Do You Know His Voice?

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27

    Quite often I can tell who has called my wife on the phone by the tone of her voice when she answers them. I can often tell by the way she says: “Hello.” After she takes a quick glance at the caller’s name on her smart phone.

    We need to become sensitive to our Master’s voice. The best way to do that is to read and know His words from the Bible. Jesus will never say or tell you to do anything contrary to His words in the Holy Bible.

    The Lord will encourage us, guide us, nudge us in the right direction, and even warn us when we are getting off course. He does this directly from His Holy Word as we read it, and by preaching and teaching, and sometimes by the advice from friends and family. The Lord has also equipped us with His Holy Spirit. He is the One who can give us insight and guidance from day to day.

    We need to know the Lord’s voice, and we need to become sensitive to the guidance of His Holy Spirit within us. Everyone needs such guidance. Those of us with chronic illnesses and afflictions especially need insight as we avoid the pitfalls that can make our illnesses worse. Likewise, we must be sensitive to anything that can help or improve our condition.

    Read God’s word, listen to preaching and teaching, be open to good advice from friends and family, and open your spiritual ears to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

    Prayer: Dear Lord, each and every day we need Your guidance and help. Hear our prayers, and give us wisdom and constant guidance. Amen.

Like A Tree Growing In The Sonlight

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon” Psalm 92:12

    If you walk through a wooded area and look at the trees you will see the beauty of God’s creation. The trees are all shapes and sizes, from the seedling just beginning to grow, to the towering oaks and maples.

    One thing that is common with trees is that they stretch toward heaven, seeking the sunlight that helps them to grow. Trees will lean, reach, and stretch in every way possible seeking that all important sunlight.

    Sometimes it seems we are not growing, not moving forward, not accomplishing much of anything. We get caught up in unimportant activities that seem all important at the time. We waste time fretting and worrying uselessly. Perhaps health issues get in the way of accomplishments. But if we are determined, nothing can stop us from moving closer to God.

    We too can grow by basking in the “Sonlight”. We may feel stuck in place, or not moving around much. However, as the light of God’s Son shines down upon us, we grow spiritually, we can stretch our spiritual branches toward heaven by praising, praying, and learning about the Light that makes us grow.

    Many healthy people are busy, rushing around, working themselves to death, hardly slowing down enough to appreciate Jesus. They are too often neglecting the Light of God’s Son. For those who have limited mobility, by looking to Jesus we can grow up spiritually even when we are sitting still. Indeed, I think we grow best when we are sitting at the feet of Jesus, basking in the light of His love.

    When it seems you are not accomplishing anything in your life, why not focus on Jesus, pray, read and listen to His word, develop a closer relationship with Him. Grow in His grace and love, rising up in your spiritual life. Live in the Sonlight.

    Prayer: Dear Lord, even when we are sitting still, help us to grow spiritually. Amen.

Love, Faithfulness, And Disability

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

    When I see silly people who think that love is just an emotional high to ride upon, a mere feeling like a drug to cheer you up, or has something to do with little fat cherubs shooting arrows–I groan inside.

    Love is not pretty, it is not easy, it has nothing to do with romance novels. True love is hard as steel, as yielding as a young sapling in a storm, and is overflowing with a goodness that can come only from God.

    When the feelings are gone, when things get rough, and when expectations are not met, many marriage partners leave. It takes God, commitment, and a love from above to hold two people together in marriage when one of them is very ill.

    And we should not be ignorant of the costs to the spouse who is well. When they are faithful in spite of the hardships and challenges and difficulties involved in a marriage with a disabled spouse, they deserve much credit for their faithfulness. God must smile as He sees such true love at work.

    My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones that could not or would not bear the strain of illness in their marriage. Unrealistic expectations can produce such results. Yet a deep, abiding love from God that seals two people in the covenant of marriage can create an unbreakable bond. But a foundation of married love that is not built rock solid upon Christ will not be strong enough to hold fast in hard times.

    Maybe you have lost a marriage partner because of your disability. Ask the Lord to help you let go of any bitterness or resentment, and to fill that void instead with His abiding, everlasting love.

    Prayer: Dear Lord, bless those who have remained faithful in sickness, and give them strength to continue being faithful in true love. Amen.

There Is Never Enough Time

Will they find delight in the Almighty? Will they call on God at all times? Job 27:10

When our time on earth is through I’m convinced that none of us will feel we had enough time to do or accomplish everything we wished.

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. –Henry Van Dyke, author, educator, and clergyman

If you live long enough you will have regrets.  Looking back we recall times when our focus and energy was used for the wrong things. We wasted time with worry and fear over items and events that never occurred. We lost valuable opportunities for experiences with friends, family, perhaps letting fear, or energy wasted elsewhere keep us from experiences we would have treasured.

There are often good reasons to say no to events or opportunities that we neither have the energy nor time for. Yet if we develop a habit of reaching for “no” on every occasion we  will rob ourselves of blessings that God brings our way.

There is a saying: Sometimes life gets in the way. And there is truth to that, but if “life” is forever getting in the way, it may be time to reevaluate our priorities, reexamine our strength and abilities, and decide if we are robbing ourselves of time otherwise well spent and experiences worth having.

We need time to rest, recover, and reestablish our inner selves. Yet we also need experiences and opportunities to stretch ourselves enough to grow and learn from new experiences and opportunities.

Let’s not miss a blessing, or an opportunity to stretch our faith, by letting time drift by unused and wasted. God has given us all a certain measure of time, a set number of days, let’s use them wisely as He leads and strengthens us in our faith.

Dear Lord, help us to never waste the precious time You have given to us. Give us wisdom to make the best use of every day as we follow You, guided by Your Spirit. Amen.

Are You Living Fully?

“In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’” Luke 24:5

I grew up beside a cemetery, so I don’t see them as particularly spooky or scary places. That cemetery was a regular part of my world. I walked, and rode my bike there. I talked with my friends as we strolled past tombstones. It was a part of the landscape.

But recently I was walking through a cemetery and grew very disturbed. Looking at numerous tombstones, I considered the ages of those who had passed on. There were so many young people, and so many children. Why had they crossed over and others been allowed to live to old age?

We may never have answers to such questions on this side of heaven, but everyone alive today, even those of us with terrible disabilities and illnesses, should be grateful that God has given us life, and we should appreciate every moment of it.

Sometimes it is hard to feel grateful about anything when we struggle so hard to survive our afflictions. But knowing that death could take us at any time should make us sober to the fact that in sickness or in health, life is a precious gift, not to be squandered or wasted. I am sure those young people and those children, and especially the parents who lost them on this side of heaven, would agree that life is precious indeed.

Perhaps you are feeling that life is not worth living considering all the suffering and hardship you face. I would encourage you to remember that life is all too short, perhaps a stroll through the cemetery will help you to keep it all in perspective.

Prayer: Dear Lord, life is so short, but help us to make every day count, to live each day fully and with appreciation for the life You have given us. Amen.