Did You Hear That?

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y mother has always been an early riser.  In fact, morning is her favorite time of day and rarely does anyone wake up before she does.  As a child, I remember hearing her in the kitchen, preparing breakfast and singing.  My mother's voice always made me feel safe and secure.  I can still hear her singing in the morning even though I now live over 1000 miles away!

Early one Saturday morning when I was about 10 years old, I had a very peculiar experience. As usual, mom was already awake when I got out of bed.  She had already begun her faithful task of preparing breakfast, working diligently to have it ready when the rest of us woke up.  The odd thing about this particular morning was I couldn't find mom anywhere in the house.  She wasn't in the kitchen, she wasn't in the back hall doing laundry, she wasn't outside, I checked all those places.  I wouldn't have thought anything about her absence had I not been able to hear her singing. 

This completely baffled me. Although I could hear her voice, there was no physical evidence of her presence in the house.  I frantically searched every room but couldn't find her anywhere.  Finally, I woke my dad and asked him to tell me where she was.  He had no idea of her whereabouts and insisted I look one more time. Once again, I conducted a thorough search of the house. I returned to find him asleep again and when I woke him the second time, he told me to calm down, listen carefully, and then follow the sound of her voice.

I took his advice and found mom!  She was in our basement preparing breakfast.  Our house had a full basement with a kitchen that we used during the summer months.  Summers in North Carolina are hot and humid but the basement was nice and cool.  However, since we had only used the kitchen a few times, it hadn't entered my mind that she'd be down there.  Nevertheless, my dad was right and when I calmed down, listened for her voice, and followed it, I was able to find her and eventually get breakfast.

The Old Testament book of 1 Samuel tells the story of Samuel, a young man who had a similar experience with God.  The first three chapters tell how his mother, Hannah, who was childless, prayed to God for a son.  She promised God she would dedicate him to His service if He would grant her this request.  God did allow Hannah to have a son and she kept the promise she made to God and took Samuel to the temple so he could serve the Lord.

Chapter 3 tells how Samuel served God in the temple and records the story of God's call upon his life.  While Samuel was sleeping, God came and called to him.  Samuel mistook God's voice for that of Eli, the prophet.  Three times God came and called him and three times Samuel went to Eli, believing the prophet had called him.  Finally, Eli realized God was calling Samuel and instructed the boy to answer the Lord and make himself available to him.

In 1 Samuel 3:7, we read the following statement concerning Samuel: "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him."  This is a very interesting passage and relates a great truth to which we all can relate.  Notice the Scriptures tell us that Samuel did not know the Lord and that God hadn't revealed his word to him.  This doesn't seem to be a very impressive statement until you realize its context.  Samuel had served the Lord since he was a small boy.  He slept near the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.  He was that close to God, performing the necessary tasks of a priest but he did not yet know the Lord! (verse 7).         

On three occasions he mistook God's voice, not recognizing its source nor knowing how to answer it.  Frantically he ran to Eli, convinced the prophet had called him.  This is so typical of us.  We are so concerned about working for God that we very seldom ever listen to him.  So often we mistake God's voice for something else.  He continually calls us, wanting to relate to us, to speak with us, to share an important message with us.  However, we look elsewhere to discover the source of the voice we hear.   We will never discover God's message to us until we seek it from him.  Although there may be no physical evidence of his presence, his voice still calls us and invites us to commune with him.

That morning many years ago, I believe I understood what Samuel must have felt.  I heard my mom's voice, I knew she was somewhere in the house, but because I was unsure about her whereabouts, I couldn't concentrate on her location.  In a similar way, I have learned that in order to hear God's voice, I have to be still.  I have to listen and be available to him.  When he speaks to me, I must quiet myself and listen to his voice.  Only by placing myself in his presence can I fully hope to hear him, to speak to him, to commune with him.

Today as you go about your daily routine, take time to stop and listen for God's voice.  If you quiet yourself and open your heart you will hear him.  When he calls you, say with Samuel, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening!"

Start Your Engine

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his morning I already have items that will require my attention at various points during the day. My calendar has appointments beginning just after I arrive in the office.  I also have some reports to review, a meeting to attend, some phone calls to make, and, no doubt, there will be plenty of e-mail to answer. My day is already full and I haven’t even left the house yet!  Does this sound familiar to you?  Some days just seemed to be filled with more responsibilities than others and before they get started, they are over.  That’s just the way it is.

