Who’s Listening To Your Singing?

What are you going through in life right now?  Good times?  Bad times?  Sad times?  Difficult times?  We all go through a mixture of these different emotions from day to day.  As believers in Jesus Christ, God wants us to keep singing and trusting Him.  He wants us to rest in His faithfulness and strength for each day.  We never know who is listening to our lives as we go from day to day!

Let me explain.  I have been reading in the book of Acts and came across a really cool passage in Acts 16.  Verse 25 says this, ”At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God; and the prisoners heard them.”  Paul and Silas had been faithfully serving God and telling others about Jesus.  In the city of Philippi they encountered persecution and were beaten and thrown in jail for their witnessing.  Instead of sulking, and having a “pity-party”, we see Paul and Silas singing and praising God!  Amazing!  (This is terribly convicting to me and is a real life-lesson about how to handle adversity when it comes to us!)  Despite the bad things that had come their way, they were still putting their trust in God and thanking Him for the opportunity to serve Him and tell others about Jesus.

Another thing that really jumped out at me as I read this verse was the last phrase, “…and the prisoners heard them.”  Paul and Silas had NO IDEA that others were listening to them as they sang!  The other men in the prison cells–who were languishing in despair and hopelessness–heard joyful singing to God.  Can you imagine what that must have done to their sagging spirits?  We never know who is LISTENING to our singing!  Are you singing today?   Are you giving praise to God despite your circumstances…your setbacks…your griefs…your troubles?   You never know who is listening to you!   You never know who needs the Lord for the troubles they are going through! 

Can others listen to your life and tell whether you are trusting God?  Are you “singing and praising” God for His goodness and faithfulness, or are you “grumbling and complaining” about how life is treating you?  I know it’s tough to give thanks to God when things are difficult, but that’s what faith is all about!  I don’t know what you want to do, but I want to praise the Lord!

“Rejoice in the Lord, always.  Again, I say rejoice!”    Philippians 4:4 

“More Fruit”

I remember years ago telling a neighbor about a rose bush in front of our house that was not blooming.  He said that he would be right over and take a look at it.  After examining the bush he took a pair of hedge clippers and began whacking away at the bush.  My heart sank!  The beautiful rose bush was cut all the way back to “nubs”.  My friend had a big smile on his facef when he finished and said, “There, that should do it.  That rose bush will grow back just beautiful now.”  As I stared in disbelief at what I saw, I just could not imagine the bush even surviving such a whacking.

Later that spring I began to notice the rose bush beginning to slowly leaf out.  It was not long until the first bud appeared and then suddenly two, and three.  By the beginning of summer the rose bush was luscious with blooms and radiant!  I was amazed to see the transformation taking place.  I thought back to the neighbor who had come over and told me that everything would be alright with the bush.  After the “pruning job” that he did, I was very doubtful.  But TIME revealed the benefit and value of the pruning.

Many times in life we go through difficulties and hard times.  These times may not make a lot of sense to us.  We may even respond to them by saying, “God, what are you doing?  My life seems all whacked up!”   But God is the husbandman who tenderly cares and watches over our lives that we may bear fruit for Him and bring Him glory.  He knows what we need in order to grow and show more of the likeness of His Son (Jesus Christ) in our lives.  These tough times may be times that God is “pruning” us and getting us ready to bear MORE FRUIT!  When we feel all whacked up, He just wants us to TRUST Him and let Him do His work in our life.

“…every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.”    John 15:1

 

Home Run Derby

Today has been a good day talking to friends about joining our Launch Team for the new church plant here in Evansville.  This has truly energized my spirit!  While Mary Lou was having her Bible study at our home, I went over to Jon’s apartment and he fixed supper for us [his wife, Michelle, is in Arizona visiting her family].  We watched the Home Run Derby which takes place before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star game.  Some of the players participating in the Home Run Derby this year were Holladay, Rio, Puljos, Fielder, Guerrero, and Howard.  I really enjoyed my time with Jon.

We are still enlisting everyone’s prayers as we work hard towards getting things ready to launch the new work in October.  We are walking by faith and trusting God to provide for ALL that we need!  He is faithful!

“The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”   1 Thessalonians 5:24

The Midas Touch

Have you ever gone through times when God didn’t answer your prayers?  Were you disappointed?   Did you feel let down?  Were you wondering what God might have in mind?  Sometimes we go through life thinking that God is always going to answer our prayers just the way we expected.  What do you think might happen if God always answered the prayers we prayed, in just the way we wanted?

Do you remember the story of Midas, king of Phrygia?  Midas loved gold.  He wished he had lots of it.  Legend has it that one day when Dionysus was visiting Midas he told him that he would grant him anything he wished.  Midas asked Dionysus to grant him the ability to turn anything into gold that he touched.  Done!   Before you know it, everything that Midas touched turned to gold!   Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?   Well, you’re wrong!   EVERYTHING turned to gold…including the food he tried to eat…and the friends he ran to embrace.  What Midas thought would be a lucrative request turned totally sour!  What Midas began to experience was what some call “unintended consequences”.  Midas never thought his request would turn out to be so bad!

Sometimes we pray for things that we really wouldn’t want…if we knew the consequences.  God in His sovereignty and mercy DOES NOT answer all of our prayers because He knows better.  It is good for us to remember when we pray, that if the answer does not come, it may be because God knows BEST.  Maybe the “timing” for the answer is not right, and maybe God has a better “solution” for the prayers we are praying.  Whatever the case may be GOD JUST WANTS ME TO TRUST HIM WITH EVERYTHING!!!

Let’s always remember that prayer is our time to fellowship with God and get to know Him better.  It is our time to love Him, delight in Him, thank Him, praise Him, and open our hearts to Him.  Let your prayers be your time to “love on God”.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”     Psalm 37:4

Tim Hughes

Sunday night Mary Lou, Jon, and Michelle and I went to Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.  We wanted to check out their college ministry called, “The Vine”.  It was awesome!  I’m guessing there was somewhere between  one and two thousand people at the service.  Contemporary worship writer and singer, Tim Hughes, was the special guest at the service.  The setting was very casual and festive.  We were greeted by at least six people before we entered the worship center.  There was a nice cafe area called “920″ which was very attractive and inviting. 

We wanted to check out the service to enlarge our vision of what God wants us to do here in Evansville.  It truly was a “vision enlarging” experience!  I think all of us need opportunities like this to go and check out other venues to see how God is using them.  Not only are such visits inspirational for us, but also highly motivating in helping us to grasp a picture of what God wants to do through our lives.  I praise the Lord for SO MANY top-notch ministries around the country who are “really doing it!”  I pray that through this journey we are taking right now, that we will stay focused on the Lord and listening to His Spirit as He leads us.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”     Psalm 37:5