Oh, the Places!

By Valarie Fish. This is article nineteen in our series on drawing closer to God.  
 
I love to travel to new places. Just about everything on my bucket list includes going somewhere new and exciting! 
 
I’m working on a new Bible study with my ladies on places in the Bible and their significance. In my study I found several intriguing passages where God references “the place where I record my name.”
 
Add that place to my bucket list! 
 
In Exodus 20 God is giving Moses instructions – including the ten commandments – and in the last half of verse 24, the King James Version says “In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.” 
 
My amplified Bible says “In every place where I cause My Name to be recorded and remembered (through revelation of my divine nature) I will come to you and bless you.” 
 
Books can be written about the names of God – Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, etc. But when I looked up the Hebrew for “name” I found the word “shem” or as some say “Hashem” which means THE Name. The “shem” was a mark or memorial of individuality, an appellation or a descriptive name or title. When you speak the name there is an acknowledgement of the character attached to the name. 
 
There are names of people and things that are associated with specific character traits in specific cultures. For example: “sly as a ______” or “wise old _____” are common to our western culture and we know the answer is fox and owl. Folks of different cultures might have different answers or be completely unaware of the character trait we readily associate with those 2 animals. 
 
God had some specific requirements for dealing with His Name among His chosen people. They would be called by His Name and they would represent His Name.
 
No wonder God wanted them to be set apart from the rest of the world!
 

The instructions He gave Moses in Exodus repeatedly reminded them not to worship any other gods because no other god carried His character traits of mercy and justice and grace and faithfulness and so many more. To misrepresent His character was to take His Name in vain! 

 

In the Old Testament, God chose to place His Name on His chosen people as a nation and specifically on the Tabernacle and later Solomon’s Temple. This was the place where God placed His Name. But even the prophets knew the buildings were temporary. Ezekial records the glory of God leaving the temple sometime before it was destroyed in 586 BC and there is no record of His presence returning to either the second temple or Herod’s temple.

The next time God would enter the temple was when He sent His Son to earth. Jesus found the place where God was supposed to dwell with His people so unrecognizable He called it a den of thieves. 
 
Jesus also told the Samaritan woman that God had chosen a different place to put His Name than a building. He wanted those who would love Him to approach Him in spirit and in truth. He would write His Name on each heart who would repent and invite Him to take the throne of their life! 
 
When you accept Jesus as the payment for your sins, you are inviting God to place His Name, His character, and His holiness, on your life forever. 
 
You see, you don’t decide where God will place His name – He decides. And he will place His name in a heart willing to submit to His plans. In a heart ready to give Him the glory He deserves. And where He places His name, he will come CLOSER and He will bless! 
 

Scripture: Deuteronomy 12:5-14; John 4:19-24; James 4:8-10

Prayer: Father, help me always surrender to You and Your plan for my life. Help me to draw closer to You by recognizing your amazing gift of salvation. Write Your Name on my life and use me to shine a spotlight on You so others can see what an amazing God you are. Amen

Respond: Think about this statement – “You are as close to God right now as you want to be.” You may want to reject the thought, but this statement is so true! You can be as close to God as you want to be!  What do you need to be as close to God as you want to be?

 
 
 
MAKE A PATH
by Susie Edgar.  This is article eighteen in our series on drawing closer to God. 

 

When I taught school, I learned that the students would remember something better when they reviewed it daily. Now, that didn’t mean that we went over everything they learned each and every day. However, we would continually go back over some basic skills for a few minutes at the beginning of class. Yes, even in Algebra 1, I would periodically give the class a short five minute basic operations drill because if they knew the basics, they could concentrate better on the newer concepts.
 

 

You may not think that applies to our spiritual life, but it does. We need to renew ourselves daily and remember what’s important to God. That will help us stay closer to God as well as be prepared to witness or help others along the way. Just as we grow fat and lazy if we don’t discipline ourselves with our diet and exercise, we grow slack and lack the ambition to continue if we don’t study God’s Word regularly and communicate with Him on a daily basis.
 

 

The explanation that made me realize I needed to keep the basics in front of my students regularly was that of walking the same area across grass. If you walk several times a day for a few days, a path might begin to show, but it will disappear if you quit walking the same path. However, walking the same path daily and continuing it regularly will cause the grass to stay off the path where it is clearly visible. The same happens to us as we read God’s Word. If we study for two weeks and then quit, it doesn’t stay with us. However, if we continue to study on a daily basis, we will retain it better as well as draw closer to God.

 
 

I read my Bible daily every morning and try to have some quiet prayer time as well. However, that schedule may not work for you. Find what does. The important thing is to continue on a regular basis until it becomes a habit. That’s not to say that you should simply read and pray because it’s the thing to do at that time. You need to crave God’s presence and desire to meet with Him. But it may take a few times of making yourself do it to begin to realize just how much you are getting out of it.

 
 

Put in some extra time studying what a particular passage means. Did you read enough to get the entire context? Don’t just read one or two verses and take them without checking what comes before and after. What do the original words mean? I know that the English language has changed greatly just in my lifetime. It certainly has changed since the King James version was translated. Besides checking other more modern versions of the Bible, you may want to check what the original Hebrew or Greek meant.

 
 

Make time for God. After all, He made time and gave His only Son just for us. In fact, He gives us all the time we have, so use some of that time to take a daily walk with Him in His Word. Renew your relationship with Him through prayer. Create a path that doesn’t go away.

 

Scriptures to read:  Isaiah 58:2; Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you that I can come to You at any time for any reason. We don’t have to wait to be in church or on our knees or for a certain time of day. You’re as close as a thought. Help me to remember to call on You at all times, whether it be to thank You, to ask You for help, to intercede for someone else, or simply to remain close to You. I want Your will done and for You to be glorified in everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Respond: Make a special time today for God. Even if you already meet Him every morning or evening or whenever, take a few extra minutes to meet Him at a special time. Ask Him to help you remember to come to Him daily (even if you already do, because our lives do get busy sometimes and we forget). Then DO IT.

 

   

 

 

 

SEED FLINGER

By Judy Wallace this is article seventeen in our series on drawing closer to God. 

I saved as many seeds as I could. 

One set had come from the sweetest, juiciest watermelon we had tasted all summer.  It was a verified Cave City, Arkansas, melon and had the stickers to prove it!
 
Next were the seeds I saved from a Candy Kissed cantaloupe.  My oh my!  There couldn’t possibly be a sweeter, more delicious variety than these and they were found at my closest Sam’s club.
 
And then there were the peaches.  Bought almost weekly at our local fruit stand, these are my favorite fruit. Even though the seeding and growing process for them is more difficult and won’t produce fruit for many years, I still saved the pits determined to give planting a try.
 
Three different kinds of seeds now sit in the windowsill of my utility room.  All three have differing requirements on how and when to plant and care for the seedlings.  But plant them I must if I want them to bear fruit at some point in time. And realize I must that even with my best efforts, the actual production of the fruit is totally up to our Creator God.  Fruit is the goal!
 
Evangelism is very similar.  Cited as one of the most difficult of the spiritual disciplines to develop (the other two being prayer and memorization of scripture), sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ seems to bring anxiety, fear, and guilt for not obeying His direct command to be a witness for Him wherever we go.
 
The analogy only goes so far but differs in the fact that the spiritual seed doesn’t change.  It is the gospel of Jesus Christ given to us in His Word.  But the soils are different.  The time of germination is different.  The result may be different but the end goal in each and every situation is fruit.
 

Why do we make this so difficult? What are our excuses?

  • “I don’t know what to say?’
  • “What if I say the wrong thing?”
  • “What if they ask me a question that I don’t know how to answer?”
  • “I don’t really have any opportunities to witness.”
I think we wrongly feel like if we don’t ‘seal the deal’ and make it all the way through to a prayer of repentance then we have failed.  That is just not so.  Instead we must realize that our lives and words are to be those of a ‘seed flinger’: one who interjects God into our conversations as much as possible and always shows Him in our lives.
 

Does the interaction with a stranger bring up the topic of weather? Then state, “I’m so glad I’m not in charge of the weather. The Lord knows what He is doing.” I’ve had responses all the way from “Yes He does” to “I’m not so sure”!  But seed was flung!

 

When you sit down for a meal at a restaurant, before you ask God’s blessing on the food, tell your waitstaff what you are about to do and ask if there is anything that you can pray about for them.  Those answers? “No, I’m good.” “My dad had a stroke,” “My sister is in a bad place.” “My little girl is starting kindergarten and I’m anxious about that.”  One girl just fell into my arms and ‘big cried’ because a patron had just chewed her out.  Seed was flung.
 
Maybe there is a person in a wheelchair at the store that is trying to reach an item and you get it for them.  They will almost always say thank you and then you can simply say, “That was from Jesus!”  You may get some odd stares but seeds were flung!
 
 
Take a moment and listen to the song, Fifteen
 
What if this is the case? What if it does take fifteen times of seeds being planted in a person before they have hearts soft enough to really hear the gospel?  I know that is an arbitrary number.  Some accept Christ the very first time they hear about Him and what He has done for them.  Some have been raised in church and heard the gospel three times a week for their lifetime until one day they realize that message is for them! Christ died for them!  What if you have the privilege to be just one of those seed flingers in a person’s life that helps prepare good soil for the planting of God’s Word?  What a blessing.
 

What if you are number fifteen?!?! What if you do have the privilege of taking someone through the plan of salvation? Does that stir fear in your heart?  We will cover that in my next blog. Until then, meditate on these scriptures and respond to them.

SCRIPTURE:

  • Matthew 28:18-20
  • Acts 1:8
  • Matthew 4:19
  • Acts 22:15
  • Romans 7:4b
  • Proverbs 11:30
  • Daniel 12:3
  • Luke 8:1-15

What convicts, instructs, or encourages you from these verses?

RECOMMENDATION:

God Space: Where Spiritual Conversations Happen Naturally by Doug Pollock

I highly recommend you get this book and read it.  You may not agree with everything he says, but I do think you will walk away with a wider view of evangelism and less fear.

“We are not responsible for a single conversion, 

But we are responsible for every single conversation.”

(I first read this quote in the God Space book but I am not sure if this is where it originates.)

 

 

 

God’s Voice/ Satan’s Voice

By Susie Edgar.  This is articke sixteen in our series on drawing closer to God.  

 

As I sat thumbing through my trusty worn Bible, I found this yellowed-by-time piece of paper.
 
It contained a bit of advice given to me from a dear elderly lady many years ago. I had asked her, “How do you know when you receive a word that it’s from God or from Satan?”
 
She looked me in the eye and smiled, took a piece of paper, and began to write this list.
 
It was so simple! 
 

Isn’t that just like God to make it simple enough that even the least of us can understand.

