Category Archives: Quiet Time

how god speaks through the bible

How God Can Speak Through the Bible – First Things First Part 4

We’ve been talking about learning to listen to God. Here is an example of that.

Sometimes we fail. We mess up. We make bad decisions, and many times the heavy load we carry is the result of those choices. When we recognize this, we pile on self-condemnation—guilt and shame. But when we take time to listen, we don’t hear condemnation from God, but something far different:

Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Child come here. Put down that heavy load, and climb up in My lap and tell Me all about it. Receive the grace, the forgiveness I so want to give you, and let me release you from your worry. Quit accepting shame, and embrace the freedom-joy of My love once again. Just leave it to Me. I will help you know what to do as you move forward from here.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.

I will not only show you what to do now, but I will help you learn from this. I can teach you to be free of your compulsions, to see more of the world from My perspective, so you don’t make this same mistake twice. If you choose, My Holy Spirit will do this deep healing in your spirit.

For my load is easy, and my burden is light and you shall find rest for your souls.

It is so much easier–and more enjoyable–to follow Me when you aren’t carrying unnecessary burdens. The load I give you is quite simple: stay connected with Me. Don’t let anything get in the way of this connection, especially not your mistakes. Don’t let anything keep you from embracing the identity, value, belonging and calling I have given you.

When you stay connected with Me, you will be able to hear my voice and follow where I am leading you to go.

What has God been saying to you?

Preventive Maintenance

Sometimes my patients can try my patience.

Often a patient comes to see me only when they are very sick. They can’t figure out what is wrong, and how to get healthy again. So I do my best to diagnose the problem, but also try to look further, to see what may be behind the problem that affected their health in the first place.  And then I give my best advice on how to treat the illness. But I also try to say a few words about preventive maintenance. I encourage them to make some changes to improve their overall health, so they are less likely to get sick. To address the bigger issues that affect their ability to fight infection like diabetes, inactivity, overworking, extra weight, poor diet, lack of prevention.

Usually a patient will follow my recommendations for their acute illness, such as take the prescription, drink fluids, rest. But once he feels better, he sets aside the more serious issues. Often, I won’t see him in my office until the next illness strikes.

Preventive Maintenance for My Soul

If I am honest with myself, I can do the same thing, not so much with my physical health as with my spiritual health. I reach out to God with “fire alarm prayers,” but when things settle down ignore the preventive maintenance for my soul, those things that I do that keep my life more on an even keel.

It is so easy to chug along in life and neglect the soul-healing habits of my inner life that sustain my outer life. Reading God’s word, spending quality time with Him listening as well as talking, connecting with other believers—these things are preventive maintenance for my soul.

What habits of preventive maintenance for your soul have you developed? Are there any that have fallen by the wayside? What will you do to get back on track?

Where Do You Live?

When we moved to the small town of Florence, South Carolina, we bought a house in an established neighborhood. As we started to meet people, they would often ask where we lived. They didn’t just want to know what neighborhood we lived in, but which house in that neighborhood. Once someone realized which house we lived in they would almost always say “Oh, you live in the Whisenhunt house,” referring to the previous owners, whose last name was Whisenhunt. This happened so often that after awhile when someone asked me where we lived, I would just say “we live in the Whisenhunt’s old house.” Most times the person would smile and nod, and say something like “oh, that’s a great house.” 

 

One time I was at the checkout counter of a local store, buying a doorbell. When I handed my check to the clerk she glanced down at it, and then looked up, a big grin on her face.  “Oh,” she said, “I see from your address that you’re living in the Whisenhunt’s old house.”

John 8:31–32 says “If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

In the Greek, “abide” means to continue, dwell, remain. So abiding in God’s word, means to remain, or “continue to be present” in His word.  God’s word becomes our home, our safe place. The center of our lives.  

Abiding in His word means that we surround ourselves—our minds, hearts, spirits—with the words and truths of the Bible. We read it, memorize it, explore it in context. We talk about it, model our lives after it. When we do these things, the truths in God’s word sink deep down into us and becomes a part of us, influencing how we interact with others, and how we see the world.

Are you abiding in God’s word? Are you reading it regularly, reminding yourself of its truths?  Is it so much a part of you that it often in your thoughts?  

Take some time today to read the Bible–may be a long chapter, or only a few words.  Think about what you read. Write it down. Put it in your phone. Ask God to show you new insights from the passage, and how to apply it in your life.

Get so comfortable in God’s word that you feel at home there. As you do, it will change you. And it will bless those around you.

