Is God Still Talking?

Dr. Charles Stanley

How can we hear God’s voice speaking into our lives? Take our online lesson to learn about listening to God

“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! “Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. “I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. “Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! “I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. “Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever. “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:8-16)

Children have selective hearing, the ability to tune out an adult’s voice whenever they want. Either they are absorbed in their own activities and do not want to be disturbed, or they do not like what they are hearing so they ignore the voice. The adult is speaking, but you would never know it by the child’s response. At times we behave the same way toward our heavenly Father, don’t we?

A DIAMOND FOR THE LORD

I had a dream that I would be a diamond for the Lord,
a soldier in His army,
a bearer of His sword.
But I was born a piece of coal ‘fore Jesus came along,
not worth a lot and dirty too,
so many things were wrong.
Then trials and tribulation came that put me on my knees;
there seemed to be no end of pain
and I cried out, “Lord, please
Come heal my broken spirit, and make me what You will,
but do not let me suffer,
Lord, or make me climb that hill!”
But how the pressure grew and grew ‘till I was sure I’d break
into a lot of pieces and
worth nothing for His sake.
I near forgot the promise that out Lord would never leave,
and just as I was going to quit,
He sent faith to believe.
It took a while to see a little sparkle in that coal,
but soon the sparkle grew and grew
until He filled my soul.
And then by grace it came from coal, a diamond for the Lord,
a soldier in His army,
a bearer of His sword.

Ralph E. Johnson
March 10, 1994

Faith vs. Fear

Ariel Allison Lawhon, She Reads Co-Director

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

Devotion:
Our pediatrician told me that my baby had a collapsed lung. The baby I'd given birth to just an hour earlier.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of faith."

They weren't the words I wanted to remember in that moment, but they came to me as I sat and listened to the doctor's news, jaw clenched and blinking back tears.

Facing Adversity

By Charles Stanley 

Hebrews 12:1-2

When a child hurts, our focus is to restore comfort quickly. We remove obstacles so that a toddler will have a clear path to walk. And many parents seek to minimize frustration for school-age children by helping with homework-sometimes offering more assistance than necessary. While wanting to ease children's discomfort is understandable, we may inadvertently convey a subtle message that obstacles and pain are to be eliminated at all costs. This viewpoint can get carried into adulthood, and unfortunately, it is a harmful one.

Difficulties are a part of life, and if we expect otherwise, we will be consistently disappointed. Then disappointment, if allowed to remain, can turn us away from the Lord. A lot of time can be wasted trying to avoid trials when we could be trusting God for the future. We also expend energy and prayer power seeking to get out of our tough situations instead of asking the Lord how He wants us to respond. Most importantly, God does not view adversity as the tragedy we interpret it to be. As a result, our thinking is in opposition to His.

GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE A LIFE OF VICTORY

As you read the Word of God, you will discover that the Bible is full of people just like you who faced trials. Here is a list of just some of them:

• Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, David, Caleb, Joshua, King Jehoshaphat
• the lady with the issue of blood (Matt. 18:26)
• a blind man (Mark 8:22-26)
• a crippled woman (Luke 10:17)
• and many others who faced difficult circumstances and many times impossible situations.

However, each of them put their trust in a promise of God and every one of them came through their trial victoriously.

God has revealed His plan for us in His Word. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only in order that he may steal, and may kill, and may destroy. I came that they might have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows") (AMP)

Promises from the Pit

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light" (Psalm 18:28, NIV).

Friend to Friend
Have you ever received a gift that you wanted to return but couldn't? I certainly felt that way about the pit of depression when I first experienced it. I wanted to take this nasty black hole to the nearest "Pit Store" and exchange it for a tall mountain of victory. But I have come to the place where I thank God for what He has done in my life through the pit of depression. Anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing.

We all have a pit of some kind in our lives. Your pit may not be depression. It may be an addiction that you find hard to conquer. Your pit may be a difficult relationship or a life plan gone wrong. It may be a diagnosis of cancer or a chronic physical disease that keeps your broken, wondering if God even cares. He does. I know because I am what you might call a seasoned "pit dweller." Let me share some truths I have learned through my struggle with the pit of depression.

No Furnace Is Too Hot

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able..." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

There's a wonderful question about which most of us wonder from time to time. It became the title of Rabbi Harold Kushner best-selling book, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. Although his book painted a much smaller God than we know, it still was helpful to many people.

But, taking into account the scripture verse for today (this would be a good time to read it, if you haven't!), there is also a great Bible story in the book of Daniel, Chapter 3, of three Hebrew boys who refused to worship the idols of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Even though they were threatened with being thrown in a furnace, they held fast in their devotion to God. Their response: "God can spare us from the fiery furnace; He has that power. But, even if He does not, we'll never serve your gods or bow down to your statue." Were they afraid? Yes. Was it a little warm in the furnace? You bet. But, they chose to trust God even when it made no earthly sense to do so. And, much to the amazement of their captors, God repaid their faith and they were not harmed by the fires in that furnace.

