71 is what He said

 bob-maclafferty  No Responses »
Feb 212011
 

I hung up the phone and sat down heavily at my desk. I had just completed a phone conversation at work that had not gone well.  I sat quietly, letting discouragement and disillusionment invade. I could feel my spirit sinking lower. I was in no condition to be productive. I felt… well, stuck.

Have you ever felt that way? Blocked, stuck, down? Have you felt those negative influences affecting your relationships, your work performance, your faith?

I need to break some news to you. I am not writing today about what to do with discouragement. Right now, I’m not interested in blasting sunshine into your day. In fact,  my drive to write today has nothing to do with me and my troubles or even about what you might be facing.

This is about God and what He has done and can do.

I’ve got bragging rights on this.

That day as I sat at my desk, I turned to God and said, “Look, God, I am down right now and I need help. What do You have for me right now? I need… something…”

I waited…. waited for a sign, for words, for something, anything from Him.

Do you hear God speak? Many of us struggle with that whole concept. Does God still speak with an audible voice? When I hear others say “God told me…”, does it make me feel like a second-rate Christian?

So, I sat at my desk, letting my request hang in the air….

“Psalm 71”, the thought, voice, impression came to me. Did I hear it? Did I feel it? Did I think it? Dream it?

“Really, Psalm 71?”, I thought? “How odd, I don’t really know anything about Psalm 71!”

So, I did the only thing that I could think to do. I picked up my Bible and turned to Psalm 71. It had one single verse underlined in it from some time back. Why Psalm 71?

So, I started to read. In my Bible, it is one page, 24 verses. At first, it seemed to begin like many other Psalms, but then, as I let the words flow through me, I realized that it had just the message my heart needed to hear on that day. I read it several times and several times more over the next few days.

Now this is my Psalm! God gave it to me just in time, just when I needed those very words. I am so thankful for Psalm 71, but more than that, I am thankful for my Father’s voice. Did I hear it? Maybe. Did I hear it with my ears? Maybe, Maybe not. I don’t really care. All I need is the knowledge that He spoke and that the message I received was just for me.

…and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Psalm 71:17 NIV.

Father, thank You for speaking! Yes, I brag on You for answering me in such a cool way.  Forgive me for not listening more.

Have You Friended God on Facebook?

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
May 192010
 

What does that mean? Do you have any idea where I am going with this? Maybe it bothers you just a bit? I’m not sure where I’m going with this either! The title came to me the other day. we have so many new ways to connect today. Do they make us evaluate relationships in a different way? I finally gave in  and opened a Facebook account a while back.  I now have 33 friends, a third of whom are teenagers who I know through my girls or through church youth organizations.

I was impressed with myself the other day. I actually posted a picture and comment to my wall from my phone right during my youngest daughter’s choir concert! How cool is that! I know, I know, some of you are probably laughing as I continue to try to keep my head above water tech-wise.

In our new technology heavy culture, friendships are maintained or measured in different ways. Keeping up with friends used to be on the porch or across the back fence. Good friends were those you could count on to share joys and pain with, ones you could count on to lift you up. I see some of that on Facebook especially my younger friends. I see them spew out their stresses, their successes, their irritations and their friends respond online with empathy, with congratulations, with compassion.

Sometimes, however, Facebook “friends” are just people who have extended an invitation to us and we accept because we want the dubious privilege of having a high number of friends listed in our account. Do we have that same level of friendship with God? Yeah, God, I want to keep in touch. Post when You have anything important to share.

No, God wants more than that. He wants a close friendship that is one on one, face to face, heart to heart. Abraham had that kind of friendship. He was close enough to know the sound of God’s voice in the middle of the night even when the voice told him to kill his only son! James, the disciple, wrote:

and he was called God‘s friend. James 2:23 last part

God wants a close enough friendship with us that we spend time with Him regularly. Every day, all day, not just a quick Facebook notification when I log on at night. He wants us to be so close to Him that He starts to rub off on us. He wants to be so connected with us that we even start to look like Him!

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

God wants to hear from you today, not just before your head hits the pillow, but in an all day long logged in chat that keeps you communicating, both talking and listening, from morning till night. Log in now!

shared 5/15/10