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What Keeps You From Rest?

D.L. Moody writes, “I like to see a man take up some one thing and say, “I will do it; I live for this thing; this one thing I am bound to do.” We spread out so much, and try to do so many things, that we spread so thin the world never hears of us.”

Solid in the Faith

Isaiah writes, “For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that, a little here, a little there.” Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is a resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose” but they would not listen. So, then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there—so that they will be injured and snared and captured” (Isaiah 28:10-13). And this is where I ask myself, “What keeps you from rest?” It is certainly the “Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that, a little here, a little there.” Busyness, the captivity of activity as Beth Moore calls it, has seized the…

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Fully Alive LIFE

Just recently I began reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  She writes on page 26-27, “Funny, this.  Yesterday morning, the morning before, all these mornings, I wake to the discontent of life in my skin.  I wake to self-hatred.  To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I am failing.  Always, the failing.  I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets.  I live tired.  Afraid.  Anxious.  Weary.  Years, I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes.  Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?  But this morning, I wake wildly wanting to live.  Physically feeling it in the veins, trembling, the hard pant of the lungs, the seeing it in the steady stars, how much I really, really want to live.  How I don’t want to die.  Is that the message of nightmares and dreams?  To live either fully alive…or in empty nothingness?  It’s the in between that drives us mad.  It’s the life in between, the days of walking lifeless, the years of calloused and simply going through the hollow motions, the self-protecting by self-distracting, the body never waking, that’s lost all capacity to fully feel–this is the life in between that makes us the wild waking dead.”  I wept as I read this.  I realized that I have been living “the life in between” and I believe with all of my heart, Jesus meant for His Word to bring us to the place where we are raised from our “empty nothingness” to live “fully alive.”  This is why I we need Jesus.  “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers.  We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality.  He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.  So let’s walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give [LIFE—fully alive LIFE].  Take the mercy, accept the help” (Hebrews 4:14-15 MSG).

Jesus, I bring a “hearty appetite” to You.  Help me to take the mercy and accept the help.  I ask that You cause my hunger for You to grow as I feast on You.  This eating and drinking has eternal life and will make me ready for the Final Day.  By eating and drinking of You, You enter into me and I enter into You.  You are fully alive.  Jesus, make me fully alive.  Make us fully alive. We wildly want to live.  In You, Amen (See John 6:53-58 MSG).

Embracing Solidarity in Marriage

Test Six: The Comfort of Jehovah embraces solidarity and communal involvement according to the Scriptures; the Comfort of the World treats itself as isolated and excused from accepting solidarity with any group, especially when the solidarity is one of disrepute.  

Nehemiah 1:6 says, “let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6).  

In his book, A Passion for Faithfulness: Wisdom from the book of Nehemiah, J.I. Packer writes, “Solidarity as communal involvement according to the Scriptures—the solidarity of the family, the nation, and the church—is something that we today do not understand very well. Western culture teaches us to treat our selves as isolated individuals and to excuse ourselves from accepting solidarity with any group, especially when the solidarity is one of disrepute” (page 47). According to the Scriptures, and since time began, there has been no other communal involvement that requires the embracing of solidarity more than the marriage union itself. Consider the solidarity spoken of in Genesis 2:23-24, when “the man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ’woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (NIV). I fear that many of our mothers may have taught us that we are to treat ourselves, within our marriages, as isolated and excused from accepting solidarity with our husbands–that we are to come out from them and be separate.  Consider the motive and intention of the many who have left their marriages in the name of finding themselves sadly missing the whole point of life within a marriage–to reflect the sacrificial love of Christ.  We were created to find ourselves in Christ.  Only under this premise will a marriage truly work.  God’s perfect design for us as wives is found under the umbrella of His  Word and accordingly our joy in marriage is wrapped up in how we think: God’s way according to God’s word.  We were created to be a helper suitable for our husbands (Genesis 2:20). Are we thinking along these lines? And, are we sinking ourselves into this good work?

