Month: March 2019

A Birthday Self-Assessment and Vision

Do you ever think about the past, spend time thinking about the sweet memories of yesteryear?

Your birthday is a perfect time to do some self-examination, an assessment of the last year.

But we can fall into that pit of reviewing more of the bad things than the sweet ones—our mistakes, our sins, our really bad moments, and the bad things that were done unto us.

 

A week ago, I did the birthday self-assessment. I looked backward, and I sought God for the forward. And then I had a revelation.

As we age, we seem to spend a lot of time looking backward, at the regrets, the inability to measure up physically to the person we used to be.

Then the Lord in His graciousness revealed something to me that perhaps He’s already revealed to you.

Here are some notes I wrote in my journal—

 

“Lord, in some many ways, I hate growing old, even though I know with each passing day, month and year I get closer to eternity with You. And I suppose that should make me rejoice with each extra candle. Knowing how much joy You must take in knowing your children’s journeys on earth are winding down, until full renewal and the fullness of time results in a restored body and life that won’t flinch or pale at length of days.

“So why do I live and breathe and behave as though this is it? I want to walk toward You, in joy, in peace, in hope, in Longing, thrilled anticipation of that glorious, perfect day. I want to rejoice over moving toward perfection rather than wallowing in and lamenting my failures. I want to move on, with a heart saturated to overflowing with happiness and peace.

“…It is good. It is enough!”

 

The little red journal I’m using right now has Scripture verses at the bottom of each page. I read them after I’ve written that day’s inklings. The verse at the bottom of the first page I wrote on for my birthday was this:

 

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

 

A perfect verse for what the Lord had laid on my heart to ponder.

My path is a shining light. Only I can allow it to be darkened by my thoughts, attitude and behavior.

God is the light that shines on that path.

And that shining light will shine brighter and brighter as I move toward the perfect day—the day when the Lord will renew Heaven and Earth, and I will be counted among the happy citizens of His Kingdom. In a body designed to work and live and rejoice forever!

 

With those facts planted in my heart, why would I not enjoy the walk down the path, toward the brighter light? Why would I not look forward to that day when I will be absent from my body and present with the Lord?

Why would I not embrace every added year?

I should embrace every year, even as my body fails and abilities decrease. And that’s my goal this year: to be focusing on that light and have my heart set on eternity.

 

May your paths shine brighter and brighter, and may you be looking forward toward the brighter light, not at the dull one behind you.

 

Meditation Mondays will be going on hiatus until April 1, so I can focus on recovering from my recent knee surgery. I’ll have a way for you to sign up to receive these posts, and in return, I’ll have a freebie for you to enjoy!

See you back here next month!

Blessings,

Andrea

“Certainly there was an Eden….We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

How to Know When God is Speaking to You

This past Monday I spent a long time with God, seeking His will, looking for some much-needed encouragement and affirmation, and just abiding joyfully in His presence.

I was celebrating another revolution around the sun, and I wanted to spend the day alone, taking stock of my last year (which was a big one) and peeking (just a little) into the next.

I know a lot of respected Bible teachers believe God has already spoken to us through His word, and that’s it, but I’ve been conversing with Him enough for the last fifty years to know He still—through His Holy Spirit—brings us comfort, direction, dreams and “voices.” All you have to do is read the conversion reports flooding in from around the world.

Maybe some of us aren’t hearing God’s voice because we’re too distracted, we’re not listening for it, aren’t attuned to or sensitive to it, and we really don’t think He’s going to speak to us anyway.

But just exactly how do you know it’s God talking back to you when He does talk?

 

It’s probably one of the biggest and most frequent questions Christians ask: “How do I know it’s God?”

 

Getting some answers—

Guideposts addressed this question in their October/November issue of their Mysterious Ways magazine. They sought answers to “The Big Question: How do you know it’s God?” The answers were compiled by Associate Editor Hilary Ribons. Here’s what she gathered through her research.

 

“It is normal and wise to contemplate if a dream or an impression you’ve gotten in prayer is really from God. Merely ask yourself two questions: 1) Does it line up with God’s Word? If no, the message is not from God because he will never contradict himself. And 2) what feeling does it leave me with? If it is fear, it is not from God. His Word says he has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love.”

—Laura Harris Smith, Pastor and author of Seeing the Voice of God: What God is Telling You Through Dreams and Visions

 

“When people have dreams or visions from God, they’re unmistakable. I don’t think there’s a word in our vocabulary that can describe the feeling of peace and the all-consuming love that visions from God give us. The message will be immediately clear and personally meaningful. There’s nothing ordinary about them. It will be so impactful that it will awaken something inside of you.”

—Katherine “Kate” Hyland, author of 23 Years, 23 Minutes, 13 Angels

 

“The best way to confirm whether you’ve heard the voice of God is to compare it to the Word of God. If what you hard is echoed in the Bible, it’s likely the voice of God. It it’s not in his Word, it’s not his voice.”

—David R. Smith, Pastor and author of Christianity…It’s Like This

  

“We know it’s God because his guidance does not originate with our will or desire. God gives us other options that aren’t in our normal agenda. As we learn ourselves, and who we are, we also learn who we’re not. So when God’s voice comes through our thoughts, we can recognize it.”

—Shawn Bolz, author of Translating God

 

“In the New Testament, whenever God speaks, he confirms it through other people. That’s how we too know we’ve heard—when the Holy Spirit speaks to someone else at the same time. God’s way of confirming is through the safety of multiple witnesses in the community.”

—Tanis Harris, author of God Conversations

 

Spending a lot of time in God’s word reveals a lot to you too, at times when you’re ready to hear what He’s said in that Word and what He’s saying to you right here and right now.

 

My Monday time with Him more than served its intended purpose. Through His word, another believer, and an otherworldly sense of peace and joy, I was lifted up and am better able to face this next year. To move forward in faith, with complete trust in God.

 

Join me on Monday, March 4, when I reveal a little of what I learned. I know many of you will find His revelation to me helpful too!

If you’re reading this early Friday, March 1 morning, I’d appreciate a little prayer for the surgery I’m undergoing to repair a torn meniscus in my right knee and clean up some arthritis I have under my kneecap and on my femur. Thanks

If you’re interested in reading more quotes answering how you know it’s God speaking to you, head over to Guideposts.org/HowDoYouKnow.

 

Until next month, keep searching for His still small voice. The One C.S. Lewis referred to as “the hound of heaven.”

Blessings,

Andrea

“Certainly there was an Eden….We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it.” —J.R.R. Tolkien