July 2018

left, your ears will hear a voice
behind you, saying, “This is the
way; walk in it.”
We can tune our spirits by
spending time each day away
from busy-ness, giving our attention
to Him. Focusing on Someone
you don’t yet know very
well, who is invisible, can be a
challenge. Start your daily connection
time by praying, “Lord,
forgive me of my sins. Open my
eyes to see what You’re trying to
show me.” Then read the Bible
and follow up with worship and
prayer. If you have a hard time
sitting and praying, try journaling
your prayer or taking a walk.
Push outside thoughts gently
away and think about what
you’ve read and what you see
around you. Throughout the day,
look up and say hi. He’s always
there.
What does God sound like?
Just be quiet and listen to your
heart—is that all? Although “Listen
to Your Heart” was a sweet
‘80s song, the heart goes astray.
Jeremiah 17:9 NIV says, “The
heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.” We can follow
God for years and suddenly
find our lives upside down with
wounded people all around,
when our hearts drive us to
make decisions out of line with
scripture. To know when God
is speaking, we must become
familiar with the types of things
He’s likely to say. Proverbs is
a wonderful place to start. The
gospels are also terrific. Our genius
Creator may do new things
with you, but He is not going to
contradict what He’s already
said.
Richard and I had a very rocky
marriage for the first 10 years.
We had gotten together right after
my first husband left. Neither
of us were in the right state of
mind to hear God. Romans 8:28
tells us God works everything
out for the good of those who
love Him, but when we give Him
a mess, that work can be painful.
After struggling for years, I ran
out of love. Richard moved out
in shock, but I just felt empty. I
filed for divorce and began planning
my future. At church, one of
my friends said, “I’m praying for
you. I know it’s been hard, but
you listen to God. If this is what
He is telling you to do, then we’ll
support you.” If this is what He is
telling you…The words echoed
in my ears for weeks.
The day before I was to appear
in court and finalize the divorce,
I went for a run. Standing at the
water’s edge afterward, my heart
wanted to sink into the depths
between the lily pads. How could
I say the God of unconditional
love was telling me to throw
away the man who loved me?
At another point in our marriage,
I might have been justified, but
not this time. I knew my actions
defied the Bible.
As I stood there, he texted, “I’ll
get my things tomorrow.”
I picked up my phone and called
him. We talked for two hours. I
couldn’t bring myself to hang up.
I showered and drove from Tulsa
to Springfield to see him. Today,
our marriage is incredible. Following
my heart, I nearly forfeited
the happiness we have now.
Instead, I obeyed God when I
honestly didn’t want to. I trust
Him. Our Creator is the only one
who knows how to build a truly
abundant life.
Proverbs 2 NKJV 6For the Lord
gives wisdom; from His mouth
come knowledge and understanding;
7He stores up sound
wisdom for the upright; He is a
shield to those who walk uprightly;
8He guards the paths of justice,
and preserves the way of
His saints.
Think about it:
Would you like to trust God completely?
Would you like to trust
yourself? Study the Bible, look
up the answers to your questions.
Memorize key verses and
make righteous living as automatic
as you can. The Holy Spirit
will help you, when the way is
unclear.
Prayer makes us ready.
When you pray, God isn’t the
only one listening. Some people
think we should handle everything
ourselves, and take only
the “big stuff,” like cancer, to the
Ruler of heaven and earth. After
all, He’s omniscient. If He knows
everything, we shouldn’t babble
on about our little lives.
God knows what we are thinking,
but communicating our thoughts
is an act of relationship. Our
arms are shorter than His, so
our prayers are often, “Would
you please reach that for me?”
However, if we keep reading
the Bible and praying, we begin
asking questions like, “Why did
You do that?” and “What are You
wanting me to see here?” and
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