Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Being Heard

I had a thought the other day while pondering how God speaks to us.  I have spoken to many people out there who have been deeply moved in some way by God's voice in their life.  Some of us get an ominous feeling; others tend to have visions, dreams or intense thoughts of God speaking to them.  How incredible would it be to sit in a random place and have God just appear to you and chat it up?  It’s like a thousand times better than having the Schwan’s guy show up on your door step and tell you that anything on his truck is yours for free. It doesn't even compare though..... 
There are those Christians out there that grade their relationship and level of commitment by the “messages” or feelings they receive from God.  I know there have been several times when I have become dismayed because I did not experience some incredible moving feeling inside me.  I used to think that my relationship with God was poor because I didn't get that "special feeling."  It took a long time to figure out that God is here speaking to me even when I don’t get a physical or mental communique.  He speaks to me through the bible, His everlasting word. 
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).
So do we need to wait for God to speak with us, or can we simply talk with Him whenever we feel the need?  The latter of these two concepts is the correct answer.  Prayer is such an under rated and underutilized tool these days.  Do you wait for the doctor to come to you when you are sick, or do you go to him/her?  When you needed money from your parents, did you expect them to come to you or did you go to them?  And when you wanted to go to that concert, did the band come perform at your house or did you have to go see them?  I know God is standing next to me because I feel the need to just get down on my knees and pray from time to time.  Moral of the story: God is in each of our lives though we can’t always hear Him, touch Him, or see Him.  All we need to do is speak and He will hear.

Psalm 32:1-11

 1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters
   will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle
   or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Strong Silence

Mountains stand tall on the horizon ever moving and shifting as time marches on.  All kinds of weather come to bear on the surface while changes take place deep inside on a daily basis.  Some mountains find themselves alone in this world.  They stand alone as stone cold giants, fiery monsters, or small wonders that rise out of the land.  Some mountains run seemingly together as a part of ranges that span hundreds of miles.  Each mountain has it's own story, some short, some long, yet each is different than the next.

We are definitely not mountains, yet our lives share such similarities with these granite and earthen giants that sprinkle the canvas of our nation.   In life we will find ourselves with or without people surrounding us depending on many uncontrollable circumstances.  God offers us strength in the midst of loneliness, strength in when we feel alone in a crowd of many, and strength that will outlast anything this world can throw your way. 
Psalm 125

 1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
   which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
   so the LORD surrounds his people
   both now and forevermore.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

A lesson on the River

Patience is certainly a virtue that I try to indulge in whenever I get the chance.  Take today for instance, fishing on the river for pink salmon and sturgeon.  Let's cover some facts first before I go any further with this story.  My wife will attest to the fact that the name Mike Cifu does not strike fear into any fish.  In fact, I get the feeling sometimes many of them are somehow laughing when I throw my hook in the water.  How the truth hurts!  Moving on, I did get myself a salmon on this occasion, however, the sturgeon were not biting.  Sturgeon fishing is definitely a waiting game.  It does not require multiple casts of the rod and reel, on the contrary, it calls for extreme patience and concentration.  At times I felt like a polar bear waiting for hours for that one seal who might poke it's head through the ice (water in this case).  I didn't end up catching any sturgeon, but I did catch a tan/sunburn.  We'll run with tan for right now........

I learned from my waiting game with the fish that it pays to just be still, and secondly, it pays off to have enough trust to be patient for something or someone.  In the same way God wants us to be still and patient with our lives. 
Psalm 37:7-9 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

Does this mean that we can't be ambitious or "hit the ground running" when it comes to certain things in life?  No!  This all goes back to God's desire of free will for us; each human being making their own choices in life as they perceive forks in the road.  Don't be so busy that you miss God, miss His creation, and miss out on the incredible peace He wishes for all of us.  Today on the river when we knew that the time for fishing had drawn to a close, we sat in the boat and felt an inner peace and amazement as we looked toward the mountains extending skyward from the river and surrounding fields.  All I thought at that moment was, thank you!

Psalms 40
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.