“God’s will for every Christian wife is that her most important ministry be to her husband (Genesis 2:18). After a wife’s own personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing else should have greater priority. Her husband should be the primary benefactor of his wife’s time and energy, not the recipient of what may be left over at the end of the day” (Martha Peace, Excellent Wife, page 4).

This is not a popular stance in our society today but one of great disrepute. However, God created marriage to work and no one can deny the beauty that comes from a marriage that works and is filled with love and joy. Perhaps, like Nehemiah accepted solidarity with his people, including himself and his father’s house, we too should accept solidarity for the purpose of repentance with those in our nation who have encouraged and fell for the hollow and deceptive “feminist philosophy.” Western culture does teach us that submission to one’s husband and attendance to the home as priority over career and education is a matter of disrepute. However, what comfort we cultivate in the life of our household when we embrace the oneness God has created between a husband and a wife according to His Word—comfort of this kind—God comfort—has the power to gather scattered children to Christ (see Matthew 12:30 & Nehemiah 1:8-9). Let’s repent of isolating and excusing ourselves from accepting solidarity with our husband’s and let us return to the LORD by embracing solidarity and communal involvement within our homes. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (First John 1:9 NIV).

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God”(Titus 2:3-5 NIV).

LORD God, please forgive me and those who have gone before me for demeaning the importance of accepting solidarity within our marriages.  We have isolated ourselves and excused ourselves from the communal involvement you have designed to work between a man and a woman for the purpose of bringing you glory and drawing our children to Jesus Christ (see  Malachi 2:15). O God, help us—your people, mothers and daughters–called by your Name to humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face. Help us to turn from our wicked ways—hear us from Heaven, forgive our sins and heal our homes (2 Chronicles 7:14). You are our only Hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.     

Walk in the way of love

Test Five: The Comfort of Jehovah perseveres remembering who God is: Great and Awesome; the Comfort of the world shrinks back.

Nehemiah 1:5 says, “Then I said, “O, LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands” (Nehemiah 1:5).

It is true that love conquers all. God’s love through Jesus Christ and the outworking of His love—the Gospel reveal this to us. When we remember who God is (Great and Awesome) and what He has done for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, we have the power to persevere in our marriages. We have the power to love Him and obey His commands, and love others (for the sake of this writing our husbands). His love becomes our love. “We only love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NIV). It is when we forget that God is great and awesome and that we have been forgiven of our past sins that we shrink back and become lame and shortsighted—”me” sighted actually (2 Peter 1:9). Ephesians 5:25 tells us that Jesus Christ gave Himself up for His church, His bride. Are we responding to our husbands in the same way Christ responds to us: with the forgiveness, mercy, and grace that flow from His unfailing love? God gives us practical advice to follow Him in our marriages: “Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV). In order to walk in the way of love, we must believe with all of our heart that we are loved.  For, as a wife thinks in her heart so is she (see Proverbs 23:7 NIV). Understanding that we are loved and have been forgiven of our past sins will keep us from shrinking back in our marriages. In order to walk in the way of love this truth must always be at the center of our spiritual vision: “I am a dearly loved child who Jesus Christ loves and gave Himself up for.” In doing this, we will be freed up to love and give ourselves up for our husbands perhaps even when we don’t “feel” loved by them.  We must always remember that love isn’t just something we do when we feel it but a command for us to obey even when we don’t feel it or feel like it. Jesus commands us, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).  A humble wife who perseveres remembering who God is and what He has done: “Great and Awesome,” makes for a kind wife who refuses to shrink back.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.  For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.”  And, “But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed,  but to those who have faith and are saved” (Hebrews 10:36-30 NIV).

“In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3 NIV).

LORD God, You are Great and Awesome!  Help me to remember who You are and what you have done.  “The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep [Your covenant] and they refused to live by Your law–[the whole law can be summed up in one command “Love your neighbor as yourself.”]–they forgot what you had done, the wonder You had shown them”(Psalm 78:9-11).  I have no closer neighbor than my husband.  LORD, keep me from refusing to live by your law by forgetting that I am loved and forgiven.  Help me to love my husband as you have loved me.  Fill me with your love and your kindness.  In Jesus, Amen.

