Practicing His Presence

Even when their path winds through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring. (Psalm 84:6 - The Passion Translation) Lord, thank you for allowing me to go through the difficult seasons. There was a time in my life when I never thought I would say those words, but now I look back and see how glorious those dark times really were. In the midst of my…

Samuel was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that his first assignment from God was to listen for God’s voice (see 1 Sam. 3:8-10). Samuel’s story shows us that there’s a difference between active listening and passive hearing. Hearing is something we do with our ears. If our hearing is normal, we can’t help hearing sounds traveling within a certain range. Listening, however, involves the.…

I realize that many dear followers of Christ have been taught that God only speaks to his sons and daughters through the Bible. The irony of that theology is this: that’s not what the Bible teaches! The Scriptures are filled with stories of God speaking to his people — intimately, personally. Adam and Eve spoke with God. As did Abraham, Moses, and Elijah. So did Noah, Gideon, Aaron, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ananias, and the apostle Paul. On and on the examples go. In…

Jesus said of those who follow Him: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)What a great statement of hope and comfort this is to us! We can know the voice of the Lord. As we follow His voice and do what He says, we&rsquo…

One of the most important lessons you and I can learn is how to listen to God. In our complex and hectic lives, nothing is more urgent, nothing more necessary, and nothing more rewarding than hearing what God has to say to us—both as a body of believers and as individual people.You may ask, “But does God really speak to us today?” The Bible assures us He does. The book of Hebrews opens this way: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the…

I was reminded of a book that I’ve read several times - The Present, by Spencer Johnson, who also wrote another one of my favorites – Who Moved My Cheese? – and the sequel – Out of the Maze. The Present is a story of a young man’s journey to adulthood, and his tireless search for The Present, a mysterious and elusive gift he first hears about from a wise old man. This Present, according to the old man, is the most valuable gift a person can.…

There is a widespread belief in the church that to be a Christian somehow satisfies our every desire. As one camp song has it, “I’m inright, outright, upright, downright happy all day long.” What complete nonsense! Augustine emphasized, “The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing. What you desire ardently, as yet you do not see.” So, “let us long because we are to be filled ... That is our life, to be exercised by longing.;…

Faith isn’t a passive belief. It’s an active confidence that stirs within our soul—an unwavering trust in God’s promises and a firm conviction about His trustworthiness. When we’re surrounded by uncertainty, our faith guides us and illuminates the path. “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” Those words can be viewed as an encouraging invitation to dwell in trust, which steadies the heart and…

The best thing you can do at this point is simply begin to love Jesus. Just love him. It will open up your heart and soul to experiencing him, and to receiving his life. Just begin to make a practice of loving Jesus. As I’m driving in my car, I will simply tell him, “I love you.” Not once, like a sneeze, but over and over again: “I love, I love you, I love you.” It turns my whole being toward him in love. When I wake up and the sunshine is…