Tag: Faith

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More than Everything

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18

He had a lot going for him—smarts, good looks, a commanding stature, and a relational ease with people. Wonderful leadership qualities, each one of them, and this man had them all. But here he was—in prison. I don’t know what decisions he made to land him there: Kairos Prison Ministry volunteers never ask, for delving into the past is not why we’re there. But on the final day of our Kairos weekend, he spoke openly before all of the people gathered in the room, prisoners and volunteers alike, “When I was locked up, I lost everything—my family, everything.” He’d had so much, yet he lost it all.

“Losing everything” doesn’t have to be our endpoint. It can be, and it often is, because it is difficult for us to look up and see hope when our heads hang low in bewilderment and shame. How did I get here? But God can build anew where our towers of success lie razed. Reflected Paul, one of the greatest minds of his time and advanced in Judaism beyond his peers, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”1 The persecutor-turned-apostle had lost everything he’d strived for in order to gain Him in whom everything exists. Jesus is worth more than everything.

Wiping away tears he’d prefer not to show, the inmate continued to address the group, “Thank you for loving me, for making me smile, for being family—the church.” God’s restoration in the man had begun—a joyful soul now teeming with hope, a hope pouring out in a testimony of faith, this faith “of greater worth than gold.”2 Though his possessions are gone and his income has ceased, though his family has left him and his friends have moved on, yet he rejoices in the Lord, he is joyful in God his Savior. Only God can do this. Only God is that good. Trust Him in everything, and rejoice.

Father, You never give up on us. When life looks dark and bleak, we see all the more clearly the brilliance of Your light. Draw us to Yourself; cleanse us from our impurities, and send us forward in great hope, faith, joy and love. We pray in Christ, in whom everything exists. Amen.

1 Philippians 3:8
2 1 Peter 1:7

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Hearing God—Series Wrap-up

Our church’s Young Professionals group had asked if someone could speak with them on the topic of hearing God and discerning His voice, and one of our pastors suggested me. We had a wonderful time of teaching and sharing, and of questions and answers. That evening sent me down this blog path on the crucial topic of hearing God: we began this series on July 21 and conclude today—16 posts and 80-something Bible verses later. We have covered a lot of ground, and so I offer this topical summary and links to the respective posts. Perhaps they will be a helpful reference for you in the future and/or thought-provoking discussion material for your small group . . . 

Hearing God and knowing His voice begins at relationship—Draw Near and Hear
God speaks to us for one ultimate purpose: to glorify Him—Our Purpose and God’s Voice
God speaks to us through the Word—The Bible is Changing Me
God speaks to us through prayer—As One Speaks to a Friend
God speaks to us through events around us—Of People, Circumstances and Timing
God speaks to us as we meditate on Scripture—Sitting Quietly with God
We perceive God’s voice as He wills—This Is the Way; Walk in It
God’s voice comes to us and sends us in His direction— The Still, Small Voice
God speaks to us in His timing; we wait for Him—The P Word
We sometimes hear God long after He has spoken— Hearing God in Retrospect
God speaks His will to whomever He chooses—Should We Be Surprised?
We recognize God’s voice by His character—The Frequency of Life
God speaks advocacy in the face of accusation—The Accuser and the Advocate
As we seek God’s voice, He seeks our obedience—The Other Side of Hearing God
God calls us to share His words with others—A Time To Speak

There is no formula in speaking with and hearing from God. There is no if/then coding logic. Moreover, we cannot manipulate Him, control Him, or even accurately predict Him. Rather, we trust Him, knowing He will speak truth in love from His character of holiness. In a sense, it all comes down to this: God loves us as a Father loves His children. He has much to say, and He wants us to hear Him. Walk with Him, talk with Him; sit with Him and listen. It’s called, “relationship.” We are His desire, and He is ours.

Glory be to God.

Father, You chose us through the work of Your Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ.1 Grace us to relate with You throughout the day as people who are loved so exceedingly well. May we hear Your voice and know it above all others, and in the wonder and freedom of Your love, find us joyful to hear and eager to obey. We love you as Your people in Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

1 1 Peter 1:1-2

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Should We Be Surprised?

“Tammy, all your life you have been ashamed and embarrassed. Now you have a way to make dignity for all others. Trust me. Trust me. Open a dignity center.” Thus spoke God to Tammy Jewell. She knew very little about the Bible and she hadn’t gone to church in close to 40 years, but she always believed Jesus was real. “Oh my God, a prostitute, a broken prostitute?!?” she thought to herself. Tammy had been raised in extreme poverty and quit school after the fifth grade because she was dirty and bullied for it. Then sold into human trafficking at a very young age, she lived much of her life tethered to prostitution by the invisible chains of addiction and intimidation before escaping its confines. But now she kept hearing God’s voice “clearer and louder each day.” “Father,” she said, “if it’s you, then you know my education’s only in the fifth grade.” But God persisted in His call: “Tammy! If you listen to me, Tammy, you will provide [dignity to] hundreds and thousands of others. Do not worry about your education. Do not worry about the money. Do not worry. Do what I’m telling you to do.”

Jesus surprises us. Returning to Jacob’s well from the village of Sychar, His disciples “were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’”1 But then why should we be surprised by One who will not let the cultural conventions of human construct isolate Him from His people whom He loves? If Jesus never engaged us face-to-face or heart-to-heart, how could He preach good news to the poor . . . bind up the brokenhearted . . . proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners . . . or comfort all who mourn”?2 Of course, God speaks to us—He loves us. And as we long to hear His voice, even more so does He desire for us to trust Him and do what He says.

Tammy did. In 2015, she opened God’s Hygiene Help Center (GHHC) in Columbus, Ohio, which now serves between 400 and 500 people each month from their primary location. GHHC has added two more help centers in the meantime and now partners with other service organizations and government agencies in the area. Plans are underway to collaborate with still more support organizations and to provide hygiene products—and the dignity they provide—through additional help centers. All because God spoke, and Tammy heard. Tammy obeyed God, and through her, One has blessed hundreds. Should we be surprised?

Father, You speak to us because You love us. Find us to be humble that we would hear Your voice; find us to be faithful, that we would trust and obey. In Christ we pray. Amen.

1 John 4:27
2 Isaiah 61:1-2