The “Craftsman at His Side”

Test Four: Godly Comfort is the craftsman, the architect, at her husband’s side; Wordly comfort carves idols.

Nehemiah 1:4 reads, “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days, I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (NIV).

Nehemiah’s distress over the state of Jerusalem ultimately became Jerusalem’s comfort. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If we are distressed it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort; which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort” (2 Co. 1:6-7 NIV). Wife, seeking to be kind, are you sharing in your husband’s sufferings, do you commune with him intimately when hard times come? Instead of committing himself to some worldly means or ignoring the problem, Nehemiah doesn’t waste any time, he goes straight to God, he espouses himself to his Creator.  The result:  God gives Nehemiah the heart of Jesus for God’s people.  He shares the sufferings of God’s people and brings them to the Throne of Grace. How do you respond to your husband’s distress? Do you, like Nehemiah, allow the distress of those you love to drive you to your knees? Do you have the heart of Jesus for your husband?  Or do you seek comfort in the world, talking and walking according to it, in the face of trouble or even ignoring the problem? Nehemiah could have been complacent in the situation due to the worldliness that surrounded him, but by God’s grace he shunned the temptation to complacency and cried out to God for the things of God in the people of God. He didn’t get out his cell phone and text a friend, he didn’t pity himself and the people of God by going to the bar and drowning his calling in a drink, nor did he shut it all out by going to the Red box and renting the newest release.  Instead of dealing with the issue the world’s way, he surrendered himself to God. He didn’t allow waywardness or  complacency to get in the way.

As a wise wife fulfills her call as helper to her husband, she becomes the “craftsman” at his side by being in intimate communion with God through Jesus Christ.  She is a bringer of wisdom to her marriage and to her home.  “The wise woman builds her house…” (Proverbs 14:1).  Consider the word in Proverbs 8:30-31, “Then I [wisdom] was the architect [the craftsman] at His side.  I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.”  This Proverbs is talking about the wisdom of God as He built the foundations of the earth.  However, we, as wives can illustrate this wisdom of God in our homes as we delight ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ and participate with God in the building up of our homes.  “Take delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Proverbs 37:4 NIV).  Are you filled with delight day after day?  Do you rejoice in the presence of God?  In the presence of your husband?  If so, you are illustrating an even greater picture: The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:31-32). Consider the implications of marital delightWife, put off holding hands with the world and espouse yourself to Christ in the midst of marital distress. I believe if we persevere in relying on Jesus when things are good and when things are tough, our marriages will shine like the noon day sun in a dark and wanting world bringing a revelation of hope to marriages that to themselves seem hopeless.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19 NIV).

The Comforting Affect

Test Three: Godly Comfort wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth; the comfort of the world won’t make intercession.

Nehemiah 1:3 reads, “They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (NIV).  

There are many wives today who have survived the exile—they have been saved from the darkness and brought out into the light. Yet, they often times find themselves captivated by the sight of life through the eyes of an unbelieving husband in “great trouble and disgrace.” However, a wife operating in the kindness of Christ has the power, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, to believe her unbelieving husband into the kingdom.  She does not look at herself through her husband’s eyes, but through the lens of God’s mercy and love.  She believes herself to be precious to God, belonging to Him and this results in her purity and reverence.  This wife perseveres through thick and thin, even though she may wait many years.  By believing herself to be loved by God, she has the capability to believe her husband is loved and trust that God wants him to be saved and filled with knowledge of the truth. Consider the words of 1 Peter 3:1,

“Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives” (NIV).

