Learning to Listen...

I chose the title "Learning to Listen" for this post because it is the process of learning how to listen to and meditate on God's Word that has helped me to gain the insights I want to share with you.

I am familiar with the Bible - having grown up in a pastor's home with parents who not only read the Bible to us, but taught us how to study it, how to memorize it and how to apply it to our lives, has given me a great appreciation for the value of God's Word.

But sometimes familiarity can be a less-than-positive thing. For example, I can read a passage of Scripture that I know well and not take the time to hear what God wants to say to me through it because I may think I already know what it's about.

I've been working on a read-through-the-Bible project, but completely unlike any other. I've done the "Bible In A Year" a couple of times in my life, and this time I wanted to read the whole Bible not for the accomplishment of reading through it, but for what I could learn and glean from it. So I set out to thoughtfully read and study God's Word, recording in a journal what God is saying to me and what I'm learning. And in the process so far (I'm FAR from being done), I'm learning so much more than what I anticipated!

Right now, I'm in Ecclesiastes - which is a difficult book for me, because I'm a very joyful, optimistic person and the author of this book seems to be constantly expressing negative views on life. I don't like being around negative people or hearing negative thoughts, so it's been challenging for me, but I KNOW that God has included truth in this particular book that I need to discover and apply to my life, so I'm disciplining myself to stick with it.

At our recent Ukraine missionary conference, Daryl Porter talked about meditating on God's Word - this is something that I haven't had a lot of teaching on, but I know is important. I've been doing quite a bit of it myself, too, on this journey through the Bible.

I just finished journalling through Ecclesiastes 8 & 9, but the very interesting thing to me was that I had to read and re-read these chapters at least 3 times in order to let the words sink in and to allow God's Holy Spirit to show me the truth He wanted me to discover through it.

Meditating on who God is as I read through these verses again helped me to look at them in a different light, and what I saw was the sovereignty of God. I was able to read the author's thoughts and see how God was revealing Himself even through the parts of life that we are unable to understand.

I heard in a new way an affirmation of God's sovereignty over life and death, and I was reminded again that my responsibility is to seek and follow God, not strive to understand the "why" and "how" of His ways.

To my results-oriented mind, it seems less productive to take a week to study 2 chapters of the Bible - but the words of this book have become even more precious to me as I have taken the time to listen for God's voice instead of my own thoughts, and it no longer matters to me how much time it takes for me to finish. My desire to just sit and meditate on God's Word is growing and I know my life is richer for it.

Longing For HOME

The past couple of weeks, life in my shared apartment have me longing more and more for a place where I can really feel "at home", where I don't feel like I'm always in someone else's space. There's nothing wrong with wanting a place of my own, but as I deal with the tension between what I have and what I long for, I'm contemplating a couple of things:

• Although I can make a house or apartment or room welcoming and can call it "home", there is really no place on earth that will last or that even really belongs to me, because my real home is not here -- it's in heaven. And all that I have been given here is not for me to hold onto tightly, but to take care of for as long as God allows.

• No matter where I make my "home", there will always be things that are not exactly the way I want them, or unwelcome situations that I will have to deal with - that's just life here on earth. And I need to be careful that I do not let my desire for a place of my own turn me into a self-centered and inconsiderate person.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,

but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also 

for the interests of others. ~ Philippians 2:3-4

In a devotional I read the other day, I was reminded that there should always be a tension within me -- a gratitude and a willingness to make the most of what God has given me here, but a deep and intense longing at the same time for the far-surpassing treasure that He has stored up for me in heaven. And the most important part of longing for heaven is not the mansion that He is preparing for me, but the opportunity to be in the presence of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"In My Father’s house are many mansions;if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself;

that where I am, there you may be also." ~ John 14:2-3

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body

that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working

by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. ~ Philippians 3:20-21

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away,

reserved in heaven for you ~ 1 Peter 1:3-4

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens

and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ~ 2 Peter 3:13

It's been said that what makes a house a home is the presence of loved ones and the comfort of knowing that it is a place where you are loved, safe and cared for. And ultimately, that is why heaven is truly "home" for me - because that is where my Father is and where I will ALWAYS be loved, safe and cared for in a way that can never be truly realized on earth.

