New Article: Hearing a Different Voice

In 1960, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest inland lake in the world. Located on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea played host to a fishing industry that supported some 3.5 million people around its shoreline. Then things began to change.

In 1959, officials in the Soviet Union diverted the two streams that fed the Aral Sea so that they could irrigate cotton fields. While the cotton grew, the Aral Sea shrank. Within a few years, the lake began to evaporate and by 2014 most of the former lake bed was a desert. People moved away. Lively cities became ghost towns and now the only tourists that visit this once popular area are those who enjoy seeing ecological disasters.

This story interests me because I see a similar process at work in the church. People start full of excitement. Their faith is new and wonderful. However, at some point, they begin to cut themselves off from the source of their joy and their hope begins to fade or evaporate. Soon, they lose their spiritual vitality and, like the Aral Sea, everything good simply disappears.

However, this does not have to happen. We can be continually refilled and refreshed if we choose to be. One of the simplest ways to do that is to dwell on God’s promises. As Romans 10:17 reminds us “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Belief, on its own, will not last. We must continue to read, meditate, and teach God’s promises to ourselves and others. Daily reminders of scripture, such as an app on your phone that sends you a verse a day, are a great place to start.

In a world that surrounds us with many negative voices, we need to make a conscious effort to stay connected to our hope. We need to feed the positive parts of our lives by hearing and responding to the voice of Jesus. Then we will not only remain full, but we will overflow with the life of Christ.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20)

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for. Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task. In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut. It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why. Ben became stuck on the glacier. He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below. That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice. He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety. Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place. “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move. Start with yourself! It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves. Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better. There is always more to do. This, then, leaves very little time to point out...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog