8 Steps to Meeting God in Silence and Solitude..... Whitney Hopler

 8 Steps to Meeting God in Silence and Solitude

• Whitney Hopler

• "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” - Psalm 46:10

  The spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude may be quiet, but they're also full of adventure, because God Himself is waiting to meet you there. Whenever you get away from the noise and busyness of life to encounter God through silence and solitude, He’ll change your soul in ways that go beyond words.

  Here’s how you can use silence and solitude to grow closer to God:

1. Pursue Time with God

Pay attention to what’s stirring in your soul. Notice the feelings of desperation and desire that you experience at various times. Instead of trying to suppress or run from those feelings, let them motivate you pursue time with God in silence and solitude.

2. Seek Moments of Solitude

Incorporate silence and solitude into your life regularly. Choose a regular time and place to get away from life as usual and spend at least 10 minutes in silence and solitude as often as you can. Ask God to help you express your need for Him through a simple prayer, and choose a physical position that will enable you to stay alert yet worshipful.

3. Don’t Be Deterred

Overcome resistance. Don’t let anything distract you from devoting yourself regularly to times of seeking God in silence and solitude. Entrust each of your current concerns specifically to God in prayer so you can be free to be fully present with Him during solitude and silence. If you’re anxious or afraid when you think about spending time in solitude and silence, admit it to God and ask Him to comfort you.

4. Unburden Yourself

Seek rest for your body, mind, and soul. Pray for the wisdom you need to recognize when you’ve become dangerously tired – exhausted by life’s demands, to the point where you can’t hear God’s voice speaking to you. Accept God’s invitation to rest in His presence during solitude and silence. Rather than showing up tired for your special meetings with God, give your body the rest it needs by getting enough sleep and exercise, eating well, and drinking water regularly. While you’re spending time in solitude and silence, take deep breaths and let the peace of God’s presence fill your body. Let go of concerns that your mind is trying to hold onto during solitude and silence by opening yourself up to the revelation that comes from beyond your mind – from God Himself, who can speak to you about things that your mind can’t figure out, but your spirit can hear. Ask God to help you quiet your mind and listen to Him with your spirit, trusting that He will respond to your prayer by speaking to you. If grief is weighing on your soul, confess it to God. When your soul feels grateful for God’s love, express that gratitude to God.

5. Embrace the Emptiness

Let emptiness lead you to God’s fulfillment. Don’t try to deny or avoid the emptiness you feel inside sometimes. Instead, recognize that emptiness can be good when it motivates you to turn to God to seek fulfillment during your times of solitude and silence. So feel the pain of your emptiness as it carves out space in your soul for you to receive more of God’s presence.

6. Accept the Truth

Face yourself as you really are, and let God help you. Rather than hiding from God, denying who you are, or trying to control what others think of you, allow the truth of who you are to surface during solitude and silence – and face the reality of the person you see, flaws and all. Then remember that God loves you deeply and unconditionally, and ask Him to meet you right where you are and help you grow more into the person He wants you to become. Use whatever painful new knowledge you’ve gained about yourself to repent from sin and grow closer to God, with the confidence that He will help you every step of the way. Keep in mind that God is for you, with you, and in you when you open yourself up to His powerful presence. So give yourself completely to God, who loves you just as you are but also loves you too much to let you stay as you are.

7. Ask for Direction

Receive God’s guidance. The more time you spend with God in solitude and silence, the more you’ll learn how to recognize God’s voice when He speaks to you. Pray for the guidance you need to make wise decisions, and be alert for the Holy Spirit witnessing to your spirit about what is true. Remember that the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you only as you’re able to bear it, so trust God’s timing.

8. Share Your Love

Let the love that you experience in solitude and silence pour out into other people’s lives. Each time that you return to life in community with other people after spending time in solitude and silence, draw upon the love that God has given you to love others in the ways He wants you to express love – from speaking kind and encouraging words, to serving them when they need help with something. Take what God has given you during your meetings with Him in solitude and silence and use it to bless others when you’re with them.

Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For..... by Shawn McEvoy

 Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For

by Shawn McEvoy

He has risen, just as He said.
Matthew 28:6, NIV

What would I ever do if someone I knew came back from the dead? Especially if he had said he would, and if he had spent a couple nights in a grave already?

