“GOD!  SAY SOMETHING!  Where are YOU!!!”

Silence.  Where has he gone?  Did he abandon you? us?  Was He really ever there in the first place?

“WHERE ARE YOU GOD!?!”

And our prayers bounce against the ceiling of the room.  Nothing.  Nothing comes.  No heavenly hug.  No peaceful feeling.  No spiritual tug to say “I’m here child.”  Nothing.  The lush green fields of spiritual communion are gone leaving  the dryness of memories of what once was.

“God?  Are you there?  Do you hear?  Do you care what I’m going through?”

What kind of God leaves us in the middle of our battle?  What kind of God becomes the deaf blind mute we can’t understand and who can’t seem to communicate with us?

That’s how it feels, doesn’t it?  That’s how life appears to be when God goes silent.  But, it’s not the TRUTH.  Take a moment and think about this.

Have you thought maybe this period of God’s silence is a time of cleansing?  A time of growth?  A time of blessing?

“Wait a minute!  God’s silence a time of blessing?  No Way!  I HATE IT!  I want HIM not this cold desert of nothing!”

Really?

Why do we REALLY get scared when we can’t “experience” God?  What makes us wonder if all that we’ve been through and all that He’s shown us and told us was just a figment of our active imagination?  Could there be another reason?

Let me ask you this.

Are we really wanting Him or are we wanting the “feeling” of His closeness?  Are we truly searching for Him or for a warm fuzzy hug that says, “You’re safe.  I’ve got you.  Go on, you’re okay.”

We SAY we want Him, but our actions scream more like a toddler lost in a store wondering where their mommy has gone.

Could it be that God is letting us experience His silence, so we can be purged of our need for feelings to reassure us and instead begin to truly rely on our faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

We can’t please Him unless we have faith, but we can’t have faith unless we experience the pool of life without our emotional floaties on.  It’s not that He’s left us, He’s just letting us swim learning to trust He’s watching and waiting to assist us should we get in trouble.

Without God’s silence how will we be able to truly please Him if we are more in love with how He makes us feel than with the giver of the feeling?

When you are in the silence of God, remember this:

All Teachers are silent when their students are taking a test.

Be patient.  Continue on the path He showed you.  Trust in Him and thank Him for loving you enough to grow your faith so that you may bring Him more pleasure and joy.  Enjoy His silence and rejoice in the growing of your faith and the pruning of your feelings.

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What causes fights and quarrels among you?  James 4:1

Everyday, we find ourselves engaged in various forms of combat. One of which is verbal conflict. And if we’re not careful, when battling through those tough conversations, it can turn into a full-blown war.  Have you heard of the military weapon called the ‘smart bomb‘? It’s a bomb that is designed to hit a specific target.  Well, when we find ourselves immersed in verbal battles with people in our lives, so often our weapon of choice is a ‘dumb bomb’. We launch those vocal missiles to assassinate someone’s character or destroy their self-esteem. But unlike the smart bomb the military uses, our dumb bombs explode and not only damage the person we’re attacking, but also they end up damaging us.  God doesn’t want quarreling, back-biting or fighting to be part of our verbal arsenal. Instead, He wants us to use words that build others up. Life is too short for fussing and fighting. Instead, look for ways to bring peace.

Dear God, It can be so easy to launch verbal missiles at people I disagree with. Help me in those situations to create peace and understanding rather than dissention and destruction. Help me to communicate only words that will point others to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

God can work in spite of sickness. He still answers prayer and heals people today, and He still does miracles. In sickness and in hardships, He can work in a person’s life. Even if a person still has the sickness or problem, God can work in spite of it and give them a special strength. And no matter what happens to our physical bodies here on Earth, we have the promise of heaven and ultimate healing in heaven. At that time, God says He will wipe away all our tears. There will be no more death, sorrows, crying, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

What a glorious promise! There is more—so much more!—beyond this life on Earth. Whatever our limitations, whatever our problems, God promises us that we will one day receive a new body that will not have the shortcomings we experience today.