Pressing Into God During Times of Crisis

DESIREE AYRES

 

137

 

5

 

5

 

611

 

(© Goodwyn / StockFreeImages.com)

Editor’s Note: Ten days after a terrible explosion left her fighting for her life, Hollywood stuntwoman Desiree Ayres walked out of the Sherman Oaks Burn Center completely healed and whole. Now she co-pastors with her husband and shares her powerful testimony of miraculous healing and restoration with everyone she meets.

No matter how challenging or difficult your present circumstance may be, I can assure you of one thing: If you cry out to God in your crisis, He can and will bring you help. Not only will He help you but He can make a multitude of blessings out of every situation. Be encouraged, because as you cry out to your Creator, He can and will turn your mess into a message, your test into a testimony!

What Do YOU Pray for During Trials?

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. — If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. – James 1:2-5

Last night I was at my church’s weekly prayer meeting, and God brought this scripture passage back to my heart. Well, let’s back up…

Yesterday morning I had to go to the doctor to have some testing done. Long story short, he did not give me the report that I was hoping for. In fact, he said the issue was worse than he originally thought. He told me I’ll have to have minor surgery for testing and treatment before we would even know the severity of the issue, or if it could be reversed.

Incredible Hulk Talking Points

Written by Chante Truscott

Take today’s next step: Encourage someone today, become a mentor! 

“With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: ‘This is the fourteenth day we’ve gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! But I urge you to eat something now. You’ll need strength for the rescue ahead. You’re going to come out of this without even a scratch!’” (Acts 27:33-34, The Message)

They cannot see, they can barely hear, and they have endured a very traumatic ordeal. Since they were involved in a storm, food was scarce and everyone on board was near death from starvation. They have no energy to eat and feel beaten down and abandoned by God.

God did not intend for them to remain in the boat. But they had to go through the storm and the shipwreck in order to realize how strong they really were. The storm and the accident almost killed them but God had other plans. He had plans to use that storm and accident to propel them into their destiny.

Abraham : The Man Who Was God’s Friend

Abram, Abraham [Ā'brăm,Ā'brăhăm]—the father of a multitude. The original name of the youngest son of Terah was Abram, meaning “father of height.” Abraham was given to him when the promise of a numerous progeny was renewed to him by God (Gen. 11:26;17:5, 9). The Man Who Was God’s Friend                                Abraham’s place in the Bible’s portrait gallery is altogether unique and unapproachable. He stands out as a landmark in the spiritual history of the world. Chosen of God to become the father of a new spiritual race, the file leader of a mighty host, the revelation of God found in him one of its most important epochs. In himself, there was not much to make him worthy of such a distinction. His choice was all of grace.

The Brightest Colors

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted" (Ps. 119:71).

It is a remarkable circumstance that the most brilliant colors of plants are to be seen on the highest mountains, in spots that are most exposed to the wildest weather. The brightest lichens and mosses, the loveliest gems of wild flowers, abound far up on the bleak, storm-scalped peak.

One of the richest displays of organic coloring I ever beheld was near the summit of Mount Chenebettaz, a hill about 10,000 feet high, immediately above the great St. Bernard Hospice. The whole face of an extensive rock was covered with a most vivid yellow lichen which shone in the sunshine like the golden battlement of an enchanted castle.

There, in that lofty region, amid the most frowning desolation, exposed to the fiercest tempest of the sky, this lichen exhibited a glory of color such as it never showed in the sheltered valley. I have two specimens of the same lichen before me while I write these lines, one from the great St. Bernard, and the other from the wall of a Scottish castle, deeply embossed among sycamore trees; and the difference in point of form and coloring between them is most striking.

Through the Fire

"So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning" (Job 42:12).

Through his griefs Job came to his heritage. He was tried that his godliness might be confirmed. Are not my troubles intended to deepen my character and to robe me in graces I had little of before? I come to my glory through eclipses, tears, death. My ripest fruit grows against the roughest wall. Job's afflictions left him with higher conceptions of God and lowlier thoughts of himself. "Now," he cried, "mine eye seeth thee.

And if, through pain and loss, I feel God so near in His majesty that I bend low before Him and pray, "Thy will be done," I gain very much. God gave Job glimpses of the future glory. In those wearisome days and nights, he penetrated within the veil, and could say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Surely the latter end of Job was more blessed than the beginning.
--In the Hour of Silence

When Life Tumbles In, What Then?

Ray Pritchard

Job 1

When his wife died, he didn’t know at first how he would survive. Although he was a minister and had helped many others through times of crisis, now he faced his own personal moment of truth. How would he reconcile his own loss with the Christian faith he claimed to believe? What would he say to his own grieving congregation?