Seriously, what would I do? What would you do? Wouldn't I blab to everyone I know - and most people I don't - about this miraculous event? Heck, I tell everyone when I'm feeling under the weather or when I saw a good movie.

Then factor in that the same guy was now telling us that because of what he had done, none of the rest of us would ever have to suffer death. What's more, simply by believing what we had seen, no matter our background, history, race, or education, we could restore our long-lost connection with the Almighty, and live forever.

Man... unfortunately, I'm having a hard time conceiving what I would do. Or, even if I can conceive it, I can't quite believe it, because honestly, I have seen this, I do believe this, and yet my daily reaction to it doesn't exactly line up with The Acts of the Apostles.

Has the news of a resurrected savior really become passe?

Why don't I want to read Acts?

What am I afraid of?

That I'll be rejected?

(He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:8)).

That I won't be powerful enough?

(God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7)).

That the good news isn't relevant enough?

Salvation and the message of the resurrection, the miracle of born again-ness, is a salve to all wounds.

This Easter I'll join choruses like "He's Alive" while pondering and praising the miracle, but when it comes time for the next day of my life to begin, a day and a life that means nothing if not lived for my Savior, it'll be all about me again and my troubles and making my way and who cut me off and what I have to get done and who I don't like and what can we complain about today.

Yuck.

I want this Easter to be real. Because I did see it happen (so to speak; the resulting spread of those who ran to the corners of the earth to tell the story with no regard for personal safety is traceable to this day), it is real, and I'm cheating life and people God loves if I'm not shouting those facts from every corner and rooftop I can find. Everything else is just window dressing; "Christian living" is often just how we pass all our extra time in this country where so many of our basic needs are so easily met, and where we can cordon ourselves off from each other. What matters in life?

1. That there is life, and...
2. how it came about that there might never be death, but...
3. there are still dead men walking.

Really, why else are we here if not to keep excitedly shouting the truth of the miracle as if we'd just experienced it with our own eyes yesterday?

Intersecting Faith & Life: For the longest time, I've felt a leading in my heart to launch out into a complete study of the book of Acts, something I've never fully done. For some reason, I continue to put it off. But in my quest this year to make Easter real, I'm beginning a study of what those who witnessed the resurrection couldn't keep themselves from going out and doing. Care to join me? 

Further Reading
Acts 1:1

Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

And every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2).

A child of God was dazed by the variety of afflictions which seemed to make her their target. Walking past a vineyard in the rich autumnal glow she noticed the untrimmed appearance and the luxuriant wealth of leaves on the vines, that the ground was given over to a tangle of weeds and grass, and that the whole place looked utterly uncared for; and as she pondered, the Heavenly Gardener whispered so precious a message that she would fain pass it on:

"My dear child, are you wondering at the sequence of trials in your life? Behold that vineyard and learn of it. The gardener ceases to prune, to trim, to harrow, or to pluck the ripe fruit only when he expects nothing more from the vine during that season. It is left to itself, because the season of fruit is past and further effort for the present would yield no profit. Comparative uselessness is the condition of freedom from suffering. Do you then wish me to cease pruning your life? Shall I leave you alone?"

And the comforted heart cried, "No!"
--Homera Homer-Dixon

It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife,
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life.
Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf,
Be lost a space.
O thou whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn;
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,
Rejoice, tho' each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine
Shall fall and fade; it is the hand
Of Love Divine
That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May'st now bear much.
--Annie Johnson Flint

Resurrection: Our New Body..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Resurrection: Our New Body

Dr. Charles Stanley 

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

What a scene will occur at the sounding of the Lord’s trumpet! The “dead in Christ” will emerge from their resting places all over the earth and soar into the sky; these saints’ resurrected bodies will reunite with their spirits, which will have been residing in heaven with Jesus. Close behind them will follow believers who haven’t yet departed this life—at that moment, they’ll miraculously be changed as they are “caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

The description sounds extraordinary, but in fact, the plan is practical. We’re going to need a body with which to enjoy the new heaven and new earth that Jesus is preparing for His followers. However, earthly flesh and bones will not do. They age, break, and succumb to sin. So God promised to transform our humble structures into glorious bodies like the one Christ had after His resurrection. Common temptations and limitations will be gone. In addition, our physical substance will be altered so that we are not restricted by time and space. Remember, Jesus didn’t bother with doors (John 20:19)! Our new bodies will be suited for the environment where we are to dwell forever—an ageless eternity in which all of our needs are perfectly met.

