[Faith-talk] Fwd: Encouragement for Today - November 06, 2015

Sun Nov 8 23:52:39 UTC 2015

I enjoyed this one very much. It was timely thanks!

On 11/7/15, Ericka via Faith-talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
> Ericka Short
> "Friends are like flowers in the garden of life"
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Bible Gateway <BibleGateway at e.BibleGateway.com>
>> Date: November 6, 2015 at 4:03:40 AM CST
>> To: ejshort3 at gmail.com
>> Subject: Encouragement for Today - November 06, 2015
>> Reply-To: Support at e.BibleGateway.com
>>
>>
>> Encouragement for Today
>>
>> NOVEMBER 6, 2015
>>
>> When We Need to Listen With Our Eyes /
>> ALICIA BRUXVOORT (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=18&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>>
>>
>> "The one who listens to me, who carefully seeks me in everyday things …
>> that
>> one will find true happiness." Proverbs 8:34
>> (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=32&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>>
>> ols) (The Voice)
>>
>> "I just need to know you’re here," I told God, as I mindlessly chopped
>> carrots
>> in preparation for dinner.
>>
>> The baby whimpered in her bouncy seat, the toddler begged for a snack and
>> I
>> wished our meal would magically appear while I escaped to the bedroom for
>> a
>> nap.
>>
>> My body was weary from the demands of a long day with little ones; my
>> heart
>> was weary from the weight of unanswered prayer. I was walking through a
>> season
>> of loneliness, and I desperately wanted to hear from God.
>>
>> I’d never heard God speak audibly, but I’d experienced the Lord’s "still
>> small
>> voice" many times in my life. In the past, words of Scripture had often
>> leapt
>> off the pages of my Bible. I’d gleaned heavenly insight from the lyrics of
>> a
>> Christian song, a sermon that pierced my heart or the inspired words of a
>> godly friend.
>>
>> Why wasn’t I hearing anything now? I’d been begging the Lord for a word of
>> encouragement for months. But it felt like my ears had grown deaf to the
>> sound
>> of my Savior’s voice. When I read my Bible, the words fell flat. When I
>> tuned
>> my ear to Heaven, I heard only silence.
>>
>> Just then, my 8-year-old son skidded around the corner with a shiny blue
>> ribbon pinned to his shirt. He hopscotched across the dingy floor,
>> laughing as
>> the ribbon caught air with every bounce and flapped like a baby bird
>> trying
>> out its wings.
>>
>> Suddenly, my laments were trumped by my son’s noisy chatter about the
>> track
>> meet he’d enjoyed at school that afternoon.
>>
>> "I can’t believe I won the race, Mom! I thought my legs were gonna give
>> up,
>> but I just kept moving my feet and suddenly I was at the finish line."
>>
>> His happy prattle mingled with the rhythmic clank of my knife on the
>> cutting
>> board, and I looked up to acknowledge his words with a proud smile.
>>
>> "Did you hear me cheering for you?" I asked.
>>
>> I wasn’t sure if my little runner even realized I’d been in the bulging
>> crowd
>> of parents flanking the track that afternoon. Despite juggling the baby in
>> one
>> hand and the camera in another, I’d cheered as loudly as I could when my
>> son
>> sprinted past us toward the finish line.
>>
>> "Yep," he said with a grateful grin. "I heard you."
>>
>> "Oh, good," I replied. "I wasn’t sure if I was yelling loud enough."
>>
>> My bouncing boy stopped hopping on one foot and shrugged his shoulders.
>> Then
>> he looked me in the eye and confessed, "Well, I couldn’t hear you with my
>> ears, Mommy, but I knew you were there, ‘cause I was listening with my
>> eyes."
>>
>> My son wrapped his arms around my middle in a quick hug, then pointed
>> those
>> fast feet toward the back door and dashed outside to join his sister. I
>> stood
>> silent in the kitchen with the echo of those words in my head.
>>
>> When my child couldn’t hear my voice, he’d sought my face.
>>
>> When my cheers failed to echo in his ears, he’d let my presence encourage
>> his
>> heart.
>>
>> My heart lurched with conviction. Maybe I hadn’t grown deaf. Maybe I’d
>> grown
>> blind. In my quest to hear God’s voice, I’d stopped seeking proof of His
>> presence.
>>
>> Today’s key verse reminds us God doesn’t just want us to seek His word
>> with
>> our ears. He wants us to listen with our eyes, as well.
>>
>> This concept is woven throughout Scripture from the first page to the
>> last.
>> God’s people are often commanded both to listen and look, to hear and see.
>>
>> Bending our ears to the promises of heaven involves tuning our eyes to
>> God’s
>> existence on earth. We can’t hearken His word without heeding His
>> "with-ness."
>>
>> I dumped the carrots into the simmering skillet and turned toward the
>> window
>> to watch my son chase his sister across the lawn. They blazed a trail of
>> giggles across the emerald green, as the One who paints the sunset ignited
>> the
>> horizon with a blaze of orange glory.
>>
>> I looked and listened while the day gave way to dusk. And as the sun sank
>> low,
>> I felt the weight on my heart soar high. Then, before I called the kids in
>> for
>> dinner, I changed my desperate prayer for an expectant plea: "Open my
>> eyes,
>> Father. I’m listening."
>>
>> Dear Lord, teach me to listen to Your voice with my ears and my eyes and
>> to
>> seek You in everyday things. I want to know true happiness. In Jesus’
>> Name,
>> Amen.
>>
>> TRUTH FOR TODAY: /
>> Psalm 68:33
>> (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=31&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>>
>> s), "To Him who rides high up beyond the heavens, which have been since
>> ancient times, watch and listen. His voice speaks, and it is powerful and
>> strong." (The Voice)
>>
>> RELATED RESOURCES: /
>> Develop the habit of looking for and listening to God each morning. The
>> First
>> 5 (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=20&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>>
>> app can help.
>>
>> Visit Alicia Bruxvoort’s blog (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=26&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>> more
>> encouragement and a special giveaway to help you look and listen.
>>
>> REFLECT AND RESPOND: /
>> Practice the habit of "listening with your eyes" this week. Keep a list of
>> the
>> ways you see God as you go about your everyday things.
>>
>> Write an encouraging note or send a text to someone who may be lonely. Ask
>> God
>> to help that person "hear" His heart through your words.
>>
>> © 2015 by Alicia Bruxvoort. All rights reserved.
>>
>> Proverbs 31 Ministries /
>> 630 Team Rd., Suite 100 /
>> Matthews, NC 28105 /
>> www.Proverbs31.org (
>> http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=34&ms=NDk5NTMzNjES1&r=MjgwMDY3ODM3NjYS1&b=2&j=ODAwODIyNjA5S0&mt=1&rt=0
>>
>>
>> Proverbs 31 Ministries
>> 630 Team Rd., Suite 100
>> Matthews, NC 28105
>> www.Proverbs31.org
>>
>>
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-- 
Danielle

Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com