I pray God’s voice becomes clear to you at this very moment in your time of need. 

God’s Voice: stills you, lead you, reassures you, enlightens you, encourages you, comforts you, calms you, convicts you                                                                 

Satan’s Voice: rushes you, pushes you, frightens you, confuses you, discourages you, worries you, obsesses you, condems you                                  

                                                                                                 

PRAYER: Thank you, Father, that I am a member of Your body and a dwelling place of Your Spirit.

SCRIPTURES: John 10:27; 1 John 4:1; Psalm 143:8

 

 

 

Climb Every Mountain

By Valarie Fish.  This is article fifteen in our series on drawing closer to God.

The sign at the bottom of the wooded path said the hike would be strenuous.
 
Just a few feet further and another sign gave the option of a hike around the base of the hill or a hike to the top. The difference between the two listed clearly – base trail – moderate, summit trail – strenuous. 
 
This day I had my mind set on the summit trail. 
 
Ten markers along the way measured a hiker’s progress. At about marker 5 a bench waited for climbers already weary of the journey. Although not an easy climb so far it had not been too bad. 
 
I suppose at about marker 6 when the dirt path changed to marked boulders, I should have reconsidered the rest of the trek.
 
By marker 7 I had serious doubts about my own sanity.
 
At marker 8 we would have turned back except I figured we had come too far to turn back now.
 
By the time we reached the summit we had only about 90 minutes of daylight left and more than a little concern about whether we would make the descent before the sun set. 
 
Finally at the summit I had two thoughts. First, if I ever meet the guy who marked the trail as “strenuous” I will give him an award for his gift of understatement. Secondly, if I had known how hard the path had been before I started, I probably would not have made the climb and I would have missed this wonderful view before me. 
 
There are many times I wish God would reveal to me what might lie ahead.
 
I want to ask, “Why?” I want to know how my current trial will bring glory in the future. Truth be told, there are some obstacles I would probably rather not face. If I were to know what stood in the path ahead, I might decide to turn back and never make the climb. Because my Father knows this about me, He doesn’t reveal the future to me, but He did promise that He would make the climb with me every step of the way. 
 
On the way down the mountain my husband stayed right ahead of me so that I could lean on his shoulders and have the security of his strong arms during the most treacherous parts of the descent.
 
I know God can see the path ahead; He will not leave me as I make my way over another mountain, another obstacle, another difficulty. When I stand at the top, I can be sure “…that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
 
I still have a bone to pick with the person who understated the difficulty of the climb, but I can say now that the mountain did not destroy me. I may have moved like a very old woman for a few days afterward, but I made it to the summit, and I am confident that if I needed to climb it again, I could do it knowing I wasn’t climbing alone. 
 
Response: Have you been through difficult situations and wondered why? God doesn’t mind when you ask questions because in your questions the Holy Spirit can lead you to the answers. Determine if your situation has come upon you because of your own choices, because of the choices someone else made for you or if God purposed it for you. In all these circumstances, God can turn it around for His glory and use your greatest pain for the good. 
 
Prayer: Thank you Father for taking each step of this journey with me. For never leaving me alone even when the difficulty may have been the result of my own choices. Father, bless the person reading this prayer and let them feel Your presence no matter where they are in the journey. Let them come to You with all their questions and listen to the Holy Spirit lead. Amen.
 
Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be wuth you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ARE YOU HUNGRY?
-by Jackie Ricks. This is article fourteen in our series on drawing closer to God.



It seems people are always hungry for something: food, money, love, sex, free time, friends, etc. But how many times are we hungry for God’s Word and fellowship with Him?

 

You know, if you’d never tried chocolate (or some other food that you now enjoy), you’d never be hungry for it because you wouldn’t know it was so good. But once you tried it, you became hungry for it. One of my grandsons is like that about brisket or meatloaf. He didn’t want to try them the first time, but now he begs for them all the time.

 

The same is true about God’s Word.

 

If we don’t spend time in His Word, then we don’t know how good it is and how much we want it. We find Mary of Bethany understood that. Apparently, she had possibly helped serve Jesus on His previous visits to Martha’s house where Mary lived. During that time, she must have heard His teaching and wanted to hear more. That’s probably how she came to sit at the Savior’s feet when He came to visit her and her sister and their brother Lazarus in Bethany. (Luke 10:38-42) She couldn’t pull herself away long enough to help Martha serve the guests because she was so enthralled with His message. Even Jesus Himself said that Mary had chosen the “good part” (listening to Him) that day.

 

We need to learn to listen to what the Bible says so that we may be closer to God. As a result of listening to Him, then our actions also help draw us closer to Him. Mary put her faith and love into action in John 12:1-8. No one told Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet. In fact, some tried to prevent it and criticized her for doing it. However, the Lord said it was preparation for the end of His life. She didn’t know that, obviously, but she followed God’s leading. The closer we are to God, the more we are aware of what He wants us to do. 

 

Are we hungry for God’s Word? Do we really want Him to be involved in every aspect of our lives?

 

I’m afraid some of us want Him there only part of the time because we aren’t doing what we should and we’re afraid He will reprimand us. Or maybe we’re afraid God might ask us to do something that we don’t want to do. None of this should matter because the only thing that will bring us true joy is being in God’s will. Reading and studying God’s Word daily is the only way to stay in His will. That’s time well spent with God.

 

Do you have a favorite passage or story in the Bible? Check it out and really study it. You may find something that you hadn’t noticed before. God may also send you a message with an answer to something you’ve been praying about or a direction of something He wants you to do. Try reading the scripture in more than one version and also using a commentary to help understand something new about the passage. Stay in the Word daily.

Scriptures:  Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:1-8

 

Respond: If you don’t already have a Bible app that contains a concordance, several scripture versions (including original language versions), commentary, and other helps, find one such as Bible Hub or Logos. Both are free but may also have purchases available within the apps. If you aren’t tech savvy (and you don’t have to be much to use either of those), then at least invest in a thorough concordance or other helps. There are also many good commentaries, but it can get expensive to purchase books so you may want to check out the library. Your church may even have some as well.

 
 
Prayer:  “Lord, help me use my time wisely so that I may study Your Word and spend time with You. Show me what You want me to do; then give me the strength to do it. Draw me closer to You, Lord, and help me stay close to You every day. Thank You for guiding and directing me in Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
Psalm 63:1b ” O God, You are my God; I shall seek you earnestly; my soul thirsts for You…”
 
 
 
 
 
THE YOKE
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article thirteen in our series on drawing closer to God
 
The young ox had watched the process for a long time. He was fascinated that the older oxen
came directly to the Master as soon as they were summoned. They knew exactly what to do; it
was as if they were directly connected to Him. He would come forward slowly, speaking gently
to the them as He approached. They responded accordingly.
 
 
The Master brought a yoke with Him. It was plain. Rough. Massive. Most viewed it as a symbol
of slavery, subjection, and servitude as with it came images of heavy burdens and long, hard
hours of labor. The juvenile calf also thought it to be a thing of dread and despair. But the
older animals showed no sign of fear, nor did they cower as He lowered the yoke: first fitting it
over the shoulders, then around the neck.
 
 
What came next was hard to fathom. Instead of choosing a second animal to harness to the
first, the Master Himself went under the weight: the lowly ox on one side, the knowing Master
on the other. The beast shifted its body to adjust to the fact that the load seemed suddenly
lighter, more manageable than before. The command was given to move forward and instead
of a clumsy lurch that would have been expected, a slower, more purposeful gait was taken.
The calf found itself watching only the Master instead of the ox that was with Him. With each
step forward, He was constantly interacting with the animal. With each step forward, He was
giving instructions, pointing out pitfalls. With each step forward, He was explaining the goal
and constantly calling the animal to follow His lead and learn from Him. The ox still had the
same load, the same burden; but it seemed not to notice since it was now a shared load. The
fact that it was watching closely, listening carefully, and engrossing itself deeply in the wise
words it was being given, thoughts of self and the burdens it carried were no longer dominant.
The emphasis now was on learning about the Master and from the Master. With the
concentration on His instructions, attributes, and characteristics it dawned on the calf… that
was the true yoke! It wasn’t an instrument to be feared after all, but one that kept the eyes and
the heart where they should have been all along…only on the Master. Now the ox became
humble, teachable, at peace.
 
 
The calf continued to observe thinking that the sooner he matured, the sooner his time would
come to take up His yoke. But then the truth became very clear; the sooner he humbled
himself to take up His yoke, the sooner he would mature.
 
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 
What are the three commands?
What are the two characteristics of Christ mentioned here?
What is said about the yoke and the results of taking it on?
 
Philippians 2:5-9  5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men 8  And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name”
 
What is the command?
List all the examples of what could be considered Christ’s yoke given in this passage.
How did He respond to these?
Go back to the command. What is the key to emulating these characteristics?
What do you learn from the first word, ‘Let’?
 
RESPONSE:
LEARN CHRIST! TAKE ON HIS YOKE DAILY! HE IS SHARING THE LOAD WITH Y0U!
RENEW yourself in Christ daily.
RENEW by being in the word daily.
RENEW by meditating on the characteristics of Christ daily.
RENEW by worshiping at His feet daily.
 
PRAYER:
“Father, help me to learn You! Not just about you or of You but learn You! Help me
focus on how you acted in your daily walk; how you interacted with those closest to you; how
you responded to all the people around you. Help me be humbled before you, compassionate
toward others, and keenly aware of the opportunities you place in my path and then help me to
take them.!”
 
“Behold Him! Look at Him! Just be occupied with Him!…Come to the Word for one purpose and
that is to meet the Lord.” Norman Douty
 
 
 
 
 

The Kneeling Christian.

(Recommended Book by Susie Edgar)

“A traveler in China visited a heathen temple on a great feast day. Many were the worshipers of the hideous idol enclosed in a sacred shrine. The visitor noticed that most of the devotees brought with them small pieces of paper on which prayers had been written or printed. These were wrapped up in little balls of stiff mud and flung at the idol. He enquired the reason for this strange proceeding and was told that if the mud ball stuck fast to the idol, then the prayer would assuredly be answered; but if the mud fell off, the prayer was rejected by the god.

We may smile at this peculiar way of testing the acceptability of prayer. But is it not a fact that the majority of Christian men and women who pray to a Living God know very little about real prevailing prayer? Yet prayer is the key that unlocks the door of God’s treasure-house.

It is not too much to say that all real growth in the spiritual life—all victory over temptation, all confidence and peace in the presence of difficulties and dangers, all repose of spirit in times of great disappointment or loss, all habitual communion with God—depends upon the practice of secret prayer.

This book was written by request and with much hesitancy. It goes forth with much prayer. May He who said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint, teach us to pray.” (Author’s preface. Author, An Unknown Christian. Credited to Albert Ernest Richardson. The Kneeling Christian. Zondervan books.)