Each believer will still be him- or herself. Friends and family long separated will recognize one another; our personalities will be unchanged, except that we’ll be absolutely sinless. At last, you and I will be the persons that God intends for us to be. And we’ll be housed in a body fashioned like that of Christ—perfect, sinless, and complete.

What You See Is What You Get..... NICKI KOZIAR

 What You See Is What You Get

NICKI KOZIARZ

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

I’m not a psychologist or licensed counselor. But I knew something was spiritually and emotionally unhealthy in me a few months ago.

Day after day, I began to wake up with this same gloomy feeling over me.

When I would open up my emails, news apps and social media accounts, there I would see it: gloom.

It felt unavoidable, and it was all I could see everywhere I turned. At the same time, in doing research for a project I was working on, I came across a term called confirmation bias.

According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of confirmation bias is, “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.”

Plainly put, this means what we believe inside of us becomes what we look for around us. Evidence. Proof. Justification of our feelings.

I realized very quickly that I had written a story for the current state of my life. One that was filled with sad days, hard situations and … gloom. I was experiencing confirmation bias because I would wake up each day and subconsciously look for gloom.

And I found it.

But once I understood what confirmation bias was, I became challenged to change.

Even if life is trying to write a story of gloom, we are followers of Jesus. And the story Jesus left for us is one of hope, power and might. Yet, Jesus never said this would be easy. And I think we can all agree, it’s not.

Philippians 4 is a letter from Paul to the church in Philippi. It’s one of my favorite chapters in Scripture because it’s filled with so much practical wisdom for our lives.

Even though this was written so long ago, Paul is normalizing our daily battle. In verse 8, he gives us advice for where to set our minds each day: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

He tells us we should think, or we could say look, for things that are lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise.

And if we cannot see those things each day, we may need to challenge our beliefs. This is a hard process because honestly, I feel like the way our lives have been challenged lately has rewired us to expect gloom.

It’s time to peel back the layers of doubt, discouragement and despair and remember what’s deep inside of us as Christians — Jesus. He died to give us the power and authority to see the evidence of His goodness all around. But it’s up to us to decide what we believe about the ways of God.

What we believe is what we become.

Today, I want to challenge you the same way I’ve challenged myself these last few months. I encourage you to read all of Philippians 4 and let Paul’s God-breathed wisdom shift something in you.

After you read it, pray and ask the Lord to show you how you can replace the gloom of life with the goodness of God. Then, look for evidence all day of things that are lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. If you’re struggling to see it, ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

By doing this, we will start to see evidence of …

Opportunities in the midst of opposition.
Faithfulness covered up by frustrations.
Beauty that can only come from brokenness.
Gratitude instead of grief.
And the power of God despite the problems of man.

What you see is what you’ll get.

God, thank You for new days with new outlooks. Help us to see the evidence of You all around us today despite what the world tries to show us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (ESV)

The Problem with Perception..... by Sarah Phillips

 The Problem with Perception 

by Sarah Phillips

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16: 7b

A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine mused, "Why are people like Paris Hilton so unhappy? They have no earthly excuse to be." It's human nature to look at snapshots of someone else's life and conclude that they somehow have it better than we do. Too many times I've allowed my perceptions of someone else's happiness to create discontent in my own world. I wonder, "God, why are you blessing them and not me?"

Not only is it tempting to make assumptions about those who've achieved worldly success, but I've caught myself and others making wrong assumptions about what it means to be a godly person, a "good Christian." I hear fellow believers say they feel small or inadequate next to some perceived spiritual giant or that they envy some gift or perceived virtue of another.

