A Gentle Whisper

It's 3:45 a.m. as I write this. It's quiet enough in the house that the predominant sound is the fan cooling my computer. About 5 minutes ago I heard the sound of a car--it was the person driving through the neighborhood delivering the morning paper. I could tell by the sound of the car slowing and accelerating as it made its way past the houses where newspapers would be thrown from car windows into the driveways of subscribers.

Why am I up at this time of day to write this? It's been a very busy week filled with people to see, appointments to keep, tasks to accomplish--one of the busiest weeks I've had in quite some time. In the hurrying and scurrying of the week, I forgot to write this on Friday afternoon at my usual time. I woke up and couldn't sleep, but people came to mind that I prayed for in my sleepless state, and I was grateful for a God who is patient enough to allow me to slow down so that I can hear his voice--even at 3:45 a.m.!

As I slipped on my robe, quietly left the bedroom, and sat at my desk in the office, God continued to speak. Finally--I was quiet enough to hear his voice--a gentle whisper.

Do you remember the story of Elijah. He has this heroic moment on Mount Carmel where God answers his prayer by consuming his gift on the altar with magnificent fire that falls from heaven. This signal moment inspired God's people to turn their hearts back to Him. 3 1/2 years of drought came to an end in drenching rains that soaked the earth.

Elijah's moment of victory, however, soon turned to a moment of discouragement. Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah for turning the hearts of the people back to God, and Elijah ran. He ran into the desert until he came to a mountain where he hid. But a funny thing--you can never run far enough away to take you away from God's presence.

Then Elijah heard God's voice saying, "What are you doing here?" Elijah's reply: "I've done all these wonderful things for you, but someone is threatening to kill me!"

"Elijah, go stand at the mouth of this cave where I've found you, and let me show you my presence as I pass by."

First, a powerful wind that tore rocks from their foundations. But God was not there. Then came a tremendous earthquake that shook the earth. God was not in the wind either. Next came a raging fire that consumed all in its path. Still, God was not there. Finally came a gentle whisper. And in that whisper, Elijah recognized the voice of God.

God's presence isn't always experienced in our hurrying and scurrying. We don't necessarily see God in the checklist of things accomplished in our week. But often, we recognize His presence when we slow down enough to hear a gentle whisper.

May your weekend be filled with quiet moments--moments in which you hear God's whisper!

Still Amazing

Let me say right up front that I don't listen to music as much as some do. When I'm in my car, I'm usually listening to some talk radio station. When I was a teenager and my friends were out buying records (Wow! does that date me!), I just wasn't all that interested. By the time I graduated from high school, I think I owned 3 records.

With all that as a disclaimer, however, I will also tell you that some of my most profound spiritual experiences have involved music. There have been certain artists, certain CD's, certain songs that have brought me closer to God.

Philips, Craig, and Dean is one of those groups whose music seems to consistently break through my heart and bring me into God's presence. About 5 years ago they released a CD entitled, "Let My Words Be Few." The last track on that CD is "Your Grace Still Amazes Me." For the first several times I listened to that track, it brought me to tears. It still makes me misty-eyed even when I listen to it today. I want to share the lyrics with you, knowing that the impact will be minimized without the music. But I want you to look carefully at the message of these powerful lyrics.

VERSE 1

"My faithful Father; enduring Friend

Your tender mercy's like a river with no end

It overwhelms me, covers my sin

Each time I come into Your presence

I stand in wonder once again"

CHORUS:

"Your grace still amazes me

Your love is still a mystery

Each day I fall on my knees

Your grace still amazes me"

VERSE 2

"Oh, patient Savior, You make me whole

You are the Author and the Healer of my soul

What can I give You, Lord, what can I say

I know there's no way to repay You

Only to offer you my praise"

CHORUS

BRIDGE

"It's deeper, it's wider

It's stronger, it's higher

It's deeper, it's wider

It's stronger, it's higher

Than anything my eyes can see"

CHORUS

There are several parts of these lyrics that I really like. First are the words "Each time I come into Your presence I stand in wonder once again." That's how it is for me. Whenever I really get close to God I can't help but stand in wonder of His love and grace for me.

The second section I really like are the words "Oh, patient Savior, You make me whole, You are the Author and the Healer of my soul..." I can't tell you how often when I just feel so broken, that His love and grace has pulled me back together.

Finally I like the words of the bridge where it says, "It's deeper, it's wider, it's stonger, it's higher than anything my eyes can see." I'll never reach the limit of God's grace for me and neither will you! Isn't that amazing?

After the first time I heard this song (and by the way I'm trying to hold back the tears even as I'm typing right now), I knew this was a song I want played at my funeral. More than anything, I want every breath from now until the last one to bring honor and glory to God for His grace, because His grace has made such a wonderful difference in my life.

God's grace--still amazing!

The Face of Faith

Recently I was holding my granddaughter, Eloise, in my arms. Please understand that I don't hold my granddaughter to get inspired, but sometimes in those quiet moments when it's just her and me, a new way of understanding something comes to mind.

As I looked into her sleeping face, it struck me--hers is the face of faith. Eloise trusts because that is the nature of a child. She doesn't spend any of her sleeping or waking moments worrying about where the next meal is coming from, whether or not she'll have a roof over her head, or whether she'll have clothes to wear.

Quite honestly, those are things that I worry about. I wonder if I'll be able to pay the mortgage next month, if there will be too much month at the end of the money, or if I'll be able to keep up with the bills. I wish I could say that I trust God all the time to care for all my needs, but I can't say that and be entirely truthful.

That's why I think Jesus loved children so much when He was on earth. Something in children wants to trust. I think that inspired Jesus to say what He did in Luke 18:17. "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

As I get older a stark reality is dawning on me--things that I've depended on and trusted in have failed me. I think the lesson I'm supposed to be learning is a lesson that Eloise can teach me--there is one and only one who is completely worthy of my trust. And as I rest in His gentle arms, my face can become the face of faith.

May you find rest in His arms today.

Grace Enough

2005 was not a year I want to repeat. Between a job losss, cancer surgery, and all the other things you can imagine that go along with those two issues, 2005 had its challenges. If you were to measure my stress level for 2005, it was probably off the charts. So I'm sure you can understand when I say that 2005 was not a year I want to repeat. And yet...

As I was listening to the message that my pastor shared this past weekend he included this text that got me thinking. "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts." Proverbs 4:23 (GN) It struck me--was I choosing to think postively about 2005 or was I dwelling primarily on the negative?

Right there I began to make a list of all the positives that I had experienced in 2005. I quickly came up with a list of over 15 positive things that had happened in the past 12 months--some of which would not have happened were it not for my job loss and cancer surgery!

Doesn't God just amaze you with His ability to show us His grace even when we're facing challenging times in our lives? Sometimes it's when life seems darkest that His grace stands out all the more in stark contrast to what we're experiencing at that moment. And sometimes, I have to admit, it's in those "dark nights of the soul" that I see His grace most clearly.

I'm reminded of God's words to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses...for when I am weak, then I am strong."

May you experience grace enough in 2006!