Is God Listening?

I just want to know, “Where is God when I need Him most?”  Does this question sound familiar?  There are times when it seems like God has turned away from us and no longer listening to our prayers. During those hours, we sometimes find ourselves desperately pleading in prayer, but God appears to turn a deaf ear. These times are frustrating and difficult to endure. At a time when we recognize our need for God most, we find ourselves asking, "God, why don't you say something?" We may question His promises to us; however, if we believe His word, we know that He is never will never leave us unattended.  The key is to keep believing His word and never give up hope. 

Silence is not a welcome event when one is waiting on an answer or needs direction. I’m quick to tell friends in need, to be patient and remind them of the scripture, “They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”.[1]   Yet when it comes to me waiting, I whine in protest; I try to help God out with the answer.  I may be better than I used to be but occasionally in the past, I’d want to help God out with the answers to my prayers.  My wife has reminded me many times that, “God doesn’t need your help; He just needs your patience.”  I know that He’s in control of everything and there’s nothing impossible to Him, but “why not now, Lord?”

All of us have known people that were always saying, “The Lord was telling me today; or I know it’s His will." And we cry out, "Then why, God, are you so silent when it comes to me?" The silence is agonizing, and it seems that it happens particularly when we are in going through the most troublesome times.  We live in the midst of constant background noise.  We become so accustomed to noise that even a moment of silence on TV or Radio is annoying.  An unexpected moment of silence is every broadcaster's nightmare.  It happens to the singer wondering if the CD is going to start—and it is terrifying.  Unfortunately it happens in our lives and we also wonder when the music is going to start.

There have been times in my life when it felt like God was nowhere to be found, but looking back and holding to His promises, He was there.   The songwriter pinned, “He was there all the time; He was there all the time; waiting patiently in line, He was there all the time.” Many are going through challenging times but His word tells us,  “Be still, and know that I am God….”[2] KJV We may also receive comfort from the scripture in Psalms 30:5, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

One of my favorite phrases has been the one that says, “God might not be early, but He is never late.” He may speak through many different ways and means but thank God He still speaks!  If one will take time to listen to His voice, He will amaze you as He shows His concern for you

He Still Speaks

Amidst a hustling, clamoring world, It’s sometimes hard to hear

The voice of God, speaking to my soul.

But in my quiet time alone when I approach His holy throne

His tender words fall gently on my ear.

He still speaks; I know His voice. Sweeter sounds, never heard by mortal ear.

And to think that God by His own choice would speak to me,

It makes me rejoice He still speaks I know His voice.[3]

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[1] Isa 40:31

[2] Psalms 46:10

[3] Ponder, Sykes & Wright

Good Old Days

     “Good old days?” This has been a question that has been asked over and over for centuries.  The older one becomes, the more we look back and talk about “the good ole days.”  Our children have reminded us so many times, “That was the olden days; things are different today.”  The past seems to always look better looking back to it than it did when one was experiencing it because we tend to forget the challenges of the past and remember the good times.  I’ve heard many times, “the older I get, the better I was when...”  Been there?  Part of looking back is to compare the amount of change we see from the past.

     Change has taken place in every part of our lives and it seems like it’s been increasing at an exponential rate.  Take any subject and notice what’s happened in recent years—environment, storms, earthquakes, tsunami’s, flooding, famine, fuel, wars, manufacturing, jobs lost to other countries, internet, business failures, housing foreclosures, medicine, healthcare, politics, corruption in business, politics, religious circles, and etc.  This amount of change has been difficult to deal with since the majority of us dislike change.

     We used to say that there were only two things for certain—death and taxes.  Now I believe we need to add another and that is “change.”  One business writer in recent years even wrote that if we are doing things today the same way that we did yesterday, we’ve just fallen one day behind.  “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”[1]

While attending a conference at The Ford Motor for suppliers, Mr. Tony Brown, V.P. of Global Purchasing stated, “If you think it’s bad now, just think.  Twenty years from now you will look back and think of these days as “the good ole days.”  Hard to believe, but most likely it will happen.  What has happened to the “good ole days?”  They are being recreated each day we live in a new direction and a new level. 

We have an awesome responsibility to direct the things that we can control to make sure that change is always in a positive direction and leave a legacy of a better life for future generations. There are many things changing that we cannot control; and we are constantly adjusting to change.  One has stated, “The things beyond myself, I leave to God.” Remember, change may be legal; legal does not make it right! There are changes that are in opposition to our belief system and God’s standard for us to live; therefore, we must not compromise.  Every new day is another chance to become a new person.  We are a sum-total of the “good old days; today will be included as a part of the sum-total of tomorrow.  Therefore, we can start living tomorrow---today; what will it look like?  What will the good old days look like as one looks back twenty years from now?

 “There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn't change — yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.” Heb 13:7b-8

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[1] John F. Kennedy

It's Not Over Yet!

      Each of us has some goals that we want to achieve in life.  In trying to reach the goals, it is easy to allow the challenges of life to take the passion out of reaching these goals.  We know that as we press toward the prize for winning, challenges will come.  Challenges come to us in various shapes and sizes.  They come from many directions; we are bombarded from many outside influences of opposition; others are from internal walls built from past failures.  Even our own families or peers may unknowingly use discouraging words as roadblocks along the path to conquer the mountains.  All of these together seem to sing in unison, “Are we discouraged yet?”

We must never forget that with God on our side, can make it!  Many times people will want to count us out but “It’s not over until it’s over!”  Some will tell us to give up because we cannot make it--“It’s not over until it’s over!”  Others will tell us that we will never amount to anything because of our past actions--“It’s not over until it’s over!”

Therefore, I ask, “Who determines when it’s over?”  There is a tremendous Scripture in Zechariah that tells how God spoke to Zerubbabel about a tremendous task, "You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,' says God -of-the-Angel-Armies.  'So, big mountain, who do you think you are?  Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill. He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes!  Yes!  Do it!'"[1]

In the same Scripture, God tells Zerubbabel not to worry about those who would criticize for small beginnings or taking those baby steps; because they will look in amazement when they see what you eventually accomplish.  We must remember that, He will never give us a task, whether great or small, that He does not give us the strength to accomplish it. 

The former New York Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra once said: “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.”  Now Yogi was no theologian, but he unknowingly expressed one of the greatest principles in the Christian life.  It doesn’t really matter much how one starts; what matters is how one finishes. Victory is won at the finish line, not at the starting line.  Life is a marathon that requires endurance and a lifetime commitment to keep running with the intent of finishing strong.  “It isn’t over ‘till it’s over” also serves to remind us that even if we have fallen far behind in the race there is still time to finish well.

For those who place their trust in God, He is the One that will determine when it is over.  A group of kids was playing baseball and the team on the field was down eighteen to nothing.  A spectator said to one of the losing team members, “You must be pretty discouraged with a score like that.”  The boy replied, “No.  I’m not discouraged; we haven’t had our turn at bat yet.”

It is time to look at the goals again and change all the negatives in our life to, “I can.”  “I will.”  I see.”  “I have.”  It not enough just to “think I can,” we must have the confidence to be able to say, “I know I can!”

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”[2]

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[1] Zech 4:6-7 Message Bible

[2] Phil 4:13 Message Bible