I recently came across a reflection from a young woman that gave me a fresh perspective on those I perceive to be "perfect." St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who lived in the late 19th century, was a model Christian very young in life. Yet, a few years before her own young death at 24, she reflected on how others perceived her in her autobiography Story of a Soul:

"I cannot say that Jesus makes me walk the way of humiliation exteriorly. He is content to humble me in the depths of my soul; in the eyes of creatures, I succeed in everything."

Therese expressed much discomfort in the compliments lavished on her because, as she so matter-of-factly states: "I remember who I am." She knew the intimate details of her faults even while others could not see them, and often felt the difference between her and the great Saints like Aquinas was as vast as a grain of sand at the foot of a mountain.

St. Therese wasn't alone in her discomfort of others' perceptions. Mother Teresa often tried to deflect attention because she knew she wasn't really the true source of her "success." Mother Teresa's personal letters revealed her own private periods of darkness laced throughout her extraordinary life.

Sometimes, the unseen crosses weigh us down more than any outward suffering ever could. There is so little we truly know about other souls -- only that which others are willing to share with us. This is why the comparison game is such a sham. It creates a toxic cycle of private shame and envy that isolates individuals in a world where we're all trying to "measure up" to fabricated standards. Jim Hancock, the author of Posers, Fakers, and Wannabes, expressed the dangerous game of comparison like this: "I judged what I knew about me by what I didn't know about them."

Life, of course, does not have to end with each one of us locked in a private world of faults and failings. Even with their interior crosses, both St. Therese and Mother Teresa knew they did not have to live a life of disconnection, shame or envy. They knew true inner peace rested with the only One who is perfect and yet, with full knowledge of our faults, loves us unconditionally.

Not only does God love us as we are, but He's ready to use even our failings for incredible good - perhaps even greater good than had we been "perfect." When we stop comparing and put energy towards building the most important relationship we'll ever have, doors open to a life greater than we could have planned or achieved on our own.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Americans are reportedly some of the loneliest people on the planet. Intimacy flourishes when we let our guards down and allow others to see who we really are, imperfections and all. Set aside a little time this week to strengthen a relationship with a friend or family member. Be open to talking about what's really going on in each others' lives so that you can build each other up in the faith.

Further Reading:

Luke 9: 46-48

A Prayer for Progress over Perfection..... By: Jennifer Heeren

 A Prayer for Progress over Perfection

By: Jennifer Heeren

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

My goal in life is to be transformed and to learn to walk in love as I continue to grasp just how much I am already loved by my precious Heavenly Father. Seeing this love will enable me to know which goals I should strive for—the goals God desires for me to have. The more I realize the immenseness of God’s love for me, the more I will make progress on goals that I would like to complete.

God doesn’t love our completed tasks as much as he loves our enthusiasm to work for Him. He is pleased the entire time that we are taking steps of obedience, not just at the end. There are some things that will never be completed this side of heaven—like world peace, for instance—but God is pleased when we take steps to live in unity with one other person.

Progress toward our goals, and even more importantly, progress toward our becoming more like Christ, is an ongoing thing. There will always be more to do and more ways to grow in character and love. God is pleased when we take steps, when we step out of our comfort zones, and when we try.

Hebrews 11 says a lot about God’s happiness with our progress—otherwise known as faith:

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for and is the evidence of things not seen yet.

Through faith, people earn a good reputation.

We can never fully know God and His ways but we can take steps to seek Him and seek to walk in the ways that we can decipher.

Even when Abraham reached the land God had promised him, he lived there by faith. Abraham confidently looked forward to a city designed and built by God.

I will and should complete tasks in this life and with enough progress, the end of a project will come. But there will be another project to follow that. It’s a journey and each project will teach me something new and grow my character.

You can be obedient and make progress each day of your life, a little at a time. And God will help you as you seek Him. God gave you that good work to do and He won’t leave you until your progress is complete.

Pray with me:

Dear Lord, You made me for good works. You gave me the desire to always learn and grow in my ability to love You and my neighbors. Help me to make progress on my goals each day and not to worry about the conclusion that you may bring out of that obedience. Remind me regularly that your conclusions of every matter will always bring fruit even though the conclusion may be different than I was thinking. Your ways are above my ways.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.