Tag: listen

See and Hear

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You can see the world around you with all it’s colors, faces, places, things and still miss the miracles God is doing in it.

You can hear the world around you with all it’s noise, music, conversations, sounds and still miss what God is saying to you. 

It is easy to see the mess, the chaos, the problems, the pollution.

It is easy to hear the negative words, the off key singing, the construction zone noise. 

How you see the world around you makes all the difference in how you experience it. 

It is natural to see all that is wrong in the world and hear what is shouted the loudest.

It is supernatural to see all that God is doing and hear all that God is saying in it, above it and around it. 

Jesus said, “blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭16‬ NIV)

You are blessed when you can see what God is doing all around you and hear what He is speaking to you in the midst of the chaos of our crazy world.

Take some time today to shut out the world and listen to the heartbeat of God. He is a giving Father, sustaining and redeeming life all around you, including yours.

Ask God to help your eyes see the reality of His work around you and open your ears to hear what He is saying to you today.  

Don’t live blind, live blessed.

Dude, Be Kind

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Someone needs you to be kind today.

To preach without words.

To listen without judgment.

To speak the truth in love.

To serve without complaining.

To be brave.

To be real.

To be available.

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season;”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Be available for God to use you anywhere, anytime with anyone and He will.

The God Who Listens

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There are times when all you really need is someone to hear you out, listen to you, sit with you and encourage you. To give you wisdom and guidance. To remind you that you are cherished and loved.

“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”

Psalm 10:17 NIV

Because of Jesus, you have access to a Father who loves you and listens to you. 

Stop looking to others to give you what you can only get from God.

What do you need from God today?

Listening

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“If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”  Mark 4:23 NIV

When life gets busy and loud, stressful and activity filled, listening gets difficult.

Sometimes we barely hear what is going on around us and certainly don’t hear what God is saying to us.

Jesus is always communicating with you. He is always speaking truth to you.

Today is a day to listen.

To quiet everything.

Quiet the stress, the worries, the distractions, Facebook, and anything else that is draining your ability to hear Jesus.

Jesus is speaking to you and He has something that He wants you to hear clearly.

I am asking Jesus to give you ears to hear and to prepare a quiet place for you to receive His word for you today.

What is creating the most internal noise in your life right now?

What do you need to do to quiet down the external noise to be able to hear God’s voice better?

What is Jesus saying to you today?

Your Most Underused Privilege

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“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.”

Psalm 116:2 NLT

Your most luxurious and underused privilege is prayer.

It is mysterious and yet instinctively natural. When there is nowhere else to turn, your heart reaches up.

But you can easily miss the real power of it, the real advantage of being able to pray to a present God. One who has pierced time and eternity to hear you, to listen to all your words, to be your refuge in the world.

He awaits your words,
hears your heart,
soothes your fears,
challenges your assumptions,
strengthens your hands,
sharpens your focus,
adjusts your perspective.

It doesn’t matter how long or how many words you use. What matters is that you are connecting to your Creator and all that it aligns in you.

What matters is spending time in His presence. Prayer is a conversation, so spend some time listening too.

Listen to the voice of your Savior whispering powerful words of truth and identity. You are loved, chosen, blessed and cherished.

Pray.

Find the time to connect with your Creator today. Lay before Him all that is in your heart because He is bending down to listen and love you.

Chosen

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There are other moments in life that give you soul scars.

Moments that become memories that hide in the silence and shadows of your heart.

They feed into the fears of “not worthy” and enable the core insecurities of “not enough”.

God’s Word brings light to the shadows and His voice to the silent places in your heart.

Jesus came to bring to completion the Word spoken in Isaiah:

“For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:9,10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus came to complete it,
to reclaim you,
to reconcile you to God,
has chosen you,
pursued you,
paid for you,
cherishes you,
will not abandon you.

Whispers of rejection will remind you of past rejections. They will taint every relationship and interaction you have.

You may fear rejection but Jesus came to empty the word of its crippling power.

He is the God who says to you:

“I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” (NIV‬‬)

“I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you. Don’t panic. I’m with you.” ‭‭‬ ‭(MSG‬‬)

“You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you;” (‭NKJV‬‬)

Jesus will whisper this truth to you every day, in every way He can until you will believe it, embrace it and live in it.

YOU ARE HIS.
YOU ARE CHOSEN.

Sorry for yelling at you but you haven’t been listening.

Listen and believe.

Reread if necessary.

Kindness

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Someone needs you to be kind today.

To preach without words.

To listen without judgment.

To speak the truth in love.

To serve without complaining.

To be brave.

To be real.

To be available.

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season;”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Be available for God to use you anywhere, anytime with anyone and He will.

Because

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“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.”

Psalms 116:2 NLT

Your most luxurious and underused privilege is prayer.

It is mysterious and yet instinctively natural. When there is nowhere else to turn, your heart reaches up.

But you can easily miss the real power of it, the real advantage of being able to pray to a present God. One who has pierced time and eternity to hear you, to listen to all your words, to be your refuge in the world.

He awaits your words,
hears your heart,
soothes your fears,
challenges your assumptions,
strengthens your hands,
sharpens your focus,
adjusts your perspective.

Pray.

It doesn’t matter how long or how many words you use. What matters is that you are connecting to your Creator and all that it aligns when you do.

Some days you may have lots to say. Some days you may not. What matters is spending time in his presence.

Find the time to connect with your Creator today and lay before him all that is in your heart because he is bending down to listen.

Don’t Go It Alone

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You are not created to exist alone.
Introvert or extrovert- you are created in Christ to be in healthy relationships.
First with God, then with those around you.
Love God, Love People (in that order).
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Relationships are not easy and they are endlessly complicated.
They take grace, forgiveness, honesty, and courage.
You may think that it would be easier and simpler to withdraw altogether but God created you to be connected.
Don’t cheat yourself or others by withdrawing in fear.
Persevere.
Quiet the fear-filled beat of your heart and listen for the encouraging whisper of the Holy Spirit.
God can make a way where there seems to be no way.
Be brave and reach out today.

Where Your Influence Begins

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One of my favorite moments documented in Jesus’ life is in Mark 10:22. It is the beginning of a conversation with a young man who wanted to know “what more do I need to do” (vs 17).

It says:

”Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

He saw him, listened to him, looked at him and loved him right where he was. Before the man obeyed or disobeyed – Jesus loved him for who he was right at that moment regardless of the outcome of their relationship.

Jesus loves you that way and he wants to love others through you that way.

My friend, you are not where you are by mistake.

You were created with a purpose and equipped with gifts and talents to pursue it.

You are loved by the God who created you and wrapped in His amazing embrace.

There are things that only you can do.

There are people in your life that only you can love and touch today.

The circle of your influence begins at your fingertips – those within your grasp today.

 

That doesn’t mean that your life is easy or comfortable – it means you are valuable right where you are.

You are where you are for a reason and that reason probably has more to do with who you are here to love and less about what you are here to accomplish.

The circle of your influence begins at your fingertips.

Do you know God loves you regardless of what you do for Him?

Who do you need to love like this today?