To Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 11: 16

People from every tribe of Israel who were determined to seek the Lord God of Israel followed the Levitical priests to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors.

I wrote last week that my impression of Solomon’s offerings to the Lord were a sign that he sought the Lord and His wisdom. Today’s verse seems to support that idea. I am not suggesting that we need to buy the Lord’s favor, not at all. None the less, I also tire of people who want everything for free. I find this particularly true in the church. It seems to me that God and ministers should be honored in a tangible way. The people in today’s verse sought God with their hearts, their feet and their gifts.

The people referred to in today’s passage left their homes and travelled to Jerusalem to seek the face of their Lord. They did not arrive empty handed though. Do you think this is just an Old Testament idea? Maybe we don’t have to give good gifts to God anymore now that He has poured out Jesus for us. Or, do we need to make greater gifts because Jesus has been given for us? I truly believe it is the latter. I don’t think God requires it of us in the sense that He won’t meet our needs or answer our prayers, but I do think it matters to Him. I am sure He likes to be appreciated and honored for all He has done. Praise is more than words lifted up or a nice song. Praise can be very tangible. It can be a gift.

Today’s verse says two things to me: seek the Lord and give good gifts to Him. We fall woefully short these days. Why has the church come to this point? So, few people tithe? Why is that? The church is getting weak and many ministers are afraid to tell their congregants that giving is part of the faith. They do you an injustice and steal from you because giving is part of your livelihood. Look what it did for Solomon. God honored Solomon’s gifts by appearing to him in a dream and granting Solomon’s desire. Is it any mistake these two acts coincide? I don’t think so.

I want everyone who reads the Word of the Day to become very good at giving because I want to revitalize and strengthen the church. If we spend all our money on “stuff” instead of supporting the ministries, we deprive ourselves. It’s true. Giving is a way of life and an important part of serving our Lord. I would love to see the church rise up and show itself generous and loving. This is the way to change the world. We can be like the people in today’s passage who followed their pastor and made sacrifice to their King. They honored God and fed the priests all as a part of seeking God. What a beautiful example.  Why can’t we be like them?  What would it take and what would be gained?  I am sure it would be good for us.

Hearing Check-up

Isaiah 30: 21

Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Some people wonder if they are really supposed to hear God speaking to them. In light of this verse, what do you think? Of course, you know I believe in a close communion with God at all times. Not having it is what drove me to Anaheim. I went there determined to “get God.” I was already saved, had been for many years so it wasn’t a matter of salvation. I knew we were supposed to hear Him speak with us. I had read the Bible, and believed it. That meant I was missing something that had been promised.

God wants to speak to you. Better still, He wants to speak with you. He wants conversation, two-way exchange. He wants to live the “Intertwined” life which is the theme of Ivey Ministries. It was His idea. Daily guidance is achieved through hearing His voice in your ear as well as feeling the nudge in your spirit. If He is going to show us the path in which to walk, we need to be able to receive His guidance and that comes by God speaking to you and directing your steps.

If you don’t think you are hearing all of God that you should, let’s talk. Contact me and I can assist you. Here are some tips though. First of all, you might need to practice hearing His voice. Get into a quiet spot. Calm down your physiology and then quiet your internal dialogue. Some people like perfect quiet. I do better with nature sounds in the background. Breathe! That is my number one tip. You will be surprised what a couple of deep breaths do for you. Focus on your breathing. Perhaps you would like to inhale for a count of four, hold that breath for a four count and then exhale counting to four again. Do it for five seconds if you like. Counting helps bring your focus to your breath. Then, as you feel a calm descend upon you, begin to talk with the Father. Don’t “pray”. Don’t let formality enter in. Just say, “Hi Father. I thought I would come hang out with you for a while.” Then let conversation ensue just as if you were sitting across from a friend. You can ask Him a question. Don’t begin by asking the really hard questions, though. You will find it harder to hear because of your stress. Just talk with Him about bike riding or the weather. One of the funniest things that ever happened to me was a conversation with Him while I was riding my bike one day. It came so naturally that there was no doubt it was him speaking.

