Silence: the Deafening Din

I have, O Lord, a noisy heart. And entering outward silence doesn't stop the inner clamor. In fact, it seems only to make it worse.
When I am full of activity, the internal noise is only a distant rumble; but when I get still, the rumble amplifies itself. And it is not like the majestic sound of symphony rising to a grand crescendo; rather it is the deafening din of clashing pots and clanging pans. What a racket! Worst of all, I feel helpless to hush the interior pandemonium.

Dear Lord, Jesus, once you spoke peace to the wind and the wave. Speak your shalom over my heart. I wait silently...patiently. I receive into the very core of my being your loving command, "Peace, be still." Amen. 

(Prayers from the Heart. 1994, Harper San Francisco.)

As we prepare for a new year, the thought of a new set of 365 sets of 24 hours is refreshing. Though it is also somewhat daunting.  Too appealing is the temptation to mull over the worries and anxieties those days will bring through the trials and hardships that are sure to arise. The temptation to dwell on needs unmet, desires unfulfilled, and dreams crushed. Those things surely happened on some level over the past twelve months, so the coming year will no doubt be yet another roller coaster of crashing circumstances and surging emotions.

When we find our minds wandering in this direction, meandering through Memory Lane and making a wrong turn onto Regret Drive, we must stop and reevaluate our path. If we really believe that God is still in Heaven and that He is who He says He is, who are we to allow anxiety and worry to claim our hearts? A loving God dwells within us who reigns in ultimate goodness: holiness and love. I find that when I allow my perspective to be introspective and self-analyzing, my thoughts and emotions truly clamor within me to an unbearable level. However, when I turn my perspective to be God-analyzing and truly seek out the face and character of my Savior, my worries turn to prayers, my anxieties are overcome by promises, and my fears are ruled out with patience. What an awesome God we serve, and when we humbly recognize that He is in supreme control over every second of our lives, we can then rejoice in both the joys and sorrows that our days may bring. To spend our days wisely in spite of our emotions is to remember that when God made time, He surely made enough of it.

And when the clamor is too loud and the silence is deafening, we can quiet our souls with the cleansing promises of our Savior.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
{Psalm 139:16}

~ GE (College Sophomore)

In Whatsoever State I Am: Content!

        As 2011 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all the Lord has brought me through this year. Last year about this time, I was reading several blogs, and I kept coming across the idea of picking a word to live out in the year ahead. As I got to thinking about the idea, I decided that in 2011 I wanted to focus on having contentment. So my theme for the year became "Contentment v. Complacency."  At first, I thought that I would kind of learn about these two concepts through personal study. However, I quickly realized that God knew that I needed to learn about these concepts through circumstances and direct experience.

        The year quickly spiraled into unmanageable busyness as I tried to plan for college, my senior trip to New York City flew by, high school ended, graduation came and went, the summer brought an evangelism trip to the Philippines, the fall took me to my first semester at Bible college, and my mom took a new job and moved across the country last week. Now here we are, at the end of another year. Although 2011 was incredibly packed with changes, it was also a year of waiting. Waiting on college decisions, waiting on high school to end, waiting for scholarships to be awarded, waiting for job applications to be accepted, waiting to see souls (in whom I had deeply invested) saved, waiting to start college, waiting for prayers to be answered, waiting to see my family, waiting to know God's revealed will. 


        It seemed to go on forever. But God knew what I needed to learn. He knew that I needed to experientially find out the difference between contentment and complacency. In all of my seasons of waiting, I had to wait on God to provide  for my needs. And ya know, He always came through! He had a plan far before I did (Psalm 139:16), and He had a lesson in contentment waiting for me far before I even desired to learn it.

        A passage on contentment that I have been studying recently is Philippians 4. I have heard people quote verse 13 many, many  times. However, I never realized that when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," he is speaking in regard to his finances! He is saying that, regardless of how dismal his bank account may appear at any given time, God is fully able to meet his financial needs for whatever God wants him to do. Paul is thanking the Philippians for giving him financial support as directed by God. He is relaying to his fellow Christians that God has taught him to be joyful with little and how to be responsible with a lot. But, Paul makes it clear that God has taught him to be content in any financial situation. Paul can do this because he is resting in the fact that his God has no limits on His financial ability! 

Rain and Sunshine

On my way to church last night, I saw a full-length rainbow.  It had rained just a few hours earlier, and a beautiful spectrum of colors remained against the dark grey sky.  God gave us the rainbow as a sign of His promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the entire earth by a flood.  Usually when I look at rainbows, that's as far as my observation goes.  This time, however, my contemplations went beyond Noah.

I love reading good, challenging Christian books.  Right now, I am spending a lot oftime on Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity. It's Jim and Elisabeth's love story, which has an abundance of insight into God's Word, serving Him, and (naturally) love.

In one chapter of the book,  Jim professed his love to Elisabeth but did not feel God wanted him to marry at the time.  He left for Ecuador, and she stayed at school in Oklahoma, continuing to serve God and wait on Him. Elisabeth describes one evening she spent alone with God at the top of a stadium in Oklahoma.  As she was sitting there alone, pouring her heart out to God, she noticed "just the scrap of a rainbow" in the sky.  It was a great encouragement to her on that lonely evening.

Just like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is never found, sometimes we can never even get a glimpse of the end of our trials. But, we can trust God that there is an end, and that He won't push us past what we can handle.  There is also a purpose to our suffering: to make us more like Christ and to demonstrate His beauty to others.  All rainbows are made of rain and sunshine.  Through the rain, allow yourself to radiate God's love, joy, and peace, bringing beauty into the lives of others.

Maybe now when you see a rainbow, you'll not only remember God's promise, but also how He created the rainbow--with rain and sunshine.

LC (High School Senior)

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Purpose and Peace

We live in a violent, vulgar time.

- a time when people have little purpose

- a time when many desire personal peace 

- a time when one must turn to God for purpose and peace.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Colossians 3:17


Let's break it down

1. "And whatsoever you do in word or deed" 

     - If I'm not doing it, then I'm probably saying it.
  
Thought Question:

Since actions and words are generated by thoughts, then how important are my thoughts?


What do my thoughts reveal about me?  (Proverbs 23:7)


So what things should I think about?  (Philippians 4:8)  

Hint: There are 6.


What is the result of proper thoughts and actions?  (Philippians 4:9)  

Hint: P______ of G_____

2. "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" 

    - Everything I do should be done with Jesus in mind.


With whose name should I be willing to have my actions (words and deeds) associated?


Thought Question:
To whom do my actions actually bring glory (attention or praise)?

What do we call something that brings honor to self and dishonor to Christ?
Hint:  S __ __


3. "giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
    - I should be able to thank God for my words and actions.

If I can't thank God for them (my words and actions), then what must be the reason?
It's simple; it's sin.
    

Conclusion: All my words and deeds should be done in such a way 
that I can thank God for them.  

PM