 

Incredible Promises

In our Lord’s last discourse, he said; “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. “ John 16:23 KJV.

 

Do we really believe this?

 

We must if we believe our Bibles. Do we really desire to do God’s will? Do we really believe His promises? If so, will it not lead us to spend more time on our knees before God?

 

Do not vow to pray so much a day. Resolve to pray much.  The writer states he is quite certain of this fact. God wants us to pray.

 

The question is, are we willing to pray?
 

SCRIPTURE: “And he said unto them, when ye pray, say, ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’” Luke 11:2.

 

PRAYER: Gracious Savior, pour out upon us the fullness of the Holy Spirit that we may indeed become Kneeling Christians.
 
 

RESPOND: As you read this book, the writer most earnestly implores you not to read hurriedly what is contained in these chapters. Much—very much—depends upon the way in which every reader receives what is there recorded. For everything depends upon prayer. (Purchase the book in the link. We do not recieve compensation from sales, we are not affiliated with Zondervan of Amazon).

Billy Graham was asked If he had a system in which he used to study his Bible. He replied;

“Yes, I do. I read a gospel a week. Matthew/Mark/Luke/John/Acts. While I am reading and when I sense the Spirit speaking, I stop there and listen. “ 
 

When we pray, we must not only pray but listen.

 
 
 
 

The Songs I Cannot Sing

-by Valarie Fish. This is article eleven in our series on drawing closer to God.  
 
For several months now I have been fighting with my vocal cords. A polyp has grown which affects my voice when I speak and especially when I sing. I really, really love to talk and I really, really, really love to sing! 
 
 
I’m one of those weird people who wake up in the morning with a song in my head pretty much every day. From the time I open my eyes I am humming or singing something – until now. I attempted to demonstrate to my Sunday school class what the polyp has done to my singing voice. One brutally honest new student – who has never heard me sing before – laughed and said it sounded like the honk of a goose. Hurtful but accurate. 
 
 
This morning when I woke up, the song in my head said “I love you Lord and I lift my voice…”  
 
But I cannot lift my voice.
 
 
I think Satan is using this ailment to try to defeat me. He whispers dark and depressing statements into my thoughts about permanent damage and never being able to sing again.  
 
 

The second verse of the old hymn “Sunshine in my Soul” by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt says this: 

“There is music in my soul today, a carol to my King; 

And Jesus, listening, can hear the song I cannot sing.”
 
 
I am reminded there are people who have never been able to sing, whether because of ability or disability, so there must be a way to lift my voice without actual vocal cords.  How do you lift your voice when you have no voice? 
 
 
Perhaps we should define “voice” in a broader sense.
 
 
We know the dictionary definition includes words, tones, sounds, frequency, and pitch. All those are under the heading of voice as a noun. As a verb, to voice something is to make a thing to be heard. So far, nothing is making me feel any better. I still need my vocal cords to make this happen. 
 
 
Unless there is a way to “make a thing to be heard” without words?  I suppose it depends on what you are wanting to “be heard”. If you are “lifting your voice” in worship, can you let that worship be heard without sound? Can you praise without sound? 
 
 
Now we need to define what the words worship and praise mean. Looking at the Hebrew dictionary “worship” means “to bow down, to prostrate oneself” and “praise” means “to hold out the hand, to throw at or away, to worship with extended hands.” 
 
 
Neither of those definitions require a voice! Now we are getting somewhere. 
 
 
Worship and praise both have indicators of humility and reflection away from self.
 
 
When I stop thinking of what I cannot do (sing) and place the focus on what God is doing, I bow to His plan and His authority. My worship and my praise do not need to be heard by anyone else because God can hear the cries of my heart. He can literally hear the songs I cannot sing. Those tears running down my face – they are my voice. My hands lifted in adoration and gratitude – they are my voice. My surrender to His will for my life – with or without the ability to sing – this is my act of worship. 
 

Scripture: “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (dedicating all of yourselves, set apart) as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.” Romans 12:1 AMP

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving me the opportunity to praise you with or without a voice. Let my surrender be my act of worship. Let me lift my voice to You and hear the songs I cannot sing. Use this blog to encourage someone to praise you with their whole heart and worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen 

Respond:  Look past your perceived handicap, instead of seeing it as an excuse, identify how you can worship in spite of it. Pay attention to what Satan has been whispering to you that keeps you from surrender. Is he saying you aren’t good enough or smart enough? Maybe he is placing emphasis on what you cannot do instead of what you can do!  
 
“Without worship we go about miserable.” – A.W. Tozer
 
 

 

 
 
I Can’t Stand the Noise!
-by Jackie Ricks. This is article ten in our series on drawing closer to God.

 

 

I’ve never liked noise.

All of my life I have avoided vacuum cleaners (Thankfully, I have wood and tile floors!), mixers, hair dryers, etc.—anything that makes noise—unless I absolutely have to use it.
 
 

Well, today I had to.

And it was the ultimate noisemaker: an MRI. I’ve had several during my life, but this one seemed louder than any other. It was also longer than most, and was made even longer by the machine throwing glitches into some of the pictures. However, thank God I survived!

 

How? The same as always. I sang hymns to myself; I prayed; and I quoted scriptures, especially during the loudest and longest sections. After being in church all of my life, the hymns came easy. So did the prayers, since that’s just talking to God.
 
 
But, actually the verses did as well. Why? Because I had memorized many verses as a child and some even as an adult.
 
 

It’s not too late to memorize even now. I’ve memorized several as an adult. You may choose your version of the Bible to learn. I’ve tried various versions, but always have to memorize the King James because that’s what I heard for so many years that I get mixed up if I try memorizing anything else.

 

Let me give you a hint of something to use to help you learn scripture.
 
 

There’s an app.

I have it on iPhone, but I’m sure you can probably get it on any phone. Just check the App Store. It’s called Bible Memory and has a photo of an open Bible. You may choose various versions of the Bible (although I think all except the KJV costs extra).

 
Then you pick what verses you want to learn. There are several choices that you can make about how to learn.
 
Although you may use voice in the app, I prefer typing. You may type the whole words or just the first letter of each word. To begin, you see the verse. After a few tries, you have only some words showing. Then, finally, no words are there. Even though I type only the first letter of the words, I’m saying the words in my mind so I’m learning the verse. You may also combine verses together to learn a whole passage.  It’s a great activity to use while you wait in line at school or at the doctor’s office.
 
 
Why memorize verses when you have your Bible handy all the time, especially with one available on any phone or tablet?
 
 

Well, just as I did today, I could not take anything into the MRI with me. But those verses were a comfort and helped keep my mind off the noise!

 

That’s not the only reason, though.

What if you’re talking to someone in the yard or at the grocery store and they need some comfort or advice on something? It’s handy when you can just pull that verse from your head without having to look through a Bible or concordance.
 
 
How about leading someone to Christ?
 
 
I know that some young people have been led to the Lord at Daniel Springs Encampment swimming pool. Now, you don’t have your Bible or your phone in the water!
 

There are many instances where it comes in handy to know many verses. I often think of scripture as I’m driving down the road talking to God. He will remind me of something in the Bible that I need to know for the particular situation that concerns.

 

Knowing scripture and memorizing it helps to draw us closer to the Lord.
 
 
It can keep us on the right track and help prevent us from sinning as much. Sin puts up obstacles between us and God, thus making us farther from Him.
 
Scripture breaks down those barriers. Satan doesn’t want to hear us quoting God’s word, but God loves to hear it. 
 

Scripture: Psalm 119:11 

Prayer:  “Lord, thank You for giving us Your word to guide us through life. Thank You especially for bringing it to my mind at just the perfect time to help me through my day. Help me to learn more scripture so that I will have it readily available when I need Your perspective of some situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Respond: find one verse that you can learn today. If you can’t think of anything else, memorize Psalm 119:11.
 
“The Bible in the memory is better than the Bible in the book case.” – Spurgeon
 
 
 
 
SHIPHRAH AND PUAH
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article nine in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
Who are these people?  Two of David’s mighty men?  Leaders of enemy kingdoms that Israel faced during their long history of battles?  They were neither but they were mighty warriors and they were leaders that God used in a mighty way in an enemy kingdom. In the first Chapter of Exodus, we are given the amazing story of two common women who participated in a very uncommon and important event that God used in a mighty way.  Shiphrah and Puah were the midwives that attended Jochebed at the birth of Moses.
 
THE PROBLEM
 

At the end of Genesis, we see that Jacob’s family had grown to seventy people. Now over four hundred years later, they are called the children of Israel.  God had made them fruitful, increased them abundantly, made them exceedingly mighty, and now filled the land of Egypt with them.  Yeah for Israel!

But it was not so ‘yeah’ as far as Egypt was concerned. Instead, there was a problem.  Many generations had passed since Joseph had died and the new Pharoah knew nothing of him and cared nothing for these people.  Instead, he had grown fearful of the increase in their numbers and was concerned they might join other nations in a war against Egypt. The problem now for the new Pharaoh was to figure out a plan to not only reduce their numbers but to basically destroy their existence.

PHAROAH’S PLANS

His first try was given to us in Exodus 1:11-14. “ 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens…12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage… all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”  The term rigor means harshness, severity, or cruelty and comes from a root word meaning to break apart or crush.  But during this harsh persecution, the Israelites flourished and grew in numbers. Now Pharaoh had to go to Plan B!  His Plan B became Shiphrah and Puah’s problem #1! The king called these two women in and told them when they assisted the Hebrew women at their time of delivery, they were to kill all the boy babies but could let the baby girls live.

THEIR POSITION

They were now put in a position where they had to make a decision. This could have proved a huge problem for these two ladies but evidently not.  The head of the country was certainly to be feared and he had given them orders to take the lives of all baby boys.  But they had a greater fear…”17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”  When Pharaoh asked about this, they told him the Hebrew women were strong in their delivery.  Some say they lied.  We don’t know that!  It could have been the Israelite women were more physically strong and of greater fortitude than the Egyptians. Whatever the case, they followed God and God responded!

GOD’S PROVISION

God never leaves obedience unrewarded.  ” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.” In this case, he made the midwives’ houses. This term ‘houses’ may have meant children of their own because midwives often took these jobs because they were childless.  It could also have been actual, physical homes.  Either way, they obeyed under difficult circumstances and He blessed them in response.

But also, the Lord used these women to help bring Moses into the world: the very same Moses that would be the great deliverer of the Israelites from the land of Egypt. They knew God!  They feared God! They obeyed God! Their actions helped the lineage of our Messiah be protected!

SCRIPTURE:

Acts 4:19  “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.”