By Lydia Floren

Light in the Darkness – Light Series Part 3

A little while ago I talked about my struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder and the role of light therapy in helping to overcome that. Well, for the past few weeks I have been able to take advantage of the Ultimate Light Therapy—the sun. I’ve been in Florida, and am due to go back to Wisconsin shortly. It is amazing how being in the bright sunshine day after day has changed me. I actually feel more like myself than I have in a long time. And I actually feel tanked up, and ready to return to below 0 temperatures and piles of snow. I have had such a good dose of sunshine that I think it will see me through until the return of the long and beautiful days that make up a Wisconsin summer.

Isaiah 60:19 says “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

The more time we spend in God’s presence, the less our circumstances affect us. He helps us to see things, even hard things, from His point of view. And His light shines brighter and brighter in our hearts. So bright that in carries over into our darkest days.

Have you been spending time in the bright light of God’s presence?

 

This is the third post in my series on light. Click below to read the previous posts in this series:

The Power of Light

Light to See

Light to See – Light Series Part 2

light to see

One time at my sister’s house Andrew and I were sleeping in their guest room, and I woke up about 3am to get up to go to the bathroom.  Still half asleep, I stumbled through the bathroom door……and found myself tumbling down the stairs.  It was dark, and (obviously) I wasn’t terribly familiar with the floor plan of the house. I thought I was going one way, but I was really going quite another.

If I had left the light on in the hall, I wouldn’t have made that mistake.

Isaiah 42:16 says “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains.”

It is always good to seek God’s light, but it is especially important if we are in an unfamiliar place.  Maybe we have just moved to a new town, or taken a new job. We find ourselves in new surroundings, or with people we don’t know.  Or it could be we are facing a fresh challenge, such as a health issue or a financial situation. Or maybe God is leading us to give Him an area of our lives that we haven’t yielded to Him before.

Whatever this change is, extra light will make it easier to navigate.  Spend extra time each morning in God’s presence. Listen for His kind voice, reassuring you of His love for you. and directing your next steps.

And then embrace the day and move forward. Confident that God is with you in this unfamiliar territory and will be there to guide you through any rough spots.

Where are you in your journey of living life with God? Are you in unfamiliar territory right now?  

The Meeting

The Meetingby Lydia Floren

Imagine: You are involved in a big building project. Not only are you working there everyday, but you are living on-site, too. The venture is a huge undertaking. So much so, that the Architect, a world-renowned expert, also lives and works on the premises.

Every morning as you awake, your mind floods with all the things that need to be done. Your mental list is so long, you hardly know where to start. You drag out of bed and clamber down the hall in search of coffee, already sorting through the priorities in your mind.

As you sip your java and start committing your list to paper, you remember, “Oh, yeah, I have that daily 7 AM meeting with the Architect…. Do I really have time for that?”

There have been days when you’ve made it to the meeting, and others when you haven’t.

“Still,” you say to yourself, “The day does go so much better when I do make that meeting.”

He helps you focus on what’s most important. He trouble-shoots difficulties you have encountered, and helps find solutions. And, more often than not, when you make that daily meeting, you end up working the rest of your day with Him, enjoying His company and learning from His expertise.

“You know,” you think, “On the days I make that meeting I not only accomplish more, but I have more fun doing it.”

Why does that surprise you?

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my load is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

 

 

 

Encountering God Our Father

Encountering God our Father

by Lydia Floren

When we step into God’s heavenly throne room for the first time, I imagine we will be juuuust a little bit intimidated. God’s “glory”—His powerful presence, His bright beauty—will surely take our breath away.

But here’s what I see happening next:

God glances down the great hall, and spies us near the door. His eyes light up, and a big grin spreads across His face. He steps down from the dais and strides toward us, arms open wide.

We, His children, we know that smile. We know those arms. We break into a run and race down that gilded throne room until we reach our Abba. He scoops us up, swings us around, smothers us in a big hug, and then carries us back up to His seat. Settled on His lap, we chatter away. He listens intently, His warm eyes never wavering, His strong arms encircling us. Once our words are spent, and any tears dried, He murmurs a few words in our ear–words of wisdom and encouragement, kindness and grace. He gives us a squeeze; we smile and nod. Then He puts us down, and sends us on our way.

God wants–and invites–this kind of encounter with us now. Every day. Isn’t this what WE also want?

Each morning, choose to enter your Father’s presence, confident of His warm welcome! Soak in His love and wisdom. Stay in His arms long enough to be restored and refreshed. And then joyfully walk along the path He has shown you.

Be loved. And then love.
Soak in God’s love and shine!

You encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5 NSV

Baby 7:2:15

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