Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
I don't know how they do it in the city. All I know is that I am beyond grateful to be country born and raised and settled, especially now. Because God is using this time of quarantining and social distancing to not just get me to look all around and admire the scenery every day (not hard to do), but is also tapping me on the shoulder each time the age-old desire bubbles up with each passing uncertain day:
"I really need to hear from God."
A reminder of things you and I country folk (and maybe city folk, too) both know, but can't be reminded of enough...
The next time a thunderstorm rolls through, remember that it is more than just another summer storm, or angels bowling in heaven, but a reminder that there is nothing more powerful than the voice of God—the Word of God—that nothing can stand in its way and its authority no matter what your world looks like, and that it is enduring and faithful for every situation in your life. So powerful that…
“The voice of the Lord twists the oaks, and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’”—Psalm 29:9
The next time there is a meteor against a canvas of the night sky, or a spectacular sunset, or cloud formations that make your jaw drop, or the flight of an eagle overhead, remember that these are more than things of beauty to admire and then get on with life. They are a reminder that while God may have finished creation in seven days, He is still speaking forth wonderful and amazing things that are best seen rather than heard, that He has never stopped, and He never will. Things that He designed and continues to design every day to make us look Up and smile again and have hope again, to remember what “awesome!” really means, and to know that no matter how the day has gone, no matter the challenges ahead, God isn’t finished painting you yet, either…
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”—Psalm 19:1-2
The next time you drive by, or better yet, walk onto a field with wide open spaces, or stand at the seashore with a cool breeze in your face, and nothing but waves of tall grass or just plain waves of blue/green for as far as you can see, remember that there is a reason why your blood pressure always feels like it is turning to refreshing ice water: There is nothing more peaceful than God’s whisper of assurance that He will never leave you or forsake you—nothing more peaceful than knowing…
“For His loving-kindness for those who fear Him is as great as the heavens are high above the earth. He has taken our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.”—Psalm 103:11-12
So, the next time I ask, "I really need to hear from God," (and I will), maybe it's as simple as looking up and remembering one thing:
“We often miss hearing God's voice simply because we aren't paying attention.”—Rick Warren
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