Acts 5:29 “ Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Proverbs 9:10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Daniel 11:32b  “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

RESPOND: Two common ladies doing a common job but in a mighty warrior kind of way.  How?

  • They feared God and the scriptures say the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
  • Because of this they knew they ought to obey God rather than man.
  • People that know God shall be strong and do exploits.

What problem, what hard decision are you facing? Keep your thoughts and efforts on knowing God and obeying what He shows you.  There is no telling how you will be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Use the meaning of these ladies’ names to describe what obedience can mean to ourselves and others.

Shiphrah: fair; to make beautiful; to adorn

Puah: splendor; to glitter; brilliant

 

PRAYER: “Father, you may call us into situations where we don’t know what to do: times when our faith is challenged and You test us with problems and decisions that are hard.  Help us keep our efforts on staying CLOSER to you, knowing You better and obeying at all cost.”
 
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” -Corrie Ten Boom
 
 
 
 
It is Well with My Soul
-by Susie Edgar.  This is article eight in our series on drawing closer to God. 
 
Horatio Spafford, a Chicago attorney, had already suffered great loss in his life, when in 1874 his wife and four daughters boarded a ship for England. Just off the coast of Ireland the ship sank. Stafford received a cable from his wife. It read; “Saved alone”.
 
As he traveled to England he penned the words, whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. 
 
About that time as a nation, we had come through a deep division in the Civil War. How people needed to be reminded that God was still Sovereign and in control of their lives and destiny. 
 

In the trials and heartaches we face today, never doubt God is still Sovereign and God is still in control. Never doubt He sees and He will repay your faithfulness. 

 

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well it is well with my soul

 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come 

Let this blest assurance control, that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed his own blood for my soul

 

My sin, Oh the bliss of this glorious thought, My sin not in part but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise, praise the Lord, oh my soul

 

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, “Even so” it is well with my soul. 



Scripture: I Thessalonians 1:3; Galatians 2:26
 
Prayer: Pray back to God what He has said to you
 
Respond: Write out the verses to this song meditating on each phrase
 
 
 
 
 

All the Lonely People   

-by Valarie Fish.  This is article seven in our series on drawing closer to God.

(This was written in 2007 after a mission trip to Asia, recently updated)

     We barely made the last shuttle bus of the evening from the airport to our hotel. After 20 hours of flying, I was ready for a bed where I could stretch out and get some sleep. My body wasn’t made to stay awake for more than 30 hours straight.

 

     As I write, my best friend and I are in Hong Kong for a retreat. We are going to meet with women who are working as missionaries in various Asian countries. It’s hard to believe the planning and excitement of our trip now culminates in this overwhelming exhaustion.

 

The shuttle bus driver swerved through the crowded narrow streets with expertise. Sitting up so high we watched the scenery through large, tourist-friendly windows. Not much to see at 1:00 in the morning until we got into the city proper.

 

From the safety of my tinted windows, I watched people. Couples walked hand in hand: one young woman proudly holding her bouquet of roses. I realized that crossing the International Date Line we have missed Valentines Day. An older man on a bicycle threaded his way through with sacks of goods on the handlebars. He looked tired. One street corner had five or six teenage boys with their hair spiked and their pants riding low, smoking cigarettes. I looked at them and saw babies trying to be grown-up. In front of us a public city bus stopped to let a young woman off. She walked resolutely from the motor vehicle and as she passed my window she started to cry.

 

Here I am half-way around the world, and I see the same emotions that I would find in my own neighborhood. In this case the wearers are clothed with different colored skin and cultural features, but they are still the same. Infatuation, fatigue, emotional pain, and adolescent bravado – all are universal.

 

I wonder if anyone will tell them that Jesus loves them? That’s because the answer to all the pains of life is also universal – to know the love of the One who created you for a purpose. Our Father gave us all unique life experiences and placed us in our families and homes for a reason. In Acts 17:24-27 Paul talks about how God made the world and gives life and determines the seasons and the birthplace of every precious soul on earth. Verse 27 states the reason for this. “So that they should seek the Lord… and find Him though He is not far away from every one of us.”

 

I don’t know why He chose for me to be born in the US and another woman to be born in Hong Kong and another in Russia or Kenya. I do know He saved me and led me to know Him so that I may introduce Him to others I will meet. God designed these universal emotions to emphasize the gaping hole in a heart that tries to live without Him. Maybe I will get a chance to see the lady from the bus, or perhaps God has ordained that task for someone else who can offer comfort for her pain. Maybe you have been privileged to lighten the load for someone else. I pray some kind word or smile from one of His children will open the way for someone to know the love of Christ.

 

You have been called and destined to be the hands and feet of Christ to all you encounter. Without embracing such a divine purpose, your journey will be in vain. You are not a tourist. You are a commissioned ambassador to a lost and lonely world. Wake up! Remember why you are here, and watch God open the windows of opportunity.  
 
 
 
 
 
In a Minute, Lord
-by Jackie Ricks.  This is article six in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
As a parent and as a former teacher, I considered obedience very important. However, I remember as a child growing up, I often didn’t obey when my parents asked me to do something.
 
Oh, I didn’t willfully NOT do what they asked. What I did was delay my obedience, often because I was busy reading a book that I thought I couldn’t put down. Just one more page, one more chapter. I’m almost done; it won’t hurt to finish this first. The work will still be there. Those were my thoughts.
 
My parents, on the other hand, had other ideas about not obeying when they asked me to do something.

 

It wasn’t until I was grown and actually a grandmother that I heard a sermon speak directly to me that delayed obedience is, in fact, disobedience.
 
Now, as a parent and teacher by that point, I had drilled that message into my children and students, but for some reason it didn’t hit home until that sermon. I realized how disobedient I had been as a child with my parents, and also as an adult in doing God’s work.
 
That message has come back to me recently through a song that I heard, “Keep Me in Your Will,” by Jessica King. The idea is that if we aren’t in God’s will, then we may be in His way while He’s dealing with our lives or someone else’s.
 
Obviously, if we aren’t in His will, we are not as close to Him as we need to be.
 
Just as obedience in our children can be extremely important to their safety, we don’t know just how important our obedience might be to our own or someone else’s life. If a child doesn’t learn to stop when a parent says “Stop!” he might run into a dangerous situation such as a moving car or a hole or a dangerous animal.
 
We as Christians may also run into critical situations if we don’t heed God’s commands to us.
 
How many times have we said, “Just a few minutes on Facebook, Lord, and then I’ll pray and read my Bible”? Or maybe it was, “Lord, I’ll talk to my neighbor about You next week. Both of us are busy today.”
 
Or perhaps we said, “It won’t hurt to miss church today. After all, an opportunity like this ________ (game, concert, etc., fill in the blank) doesn’t come around every day.”
 
Any time that God is nudging us to obey Him in something, we should obey without putting things off. We never know what may happen to prevent our obedience later.
 

Just as we all feel closer to children when they are obedient, so does God feel closer to us when we are. In turn, we will feel closer to Him as well. Don’t we all prefer to snuggle in His arms rather than feel that furrowed brow frowning on us as we attempt to make up for our disobedience?

 

Scripture: Psalm 119:60; James 4:17
 
Prayer: “Lord, thank you for having patience with me even when I have delayed in obeying You. Help me to do better. Remind me to listen carefully and then to obey when You want me to rather than when I find a ‘convenient’ time. I want to do Your will and not be in Your way. Show me, Lord, what You want me to do and when to do it. I know that even my ability to obey comes from You. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
Respond: by listening for God’s instructions for your life and obeying immediately.
 
If you’re not familiar with the song “Keep Me in Your Will” by Jessica King, check it out here. It has a great message!
 
 
 
 
 
DON’T (just) READ THE BIBLE!
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article five in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
Let me explain. Probably at some point you, like I, have determined to follow a ‘read- through-the-Bible-in-one-year’ plan. Then you get to Leviticus. There is the peace offering, the guilt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the grain offering etc. That is when you start to read the Bible, scan the words, and simply let your eyes go over the text so you can mark off that box for the day.
 
For the Bible study discipline of our CLOSER theme, it states: Learn to STUDY and UNDERSTAND the Bible. Reading through the Bible in a year is a wonderful goal. I think everyone should do that at least once in their lifetime. But instead of just reading your Bible, study and strive to understand it.
 
As an example, let’s do a word study on the word “study”! This word ’study’ is translated that way only twice in the New Testament and both times they are found in the letters Paul wrote.
 
To the church at Thessalonica he said, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you,” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Then, in 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes,  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
 
The interesting thing about that is, the words used in these two verses are not the same word!
 
The word used in Thessalonians means to “strive earnestly, make it one’s aim, to move into action by a love of honor.” That particular word is used two other times in scripture and is translated both as ‘strive’ and as ‘labor.’ Paul wanted this church to know that it should be their aim to live out an honorable life of service, equipped with their own God given gifts, and motivated by love to obey these commands.
 
The word used in Timothy means “to hasten and exert one’s self, endeavor, give diligence.” As his mentor, Paul encourages Timothy to put in the time and effort to know the scripture as a way of honoring God and being confident in sharing the truth. 
 
Each word for “study” is best suited for each situation and recipient. I didn’t know the difference and would have assumed they both meant the common meaning of study and gone on. But when you take the time to dig just a little, what a blessing is ours to see that our Almighty God inspired each word to give an exact message to the writer to pass along!
 
Now you see why I say, don’t just read your Bible. Study to understand it and see how the message God had for those people at that time has application for us as well.
 
SCRIPTURE: John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Psalm 119:105
 
PRAYER: “Father, without your word I would be clueless. Thank you for writing it! Thank you for preserving it throughout the millennia. Thank you for allowing the precious Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Who better than the author Himself to lead and guide me into all truth? May I never take it for granted. May I never neglect it. May I always hunger and thirst after righteousness. Time spent with You in Your Word is what fuels my life. Speak to me each day as I search for guidance and enjoy Your presence.”
 
RESPOND: Do a word search in a Bible concordance from a verse that you read this week. Download a Bible app that contains several helps for your study. There are many good ones! I use the Blue Letter Bible. It is free and offers a concordance and commentaries, it tells you all the other verses that contain that word, it will read the passage to you if you learn best by listening, and it offers several other helps.
 
“Without spending time in God’s Word, we tend to forget what matters to Him.” -Charles Stanley
 
 
 
 
 
For Such a Time as This
-by Susie Edgar.  This is article four in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 

“Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”  (Esther 4:14)

God has placed His children, wherever we are at this moment, in the midst of a battle: a huge conflict involving good versus evil. Esther was faced with such a time and her decision became an example for us to follow.
 
