When God Is Silent

What Does It Mean When God Is Silent?

when God is silent

Have you prayed and prayed about an important decision, and waited and waited, and it seems like it’s taking forever to get an answer?

God’s timing and our timing are two very different things.

It’s important to remember that He hears us.

Absolutely, and loud and clear.

He hears every prayer, and sees every tear.

So why does God make us wait?

Trust Him More

Waiting can be tough, especially when you’re desperately seeking answers.

Daily (or nightly) prayers are essential, but here’s the most important thing – praying for God’s will and not our own.

Oops, we often forget that part.

The happiest ending may seem clear to us, but only God knows the final outcomes.

Despite what we think is best, the timing may not be right yet, or His answer is No.

If you read through Psalms, you’ll see that God didn’t always answer the prayers of His people right away.

Psalms

We must trust Him more, not less, even when it seems like it’s taking forever to get an answer.

When the waiting gets especially tough, I often turn to Christian music.

Here’s a favorite by the Newsboys that I believe captures the authenticity of our faith.

Is Our Timing More Important Than God’s Timing?

Our deadlines are not His deadlines.

There were several times in the past when my husband and I prayed about a big decision we had to make. We thought we knew what His answer would be, but it didn’t quite work out like we thought it would.

Years later, we can now look back and see that God was protecting us from something we didn’t realize at the time.

Some prayers are followed by silence (from God) because they are wrong, others because they are bigger than one can understand. It will be a wonderful moment for some of us when we stand before God and find that the prayers we clamored for in early days and imagined were never answered have been answered in the most amazing way, and that God’s silence has been the sign of the answer. – Oswald Chambers, Evangelist and Christian Minister.

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*Oswald Chambers quotation, as quoted from Christian quotes.info

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Early Voting Begins

Early Voting Midterms

Early voting

The midterm elections are just around the corner, and early voting has begun.

Christians have a lot to think about.

First and foremost, it’s crucial to get out and vote.

It’s our right to vote, and our duty to stay informed.

 Unhinged Political Parties

As a former television reporter, I used to like covering elections. It was fascinating to observe the passion of the campaign workers and their reactions at the end of an election night.

Interviewing candidates from both sides of the political spectrum was an eye-opening experience I’ll never forget.

Of course, news stations were more objective back then.

Unfortunately, now there are people letting the mainstream news media, social media commenters, and late-night pundits influence their decisions in the voting booth.

And, in some states, the intimidation has gotten worse.

Did you ever think that, here in the United States, a mob mentality would be considered acceptable by some, even in the media?

What a sad reflection of our times.

Christians – Socialism is Not The Answer

Socialism is not the answer.

Sadly, it’s no secret that some churches have taken a left turn, and turned away from the Gospel message in favor of more social programs.

Here’s what’s getting lost in the shuffle:

The purpose of the church is to preach the gospel message and reach lost sinners.

The beauty of the church is that believers are often among the first to want to volunteer to help others – whether it involves mission work, charitable causes, or helping victims during natural disasters.

We don’t need churches abandoning the complete Gospel message and catering to what the media or lobby groups think the church should be.

Biblical Christian Values

We The People

My vote in the midterms will be based on who most represents (and will protect) my Biblical Christian values.

I will not vote for candidates who support Planned Parenthood (for example) just because that candidate has a better marketing campaign, is more popular, a Hollywood darling, the media loves him or her, and he or she “promises” to help the poor.

I research these issues and sadly, there’s a disguised socialist agenda gaining speed which Christians need to be very aware of.

Millions of babies die every day due to abortion. But abortion is not the only issue at stake.

Our freedoms as Christians are also at stake.

Normally, I wouldn’t share a video longer than about four minutes because I know you all are busy. I make an exception when the message presented is exceptional.

Please listen as Pastor Tommy Nelson talks about what’s at stake. The video is not quite an hour long, but it’s important to get a more realistic perspective than what the media is saying to you.

Please pray for godly wisdom as you go to the polls.

God bless

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*American Flag photo, courtesy of Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

**Constitution photo, courtesy of Anthony Garand on Unsplash

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Praying For Haiti 2018

Praying For Haiti 2018

Praying for Haiti 2018

It’s been just over a week and 1⁄2 since the destructive 5.9 magnitude earthquake erupted in Haiti.

Did you hear about it?

The last thing you want to see is an email addressed to you from Compassion International with the dreaded words in all caps:  “EMERGENCY.”

We were so involved with other things going on at our house that I failed to check one of our email addresses until just the other day.

My heart sank as I read the news that our sponsor child is in danger. His community is miles away from where the epicenter of the quake occurred. The aftershock the next day only made things worse.

We continue to pray for all who were in the path of this monster earthquake and anxiously await news about our precious little second grader who loves to sing and play soccer.

