God’s Silence Doesn’t Equate His Absence

I may have already written about this at some point, but it bears repeating:

God’s silence does not equate His absence.

As I read the Psalmist’s remembrance of how the Lord saved him from the terrors of the grave, I couldn’t help but share the same giddy joy over the way He hears our childlike cry & saves us from what feels like ropes of death.

Today, Markel & I start our new positions together & I proclaim the Psalm as my own: “I saw trouble & sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord & He heard my prayers.”

 But here’s the thing: it’s been exactly 19 weeks since Markel’s last day at Starbucks & 16 weeks since my last day at the school.  Many of those weeks I felt like a wandering & lost child crying out, “Where ARRRRE You, God?”

James 1:2 reminds us to consider it an opportunity for great joy when troubles come our way. It is only when faith is tested that it has the chance to grow. It sets the stage for our Savior to save us, other Holy Spirit to guide us & our Father to love us in ways tangible & inexplicable!

The other day, Markel reminded me that had  it not been for these months of seeming silence & lack of work productivity, we wouldn’t had the opportunity to spend a week with our friends in VA, another week with other friends in FL & another week in LA with two of our sons. I could list a cazillion more things that he mentioned, but I think you get the point.

When God seems absent, He’s still there. He loves us through our friends & family, through lyrics in songs, through lines in movies & most tangibly for me, through His written Word on a daily basis!

He speaks. We only need the space to seek His face & ears to hear His whispers!

Father I think you for the seeming silent moments, because I they force us to slow down so that we might hear your gentle whispers…thank You that the silent times do not equate your absence. You are Emmanuel, God with us!

Remind us today that You are ever with us! Holy Spirit, lead us to walk in the Lord‘s presence as we live here on earth! When we don’t know what to do, fix our eyes on You! Help us to offer a sacrifice of Thanksgiving to You & to call on Your Name! Let our life become a living praise!

#OneYearBible

November 17th One Year Bible Readings

💡EZEKIEL 35:1-36:38

💡JAMES 1:1-18

💡PSALM 116:1-19

💡PROVERBS 27:23-27

Purity of Heart Guards us from Shipwrecked Faith

I watched a movie on our flight back from LA about women who had been biologically weaponized for warfare against their will. They weren’t imprisoned in a place, but their minds were being co trolled to force their bodies to do what they didn’t want to do. The aim of the avenger was to free these prisoners with an antidote.

When the movie ended, I thought to myself how I sometimes feel that way. Like something inside of me, like pride or hurt, acts like a biological controlling agent against my free will & pushes me to act in a way that afterwards I wish I hadn’t.

David asks the Lord in Psalm 86 to teach him His ways so David may live according to His Truth. David writes, “Grant me purity of heart so I may honor You.”

That word “purity” means undivided, unmixed & free from contamination. It feels like such an oxymoron that God gives us free will & that VERY free will keeps me from doing God’s perfect will! It’s the thing that defiles my heart every time I let it rule & reign!

The apostle Paul writes about this in his letter to Timothy. He reminds his son in the faith that the purpose of his instruction is for all believers to be filled with love that comes from 

- a pure heart 

- a clear conscience 

- & genuine faith

He writes that some people, “have missed the whole point...& have shipwrecked their faith as a result.”😬

Keeping a pure heart is close to impossible apart from our pure & holy God. The further we drift from His will & His Way, our own will & ways become stronger...kinda like a spiritual weapon within.😳

Father, we pray like David this morning & ask for purity of heart so we may walk in Your Way & honor You alone. Help us to keep our consciences clear so we may guard our faith from shipwreck!

When we see scary, hard or hurtful things, & fear begins to rise, remind us that we can trust You with the outcome. The only antidote against our faulty will is to let Yours prevail. We know that priority determines capacity so help us make time with You & Your word a priority today!

#OneYearBible

November 16th One Year Bible Readings

💡EZEKIEL 33:1-34:31

💡HEBREWS 13:1-25

💡PSALM 115:1-18

💡PROVERBS 27:21-22

Pursue Peace

Yesterday we went to an Elf on the Shelf event that began with writing a letter to Santa. It seemed so silly, but as I sat there pondering what to write, I changed the receiver to my Lord & asked myself what I would ask of Him. What I wrote was this:

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas this year is healing &  reconciliation for my family. 

Love, Kimmy💚

Even as I type that👆🏽, it feels silly on the surface, but the deep of it is that my God knows the desires of my heart & heard my prayer as I prayed with my pen.

This morning, Hebrews 12:14 starts with an imperative: “Work at living in peace with everyone.” Another version says, “Pursue peace.”

Fireworks exploded in my brain as I read those 2 simple words, but what blew my socks off was this: The root for peace here means, “to join together all of the essential parts; God’s GIFT of wholeness!”🎄

So peace is God’s gift that we are called to pursue! Peace is far more than a feeling or concept. It’s the very Personhood of Jesus!

Paul puts parameters around the pursuit by telling us to:

-Look after each other so that none fails to receive the grace of God

-Watch out that the poisonous root of bitterness doesn’t grow & corrupts us

-See that no one trades their birthright like Esau did

Pursuing peace with others is hard especially when they’ve hurt your heart, & yet we wouldn’t be commanded to do so if it wasn’t possible.

Paul begins to close with this:

“You’ve come to God himself who is the judge over all things. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking.”

We are not called to act as judge over anyone-that’s Jesus’s job.

We ARE called to:

Remember God’s grace we’ve received so that our brothers do too

Guard ourselves from bitterness so it doesn’t corrupt our relationship with others

Be our brother’s keeper so they don’t trade their birthright for a simple bowl of soup

Pursuing Peace isn’t easy when people are involved, but He IS the One who makes it possible.

Father, give us eyes to see what You see. When hurt from others sears our hearts, heal it with Your love. Help us remember all that you’ve done & walk in that same grace-saturated love so that your gift of Peace may prevail!

#OneYearBible

November 15th One Year Bible Readings

💡EZEKIEL 31:1-32:32

💡HEBREWS 12:14-29

💡PSALM 113:1-114:8

💡PROVERBS 27:18-20