Skip to main content

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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Thanksgiving in Real Time

                    Thanksgiving weekend means that many of us will spend time together with family and friends, eat a lot of food and think about what we are thankful for in our lives.   Unfortunately, after that, most will go back to their normal routines and leave thankfulness behind.                   What would happen if thanksgiving were part of our everyday life, rather than something we focused on a few times per year?   Where would we even start?                 According to Philippians 1:18-26, the apostle Paul remained joyful and thankful, even while imprisoned for his faith, by holding on to three important practic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do You See the Angel?

          In the gospels, the story of Jesus’ birth is preceded by the prediction of the birth of “John the Baptist”.              John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest at the temple in Jerusalem.   One day, while he was burning incense to God, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John” (Luke 1:13).               This was surprising news to Zechariah and so he asks, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (verse 18).   That is a logical question, right?   I mean, he is asking for a sign so that he can believe something that seems quite unbelievable.   Who would fault him for that?        ...
Post a Comment
Read more