Also, I find the discipline of writing down what I hear going through my head helps me focus. I learned two-way journaling from my friends at CWG Ministries. Check out two-way journaling here.  You can also read some of what God has said to me while journaling here.  I took the 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice course. You can too.

The biggest part of hearing God’s voice, though, is deciding to. If you want to hear Him, if you are determined to, then you will. If it is not a priority with you, then it is going to be a bigger challenge. For those of you who understand that speaking with God is part of your inheritance, I wish to encourage you to seek this great relationship piece with all your might. Hopefully, you won’t have to fly 2500 miles away to get it but do what you need to do.

Waitin’ on Ya!

Isaiah 65: 24

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

When I was young, I worked in the tobacco fields with my cousins. We had a lot of fun though we certainly worked hard. We made the work a game by trying to work faster than the other group. Whichever group got ahead would shout, “Waitin’ on ya!” Thinking about that expression brings back good memories of my cousins and those hot southern summers. Hearing it now also makes me think about my heavenly Father. We did the recent series on seeking God. It is good advice all the time. Today’s verse goes well in a discussion on prayer but is equally potent in regards to seeking and finding.

Before you can even finish your thought, God is already attentive and answering. Really, He is just waiting for us to turn our faces towards Him. As soon as we open our hearts to Him, He is ready for conversation. Sometimes I wonder how long He has been speaking to me that I didn’t hear because I wasn’t paying attention. There have been times when I thought to journal and before I could get to my desk and get out my journal, I heard the Word pouring through me.

This is a good verse to know because it builds strength and confidence in our relationship with the Lord. It is a good promise. God cannot lie so you can know without doubt that when you turn towards Him, He is already there awaiting you. What a blessing of God this is! I hope you will call to the Lord and hear Him answering you, “Waitin’ on ya!”

Arm’s Reach

James 4: 8

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

I have been trying to answer the question, “Why should we seek the Lord?” God tells us to but at a more basic level, what motivates people to seek God? For me, it was an intense frustration at not being able to hear His voice clearly when other people could. That exasperation drove me 2500 miles to the other side of the country to rectify what seemed wrong to me.

There was a hunger within me to know the Father. Does not everyone have that desire? Was it my pastor who stirred up the desire within me the way the Apostle Paul did with Timothy? This idea that if we seek God, He will reach out to us has been a driving force in my teachings and in my own experiences. The experience I had in Anaheim, CA didn’t satisfy me. It made me want more of Him. I tasted of His presence in a way I never had before and that showed me more of what was possible. You get close enough to see behind the curtain and I want it all. The closer we draw to Him the more we want to draw closer.

This verse reminds me of Michelangelo’s painting of the hands of God and man which is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Man rather lazily extends His hand towards God. He is almost cavalier in his reach. You get the sense about God that He has been waiting a long time for the man to reach out, that He has been holding out His hand just waiting for us to reach out and take it. It seems God has been enthusiastically reaching out towards man waiting for man to reciprocate.

Looking at the painting makes me want to replace the man. In a sense, we all get that chance. What will we do with it? Will we lounge comfortably reaching only as far as is comfortable? Who will leap to their feet and pursue God? Is that promise that when you seek God, you will get Him sufficient motivation for anyone? What does it take to motivate us? Is it the reward? Probably not. It is more likely the pain of not having what you want. However, imbedded in there is the belief that you can actually have it. I believed God spoke to people and I could not understand why I was not hearing Him speak to me. If there is a gift of God, I want it and I will not be denied so I guess it is the sense of missing out on something that I can have that drives me. Being in His presence is worth everything. It is the greatest of all joys but maybe we need more pain to drive us. Maybe being left out moves us more than the promise of gain.

I don’t know how to motivate anyone but myself. I wish I did. I would do everything I can to get each of you to seek God at a greater level because I know how much it would bless you. For now, I can just say, the rewards are certainly worth it. You will find love and acceptance like you never have before. You will find release and peace within your soul. This message is for Christians. Seek more of God. Insist He give you more. He wants you to make a demand of Him and you have the promise right here in today’s verse. He cannot deny His own word so He must comply. Go Get Him, and don’t stop until He has gotten you.