Esther, a Jew, was raised by her cousin Mordecai after her parents’ death. When she was made Queen of Persia, she had no idea that God would give her the opportunity to save her people.  Her Jewish nation had been put into a position to be killed by the Kings degree.  Mordecai told Esther, “Who knows if you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. “
 
The first thing she did was fast and pray, then she asked all the Jews to do the same. What a great first step!  They were very grateful for Esther’s response to Mordecai’s plea to think not just of herself but her people as well. As a result, she glorified God, and many lives were spared.
 
When God asks us to do something, we stand at a crossroads, a crisis of belief. We sometimes believe we are not able to accomplish what God has ask us to do. The question is, will we do it or will we refuse?  Often, we have only minutes or maybe seconds to decide our direction before the opportunity is gone. God will find someone to do His will if we don’t.  If we choose to allow God to work through us, the blessings will be above and beyond our imagination. Our faith will increase and God will be glorified.  That’s the goal.
 
How many souls can be spared in our culture when we choose to step up and do a service for the Lord?  Don’t give up on our nation. Remember, we have God on our side. We must pray, fast and humble ourselves before our God for deliverance. Never doubt God is in control.  
 
Since God has chosen to work through his people, we have been given all we need to accomplish great things for His glory.  God is always working around us. He invites us to become involved with what He is doing. Listen carefully to His voice. To miss a kingdom assignment because we’ve become too caught up in our own personal kingdom is one of the greatest tragedies we could ever face.
 
Never forget. God sees and God will answer!
 
Lord, help us to be willing to obey and glorify you when we sense your direction. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.
 
 

 

Are You Listening? 
-by Valarie Fish.  This is article three in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 

When both my boys were toddlers they would often not pay attention to me when I would give an instruction. Especially an instruction they didn’t want to follow right at that moment. Sometimes they would respond, but I knew they weren’t really listening. The parenting books all agree when talking with children you should get down to their level. “Look right here, at my face,” I would say and then make eye contact. Often I would make them repeat what I said so that I knew they understood.

Early on toddlers also learn “face time” means you are listening to them. If I were distracted they would get up in my face sometimes to the point of holding their little hands on each side of my cheeks and looking me right in the eye “mommy, you have to listen!”

God took on human flesh as Immanuel – God with us – so He could come down and get on your level. He says “Look right here, at my face…” and He gives clear distinct instructions. Sometimes He waits for you to repeat the instructions back to Him so He knows you understand.
 
“I love the Lord because He has heard my voice… because He inclined His ear to me…” (Psalm 116:1-2)
 

Each day, if you take a few moments to commune with your Father you can be certain He hears you. The above passage says He inclined His ear, which means He leans in and gives you His undivided attention! If you have ever experienced this then you understand why the Psalmist wrote the next phrase – “Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” When you really know God is listening you will learn to take every concern and every care and crawl up into His lap to talk to Him. 

Even as my children got older giving too many instructions at a time could be a problem, so with my youngest son we started what we called “practice listening.” I would give an instruction and say “now, practice listening” and he would reply with “so what you are saying is…” and repeat back what he understood the instruction to be. Finally, the most important step is following through with the instruction given. This is how I know my son really heard me – when he follows the instruction!
 
Be doers of the Word and not hearers only… James 1:22 says.
 

Sometimes God takes this approach with you and me. He has given all the instructions. He wants you to read them and then practice listening! Repeat back the instruction so He knows you understand. This is what makes studying the written Word of God so important. You have to read it to hear it. You have to understand it to be able to follow. You have to follow through to prove you heard the instruction in the first place.

Beloved, are you listening?
 
 

 

PRAYER
-by Jackie Ricks.  This is article two in our series on drawing closer to God. 
 
 
One of our goals this year is to draw closer to God. In the acrostic CLOSER, the first letter
stands for “Communicate with God through prayer.” Prayer is the main thing that has carried
me through life. Just as one wants to talk to her best friend, husband, child, or whomever, she
should want to talk to God in the same way. I know when something exciting happens, I
immediately want to share it. By the same token, when problems arise, I need to discuss
matters with someone. Although I love to talk to my loved ones, God is the best One to talk to
in either case. God already knows exactly what has happened, but there is a comfort in
thanking Him for the good things and asking for His help to discern what to do in any situation.
Psalm 145:18 states, “The Lord is near unto all those who call upon Him, to all who call
upon Him in truth.” The more I talk to God, the closer I feel to Him, just as I would to anyone
with whom I communicate.
 
Many times driving down the road I talk to God aloud. People driving near me may think I’ve lost my mind, but the truth is I’m finding peace and comfort in my quiet time with my friend, God. (Obviously, don’t close your eyes when you do this!)  Some conversations with God are long, but some are as short as “Thanks” or “Help!” Quite often I simply think of a situation where I say, “Lord, Your will.” There is no correct formula for prayer.
 
However, with that being said, let me tell you something that I came up with years ago as I was writing Sunday School literature for Baptist Publishing House. It has helped me many
times to remember not to monopolize God’s time by only asking for help or by not
acknowledging that He will take care of everything in His own will. Since I love acrostics, I came
up with this one for PRAYER. Maybe it will help you as you draw closer to God through prayer.

Scriptures to Read:
Praise: Psalm 107:31-32
Repent: 1 John 1:9
Ask: Matthew 21:22
Yield: Matthew 26:39-45
Expect: 1 John 5:14-15
Rest: Matthew 11:28

Prayer: “Lord, that You for being there no matter what time or day or night that I come to You.
You listen faithfully to everything I say or think. Since I don’t have to talk aloud, I can pray even
in the midst of a crowded room. Please help me to remember to come to You first whether it’s
to rejoice or to cry. Show me, Lord, what You would have me do and how to be more faithful in
bringing You all of my hopes, dreams, and desires as well as my troubles. Thank You, again, for
being God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Respond: to God in prayer every chance you get today. Learn to communicate with Him on a regular basis.
 
 
 
 
CLOSER
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article one in our series on drawing closer to God.  
 

Our purpose in life is to pursue a closer, more intimate relationship with Christ under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit through the development of spiritual disciplines set forth in the acronym, C.L.O.S.E.R.

It was a long engagement: one year and two months to be exact.  Tommy was in Bald Knob farming and I was finishing my senior year of college by student teaching in Ft Smith. It was hard to stay connected but we certainly made the effort. 

There were no cell phones and to call long distance cost extra. So instead, we wrote letters.  The letters were not just occasionally, they were daily! We ‘talked’ on paper and shared our daily activities.  I would often beat the mailman to the mail box and received the precious writing straight into my hand.  Immediately, I opened each letter knowing it was from the one who loved me deeply and wanted me to spend the rest of my life with him.  It was how we stayed CLOSER while apart.

This year the Inspirational Resource Committee wants to post weekly blogs to our website all for the purpose of helping you draw CLOSER to our God.  Our responsibility as a group is to recommend godly resources that help you grow, mature, and continue to pursue a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  What better resource for this than the Bible! It is God’s precious letter to us.  It is from the one who loves us deeply and wants us to spend the rest of our lives with Him! It is the source and foundation of many disciplines we need to pursue.

This year we will be using the acronym C.L.O.S.E.R.* to guide our writings and more importantly to encourage you in incorporating these spiritual endeavors into your daily lives.

C = Communicate with God through prayer

L = Learn to study and understand God’s Word

O = Obey

S = Store God’s word in your heart through memorization and meditation

E = Evangelize

R = Renew daily

Your writers will be our committee members: Valerie Fish, Susie Edgar, Jackie Ricks, and myself, Judy Wallace.

Join us weekly. Pray for us daily. Incorporate these disciplines regularly. It is what He has called us to do!

Scriptures to Read: James 4:8; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 119:10; Matthew 5:6

Prayer: “Father, You are our Rock, our Shield, our Redeemer, Savior, and Friend.  You are Lord of all, our Creator, our Shepherd, and Your presence is always with us.  Even Your names bring peace into our lives. Plus, there is the wonder that You loved us enough to send Your Son to die for us as unworthy as we are.  How is it that You invite us into Your Presence? That You long to fellowship with us?  That You want us close to Your heart and partakers of Your Spirit’s power?  How is it that we would dare refuse Your invitation to draw closer; to take time to study Your word, hide it in our hearts and minds, and seek Your face as a daily True North to follow? We cannot follow Your words unless we know them so help us on this journey to draw CLOSER each day to You and Your path for our lives.  Help us love You more so that we may obey You fully.  In Christ’s precious name, Amen.”

Respond to God with your own prayer from what you have read today.

[*C.L.O.S.E.R. Was developed by Rob Gallaty in his discipleship series Growing Up, Firmly Planted, Bearing Fruit.]
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE YOKE
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article thirteen in our series on drawing closer to God
 
The young ox had watched the process for a long time. He was fascinated that the older oxen
came directly to the Master as soon as they were summoned. They knew exactly what to do; it
was as if they were directly connected to Him. He would come forward slowly, speaking gently
to the them as He approached. They responded accordingly.
 
 
The Master brought a yoke with Him. It was plain. Rough. Massive. Most viewed it as a symbol
of slavery, subjection, and servitude as with it came images of heavy burdens and long, hard
hours of labor. The juvenile calf also thought it to be a thing of dread and despair. But the
older animals showed no sign of fear, nor did they cower as He lowered the yoke: first fitting it
over the shoulders, then around the neck.
 
 
What came next was hard to fathom. Instead of choosing a second animal to harness to the
first, the Master Himself went under the weight: the lowly ox on one side, the knowing Master
on the other. The beast shifted its body to adjust to the fact that the load seemed suddenly
lighter, more manageable than before. The command was given to move forward and instead
of a clumsy lurch that would have been expected, a slower, more purposeful gait was taken.
The calf found itself watching only the Master instead of the ox that was with Him. With each
step forward, He was constantly interacting with the animal. With each step forward, He was
giving instructions, pointing out pitfalls. With each step forward, He was explaining the goal
and constantly calling the animal to follow His lead and learn from Him. The ox still had the
same load, the same burden; but it seemed not to notice since it was now a shared load. The
fact that it was watching closely, listening carefully, and engrossing itself deeply in the wise
words it was being given, thoughts of self and the burdens it carried were no longer dominant.
The emphasis now was on learning about the Master and from the Master. With the
concentration on His instructions, attributes, and characteristics it dawned on the calf… that
was the true yoke! It wasn’t an instrument to be feared after all, but one that kept the eyes and
the heart where they should have been all along…only on the Master. Now the ox became
humble, teachable, at peace.
 
 
The calf continued to observe thinking that the sooner he matured, the sooner his time would
come to take up His yoke. But then the truth became very clear; the sooner he humbled
himself to take up His yoke, the sooner he would mature.
 
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 
What are the three commands?
What are the two characteristics of Christ mentioned here?
What is said about the yoke and the results of taking it on?
 