The comforting affect of a pure and reverent life is the result of a heart comforted by Jesus Christ. Participating with God, through Jesus Christ, in the rebuilding of the walls around our husband’s heart will require us to rely on God in every way even when we find ourselves in the midst of “great trouble and disgrace” (See side note at the bottom of this blog). This trust will require prayer, wisdom, and godly counsel (always from a biblical, Gospel-centered perspective). One way we can tell we are operating from a worldly perspective is when we find that we are not praying for our husbands, stewing in self-pity, complaining that our husbands will not devote themselves to making us happy, deeming our situations hopeless, and reacting out of fear. Coming to this place, we can be sure that our hearts have turned away from the LORD and we are seeking to draw strength from mere flesh.  This has an incredibly discomforting affect (see Jeremiah 17:5-6).

If you find yourself discomforted today, ask God to help you believe that you are loved and cherished by Him.  Ask for the heart of Jesus to believe that your husband is loved and cherished by Him and that God wants your husband to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (see First Timothy 2:3). Stay away from the temptation to turn away from God to fear when the time has come to pray in faith.  Also, watch out for the wayward desire to  wallow in self-pity, complain about your husband, and deem your situation hopeless. Have nothing to do with these things.  Here is what to do:  Remember that our God is the Deliverer who has the power to rescue from the worst of peril. “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever” (Galatians 1:3-5 KJV). If you are experiencing “great trouble and distress” in your marriage, rely on Jesus trusting that God can raise your husband and your marriage from the dead (See 2 Corinthians 1:9-10).  He is the one who lifts our heads in praise.  He is the God of new life.

Dear Jesus, please give me a heart to believe that You want my husband to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth.  Please forgive me when I have thought contrary to this.  He is in your hands.  Help me to look at him and to treat him as though He is already a follower of Jesus Christ. Help me to see the king within my husband, the kingship of those You have freed by Your blood (Revelation 1:5-6).  When we go through trouble help me to pray in faith.  Keep me from reacting out of fear. Help me to submit to my own husband so that he may be won over, by the hope of Your glory in me, without words but by behavior that is pure and reverent.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Side Note: If a wife is being abused she should seek God’s provision in her marriage by seeking godly counsel through the local church and if she is truly being threatened with real harm should not hesitate to call the police.

To Search a Matter Out

Test Two:  Godly Comfort  asks questions that reveal the deeper matters; the comfort of the world lives on the surface.

Nehemiah 1:2 reads, “Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem” (NIV).

Revelation 1:5-6 tells us that through the blood of Jesus we have been made “kings and priests unto God” for the glory of God. As we have been called “kings,” those who belong to God it is appropriate that we would do well as wives according to Proverbs 25:2, “to search a matter out…” which God calls the glory of kings” (NIV). The temptation for today’s woman is to live on the surface with her hands toiling in the business of a hundred different people, places, and things. A woman will never question the deeper matters (like Nehemiah did) if she lives on the surface of life as the world does. Watching over the affairs of her household means that the wife must be focused on only one thing and that is the affairs thereof.   D.L. Moody writes,

“I like to see a man take up some one thing and say, “I will do it; I live for this thing; this one thing I am bound to do.” We spread out so much, and try to do so many things, that we spread so thin the world never hears of us.”

A wife who is too busy to search matters out will fall short in getting to the heart of important matters such as asking her husband what is going on his life or how God working in the lives of her children.  What a comfort it must have been to Hanani to hear the concerned questions posed by his brother, Nehemiah. What a comfort it will be to our husband’s and those who live under our roof  to also hear concerned question posed by a loving and kind wife. But, before we come to our loved ones with our concerned questions, let us come to our Father in heaven and ask Him for wisdom. God has made a way for us through Jesus to dive into the deeper things. In fact, the name Hanani means “to stoop in kindness, to be merciful, gracious.” Hanani was a mediator between Nehemiah and the people of God revealing to us a beautiful picture of the gospel and the mediator Jesus Christ who came to redeem the relationship between God and man.  We are reminded here that as wives, who are tempted to live on the surface, He has made a way for us to abide in the depths of His presence. O Beloved, “Deep calls to deep…”  (Psalm 42:7 NIV).   We have no excuse for living in the unsatisfactory state of the surface.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest [or Mediator] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV).