Today is April 16th and I just heard what happened yesterday in Boston, Massachusetts. I hardly ever watch or listen to the news, because it always seems to be reporting something bad or terrible that has happened. I did read a couple of articles about it, and something struck me very profoundly that I feel compelled to share with you...

One witness said that the scene of the bombing was like something you see in a war zone, not on the streets of America. And right next to this article was the announcement of 5 people having been killed by a car bomb in one of the countries of the Middle East. What happened in Boston is indeed a tragedy, a horrific act of violence that none of us would ever wish to see or hear about, but the reality is that people all over our world live in the midst of that kind of terror and death and fear every single day. There are reports of deaths, violence and tragedy on the news every day from places where that is life for the citizens there and it seems like we hardly even notice it sometimes, but when it happens on our own turf, it's announced almost like the end of the world.

Please don't misunderstand me -- I'm NOT trying to downplay the horror of what happened, but just to keep it in perspective. *Christians in North America meet every Sunday in our beautiful churches to sing and pray and hear God's Word preached, but there are millions of believers all over the world who have to meet in secret because they could be tortured, arrested, imprisoned and even killed for simply meeting together. *People protest over the price of gas and it is sometimes challenging to deal with, but there are people living in refugee camps on one side of the border in a war-torn country who cannot cross even to see a loved one on the other side.

It's a matter of perspective, and it seems to me that the only way to make sense of these tragedies and the chaos that fills our world is to remember that this is not the ultimate goal. YES, by all means, let's try to make our streets safe for people and protect them as much as possible, but let us remember that this is not the end, this is not the final goal.

May this situation serve as a reminder of how privileged we are to live in a country where these things don't happen every day. May it also remind us to pray for and be compassionate towards those who face this kind of reality daily.

I watched a movie the other day and the lyrics to one of the songs really struck a chord with me -- it made me remember and feel again the deep, intense longing for my "real home" in heaven. Matthew West has written a song called "The Reason For The World," and here are the lyrics:

There are no words in times like these when tears don't hide the tragedies,

And all you want is a reason for the world.

No comfort in the greeting card, 'cause God is good but life's still hard

And your heart just wants a reason for the world.

For God so loved your broken heart He sent His Son to where you are

And He died to give a reason for the world.

So lift your sorrows to the One whose plan for you has just begun,

And rest here in the hands that hold the world...

Just keep your eyes on heaven and know that you are not alone...

No ear has heard, no eye has seen, not even in your wildest dreams

A beauty that awaits beyond this world...

Maybe the reason for the pain is so that we would pray for strength.

And maybe the reason for the strength is so that we would not lose hope.

And maybe the reason for all hope is so that we could face the world,

And the reason for the world is to make us long for home.

Lord Jesus, please remind me today to keep my eyes fixed on You and to find my security and strength and happiness in You alone. May I long more and more every moment for the day when I will see you face to face and know that I am truly "home."

Then I, John, saw the holy city...coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them,

and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

~ Revelation 21:1-4

A Precious Gift ... This Precious Life

I watched a film documentary this week called "Precious Life," and it was very thought-provoking. The story focuses on the efforts of an Israeli journalist and an Israeli pediatrician to save the life of a Palestinian woman's son with a rare genetic disease. The film deals with profound religious and racial biases, which I don't claim to understand. I can only imagine how difficult it was for these people - who are divided by such powerful beliefs and barriers - to work together and try to see the other's point of view. But that's not what impacted me most about this film.

What impacted me most was the reality of how precious human life is - and the dichotomy of this reality in the midst of the violent conflicts in Gaza, was almost impossible to describe. Partway through the film, the Palestinian mother doesn't seem to grasp how precious her son's life is, even as she is fighting to get a transplant which will save his life. But by the end, she admits that her son's life "is precious to her."