Philippians 2:5-9  5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men 8  And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name”
 
What is the command?
List all the examples of what could be considered Christ’s yoke given in this passage.
How did He respond to these?
Go back to the command. What is the key to emulating these characteristics?
What do you learn from the first word, ‘Let’?
 
RESPONSE:
LEARN CHRIST! TAKE ON HIS YOKE DAILY! HE IS SHARING THE LOAD WITH Y0U!
RENEW yourself in Christ daily.
RENEW by being in the word daily.
RENEW by meditating on the characteristics of Christ daily.
RENEW by worshiping at His feet daily.
 
PRAYER:
“Father, help me to learn You! Not just about you or of You but learn You! Help me
focus on how you acted in your daily walk; how you interacted with those closest to you; how
you responded to all the people around you. Help me be humbled before you, compassionate
toward others, and keenly aware of the opportunities you place in my path and then help me to
take them.!”
 
“Behold Him! Look at Him! Just be occupied with Him!…Come to the Word for one purpose and
that is to meet the Lord.” Norman Douty
 
 
 
 
 

The Kneeling Christian.

(Recommended Book by Susie Edgar)

“A traveler in China visited a heathen temple on a great feast day. Many were the worshipers of the hideous idol enclosed in a sacred shrine. The visitor noticed that most of the devotees brought with them small pieces of paper on which prayers had been written or printed. These were wrapped up in little balls of stiff mud and flung at the idol. He enquired the reason for this strange proceeding and was told that if the mud ball stuck fast to the idol, then the prayer would assuredly be answered; but if the mud fell off, the prayer was rejected by the god.

We may smile at this peculiar way of testing the acceptability of prayer. But is it not a fact that the majority of Christian men and women who pray to a Living God know very little about real prevailing prayer? Yet prayer is the key that unlocks the door of God’s treasure-house.

It is not too much to say that all real growth in the spiritual life—all victory over temptation, all confidence and peace in the presence of difficulties and dangers, all repose of spirit in times of great disappointment or loss, all habitual communion with God—depends upon the practice of secret prayer.

This book was written by request and with much hesitancy. It goes forth with much prayer. May He who said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint, teach us to pray.” (Author’s preface. Author, An Unknown Christian. Credited to Albert Ernest Richardson. The Kneeling Christian. Zondervan books.)

 

Incredible Promises

In our Lord’s last discourse, he said; “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. “ John 16:23 KJV.

 

Do we really believe this?

 

We must if we believe our Bibles. Do we really desire to do God’s will? Do we really believe His promises? If so, will it not lead us to spend more time on our knees before God?

 

Do not vow to pray so much a day. Resolve to pray much.  The writer states he is quite certain of this fact. God wants us to pray.

 

The question is, are we willing to pray?
 

SCRIPTURE: “And he said unto them, when ye pray, say, ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’” Luke 11:2.

 

PRAYER: Gracious Savior, pour out upon us the fullness of the Holy Spirit that we may indeed become Kneeling Christians.
 
 

RESPOND: As you read this book, the writer most earnestly implores you not to read hurriedly what is contained in these chapters. Much—very much—depends upon the way in which every reader receives what is there recorded. For everything depends upon prayer. (Purchase the book in the link. We do not recieve compensation from sales, we are not affiliated with Zondervan of Amazon).

Billy Graham was asked If he had a system in which he used to study his Bible. He replied;

“Yes, I do. I read a gospel a week. Matthew/Mark/Luke/John/Acts. While I am reading and when I sense the Spirit speaking, I stop there and listen. “ 
 

When we pray, we must not only pray but listen.

 
 
 
 

The Songs I Cannot Sing

-by Valarie Fish. This is article eleven in our series on drawing closer to God.  
 
For several months now I have been fighting with my vocal cords. A polyp has grown which affects my voice when I speak and especially when I sing. I really, really love to talk and I really, really, really love to sing! 
 
 
I’m one of those weird people who wake up in the morning with a song in my head pretty much every day. From the time I open my eyes I am humming or singing something – until now. I attempted to demonstrate to my Sunday school class what the polyp has done to my singing voice. One brutally honest new student – who has never heard me sing before – laughed and said it sounded like the honk of a goose. Hurtful but accurate. 
 
 
This morning when I woke up, the song in my head said “I love you Lord and I lift my voice…”  
 
But I cannot lift my voice.
 
 
I think Satan is using this ailment to try to defeat me. He whispers dark and depressing statements into my thoughts about permanent damage and never being able to sing again.  
 
 

The second verse of the old hymn “Sunshine in my Soul” by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt says this: 

“There is music in my soul today, a carol to my King; 

And Jesus, listening, can hear the song I cannot sing.”
 
 
I am reminded there are people who have never been able to sing, whether because of ability or disability, so there must be a way to lift my voice without actual vocal cords.  How do you lift your voice when you have no voice? 
 
 
Perhaps we should define “voice” in a broader sense.
 
 
We know the dictionary definition includes words, tones, sounds, frequency, and pitch. All those are under the heading of voice as a noun. As a verb, to voice something is to make a thing to be heard. So far, nothing is making me feel any better. I still need my vocal cords to make this happen. 
 
 
Unless there is a way to “make a thing to be heard” without words?  I suppose it depends on what you are wanting to “be heard”. If you are “lifting your voice” in worship, can you let that worship be heard without sound? Can you praise without sound? 
 
 
Now we need to define what the words worship and praise mean. Looking at the Hebrew dictionary “worship” means “to bow down, to prostrate oneself” and “praise” means “to hold out the hand, to throw at or away, to worship with extended hands.” 
 
 
Neither of those definitions require a voice! Now we are getting somewhere. 
 
 
Worship and praise both have indicators of humility and reflection away from self.
 
 
When I stop thinking of what I cannot do (sing) and place the focus on what God is doing, I bow to His plan and His authority. My worship and my praise do not need to be heard by anyone else because God can hear the cries of my heart. He can literally hear the songs I cannot sing. Those tears running down my face – they are my voice. My hands lifted in adoration and gratitude – they are my voice. My surrender to His will for my life – with or without the ability to sing – this is my act of worship. 
 

Scripture: “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (dedicating all of yourselves, set apart) as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.” Romans 12:1 AMP

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving me the opportunity to praise you with or without a voice. Let my surrender be my act of worship. Let me lift my voice to You and hear the songs I cannot sing. Use this blog to encourage someone to praise you with their whole heart and worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen 

Respond:  Look past your perceived handicap, instead of seeing it as an excuse, identify how you can worship in spite of it. Pay attention to what Satan has been whispering to you that keeps you from surrender. Is he saying you aren’t good enough or smart enough? Maybe he is placing emphasis on what you cannot do instead of what you can do!  
 
“Without worship we go about miserable.” – A.W. Tozer
 
 

 

 
 
I Can’t Stand the Noise!
-by Jackie Ricks. This is article ten in our series on drawing closer to God.

 

 

I’ve never liked noise.

All of my life I have avoided vacuum cleaners (Thankfully, I have wood and tile floors!), mixers, hair dryers, etc.—anything that makes noise—unless I absolutely have to use it.
 
 

Well, today I had to.

And it was the ultimate noisemaker: an MRI. I’ve had several during my life, but this one seemed louder than any other. It was also longer than most, and was made even longer by the machine throwing glitches into some of the pictures. However, thank God I survived!

 

How? The same as always. I sang hymns to myself; I prayed; and I quoted scriptures, especially during the loudest and longest sections. After being in church all of my life, the hymns came easy. So did the prayers, since that’s just talking to God.
 
 
But, actually the verses did as well. Why? Because I had memorized many verses as a child and some even as an adult.
 
 

It’s not too late to memorize even now. I’ve memorized several as an adult. You may choose your version of the Bible to learn. I’ve tried various versions, but always have to memorize the King James because that’s what I heard for so many years that I get mixed up if I try memorizing anything else.

 

Let me give you a hint of something to use to help you learn scripture.
 
 

There’s an app.

I have it on iPhone, but I’m sure you can probably get it on any phone. Just check the App Store. It’s called Bible Memory and has a photo of an open Bible. You may choose various versions of the Bible (although I think all except the KJV costs extra).

 
Then you pick what verses you want to learn. There are several choices that you can make about how to learn.
 
Although you may use voice in the app, I prefer typing. You may type the whole words or just the first letter of each word. To begin, you see the verse. After a few tries, you have only some words showing. Then, finally, no words are there. Even though I type only the first letter of the words, I’m saying the words in my mind so I’m learning the verse. You may also combine verses together to learn a whole passage.  It’s a great activity to use while you wait in line at school or at the doctor’s office.
 
 
Why memorize verses when you have your Bible handy all the time, especially with one available on any phone or tablet?
 
 

Well, just as I did today, I could not take anything into the MRI with me. But those verses were a comfort and helped keep my mind off the noise!

 

That’s not the only reason, though.

What if you’re talking to someone in the yard or at the grocery store and they need some comfort or advice on something? It’s handy when you can just pull that verse from your head without having to look through a Bible or concordance.
 
 
How about leading someone to Christ?
 
 
I know that some young people have been led to the Lord at Daniel Springs Encampment swimming pool. Now, you don’t have your Bible or your phone in the water!
 

There are many instances where it comes in handy to know many verses. I often think of scripture as I’m driving down the road talking to God. He will remind me of something in the Bible that I need to know for the particular situation that concerns.

 

Knowing scripture and memorizing it helps to draw us closer to the Lord.
 
 
It can keep us on the right track and help prevent us from sinning as much. Sin puts up obstacles between us and God, thus making us farther from Him.
 
Scripture breaks down those barriers. Satan doesn’t want to hear us quoting God’s word, but God loves to hear it. 
 

Scripture: Psalm 119:11 

Prayer:  “Lord, thank You for giving us Your word to guide us through life. Thank You especially for bringing it to my mind at just the perfect time to help me through my day. Help me to learn more scripture so that I will have it readily available when I need Your perspective of some situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Respond: find one verse that you can learn today. If you can’t think of anything else, memorize Psalm 119:11.
 
“The Bible in the memory is better than the Bible in the book case.” – Spurgeon
 
 
 
 
SHIPHRAH AND PUAH
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article nine in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
Who are these people?  Two of David’s mighty men?  Leaders of enemy kingdoms that Israel faced during their long history of battles?  They were neither but they were mighty warriors and they were leaders that God used in a mighty way in an enemy kingdom. In the first Chapter of Exodus, we are given the amazing story of two common women who participated in a very uncommon and important event that God used in a mighty way.  Shiphrah and Puah were the midwives that attended Jochebed at the birth of Moses.
 