The year was 1927. The place, Aberdeen, Scotland. The man, Arthur John Gossip, pastor of the Beechgrove Church. He was fifty-four years old and at the height of his powers.

Historians tell us that he was humble and sincere, possessing a keen wit and deeply devoted to his family and friends. A bit of an eccentric, he sometimes scandalized his staid Scottish congregation by appearing in public with a floppy fisherman’s hat perched on his head. He was a man of strong opinions who never held back from expressing them to any and all who cared to listen. History also tells us that he was beloved as a pastor and preacher.

The Overflowing Cup

Dear Reader: Happy Passover! For the next eight days, we celebrate Pesach (Passover), offering you devotional reflection tied to this very special observance as well as Torah readings for each day. Since no work is done on the holiest of these days, these devotions were prepared in advance for you.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." —Exodus 20:2

Today is Day 4 of the eight-day Passover celebration. The Torah reading for today is from Exodus 22:24–23:19.

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Believe it or not, one day, according to Jewish tradition, God will want to know.

The Sages teach that there are a series of questions each person is asked when his or her time on Earth has come to an end. Among those questions are "were you an honest person?" and "did you make time to study God’s Word?" One of them is also "did you anticipate salvation?" In other words, were you an optimist? Did you anticipate that things could get better and that God would help you?

Operating System

1 Corinthians 2:1–16

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 1:1–7; 2:1–22; 4:1–27

Do you stay up on New Year’s Eve to wait for the clock to strike midnight? If you do, you probably don’t care that much about when the New Year begins in places like Fiji or Auckland, New Zealand. However, you probably cared a bit more on December 31, 1999, as TV cameras captured the stroke of midnight in those locations to see whether the world had avoided the Y2K disaster. As clocks struck 12:00, 12:01, 12:02 in each time zone around the world, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief that televisions still functioned, nuclear power plants hadn’t failed and cars continued running.

Remember the craziness that preceded Y2K? Companies and governments spent billions of dollars to hire software programmers to pore over and correct millions of lines of computer code. All because of a looming catastrophe if computers were to misread the last two zeroes in the year 2000 as 1900.

Escaping Egyptian Tyranny - Again

During the past month, a plague of locusts swept across Egypt and then into neighboring Israel. While not so uncommon, a number of news reports were quick to point out the significant timing of the occurrence—coming as it did just before the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, which will be observed next week. At this time we reflect on God's deliverance of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt. To free His people, God sent devastating plagues on Egypt, including locusts. In light of other recent events, there is much more to reflect on at this time as well.

It's been more than a month since I wrote the lead articles for the current issue of The Good News concerning the Arab Spring—covering Egypt's slide into Islamist tyranny and the drive toward an Islamic caliphate throughout the region and the wider Muslim world. Yet of course the threat to Israel remains. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that the Bible even foretells that slavery in Egypt and other lands lies ahead for many modern Israelites. I would like to have addressed this issue in the magazine, but length prevented me—and I'll still only be able to touch on it here.

On Your Knees

He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. — Hebrews 11:6

This verse does not say that God rewards casual acquaintances or with those who know something about Him. It says God rewards those who diligently seek Him. "Knowing God" means to have an intimate relationship with Him. Jesus rejects lukewarm relationships (Revelation 3:15-16). He desires all your love, all your passion, and all your commitment.

If you are in a trial where the devil has stopped you in your tracks, don't become bitter or talk about it. That will only compound the problem. Find yourself a closet. Climb up the mountain of God. Like Jacob, declare, "Lord, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me" (Genesis 32:26).

Picking up the Pieces

Written by Linda McCutcheon

Are you hurting and facing unbearable pain? We can pray for you.

“Our Lord, You Always do Right” (Psalm 119:137-160 (CEV).

As a woman who actively seeks to obey God, there have been confusing times when I read these words and wonder with a breaking heart feeling like the wind has been knocked out of me. It goes on to say that “your decisions are fair”.

How can I believe these truths when humans disappoint or hurt us deeply? How do I pick myself up and put one foot in front of the other? How is it that we are left grabbing our hearts trying to breathe? How can I understand that the Lord ‘who always does right’ watches me as I am left crumpled and defeated? It doesn’t feel it was a right decision.

The Day

Rick Joyner

And there was evening and there was morning, one day (see Genesis 1:5).

Here we see that a day begins with the evening. This is a prophecy that with the great things the Lord brings forth, there is usually darkness before the dawn. This is a consistent truth throughout the Scriptures.

For example, Israel was subject to four hundred years of slavery before they were led into the freedom of the Promised Land. Their oppression became the greatest just before they were set free by the power of God. The great saints of Scripture usually went through a period of darkness before they were brought forth into the purposes of God. Joseph had to go through slavery and imprisonment. King David was persecuted by Saul, and chased by the very people over which he was called to rule. Jesus had to go to the cross and die before He could be resurrected to His place of authority and glory.