Thought for the day
Not long ago I heard a story about a young man and an old preacher. The young man had lost his job and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to see the old preacher.
Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why doesn't God answer?"
The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply - something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he asked.
The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher's chair. "Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear you."
With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to hear Him." This time the young man heard and he understood.
The next time you think that God is ignoring you, it may be that He is whispering to you, with the knowledge that it will draw you closer to Him.
In Psalm 73, the psalmist struggles with the fact that the wicked are prospering, and he is tempted to conclude that it doesn't do any good to do what is right (if you're struggling with the same thing, this is a great chapter to read and meditate on).
But, in the end, the psalmist concludes that he is being "foolish and ignorant" (73:22). When it seemed that God was nowhere to be found, the psalmist was led by God's whispering to "draw near":
"But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works." (Psalm 73:28)
May the whispers of God in your life draw you closer to Him.
Verses
Matthew 24:35
Land and sky will cease to be, but my words will stand to eternity.
James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
Psalm 112:1,3
Praise the LORD! Happy is the person who has reverence for the LORD, who takes pleasure in obeying his commands. His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous forever.
Prayer
Father, the comfort You provide us through the Scriptures is sort of like a safety net catching us as we tumble through life’s ups and downs. You have not immunized us from the same experiences of those who have not placed their trust in You, but Your strength is perfected in our weakness. You not only provide grace and overcoming for our present needs, but You have prepared a place for us where the best is yet to come; where we no longer face separation, pain, or sin. Keep us faithful in our walk until that appointed day when You call us to our heavenly dwelling place, as a believer, I want to rid myself of such things as malice, slander or filthy language from my lips. I want the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be pleasing to You this day. I pray that my conversation is uplifting so that I build others up rather than tear them down. May I walk in Your grace so that I impart grace to others showing respect, courtesy, and interest in their lives. Just as salt is tasty to food making it more pleasant to eat, I pray that my dialogue is wholesome making conversation pleasant and beneficial to those who listen. Because of Your redemptive work in my life I am indeed, blessed and highly flavored with the preserving salt of Your holy Word. Amen.
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