THE PROBLEM
 

At the end of Genesis, we see that Jacob’s family had grown to seventy people. Now over four hundred years later, they are called the children of Israel.  God had made them fruitful, increased them abundantly, made them exceedingly mighty, and now filled the land of Egypt with them.  Yeah for Israel!

But it was not so ‘yeah’ as far as Egypt was concerned. Instead, there was a problem.  Many generations had passed since Joseph had died and the new Pharoah knew nothing of him and cared nothing for these people.  Instead, he had grown fearful of the increase in their numbers and was concerned they might join other nations in a war against Egypt. The problem now for the new Pharaoh was to figure out a plan to not only reduce their numbers but to basically destroy their existence.

PHAROAH’S PLANS

His first try was given to us in Exodus 1:11-14. “ 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens…12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage… all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”  The term rigor means harshness, severity, or cruelty and comes from a root word meaning to break apart or crush.  But during this harsh persecution, the Israelites flourished and grew in numbers. Now Pharaoh had to go to Plan B!  His Plan B became Shiphrah and Puah’s problem #1! The king called these two women in and told them when they assisted the Hebrew women at their time of delivery, they were to kill all the boy babies but could let the baby girls live.

THEIR POSITION

They were now put in a position where they had to make a decision. This could have proved a huge problem for these two ladies but evidently not.  The head of the country was certainly to be feared and he had given them orders to take the lives of all baby boys.  But they had a greater fear…”17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”  When Pharaoh asked about this, they told him the Hebrew women were strong in their delivery.  Some say they lied.  We don’t know that!  It could have been the Israelite women were more physically strong and of greater fortitude than the Egyptians. Whatever the case, they followed God and God responded!

GOD’S PROVISION

God never leaves obedience unrewarded.  ” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.” In this case, he made the midwives’ houses. This term ‘houses’ may have meant children of their own because midwives often took these jobs because they were childless.  It could also have been actual, physical homes.  Either way, they obeyed under difficult circumstances and He blessed them in response.

But also, the Lord used these women to help bring Moses into the world: the very same Moses that would be the great deliverer of the Israelites from the land of Egypt. They knew God!  They feared God! They obeyed God! Their actions helped the lineage of our Messiah be protected!

SCRIPTURE:

Acts 4:19  “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.”

Acts 5:29 “ Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Proverbs 9:10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Daniel 11:32b  “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

RESPOND: Two common ladies doing a common job but in a mighty warrior kind of way.  How?

  • They feared God and the scriptures say the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
  • Because of this they knew they ought to obey God rather than man.
  • People that know God shall be strong and do exploits.

What problem, what hard decision are you facing? Keep your thoughts and efforts on knowing God and obeying what He shows you.  There is no telling how you will be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Use the meaning of these ladies’ names to describe what obedience can mean to ourselves and others.

Shiphrah: fair; to make beautiful; to adorn

Puah: splendor; to glitter; brilliant

 

PRAYER: “Father, you may call us into situations where we don’t know what to do: times when our faith is challenged and You test us with problems and decisions that are hard.  Help us keep our efforts on staying CLOSER to you, knowing You better and obeying at all cost.”
 
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” -Corrie Ten Boom
 
 
 
 
It is Well with My Soul
-by Susie Edgar.  This is article eight in our series on drawing closer to God. 
 
Horatio Spafford, a Chicago attorney, had already suffered great loss in his life, when in 1874 his wife and four daughters boarded a ship for England. Just off the coast of Ireland the ship sank. Stafford received a cable from his wife. It read; “Saved alone”.
 
As he traveled to England he penned the words, whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. 
 
About that time as a nation, we had come through a deep division in the Civil War. How people needed to be reminded that God was still Sovereign and in control of their lives and destiny. 
 

In the trials and heartaches we face today, never doubt God is still Sovereign and God is still in control. Never doubt He sees and He will repay your faithfulness. 

 

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well it is well with my soul

 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come 

Let this blest assurance control, that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed his own blood for my soul

 

My sin, Oh the bliss of this glorious thought, My sin not in part but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise, praise the Lord, oh my soul

 

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, “Even so” it is well with my soul. 



Scripture: I Thessalonians 1:3; Galatians 2:26
 
Prayer: Pray back to God what He has said to you
 
Respond: Write out the verses to this song meditating on each phrase
 
 
 
 
 

All the Lonely People   

-by Valarie Fish.  This is article seven in our series on drawing closer to God.

(This was written in 2007 after a mission trip to Asia, recently updated)

     We barely made the last shuttle bus of the evening from the airport to our hotel. After 20 hours of flying, I was ready for a bed where I could stretch out and get some sleep. My body wasn’t made to stay awake for more than 30 hours straight.

 

     As I write, my best friend and I are in Hong Kong for a retreat. We are going to meet with women who are working as missionaries in various Asian countries. It’s hard to believe the planning and excitement of our trip now culminates in this overwhelming exhaustion.

 

The shuttle bus driver swerved through the crowded narrow streets with expertise. Sitting up so high we watched the scenery through large, tourist-friendly windows. Not much to see at 1:00 in the morning until we got into the city proper.

 

From the safety of my tinted windows, I watched people. Couples walked hand in hand: one young woman proudly holding her bouquet of roses. I realized that crossing the International Date Line we have missed Valentines Day. An older man on a bicycle threaded his way through with sacks of goods on the handlebars. He looked tired. One street corner had five or six teenage boys with their hair spiked and their pants riding low, smoking cigarettes. I looked at them and saw babies trying to be grown-up. In front of us a public city bus stopped to let a young woman off. She walked resolutely from the motor vehicle and as she passed my window she started to cry.

 

Here I am half-way around the world, and I see the same emotions that I would find in my own neighborhood. In this case the wearers are clothed with different colored skin and cultural features, but they are still the same. Infatuation, fatigue, emotional pain, and adolescent bravado – all are universal.

 

I wonder if anyone will tell them that Jesus loves them? That’s because the answer to all the pains of life is also universal – to know the love of the One who created you for a purpose. Our Father gave us all unique life experiences and placed us in our families and homes for a reason. In Acts 17:24-27 Paul talks about how God made the world and gives life and determines the seasons and the birthplace of every precious soul on earth. Verse 27 states the reason for this. “So that they should seek the Lord… and find Him though He is not far away from every one of us.”

 

I don’t know why He chose for me to be born in the US and another woman to be born in Hong Kong and another in Russia or Kenya. I do know He saved me and led me to know Him so that I may introduce Him to others I will meet. God designed these universal emotions to emphasize the gaping hole in a heart that tries to live without Him. Maybe I will get a chance to see the lady from the bus, or perhaps God has ordained that task for someone else who can offer comfort for her pain. Maybe you have been privileged to lighten the load for someone else. I pray some kind word or smile from one of His children will open the way for someone to know the love of Christ.

 

You have been called and destined to be the hands and feet of Christ to all you encounter. Without embracing such a divine purpose, your journey will be in vain. You are not a tourist. You are a commissioned ambassador to a lost and lonely world. Wake up! Remember why you are here, and watch God open the windows of opportunity.  
 
 
 
 
 
In a Minute, Lord
-by Jackie Ricks.  This is article six in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
As a parent and as a former teacher, I considered obedience very important. However, I remember as a child growing up, I often didn’t obey when my parents asked me to do something.
 
Oh, I didn’t willfully NOT do what they asked. What I did was delay my obedience, often because I was busy reading a book that I thought I couldn’t put down. Just one more page, one more chapter. I’m almost done; it won’t hurt to finish this first. The work will still be there. Those were my thoughts.
 
My parents, on the other hand, had other ideas about not obeying when they asked me to do something.

 

It wasn’t until I was grown and actually a grandmother that I heard a sermon speak directly to me that delayed obedience is, in fact, disobedience.
 
Now, as a parent and teacher by that point, I had drilled that message into my children and students, but for some reason it didn’t hit home until that sermon. I realized how disobedient I had been as a child with my parents, and also as an adult in doing God’s work.
 
That message has come back to me recently through a song that I heard, “Keep Me in Your Will,” by Jessica King. The idea is that if we aren’t in God’s will, then we may be in His way while He’s dealing with our lives or someone else’s.
 
Obviously, if we aren’t in His will, we are not as close to Him as we need to be.
 
Just as obedience in our children can be extremely important to their safety, we don’t know just how important our obedience might be to our own or someone else’s life. If a child doesn’t learn to stop when a parent says “Stop!” he might run into a dangerous situation such as a moving car or a hole or a dangerous animal.
 
We as Christians may also run into critical situations if we don’t heed God’s commands to us.
 
How many times have we said, “Just a few minutes on Facebook, Lord, and then I’ll pray and read my Bible”? Or maybe it was, “Lord, I’ll talk to my neighbor about You next week. Both of us are busy today.”
 
Or perhaps we said, “It won’t hurt to miss church today. After all, an opportunity like this ________ (game, concert, etc., fill in the blank) doesn’t come around every day.”
 
Any time that God is nudging us to obey Him in something, we should obey without putting things off. We never know what may happen to prevent our obedience later.
 

Just as we all feel closer to children when they are obedient, so does God feel closer to us when we are. In turn, we will feel closer to Him as well. Don’t we all prefer to snuggle in His arms rather than feel that furrowed brow frowning on us as we attempt to make up for our disobedience?

 

Scripture: Psalm 119:60; James 4:17
 
Prayer: “Lord, thank you for having patience with me even when I have delayed in obeying You. Help me to do better. Remind me to listen carefully and then to obey when You want me to rather than when I find a ‘convenient’ time. I want to do Your will and not be in Your way. Show me, Lord, what You want me to do and when to do it. I know that even my ability to obey comes from You. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
Respond: by listening for God’s instructions for your life and obeying immediately.
 
If you’re not familiar with the song “Keep Me in Your Will” by Jessica King, check it out here. It has a great message!
 
 
 
 
 
DON’T (just) READ THE BIBLE!
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article five in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 
Let me explain. Probably at some point you, like I, have determined to follow a ‘read- through-the-Bible-in-one-year’ plan. Then you get to Leviticus. There is the peace offering, the guilt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the grain offering etc. That is when you start to read the Bible, scan the words, and simply let your eyes go over the text so you can mark off that box for the day.
 
For the Bible study discipline of our CLOSER theme, it states: Learn to STUDY and UNDERSTAND the Bible. Reading through the Bible in a year is a wonderful goal. I think everyone should do that at least once in their lifetime. But instead of just reading your Bible, study and strive to understand it.
 
As an example, let’s do a word study on the word “study”! This word ’study’ is translated that way only twice in the New Testament and both times they are found in the letters Paul wrote.
 
To the church at Thessalonica he said, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you,” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Then, in 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes,  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
 
The interesting thing about that is, the words used in these two verses are not the same word!
 
