Someone is Listening

Someone is Listening
LYNN COWELL

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” John 1:35-37 (NIV)

Pushing discouragement away, I again prayed the same prayer. I had begun to wonder if the truth I was sharing was making any difference at all. I know, both from God’s Word and from experience, that the troubles we experience in this life have their answers in One: Jesus. But was this truth I was sharing getting through to anyone?

In John 1, we read of the work of John the Baptist. In verses 19-28, John bravely tells the religious people that there is one who stands among them, “the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (v. 27).

The next day, in verses 29-34, John’s proclamation grows stronger as he sees Jesus coming toward him, and John declares, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (v. 29)

Day 3, John again plainly speaks the truth, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (v. 36) Two men hear the words John has boldly, consistently declared, and as a result, they follow Jesus.

Day after day, John the Baptist sowed seeds of truth into the people around him. Whether to those deliberately questioning him or to those merely within earshot, John boldly spoke the truth of Jesus’ identity. He consistently shared who Jesus was and why He came.

You may feel that while you’re stepping beyond your own fears and audaciously sharing who Jesus is, nobody’s listening. Day after day, you keep speaking of who He is and what He has done in your life. You may wonder if any of it matters to the people who matter most.

I would guess John the Baptist may have experienced the same thing. Who doesn't, when they share of the One most precious to them? Yet, John was consistently bold. We don't know how many listened and had their lives changed, but we do know of these two men mentioned in today’s key verses: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37).

These two heard John’s words and followed Jesus.

They heard and followed.

Let’s choose to be on the list of those moved by John's testimony. Like John, let’s not give up sharing Jesus, who He is and what He has done for us.

Especially don’t give up because of what you don’t see. We won’t always see or know who we are impacting when we share Jesus. Your children, friends and loved ones might roll their eyes, walk away or even say they don't believe what you believe. The woman at work may seem as hard as stone, but the one around the corner of the cubicle is desperately listening.

Keep speaking up, because someone is listening. You may not know it. You may never know this side of heaven, but God has given us this promise: “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11, NLT).

When we share the Truth of God’s Word, He is sending out His Word through us. He promises us that His Word will always produce fruit. It will always accomplish what He wants it to and “achieve the purpose for which [He] sent it” (Isaiah 55:11b, NIV).

So today, be bold. Keep speaking. Keep sharing. Keep trusting that while you may not see what is happening, God is at work and “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV).

Heavenly Father, thank You that my work is simply to share Your Word, and Your work is to bring the fruit of change. Help me to stay brave and consistent for the one who is listening. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (NIV)

Isaiah 45:23, “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’” (ESV)

A Worldly Heart

A Worldly Heart

By Dr. Charles Stanley2 Peter 2:9-18

God warns us against misguided desires, because sinful passions can lead to emptiness, suffering, disappointment, pain, and even death. Wise believers let the Father direct their yearnings--and then make changes if necessary.

Impure desires have been part of the "flesh" nature since the fall of man, and they can be hard to see in ourselves. Instead of obvious things like theft, drugs, or immorality, they often involve more subtle attitudes and behaviors, like hoping for a rival's downfall, despising authority (2 Peter 2:10), obsessing about wealth (1 Tim. 6:9), or even speaking arrogant and vain words. Since worldly passions can cause great damage (2 Peter 2:18), believers are to deny them (Titus 2:11-12). But we can't overcome these desires on our own. Submitting to God's Spirit is the only way to live righteously.

The Lord knows what we really desire--and more importantly, what we need--even when cloudy judgment leads us astray. And He understands honest mistakes. When a believer misinterprets the Spirit's guidance or receives bad advice from a friend, God looks at the heart. He may allow the consequences of a poor choice to play out, but He won't shame His children for an honest mistake. He can turn a bad situation into something good (Rom. 8:28).

God can save us from worldly desires, but we must be willing to commit ourselves to Him and trust that His response is the best thing for us. When we put our lives entirely in the Father's hands, we can claim the wonderful promises He has for us and then rest in His grace.

