Category: Whispers (Page 12 of 164)

When we love and fear the Lord, we will exude a beautiful fragrance of life to those around us. So many in our culture do not love the Lord or even have a reverential fear of the Lord. It’s as if He doesn’t exist or He is far off. We are like a stench to them. They are blind to God’s love and have chosen death over life. How sad it will be one day when they die and miss the glory of heaven. But when we choose the Lord and life, we will be ushered into His presence when we die and leave this earth. Until that day we are to live for Him each day of our lives and be an alluring fragrance.

Life is short and we owe the Lord our whole life for the debt He paid for us. So many however are going along with contemporary culture that leads away from God and embraces what is false. We see the results as so many are lonely, anxious, without purpose and trying to fill the void they feel with things that will never satisfy. May the Lord help those of us who know Him to be a fragrance that draws people to the Lord, that they may also have eternal life. We know that our lives will one day be over and we will experience the consequences of our choices. Let us choose the Lord now and let His fragrance draw others to Him.

When Al and I came home from our 60^th anniversary party, our hearts were overflowing with gratitude. We sat down with a cup of coffee and just shared together the blessings of the wonderful day of celebration. Our kids and their families had sacrificed to set the day apart: one son delaying surgery so they could be there, another family traveling from N.C., others who changed work schedules, etc. But PTL, our immediate family was all together and we were thankful. They put themselves out with my favorite meal of enormous steaks, and so many delicious side dishes, two cakes, banner with our wedding pictures, golden balloons, gifts including a picture painted by our artistic grandson, and meaningful cards. They gave time for Al and I to share about God’s goodness in giving them to us as our children with their specific gifts and personalities, wonderful spouses and grandkids. It was good to review how each one is special and placed in our family by our loving Father. We concluded the time with praying for each couple and passing on God’s blessings through our family line. We came home so full of praise and gratitude to the Lord.

But what happens to our hearts when we are ungrateful and pessimistic? I read recently how destructive it is to our whole being and results in resentment, envy and hopelessness, etc. Experimental trials have shown however, that people who experience gratitude enjoy greater health, for they are better able to deal with stress and recover more quickly from illness. They also sleep better and are also more optimistic about their lives. I suspect they are easier to be around, for they are more other centered and have hope.
Let us remember Paul’s words in I Thes. 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I know when I blow it and am not what I should be, I become so much more aware of His love for me, that He loves me even in my imperfection. We can be ourselves before the Lord, authentic and real, and know that the Lord will not withhold His love from us. It rather reminds me of us as young children, trying to please our parents. We may attempt to make a meal for them, and it is not perfect, but they are only looking at the desire of our hearts to do something special for them. Yes, it is imperfect and yet done with much love and our hearts are enlarged in the giving.

We all need to come to the point of accepting how unworthy we are. We are so undeserving of what the Lord offers to us. Maybe one day we will wake up and realize that God loves to give us good things and not based on how good we are. When Jesus was speaking to the crowd he said, in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

When our hope is in the Lord and we actualize His love in our hearts, our joy will spill over and we will want to share with others, for our hearts have been enlarged. Now we do things out of love for Christ and isn’t that what sainthood is all about? Doing what is good from our hearts even though we are not perfect, but resting in His perfect love and grace.

God uses many means to draw us close and some may be surprising. We can be in a group of people and withdraw mentally from what is happening around us and experience communion with the Lord. Some followers have heard the Lord in an audible voice and some in more of an interior voice speaking a message. If it makes us prideful, then we are missing the purpose of His words.  Sometimes the Lord speaks to us in our dreams and when we awaken, we need to pay attention to the details and ask Him how we are to interpret it. Do we need to make changes? What is your message to me?  There are times I have had the same dream again and I doubly pay attention. What are you saying, Lord? Some people have visions, but must remember to focus on the Giver and not the gift itself. The enemy can produce visions as well, but they leave one proud and spiritually dry. God’s divine touch leaves us feeling humble, enriched and drawn to Him.

Often God speaks through our circumstances, and right now that is true for our son Kurt. He snapped his bicep and needs surgery, and his first comment to us was, “What is God going to teach me through this?” Not why did this have to happen to me?

We can’t put God in a box as He acts in so many ordinary, different and unique ways. As it says in Col. 2:3, in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Whenever we have an experience that helps us become aware of His presence, it should draw us closer, make us more patient with others, and more humble, not prideful.