I can only imagine what it would be like to have to live inside a bubble because your body has no immune system or what it would be like as a mother to have a mask over your face and not be able to kiss your baby's skin for fear of transmitting germs that would kill him. I can only imagine the see-saw of emotions that one would experience - receiving a miraculous transplant and then not knowing if your child's body would accept or reject it.

I have only been seriously ill a handful of times in my life. I have had some injuries, but none that were really life-threatening, and even now, when I get a cold, I recover quickly. It can be so easy to take my health and strength for granted, but I know that this is a gift from God, my Creator. Even the fact that I am able to breathe every moment without struggle or pain is a precious gift. Yet how often do we thank God for these daily miracles of life?

A common response among believers here in Ukraine when you ask, "How are you?" is to say, "Слава Богу!" which means "Praise God!" At first, I thought that was a little simplistic and not really an answer to the question, but I've spent this week meditating on the life-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ, and after watching this film, I feel very differently. I now think "Praise God!" is the most appropriate response to anyone asking how life is for me -- because my life truly comes from God.

I am thankful that I don't live with chronic pain or a physical disability, but if God should allow an event to happen which would take something away from me or change the quality of my life as I know it, I would still have to give Him thanks, because "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." He holds the universe in His hands and yet He knows and cares for me personally. I am, indeed, "fearfully and wonderfully made."

Joni Eareckson Tada has been a quadriplegic since she was 17 and yet every day she wakes up and asks God for the grace to smile and face another day -- and the joy and faith she demonstrates has been a huge blessing and inspiration to me. She has said that although it will be wonderful to walk again when she gets to heaven, the greatest thing to her will be to see her Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs and although he has had his struggles, there is an abundant joy and vibrant faith that flows from Him and has brought many people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. You will never hear him complain about what He lacks, but only to give thanks for the blessings and opportunities God has given Him.
Job was seriously afflicted - and the trials that tested his faith were permitted by God - but his comment was "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away - blessed be the name of the Lord."

My heart cry today is that none of us would go through another day without giving thanks to God for the precious gift of being alive, of having another day to see His hand at work around us, to learn to know and love Him more, and to serve Him with every breath He gives us.

LIFE - Easter Sunday Meditation

"Very early in the morning...they came to the tomb when the sun had risen." - Mark 16:2

"Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning..." - Luke 24:1

One of my favourite times of the day is the morning. I love to watch sunrises, to see the light filling the sky, bringing the dawn of a new day. I love the stillness and quiet of the early morning, to feel the cool freshness of the morning air on my face and breathe it in...

In two of the gospel accounts of the resurrection, it is mentioned that it was very early in the morning -- as the women came to the tomb they could probably hear their footsteps on the ground, since they were probably the only ones on the road that day. There might have still been dew on the grass, and the air might have been a little cool, since the sun had just risen and had not yet spread its warmth around. THIS is the context in which they discover that Jesus Christ is NOT dead, but alive!

The morning is usually the time of day when I feel most alive, and when something unexpected and joyful happens, it gives me an extra burst of energy...I imagine the women probably ran back to tell the disciples and maybe their hearts beat a little faster with the incredible realization that death could not conquer life!

God gave me a new insight today as I was meditating on this miracle...it's been a week since most of my friends and family celebrated Easter, but the celebration should last longer than just one day. Why, you may  ask? Because life really started anew when Jesus arose...

It's like when a baby is born and you begin thinking about all the "firsts" that you will be experiencing, all the things that you are going to do with your child, and suddenly, life takes on a new fullness. It's the same for us -- when we receive the gift of spiritual life that Jesus made possible by His resurrection from the dead, that is JUST the beginning of life!

Here are a few Scriptures about living - REALLY living - in light of the resurrection:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:10

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. - John 17:3

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,

that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,

even so we also should walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4

...always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,

that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. - 2 Cor. 4:10

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we have the hope of eternal life, which will not be realized until He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords...but while we live here on earth, it is His life that is to be seen in us, in everything that we do.

This is more than just knowing that we don't have to fear death -- it is living with faith and abundant joy and in complete surrender to our Redeemer, the One who has given us this life.