Let Us Fear God

Let Us Fear God
By Mark Altrogge

What does it mean to fear God? Consider the words of Psalm 147:10-11.

I have a friend whose describes his grandfather as a cantankerous old man who would sit in his chair all day and thwack him and his cousins with his cane anytime they walked in front of him. Is this what God is like?

Sitting in his chair, trying to keep people from having fun? A cosmic grouch?

God commands us to fear him and says that he takes pleasure in us when we fear him. Why? Does he enjoy us being afraid of him? I know I don’t want my children to be afraid of me. I want them to love me and enjoy being with me.

A Humble Fear Of God

So, in what sense are we to fear God? The “fear” that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of him, but our having a high and exalted, reverential view of him.

To “fear him” means to stand in awe of him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world STAND IN AWE OF HIM!” (Ps 33:8).

To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of his majesty, power, wisdom, justice and mercy, especially in Christ – in his life, death and resurrection – that is, to have an exalted view of God. To see God in all his glory and then respond to him appropriately. To humble ourselves before him. To adore him.

We tend to be in awe of worldly power, talent, intelligence, and beauty. But these things don’t impress God because “His delight is not in the strength of the horse (mighty armies, worldly power) nor his pleasure in the legs of a man (human strength).”

But God delights in those who fear him – those who stand in awe of him – and instead of trusting in their own human abilities or resources, “hope in his steadfast love.”

The Wicked Do Not Fear God

By way of contrast, the wicked person doesn’t fear God – he doesn’t stand in awe of God. The wicked has a low view of God:

Transgression speaks to the wicked

deep in his heart;

there is no fear of God

before his eyes.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes

that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;

he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

He plots trouble while on his bed;

he sets himself in a way that is not good;

he does not reject evil.” (PS 36:1-4)

The wicked person has such a low view of God and such a lack of awe for God that he doesn’t think God can find out his sin or hate it. He doesn’t act wisely or do good because he doesn’t view God as holy and just and serious about punishing sin. He trusts in his own wits and strength. Obviously, the Lord doesn’t find any pleasure in the wicked.

The wicked refuses to fear God.

So let us fear God – stand in awe of him, take refuge in him, and hope in his steadfast love. For it brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in him for strength and help, not our own wits and resources.

Feeding the Fire

Feeding the Fire
by Ryan Duncan

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. - 1 Chronicles 16:11 

Earlier this year I went fishing with my family up in the boundary waters of Minnesota. Ironically, the first day we pushed out onto the lake in our canoes, the weather was ideal. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and it was warm but with a nice breeze to take the edge off. Then, like something out of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, the weather made a sudden shift. The next morning we got up to find a cloud had descended over the lake.

It wasn’t raining per say, it was more like all the moisture in the area had gotten together and decided to smother our campsite. It was cold, it was damp, and all we could really do was huddle together for warmth. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer, I was going to build a fire. We had all tried earlier that morning, but the damp wood was nearly impossible to burn. With no lighter fluid and only a couple of matches, I realized I was going to have to do this the hard way.

First I started off with small kindling, pine needles, leaves, twigs. Then I moved on to sticks and paper. It took a long time, but at last I got a decent sized flame that would burn the big logs despite the fact that they were damp. You can be sure, now that we finally had a roaring fire there was no way we were going to let it go out. I bring this up because I believe the concept of building a fire is similar to building a relationship with God.

When a friend of mine recently said he didn’t want to lose “the fire” God had given his spirit, I couldn’t help but remember that cold morning in Minnesota. The Holy Spirit will give us the passion and endurance to live Godly lives, but like a campfire, it will eventually burn down to embers if not supplemented by our own actions. It can be hard work at times. You’ll need to start with kindling like daily prayer and scripture reading, follow up with something bigger like volunteering at Church, and then maybe apply a large commitment like ministry. It won’t be easy, and there will be times when it all seems useless, but in the end the Holy Spirit will burn all brighter.

Remember the words of Matthew,   

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

Intersecting Faith and Life: Look for ways to build up your faith in daily life. What actions can you take to make a difference?