And God can also use sickness to bring a person to Himself, can’t He? I know of many people who have come to the Lord in the hospital or when facing death. Suddenly they reevaluate their lives. They wonder, What am I living for? What’s really important in my life? What’s going to happen to me when I die? And they begin to think about eternity.   As the psalmist says, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Psalm 119:67). God can work in spite of sickness, and He can work through sickness. Nothing is impossible for Him.

It is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. Ecclesiastes 3:13

A local senior-citizens’ center held a New Year’s Eve “sock-hop” dance complete with decorations, food, and a jukebox. The “hoppers” were mostly in their 70s and 80s. One of the dancers was less than graceful in his movements to the music, but he danced with all his heart while sporting a huge smile. When asked why he danced with such gusto, he replied that he did not know how many more days he would have to dance, laugh, and enjoy himself — certainly not as many as he had already experienced. He intended to make the most of every day he had.  As I listened to the man’s reply, I realized that none of us, regardless of our age, knows how many days we have left. The Bible tells us that while we are here our time is to be spent making disciples for Jesus Chrisr and being his witnesses, loving one another, praising God in all ways possible, laughing, living in peace, and doing good.  How many days have I wasted in complaining, demanding my own way, withholding love and goodness? How many hours have gone by while I wallowed in self-pity, plotted revenge, or pushed others aside to be in first place? I cannot go back and retrieve those lost days and hours, but I can make the most of this day and every day that I have from now on.

Giver of Life, help us to live each day to glorify you. Amen.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1

The verse today gets to the root of why my wife and I got in arguments: the desires that battle within me. Desires I do wish hadn’t been there. Desires that are ugly and selfish and petty. Desires that motivated me to seek my own way. Desires that battled within me, then did spill over into my actions.

There is a battle raging within each of us. It is a battle between flesh and Spirit, between reaching out and focusing inward, between living for Christ and living for ourselves. How can we find victory in these battles without claiming more casualties? I have found there are several ways:  Praying: James 4:2 goes on to say, “You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.” James is telling us how to avoid fights. Take our unmet needs, desires, expectations and complaints to God. We don’t need to expect our husbands, children, neighbors, co-workers or friends to fulfill our every need.  Walking in truth: It’s easy to believe the lies of the enemy or our flesh: If you were only married to someone else, you’d have a better life. If he would clean up after himself, you wouldn’t have so much work to do. No one around here appreciates you. The lies escalate the battles. We spiral quickly into feelings of self-pity and anger. Instead we can learn to recognize those lies and refocus on Truth—God’s Truth. We can go to His Word and read what He has to say about the people we love and the position we are in. Psalm 26:2-3 says, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind, for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.”  Taking each thought captive: 2 Corinthians 10:5b tells us that we are to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” There are two action verbs in this statement: take and make. These are strong words that indicate effort. It’s not something we can sit back and hope will happen. It’s something we have to be intentional and insistent about. When our thoughts start wandering down those dangerous “if only” paths, we can instead find a fork in the road and change direction, remembering who Christ is and how He lived His life on earth—as a loving, humble servant.  Being silent: I have often regretted my speech. In the heat of battles, I’ve found it is almost always better to walk away and pray. If I feel I have been wronged then I need to ask my Father to defend me. If I feel that battle still waging inside me then I know it’s time to ask Him to quiet my heart. Being silent is hard work! But I know that my silence is not as likely as my angry words to hurt the people I care about. Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”  When the battles rage within us, we can change the results and stop the arguments that ensue. It’s up to us to pause and choose a different reaction. I hope these things will help us today as we rise to the challenge!

Dear Lord, please help me to remember to pray, to walk in truth, to take each thought captive and to be silent. Help me honor You when the battles rage inside me. I don’t want to fight with the people I love and I need You to help me with that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Matthew 5:9

I remember when I first realized that Jesus and James did not speak of blessings coming to those who keep the peace but rather to those who make peace. There is a difference. Some seek to keep the peace by brushing conflict under the rug — by not dealing with issues that ought to concern us or by keeping quiet when someone needs us to speak out. Others make peace by being reconcilers, by building unity between individuals and groups, by helping persons appreciate the viewpoint of others and love them — in spite of differences and in the midst of conflict.