The interesting part is this, all these activities represent a mere fraction of what today holds.  The items listed above are the things I have on my calendar; I have no idea what God has on His for today but I’m sure that I will find out before this day is over.  My car, sitting quietly in the garage, is waiting for me to jump in and start its engine.  I will point it in one direction but who knows, there may be several places it takes me that are simply not considerations at this moment. 

There is a story in the New Testament book of Acts that expresses this very idea.  Philip started his day heading in a southerly direction.  Before the day was over, however, he had made a new friend, ridden in a chariot, taught a Bible lesson, and had gone swimming.  None of these things were on his “to do” list for the day but the list was amended as the day progressed.

Let’s take a brief look at Philip’s day and see how events unfolded after he started his engine. Acts 8:27 simply says, “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship"

At first glance this passage seems to be just a simple explanation of a routine journey from one place to another.  On the surface we know that Philip began his journey and met a man from Ethiopia who held an important position in the government.  We also learn that at this time Candace was queen of the Ethiopians and that the man’s purpose for being in Jerusalem was to worship.  But if that is all we see in this verse, we need to have our eyes examined.  There is so much more, a great lesson which centers around just two little phrases, “he started out” and “on his way.”

Just before today’s passage, Philip received instructions form an angel that he was to journey south.  So Philip started his journey. This is the most important point in today’s lesson.  So often we receive a clear directive from the Lord.  We know what we are to do, we are certain of where we need to go, and we become aware of the next step we are to take.  So often, however, we fail to start out, never quite getting on the road. Things creep in, other appointments clog our schedules and we find ourselves at the end of the day in the same place we occupied at the beginning.  Although we “did” a lot of things, we made no forward progress in our walk with the Lord.

But starting out was only the first part of the journey.  Philip started the engine and traveled in the indicated direction but there was an unforeseen stop along the way.  Actually, this is what the Lord had planned for Philip all along but Philip wasn’t aware of it until he heard the Ethiopian man reading from the book of Isaiah.  The angel told him to go to the man and when Philip did, he had an opportunity to explain the Scriptures and share the gospel with him.  None of this would have been possible had Philip not started his engine. 

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nd where are you headed today, my friend?  Have you started your engine?  Are you ready to start out, heading in the direction God has for you today?  Who knows what situations await you or whose life you may touch today.  Whatever you do and wherever you are, I pray that God will use you to touch those around you.  Don’t be surprised if you make several “unforeseen stops” along the way.  That is the blessing of the journey and the wonderful privilege of serving Jesus Christ.  Have you started your engine today?

Loss Of Signal

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ne of the most harrowing moments of manned flights to the moon were those known simply as LOS or Loss of Signal!  I remember the news commentators speaking about this phenomenon and displaying a countdown clock, informing the viewing audience of the number of minutes left until all communication with the astronauts would be lost. 

Due to the spacecraft’s traveling around the dark side of the moon, all communication was lost.  As long as the astronauts remained in view of earth, they had a direct communication link with Mission Control on the ground.  Once behind the moon, however, all signals were lost and communication was impossible until the capsule emerged on the other side of the moon.

As an avid follower and supporter of America’s space program, I watched with baited breath and keen interest every televised second of the manned trips to the moon.  When the astronauts disappeared on the far side of the moon, I began to panic and worry about their well being.  Were they scared?  Had something gone wrong?  Were they all right?  What were they doing up there?  What could they see? How did they feel cut off from everyone and everything?  These were the thoughts that raced through my mind.  I couldn’t take my eyes off the television until the space craft emerged from behind the moon and communications were restored.

Loss of Signal had everything to do with position.  Radio waves can travel through the black emptiness of space but they cannot penetrate celestial objects, especially one the size of the moon.  In order for the astronauts to receive updates on their mission and vital information concerning the condition of the craft and any adjustments to be made for the return voyage, they had to have an unobstructed view of the earth.  The lines of communication had to be direct and clear with no interference and no obstacles between the space capsule and earth.

Would it surprise you to learn that long before space travel was even a passing thought, Jesus had already addressed the Loss of Signal phenomenon?  Jesus however was not concerned with losing contact with a radio transmitter; he was concerned with losing contact with God and His work.  Jesus spoke of this contact in terms of faith because what radio signals are to ground control and a spacecraft, faith is to the believer in maintaining his relationship with God.

During a visit to his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus encountered much resistance from the people of his village.  The following statement from Matthew 13:58 demonstrates how the people of Jesus hometown experienced a complete Loss of Signal with the Lord.  “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”  We need look no further than the last three words of this passage to understand how these people experienced a Loss of Signal! 

Jesus did not perform many miracles in his hometown because the people had no faith.  We must exercise faith in Jesus if we are to maintain full and unobstructed contact with God.  It is through faith that we come to God, that we please God, that we obey God, and that we relate to God.  The problem with the people of Nazareth was doubt. 

They allowed the obstacles of tradition, experience, and circumstances to dominate their thinking.  They had known Jesus from childhood and would not believe he could perform miracles or that he was the Messiah.  Because of their lack of faith, Jesus did few miracles and the people were deprived of a great blessing and opportunity for ministry.

We need to take strong warning from this short passage of scripture.  It is not necessary for us to travel far away from our familiar surroundings to experience a Loss of Signal!  When we allow the every-day obstacles of fear, doubt, pride, arrogance, and bad experiences to come between us and God we lose heart.  Our faith dwindles and we find ourselves adrift in an empty void with our communication lines garbled.  What we need is to change our position so we are in continual communication with our Heavenly Father.  As long as we receive directions from Mission Control we will find ourselves on the correct path to complete the work God has given us to do.

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re you in constant communication with God today?  Is your spiritual antenna trimmed to His signal?  When He sends instructions concerning an area of your life that needs attention are you in a position to hear Him and correct your course?  Are you successfully charting the vast regions of your life by always receiving information from your Heavenly Father?  Is there anything between you and Him that is causing Loss of Signal today?

Two Cups of Sugar

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weet tea doesn’t just happen; you have to add sugar!  In fact, if you’re going to make sweet tea the way we drink it in North Carolina you have to add a lot of sugar.  The ingredients for acceptable sweet tea are very simple, tea, water, and sugar.  Three family-sized tea bags, one gallon of water, and two cups of sugar render a concoction I love to refer to as nourishing refreshment.

There is simply nothing better on a hot summer’s day than a tall glass of sweet ice tea.  Say what you will, wrinkle your noses at it if you must, but there are people in my hometown who will fight you tooth and nail concerning the prospects of whether you should drink your tea sweetened or unsweetened.  As a matter of fact, if you want unsweetened tea in North Carolina you’d better request it or the tea will be sweet every time.  There simply is no other way to drink it!

I take great pleasure in knowing there is a biblical basis for sweetened beverages!  What?  I know you’re thinking I’ve lost my mind or that I am walking a line that teeters on blasphemy, but honestly, the Scriptures do demonstrate that God sweetened the water in the desert as the Israelites made their way to the Promised Land.  Let’s take a quick peek into the book of Exodus as we find the people not far outside the land of Egypt, asking Moses for something to drink.

In Exodus 15:24-26 we find the following account: “So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD , and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.  He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD , who heals you."

There are a few interesting things we must notice in this passage today.  First, the people were grumbling.  Not far out of Egypt they started complaining and they continued this trend all the way to the Promised Land.  Isn’t it funny that we spend more time complaining instead of praising and thanking God?  Isn’t it amazing how we focus on the negative things in life and totally discount the positive sign of God’s working in our lives?  The Children of Israel were no different.  God had not delivered them from Pharaoh only to let them die of thirst in the desert.

So God answered their cry by having Moses throw a piece of wood into water that was bitter and undrinkable.  Moses could not make the water sweet, that is drinkable, for the people but he could throw in a stick of wood.  Let us glean one of the greatest truths about God from this passage.  God will never do for us what we can do for ourselves but He will always undertake what we are incapable of doing.  As we stated above, Moses could throw the wood in but he could not make the water sweet; only God could do that.

Please find the words, “and there he tested them” in the passage.  Here is the great crux of this verse of scripture. God’s provision in our lives always brings with it a greater responsibility on our part.  After receiving drinkable water from God’s hand, the people were to be put to the test. This does not make God out to be some cruel taskmaster.  On the contrary, God wanted the people to learn that He was their provision, that He was their protection, and that He was all they needed.  The only way for them to learn this was to go through testing.

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lease notice that the people’s test was to listen to God’s voice, to do what was right in His eyes (not their own), and they were to obey His commands and decrees.  Guess what? God expects the same of us today.  We are to listen to His voice, to do what is right in His eyes (not our own), and to obey His commands and decrees.  When we do this, we find that the bitter waters of life become sweet, no matter where we are, by a flowing stream, near a desert oasis, or standing by a stagnant pond.  When we give heed to our Lord, He always makes the waters sweet, cool, and refreshing.  When was the last time God added two cups of sugar to the water you are drinking?