Soul Food

Oh boy, that's a problem.
OK, I won't think about that right now, I'll think about this.....wait.
That is stressful. I can't think about that.
I'll think about this. Uh oh. Thinking about that drives me crazy.

Ever have those times where it feels like every aspect of your life is a mess?
Ever look from home to work to health to finances and wonder how every little piece of it seems to be falling apart at the same time?

Well, you and I are not alone. I don't know anyone who isn't struggling with something.

I have a girlfriend who is dealing with health problems and her dad just had a serious accident.
And I know a mom who is worried because her daughter just enlisted.
And another lady whose daughter is thinking maybe life isn't worth living.
And the dad who is raising a daughter on his own because his wife died of cancer.
And the young couple who miscarried.

What do you do when it seems like every where you turn seems to be turned upside down?
Let God speak to your heart.

For the days when it seems like tomorrow is too overwhelming to handle.
"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34 (NLT)

For the days when you can't possibly share your burdens with anyone.
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

For the times when you feel that you are alone.
What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. Genesis 28:15 (NLT)

When you feel like what has to happen to make this work is impossible.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God." Mark 10:27

And always, always remember you are loved.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

God Doesn't Talk

The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. John 10:3b (NLT)
I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know my Father. John 10:14-15 (NLT)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (NLT)

Question for you. Do you think God talks to us? Do you think you can hear his voice? I do.

When I talk about this with people they usually have a couple of standard responses. The first one is "What does his voice sounds like?", i.e. Is it audible? Is it loud? Is it masculine or feminine? My answer to that is "It can sound any way it wants." It's God. He is not limited by our finite minds - He talked through a donkey after all! Now that we've established that what it sounds like really doesn't matter......

The next statement is "God doesn't talk to me." I think he does. I think he talks to all of us. I also think whether you hear him or not is dependent on if you are listening for him. If you are not looking for him, if you are not listening for him, you are going to be less likely to hear him. Think of it this way. When you get married, if you are in a crowded room and your spouse calls your name, you hear them. Your ear is tuned to their voice. It's the same thing if you are a parent. If your child calls out "Mom!" you recognize that voice right away. When you are listening for God and begin to tune your ear to his voice, you hear him and just like with your spouse or your child, you respond.

The next question that we all ask is "How do I know it's him?" Very good question. We all struggle with this one and as far as I can tell the answer is 'Practice' and 'Constant Communication.' I know God has spoken to me and I know I hear his voice. The messages are never the same and sometimes they sound downright illogical. When I am unsure, I keep going back to him and asking questions. I ask for confirmation. I ask for more information. I ask for flashing neon lights with an arrow that says "Go this way." (I don't ever get that response.) I don't think God ever gets tired of us trying to find him. So keep practicing and keep asking questions.

A lot of this article is about what I think from my own personal experience. What does the Bible say about it?  First, there are way too many statements about God talking to people to put them in a short blog. But, we can talk about a couple of them. We know God says "If you seek me, you will be found by me" (Jeremiah 29:13), so he wants to be in a relationship with us. We know that in John 10 (above) Jesus said he knows us and we can know him. He also said we can know him like he and the Father know each other. That's pretty intimate knowing. He also said we can know his voice. So it is possible to 'hear' him.

This is so important you can't take my word for it. You have to listen for yourself. Start talking to God. Tell him you want to find him. Tell him you want to hear him. And keep talking until you do. I know he will show up because he's promised. Maybe he's just waiting for you to start the conversation. 

Right In Front of Your Nose

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” John 20:15 (NIV)

Mary approached the tomb. Something was off. It was still dark but through the gray she could see the stone wasn't where it should be. It had been rolled away. With all the chaos and trauma surrounding Jesus' death, thoughts were racing through her head. Had the religious leaders done this? Who would want to steal his body? Who would even touch a dead body? That would make them unclean. Maybe they paid someone. If they took him, where did they take him?

As these thoughts raced through her head, she turned to leave and almost ran into the man standing there. He asked why she was crying and then followed up by asking who she was looking for. She didn't even recognize him. The very person she went to find in the first place was speaking to her and she was missing it.

My husband says I do this. He'll ask me a question and my mind is somewhere else. I wait many seconds, what most would call a pregnant pause, and then answer. It's been so long he thinks I'm not even going to respond. Suddenly, my brain catches up with my hearing and I recognize that I missed something.

Ever been there? You have a problem and you have been staring at it so long you forget to come up for air. You forget to look around and see what may be right in front of your face. Sometimes we have to snap ourselves out of that place. The place where we're down in the rabbit hole and stuck. How? Refocus. Refocus on something else God has placed in your path. Could be him. Could be another relationship, a Bible text, a song or even a beautiful spring day. Take a moment, breathe deep and refocus. 

As Jesus said her name, Mary refocused and knew who it was who was trying to get her attention. It was the very person she was seeking. As it dawned on her that the answer to her problem had already been provided, she ran off exclaiming "I've seen him! I've seen him!"

We will do the same. God's surprises and answers come in many different shapes and sizes - and sometimes, they come in the person of Jesus talking to us. One thing is for sure. When we hear him, we too will run around exclaiming "I've seen him!" because when you do, you can't hold it in.

Voices in the Storm

Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” 1 Kings 19:11 (MSG)

Sounds great doesn't it....God passing by. What imagery do you picture when you hear the words "God passes by"? I always pictured calm. Maybe some music is playing and there is peace. Throw in a little sunshine, rolling white clouds, maybe a rainbow and the picture is complete. I said 'used to' because there are many ways God can pass by. As you read further in 1 Kings it says

A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. (v 11-12)

God's presence doesn't always mean happy, smiley times. Sometimes, it comes with a storm. Sometimes things are just falling apart. Where it used to be "life is good", now it's downright chaotic. You can't seem to get a grasp on anything long enough to hold on. Here's the good news. Just because our lives seem a little out of control doesn't mean God is not in it.

If you are a follower of Jesus, life is going to be an adventure. Where God is involved there is going to be craziness. We are going to be uncomfortable. We are going to experience lots of insecurity and we are going to say lots of things like "Are you kidding me?" If you didn't have the downs with the ups, your faith would not grow. The only thing you'd learn to trust is yourself. God wants you to trust him.

As you are tossing and turning and churning through a difficult time, remember the last part of verse 12....."and after the fire a gentle quiet whisper." All throughout the storm God was there with Elijah. And he was talking. God is always with us in the tough times. He is whispering our names and offering comfort. Be still long enough to hear it.