At times I have tried to keep the peace by withdrawing or even by avoiding persons with whom I might disagree. This could be called peacekeeping, but it is not the active love that Jesus and James spoke of as peacemaking. True peacemaking is an act of love that works for reconciliation and for the good of each person. Jesus blessed peacemakers, calling them children of God.  We live out our identity as God’s children when we become true peacemakers, when we take on Christ’s nature of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

O God, make us into your likeness so that we not only keep the peace but work to make peace in all our relationships. Through Christ we pray. Amen.

The joy of the Lord is your strength.  Nehemia 8:10

Some years ago a church member, Jackie, was hospitalized because she had sustained a very serious fracture. The prognosis was not good. In all probability she would never walk again.  I went with the youth group to visit her in the hospital. We began to talk to her, but instead of our group offering words of hope and encouragement to her, she shared a vision of faith and words of strength with us. When I returned home, I recalled the words that had affected me the most: “The joy of the Lord is our strength. We must remain faithful to God at all times.”  Jackie has died, but time has not erased the memory of her faithful witness and her trust in God under difficult circumstances. Now, I don’t dwell on how big my problems are; rather, I remember how great my God is.

Faithful God, in the midst of our problems, help us to see your power. As Jesus taught us, we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”* Amen.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

I love noise — steady, constant reminders that I am not alone. Radio, television, the sound of other family members clanking around in the kitchen — all of these are a joy to me. And when no one else is around to make noise for me, I create the illusion of company by making noise myself. This need for company even carries over to my relationship with God. More often than not, when I’ve run out of things to say, I start saying the same things over again.

Unfortunately, while I am busy talking, no one else is able to. Over the years, I have discovered that God is a very polite listener and refuses to talk when I am talking. God consistently waits to speak until I’m ready to listen.  Finally, knowing this day might never come, God gently began nudging me toward going outside — an activity that occupies me so well I didn’t think about talking. Amazingly, when outside, I am silent. I hear the birds and feel the wind, but I am content with no need to comment. Thoughts about my day, my friends and family simply drift away, and I am with God. For me, time outside is prayer.

Lord, help us always to find a setting where we can listen to you. Calm us to hear your quiet whisper. Amen.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27

Life seems increasingly busy. In a major railway station during rush hour, hundreds of people are in transit, rushing to reach their destinations. On board trains or buses, everyone is talking on mobile telephones. At the shopping center or supermarket, people buy as if the shops were going to close at any moment. When we call a friend on the telephone, we often get the answering machine. Should our lives be like this: constant rushing, never a quiet moment, always listening to or watching some electronic device?

Jesus knew it was vital to withdraw from the crowds to gain strength for his task and peace for his soul. He knew that he needed time spent with God, listening as well as talking, to continue the work he came to do. We’re no different. We need moments of peace in our busy days and time to spend with God, to rest in God’s arms, to be still in God’s presence. That quiet makes a difference in our life.

God, help us to follow Jesus’ example, finding peace and stillness in our busy lives. May we not be too busy or too preoccupied to listen to your voice. Amen.

When you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.  Matthew 5:23-24

A friend and I were attempting to work out a peaceful solution to a long-standing conflict between us. As we talked, I asked her to forgive me. She refused, saying she wouldn’t forgive me, but perhaps we could move on and just not mention it again. Deep in my heart I knew that she was going to continue to let what had happened years earlier eat at her, and it saddened me.  Not sure what to do next, I asked the Lord for guidance. Speaking to me in my heart, God said, “Pray that she will desire my peace.”

Those words from God have come to mind many times since then. Everybody has conflicts in this life, but not everybody becomes bitter. I look to many examples in my own life of kind and loving people who like Joseph forgive those who have wronged them. Like Joseph, they have endured many hardships but have not let the circumstances of their lives destroy them. Instead, they can treasure the peace that comes from forgiving others.

Lord, thank you for the peace you give us when we forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen.