Dear Members and Friends of St. John,
Recently I visited one of our members in an assisted
living home. This member is somewhat
feeble, which is why they are cared for in the home. So, when I talk with this person I need to
pay special attention to what they say.
I turn off the TV, which is usually on at a high volume. I sit in front of them and look them in the
eye. I make sure to listen
carefully. And, when I speak I try to
make sure they understand. They may have
trouble speaking at times. But, my wife
says I don’t hear as well as I once did either.
I give special attention to listening to this elderly member.
So, how do you listen for God? Do you have trouble hearing God speak to
you? Do you wish the Lord would tell you
which job to take? Do you wish God would
guide you in your relationships with others?
Do you wish God would help you with spending decisions? Do you yearn for God to help you set your
priorities? How do you listen for God?
You should know that often God speaks softly. But, when we listen, and when we hear our
Lord’s voice, His voice brings peace and joy and strength. God’s voice brings love and life!
There is a famous account of the prophet Elijah found in
the book of 1 Kings. (You might want to
read 1 Kings 17-19) God had directed Elijah to speak His word to the king of
Israel, Ahab, and to Ahab’s wife, Jezebel.
Ahab had followed Jezebel’s lead in worshiping false gods, and Ahab had
then led the nation of Israel into idolatry.
So, God arranged a showdown on Mt. Carmel between Elijah and the false
prophets. The Lord showed himself to be
true God, and Ahab executed over 400 priests of the false god. Queen Jezebel was furious and swore to kill Elijah. In fear, Elijah ran south to Mt. Horeb. But, worse than fear, Elijah became horribly
depressed. After all, Elijah had done
the Lord’s work, and now his life was in danger. Elijah whined to God that he wanted to
die. But, the Lord appeared to Elijah to
strengthen him and give Elijah direction.
Listen to how God spoke to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13,
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of
the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful
wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the
LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD
was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD
was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah
heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth
of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here,
Elijah?"
Sometimes God is difficult to hear, even for a great prophet
like Elijah. The Bible describes the
voice of God as “a gentle whisper,” or as the King James Version translated
this phrase, “a still small voice.” When
God speaks we need to listen. We need to
pay attention in order to hear God’s voice in our lives.
When I listen for God there are two truths that I
know. First, I don’t always understand everything
about God, or about His ways. Isaiah
55:8-9 says, “8 "For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.” I actually find comfort in knowing I cannot
personally understand everything! So, I lean
in trust on my Lord and His love and His wisdom, knowing that His ways and
thoughts are higher than mine.
Second, I know where
to go to listen. Jesus prayed for His
disciples because of the trials they would face in serving Him. In the prayer Jesus prayed the night he was
betrayed, these words are recorded as Jesus asked His father to care for His
followers, “Sanctify them by the truth;
your word is truth.” (John 17:17) God
speaks to us in His Word. So, we find
God’s truth in Scripture. But, God
speaks to us even more plainly in another messenger. Jesus told His disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” God speaks to us through the righteous
life of Jesus, and through His love and sacrificial death.
So, if God is hard to hear, but I need His direction for
my life, where do I go to listen? Personally,
I begin each day in devotional Bible reading and in prayer. I am alone with God during this time. I underline what I read. Even though I have read the Bible many times,
each day I read I learn something new.
I see God’s love in a new way. I
learn more about Jesus. And, when God
answers my prayers, His answers teach me about our Lord and His life.
Do you wish God would speak to you? Are you listening carefully and paying
attention as He speaks through His Word, through His Son, Jesus?
A Child of God, Listening for My Loving Lord to Give Me
Direction for my Life,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here are some
pictures from “Garden Planting Day at
St. John on June 3. The sunflowers grew from seeds planted at the Easter
Festival. https://photos.app.goo.gl/DoXXoM5G0ETJRtnG2
P.P.S. In my weekly e-mail last week I said I would
send pictures of garden planting day at
our house, and then I did not send them. (I wrote my e-mail in the
car on the way to the Alaska Church Workers’ Conference and had trouble seeing
the screen. )
Here are some pictures from
“Garden Planting Day 2018 at the Rockey house with grandchildren. https://photos.app.goo.gl/TxTuP5zcseeFEOX03
P.P.P.S. If you read my e-mail about my dog, Mat, here are a couple of
pictures of Mat over the last year. We have now taken EXTRA steps to keep
Mat at home. He will visit the vet on Thursday!
P.P.P.P.S The last
day of the Alaska Church Workers’ Conference 15 folks went halibut
fishing. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/0B6um3VgYEiGL2F62
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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ - I am
sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and
friends whose e-mails I have. (I am regularly adding new names of friends
and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.) However, if you do not
want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your
name off my list for this message.
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