Dear Jesus, please help me to take to heart the significance and importance of searching a matter out.  Please forgive me for when I have been so busy that I have lived on the surface and have not taken the time to show concern for my husband.  You have created me to be a helper suitable for him, a companion (Genesis 2:18).  It is not good for him to be alone.  Help me to seek out his good for Your Name’s sake by focusing on You in this one thing, watching over the affairs of my household (Proverbs 31:27).  You are God.  Make me worthy of the calling I have received.  Through Jesus, in His precious Name, Amen. 

Spelling out the Character of Christ in Marriage

In Second Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul exhorts us to “Examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith; test yourselves…” (NIV). As wives, in Christ, our disposition is “to be kind.” This is the result of Christ in us, the hope of His glory.   Proverbs 14:1 tells us that the “wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (NIV). Included in this commentary is a series of tests to examine and test the kindness in the heart of any one woman who desires to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord in her marriage. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). This brings us to the basis for our examination of the Scriptures: The Comfort of Jehovah in Contrast to the Comfort of the world.

Test One: Godly comfort utilizes her words to build her husband up; the comfort of the world uses her words to tear her husband down.

Nehemiah 1:1 reads this, “The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: in the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa…”

The NIrV rendering of this verse displays Nehemiah’s words as such: “I was in the safest place in Susa…” Nehemiah, whose name literally means “the comfort of Jehovah,” will most certainly have to leave the “safest place” or the palace of Susa (for us this is the comfort of this world) to be the comfort of Jehovah to a discomforted people. His words ultimately proved that his comfort was the LORD. In the same way, our words as wives prove in what and in whom we find comfort. Words that build up reflect an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ our LORD. Words that tear down reflect that our hearts and minds are focused on the world and its passions and desires (see Luke 7:43-45).  Consider the words of the apostle Paul,

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

I see that the key to building a good home and a good marriage is forgiveness. This key is kept safe in the casing of the Holy Spirit.  If we find that our words reveal we have been comforting ourselves with bitterness (or made bitterness our “safe” place) toward our husbands it is because we have not taken the time to meet with God over the matter that has us bitter.  We have grieved His Spirit and have taken up with unforgiveness.  You see, the Holy Spirit is the centerpiece of Ephesians 4:29-32, the difference between speaking words that build up and getting rid of “every form of malice.” He is the helper who helps us to “be kind and compassionate” and to forgive as Christ forgave us.” He is the Comforter!

If we find ourselves bitter today in anyway, let’s ask God, through Jesus Christ and His blood poured out for us, to forgive those places of bitterness so that we can walk in the fullness of His Spirit, forgiving our husbands as Christ has forgiven us. Jesus said in John 17:6, “I spelled out your character in detail to the men and women you gave me” (MSG). Are we spelling out in detail the character of Christ in our homes by the words we speak? We have been made competent as ministers of a new covenant—how are we stewarding this comfort in the life of our marriages? Take inventory today by listening to the words you speak to your husband and resolve to bring what you hear to the altar that God might redeem broken words and make them whole by the Power of His Holy Spirit and His blood shed for us on Calvary. For His Glory.

LORD Jesus, I pray for Your peace to invade my heart. I lift up “all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice” to You and leave them at Your Throne of Grace.  Redeem my heart from the pit of evil thoughts and put a new song in my mouth.  You have called me to build up this home (Proverbs 14:1).  Your Word in me has the power to do just that.  Inflame me with Your Spirit and lead me along straight paths.  Help me to pay attention to Your wisdom, turn my ear to Your words of insight.  O God, I desire to maintain discretion.  I desire that my lips preserve knowledge for the sake of my marriage and life to the great glory of God (Proverbs 5:1-2; 4:10).  Only through You, Jesus, can this be done.  Please do this in me and through me today.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Listen Up!