His birthday and Christmas gifts were already in the mail, and now comes this heartbreaking news.

How quickly life can change in an instant.

When we get word of our little man, I will post an update.

*Happy update!

We are so grateful to hear the news that our sponsor child is fine..

Praying For Everyone Affected

Hurricane Matthew 2018

Sad headlines are coming out of many places.

The residents of Panama City, Florida and its neighboring towns are also grieving. Sadly, Hurricane Michael cut a dangerous path through the popular beach location. It tracked across four states killing 30 people.

The beautiful Texas Hill Country is currently facing devastating flood damage.

And, the Carolinas are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence in September.

With all of the natural disasters going on in the world, you’d think more people would get on their knees and pray.

Please, pray!

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Gifts Of God

The Ultimate Gift of God’s Grace

We are blessed.

Truly blessed by an immeasurable gift from God.

The skeptic says,

“What gift?

What has God ever done for Me?”

He has given every single one of us access to His Grace – a grace that only He can give.

How can people not see what a blessing that is?

This is life-saving, transcendent grace.

It’s the type of grace that we can’t even fully understand the magnitude of it until, as Christians, we enter into eternity to be with Jesus in Heaven.

I am sad over how easily a growing number of people will reject His offer.

Can we honestly look at the beautiful creation all around us and reduce its grandeur to an imperfect, godless theory full of holes invented by man?

The Giver of all Blessings

Because of His infinite grace, our Creator God sent His beloved Son Jesus to reach the lost here on earth.

Jesus is coming back someday, and every knee will bow.

In the meantime, we have glimpses of God’s perfection in His breathtaking creation and we celebrate the One who created it.

Thankful for the Gifts of God

A fellow Christian writer, Stephen Wong, wrote a beautiful poem “Gifts of God” I thought you might enjoy.

Evidence of God’s majesty is everywhere.

Gifts of God

Gifts of God

by Stephen Wong
07/04/13

The gifts of God are in the green of our gardens,
the triumph of the mountains reaching
for the skies,
reflection in our awestruck eyes,
a thousand candle lights, dancing
in a night sky,
while roaring seas
rest upon their soft yellow bed.

The gifts of God are in a delicious afternoon tea,
a warm steaming beverage,
the mesmerizing smells
of chocolate sweets
drifting,
as a blanket of bread
spreads out fresh
from the oven.

The gifts of God are found in our hearts,
every kiss, every warm embrace,
every sparkle of kindness,
affection,
every costly sacrifice
says the words “I love you”.

The gifts of God we breathe in deep,
the sun smiling,
the wind greeting our faces,
sounds of dancing,
echoes of laughter announcing
we are still alive.

Then come times of great tribulations,
dark storms
tossing us off
life’s comfy sofa,
temptation
lurking at every corner,
urging us to give up
all hope.

Yet when we feel lost in misery,
weary
from daily struggles
falling down,
the tears flooding,
on our knees begging,
we should remember,
that from life’s grueling tests,
we learn invaluable lessons that are also
the gifts of God.

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*Poem shared, courtesy of Stephen Wong, from article url: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185177

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A Parent’s Mission Field

A Mission Field For Busy Parents

a parent's mission field

For the moms and dads who feel guilty about not going on church mission trips – please don’t beat yourself up.

If you’re able to take your vacation time to go overseas for mission work – what a rewarding and memorable experience it will be.

But what if you can’t afford to take that time off yet? Some Christian parents are working two jobs just to make ends meet.

Although the U.S. economy is improving, it’s a longer recovery period for some hard-working parents.

Mission Field At Home

God sees your life and He knows your heart. He also knows how busy you are trying to feed your family.

If a mission trip isn’t doable right now, will God be mad?

No – your salvation is not dependent on how many mission trips you go on.

An encouraging thing to remember as a busy parent, is that you also have a mission field right in your own home.

You can have a huge impact on the culture by starting with your own kids and family.

Your youngsters are going to grow up and be the next ambassadors for Christ.

Perhaps you are a stay-at-home parent, who thinks, I could never influence the culture. But God has given you influence over your children. In the Old Testament, Hannah faithfully taught her son Samuel the fear of the Lord, and Samuel became a great prophet. Did Hannah influence her culture? You bet she did. – *Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pathway Magazine.

Married or single, if you can’t make it to the mission field in another country – it just may be that God is calling you to a mission field right in your own home, or neighborhood, or during your lunch hour at work.

We can pray for those opportunities.

We live in a world in desperate need of the Lord.

Not just today, or tomorrow, but every day.

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*Quotation from Dr. Robert Jeffress, Bible teacher, pastor, and author. Taken from Pathway Magazine, “Choosing the Extraordinary Life.” Accessed September 25, 2018. Page 16 of Impact Your Culture For God.”

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