentary, "A Man Named Pearl" or visit his website at: http://www.fryarstopiaries.com/.

*Poem from Streams in the Desert devotional by L.S.P. (full name not given)

Picture of one of Pearl's topiaries found at Google.com - Image results for Pearl Fryar

Another Sleepless Night?

Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep? I'm sure you have. We all experience this problem every now and then. I can't remember who gave me this very effective advise, but it works. When you can't get to sleep, start praising God A-Z. You choose a name or word to praise God for from from A all the way to Z. You have to get creative in some spots. Here are some of my favorites: I praise you God for being . . .

ALPHA and Omega,

BREAD OF LIFE,

CREATOR,

DELIVERER,

EMMANUEL, God with Us,

FAITHFUL FATHER,

GOOD SHEPHERD,

HEALER,

INCREDIBLE,

JESUS,

KING OF KINGS,

LORD OF LORDS,

MASTER PHYSICIAN,

NISSI, our Banner of Victory,

OMNISCIENT,

PROTECTOR,

QUINTESSENTIAL,

REDEEMER,

SAVIOR,

TRUSTWORTHY,

UNFAILING,

VICTORIOUS,

LIVING WATER,

EXTRA SPECIAL,

YOUTH RENEWER

ZION'S KING

The times I have made it to Z (and I have a few times), I am so encouraged. I know I can rest easy trusting God to do what he does best, without me worrying about it. I usually fall asleep in his arms soon after.

I hope this works for you, too.