The word used in Thessalonians means to “strive earnestly, make it one’s aim, to move into action by a love of honor.” That particular word is used two other times in scripture and is translated both as ‘strive’ and as ‘labor.’ Paul wanted this church to know that it should be their aim to live out an honorable life of service, equipped with their own God given gifts, and motivated by love to obey these commands.
 
The word used in Timothy means “to hasten and exert one’s self, endeavor, give diligence.” As his mentor, Paul encourages Timothy to put in the time and effort to know the scripture as a way of honoring God and being confident in sharing the truth. 
 
Each word for “study” is best suited for each situation and recipient. I didn’t know the difference and would have assumed they both meant the common meaning of study and gone on. But when you take the time to dig just a little, what a blessing is ours to see that our Almighty God inspired each word to give an exact message to the writer to pass along!
 
Now you see why I say, don’t just read your Bible. Study to understand it and see how the message God had for those people at that time has application for us as well.
 
SCRIPTURE: John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Psalm 119:105
 
PRAYER: “Father, without your word I would be clueless. Thank you for writing it! Thank you for preserving it throughout the millennia. Thank you for allowing the precious Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Who better than the author Himself to lead and guide me into all truth? May I never take it for granted. May I never neglect it. May I always hunger and thirst after righteousness. Time spent with You in Your Word is what fuels my life. Speak to me each day as I search for guidance and enjoy Your presence.”
 
RESPOND: Do a word search in a Bible concordance from a verse that you read this week. Download a Bible app that contains several helps for your study. There are many good ones! I use the Blue Letter Bible. It is free and offers a concordance and commentaries, it tells you all the other verses that contain that word, it will read the passage to you if you learn best by listening, and it offers several other helps.
 
“Without spending time in God’s Word, we tend to forget what matters to Him.” -Charles Stanley
 
 
 
 
 
For Such a Time as This
-by Susie Edgar.  This is article four in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 

“Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”  (Esther 4:14)

God has placed His children, wherever we are at this moment, in the midst of a battle: a huge conflict involving good versus evil. Esther was faced with such a time and her decision became an example for us to follow.
 
Esther, a Jew, was raised by her cousin Mordecai after her parents’ death. When she was made Queen of Persia, she had no idea that God would give her the opportunity to save her people.  Her Jewish nation had been put into a position to be killed by the Kings degree.  Mordecai told Esther, “Who knows if you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. “
 
The first thing she did was fast and pray, then she asked all the Jews to do the same. What a great first step!  They were very grateful for Esther’s response to Mordecai’s plea to think not just of herself but her people as well. As a result, she glorified God, and many lives were spared.
 
When God asks us to do something, we stand at a crossroads, a crisis of belief. We sometimes believe we are not able to accomplish what God has ask us to do. The question is, will we do it or will we refuse?  Often, we have only minutes or maybe seconds to decide our direction before the opportunity is gone. God will find someone to do His will if we don’t.  If we choose to allow God to work through us, the blessings will be above and beyond our imagination. Our faith will increase and God will be glorified.  That’s the goal.
 
How many souls can be spared in our culture when we choose to step up and do a service for the Lord?  Don’t give up on our nation. Remember, we have God on our side. We must pray, fast and humble ourselves before our God for deliverance. Never doubt God is in control.  
 
Since God has chosen to work through his people, we have been given all we need to accomplish great things for His glory.  God is always working around us. He invites us to become involved with what He is doing. Listen carefully to His voice. To miss a kingdom assignment because we’ve become too caught up in our own personal kingdom is one of the greatest tragedies we could ever face.
 
Never forget. God sees and God will answer!
 
Lord, help us to be willing to obey and glorify you when we sense your direction. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.
 
 

 

Are You Listening? 
-by Valarie Fish.  This is article three in our series on drawing closer to God.
 
 

When both my boys were toddlers they would often not pay attention to me when I would give an instruction. Especially an instruction they didn’t want to follow right at that moment. Sometimes they would respond, but I knew they weren’t really listening. The parenting books all agree when talking with children you should get down to their level. “Look right here, at my face,” I would say and then make eye contact. Often I would make them repeat what I said so that I knew they understood.

Early on toddlers also learn “face time” means you are listening to them. If I were distracted they would get up in my face sometimes to the point of holding their little hands on each side of my cheeks and looking me right in the eye “mommy, you have to listen!”

God took on human flesh as Immanuel – God with us – so He could come down and get on your level. He says “Look right here, at my face…” and He gives clear distinct instructions. Sometimes He waits for you to repeat the instructions back to Him so He knows you understand.
 
“I love the Lord because He has heard my voice… because He inclined His ear to me…” (Psalm 116:1-2)
 

Each day, if you take a few moments to commune with your Father you can be certain He hears you. The above passage says He inclined His ear, which means He leans in and gives you His undivided attention! If you have ever experienced this then you understand why the Psalmist wrote the next phrase – “Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” When you really know God is listening you will learn to take every concern and every care and crawl up into His lap to talk to Him. 

Even as my children got older giving too many instructions at a time could be a problem, so with my youngest son we started what we called “practice listening.” I would give an instruction and say “now, practice listening” and he would reply with “so what you are saying is…” and repeat back what he understood the instruction to be. Finally, the most important step is following through with the instruction given. This is how I know my son really heard me – when he follows the instruction!
 
Be doers of the Word and not hearers only… James 1:22 says.
 

Sometimes God takes this approach with you and me. He has given all the instructions. He wants you to read them and then practice listening! Repeat back the instruction so He knows you understand. This is what makes studying the written Word of God so important. You have to read it to hear it. You have to understand it to be able to follow. You have to follow through to prove you heard the instruction in the first place.

Beloved, are you listening?
 
 

 

PRAYER
-by Jackie Ricks.  This is article two in our series on drawing closer to God. 
 
 
One of our goals this year is to draw closer to God. In the acrostic CLOSER, the first letter
stands for “Communicate with God through prayer.” Prayer is the main thing that has carried
me through life. Just as one wants to talk to her best friend, husband, child, or whomever, she
should want to talk to God in the same way. I know when something exciting happens, I
immediately want to share it. By the same token, when problems arise, I need to discuss
matters with someone. Although I love to talk to my loved ones, God is the best One to talk to
in either case. God already knows exactly what has happened, but there is a comfort in
thanking Him for the good things and asking for His help to discern what to do in any situation.
Psalm 145:18 states, “The Lord is near unto all those who call upon Him, to all who call
upon Him in truth.” The more I talk to God, the closer I feel to Him, just as I would to anyone
with whom I communicate.
 
Many times driving down the road I talk to God aloud. People driving near me may think I’ve lost my mind, but the truth is I’m finding peace and comfort in my quiet time with my friend, God. (Obviously, don’t close your eyes when you do this!)  Some conversations with God are long, but some are as short as “Thanks” or “Help!” Quite often I simply think of a situation where I say, “Lord, Your will.” There is no correct formula for prayer.
 
However, with that being said, let me tell you something that I came up with years ago as I was writing Sunday School literature for Baptist Publishing House. It has helped me many
times to remember not to monopolize God’s time by only asking for help or by not
acknowledging that He will take care of everything in His own will. Since I love acrostics, I came
up with this one for PRAYER. Maybe it will help you as you draw closer to God through prayer.

Scriptures to Read:
Praise: Psalm 107:31-32
Repent: 1 John 1:9
Ask: Matthew 21:22
Yield: Matthew 26:39-45
Expect: 1 John 5:14-15
Rest: Matthew 11:28

Prayer: “Lord, that You for being there no matter what time or day or night that I come to You.
You listen faithfully to everything I say or think. Since I don’t have to talk aloud, I can pray even
in the midst of a crowded room. Please help me to remember to come to You first whether it’s
to rejoice or to cry. Show me, Lord, what You would have me do and how to be more faithful in
bringing You all of my hopes, dreams, and desires as well as my troubles. Thank You, again, for
being God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Respond: to God in prayer every chance you get today. Learn to communicate with Him on a regular basis.
 
 
 
 
CLOSER
-by Judy Wallace.  This is article one in our series on drawing closer to God.  
 

Our purpose in life is to pursue a closer, more intimate relationship with Christ under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit through the development of spiritual disciplines set forth in the acronym, C.L.O.S.E.R.

It was a long engagement: one year and two months to be exact.  Tommy was in Bald Knob farming and I was finishing my senior year of college by student teaching in Ft Smith. It was hard to stay connected but we certainly made the effort. 

There were no cell phones and to call long distance cost extra. So instead, we wrote letters.  The letters were not just occasionally, they were daily! We ‘talked’ on paper and shared our daily activities.  I would often beat the mailman to the mail box and received the precious writing straight into my hand.  Immediately, I opened each letter knowing it was from the one who loved me deeply and wanted me to spend the rest of my life with him.  It was how we stayed CLOSER while apart.

This year the Inspirational Resource Committee wants to post weekly blogs to our website all for the purpose of helping you draw CLOSER to our God.  Our responsibility as a group is to recommend godly resources that help you grow, mature, and continue to pursue a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  What better resource for this than the Bible! It is God’s precious letter to us.  It is from the one who loves us deeply and wants us to spend the rest of our lives with Him! It is the source and foundation of many disciplines we need to pursue.

This year we will be using the acronym C.L.O.S.E.R.* to guide our writings and more importantly to encourage you in incorporating these spiritual endeavors into your daily lives.

C = Communicate with God through prayer

L = Learn to study and understand God’s Word

O = Obey

S = Store God’s word in your heart through memorization and meditation

E = Evangelize

R = Renew daily

Your writers will be our committee members: Valerie Fish, Susie Edgar, Jackie Ricks, and myself, Judy Wallace.

Join us weekly. Pray for us daily. Incorporate these disciplines regularly. It is what He has called us to do!

Scriptures to Read: James 4:8; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 119:10; Matthew 5:6

Prayer: “Father, You are our Rock, our Shield, our Redeemer, Savior, and Friend.  You are Lord of all, our Creator, our Shepherd, and Your presence is always with us.  Even Your names bring peace into our lives. Plus, there is the wonder that You loved us enough to send Your Son to die for us as unworthy as we are.  How is it that You invite us into Your Presence? That You long to fellowship with us?  That You want us close to Your heart and partakers of Your Spirit’s power?  How is it that we would dare refuse Your invitation to draw closer; to take time to study Your word, hide it in our hearts and minds, and seek Your face as a daily True North to follow? We cannot follow Your words unless we know them so help us on this journey to draw CLOSER each day to You and Your path for our lives.  Help us love You more so that we may obey You fully.  In Christ’s precious name, Amen.”

Respond to God with your own prayer from what you have read today.

[*C.L.O.S.E.R. Was developed by Rob Gallaty in his discipleship series Growing Up, Firmly Planted, Bearing Fruit.]