 “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth” (Psalm 78:1).

A few nights ago, I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. On my way out of the store, this funny feeling came over me and I checked to see if my cell phone was still in the front pocket of my purse. To my surprise, instead of my cell phone, I pulled out a package of earplugs that I had never seen before. Dismayed, I wondered where they came from and how they got there; and where was my cell phone? To begin with, it was interesting to me that both items, my phone and the earplugs, had to do with hearing and ultimately responding. God has been encouraging me strongly lately to listen to Him and to respond to Him regarding the spiritual inheritance He wants me to leave to my children in His Name. In correlation with this, I believe God gave me the following three solid pieces of advice: get the busy out, get the earplugs out, and listen up.

Get the busy out. My missing cell phone could easily represent the busyness in life. Whether it’s busy talking on the phone, busy keeping commitments, or just plain busy—the busyness has the capacity to make it so I can no longer hear the still, small voice of God. There is a saying that goes, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”     Isaiah 28:12-13 comes to mind, when God says to His people, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and “This is the place of repose”—but they would not listen. So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.” In short, this verse warns me of the captivity that comes with too much activity.

Looking back, my most instructive seasons of hearing from God came when my calendar was empty and while I was present in my own home. Sometimes it was in the solitude of prayer, through His Word, in the voices of my children and husband, and in the workings of my home (even in the backyard). Other times revelations of God’s truth showed up in the special remembrances and in the highlights and lowlights of fellowship with those nearest and dearest to me. Wherever they originated, the common ground for all of them was the quietness in which I was currently resting combined with the truth of God’s Word. They became testaments and teachings to my children of what I had seen and heard in the name of Christ as it pertained to their immediate surroundings.

Get the earplugs out. In regards to the earplugs, I am reminded of Matthew 13:15. Jesus says, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” As a mom, I will hand down a spiritual inheritance to my children. What I hear, see, and understand and how I respond will determine a good part of that inheritance. Needless to say, I cannot answer in obedience to God’s voice if I do not hear, see or understand Him. How can I teach my children what I have not yet learned? Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Psalm 78:1-8 includes this important truth, “Hypocrisy is the high road to apostasy; those that do not set their hearts right, will not be steadfast with God.” Leaning on my own faith experience, I have learned that repentance is the only way to remove the earplugs, open the eyes, and soften the heart. When I hear from God in regards to the sin in my life, it is of the utmost importance that I respond by repenting of my sin and turning from it. In this way, I can help to teach my children how to deal with the sin in their own lives—through the blood shed on the cross of Jesus Christ.

Listen up.   Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”   I have found the true test of really listening to God is exhibited in how I respond to my circumstances. The seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are fertilized in the soil of quiet time spent with my Father in Heaven. I believe these very attributes (the fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22) are the inheritance of the child of God here on earth. By His grace, God will use the fruit of His Spirit in me to lead my children and others into a relationship with Himself in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

God says some very important things about what He wants to teach my children. “So the next generation would know them, [the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power and the wonders He has done] even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands” (Psalm 78:4-7).   I know only one way to get the busy out, get the earplugs out, and listen up and that is to get quiet, ask God to open my eyes, ears, and heart through confession, and be ready to hear what He has to say to me.

The next day after my phone went missing, I found it in my jacket pocket.  I also found out later that my husband had put the earplugs in my purse after the last time he went shooting.  Funny, how things taken away and things added can bring so much insight.  What I have learned is to examine the activities in my life and do a moral inventory according to James 4:17 which says, “Anyone, then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”  God has called me as a parent to declare the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His glorious light in hopes that the next generation will know Him and come to believe (1 Peter 2:9). This call will also be on my children (Acts 2:39).  By His grace, may He teach us to rest, open our ears, and make us ready for such a great call.

Heavenly Father, help me to obey You. Help me to hear Your teaching and to listen to the words of Your mouth. I will not hide what You teach me from my children; I will tell the next generation (Psalm 78:1-4). Please make me worthy of the call. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.