Hit the Pause Button!

Have you ever been so busy that you thought you didn't have time to receive instruction and wisdom from God? That is probably me everyday! However, we see in I Samuel 9 that just like Saul, we can hear from Him in just a moment of time, even in the midst of "busy-ness," if we will but just take a moment to stop and listen. That's good news! The prophet of the Lord, Samuel, had encountered Saul and knew by the Spirit of the Lord that he was to be Israel's king. It was the prophet's job to anoint him as king. Samuel told him to come with him and that he would send him on his way.

I Samuel 9:27, "As they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go on ahead of us'-and the servant did so-'but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.'" (emphasis mine) NIV

We see that they were in the middle of walking on their way out of town. They were busily going on their way, on a mission from the Lord. And Samuel told Saul, "...but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from the Lord." (emphasis mine)

I believe this story shows us how we can receive guidance from the Lord in the midst of all of our busyness-on the run or in the middle of a crowd (or children) or activity we happen to be involved in. You see, we can't always take days off or even a day to go off by ourselves on a retreat to get direction and guidance from the Lord. But every single one of us can stop and take a few moments to ask the Lord for help and then listen and recognize His voice and receive wisdom from Him right when we need it the most. The operative word in verse 27 is "awhile." That means literally a short space in time. That's all it takes!

Just this week, I was hurriedly readying myself for a busy day of errands. I knew I would be gone for most of the day and needed to be out the door and on my way to an appointment that I didn't want to be late for. As I put the finishing touches on my hair, I paused for awhile and asked the Lord for His help. For I knew I needed to resolve an issue we were having with one of our children before leaving and I didn't know what to do. So I asked the Lord for wisdom. He immediately spoke to my heart and told me what I needed to hear. Now, it wasn't what I necessarily wanted to hear, but I figured the Lord knew better than I did, so I followed through and obeyed His word. Have you ever heard the Lord tell you something and you didn't want to do it? Boy, I sure have! In this case with my son, it turned out better than what I could have ever imagined! Isn't that just like God? He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us! (Eph. 3:20) The key was in my stopping long enough, in a moment of time, to ask Him, listen, and then obey His whispering instructions to my heart.

I John 2:27 says, "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him." NIV

By the anointing of the Holy Spirit living inside of you, you can be taught all things! Aren't you so thankful for the Holy Spirit living on the inside who teaches us?! I know I sure do need His help, guidance and wisdom on a daily basis! Remember in those busy times, to just stop and take a moment, awhile, and ask the Lord for His direction. It's kind of like hitting the pause button on an mp3 or CD player! He will have a message from heaven that is just right for you, for your situation, and it will be such a blessing in your life as you obey His word!

Pausing for His wisdom,
Kim Dillingham

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The Whole Family

The Whole Family

    "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man..." Ephesians 3:14-16

Have you ever thought about how amazing it is to be a part of this people in the earth today the Bible calls "the body of Christ?" Just to know that when I worship and pray and serve, I am not just doing it alongside the other folks at my local church, but in God's eyes I am working in the harvest alongside people of many different nations, and many different tongues who are called by His name. Knowing this puts a very different perspective on the way we see things as believers. 

For example, when we are admonished of things in Scripture such as to love each other fervently (1 Peter 1:22), bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2), or to pray for one another (James 5:16)...who is God talking about? The people we see every week in church, our Christian friend at work, or maybe even the Christians we've met through social media like Facebook?

There is a cry in my heart for us as believers to realize that Christ's body is so much bigger, and our responsibilities extend so much further than that! I am currently praying for a Christian woman in Sudan who is being persecuted for her faith. I have never met her and likely never will, but she is my sister in Christ and she is in desperate need of the grace and favor of God to prevail in her life, for great strength and courage, and for protection for herself and her 2 children. I saw her story in the news and immediately the Holy Spirit prompted me to begin praying for her. When I pray I call out her name as my sister Mariam, because that is who she is in God's heart and in my own. Because I am aware of who my "whole family" is spiritually speaking, I am able to pray with a faith and passion that is equal to the way I would pray for my own earthly family. 

Whether we are speaking of our fellow believers across the aisle, around the corner, or around the world, I ask that we would each pray and ask God to open our eyes and fill our hearts with compassion for our brothers and sisters in Christ who need our fervent love and support in so many ways. Let's allow God to pour through each of us in love, prayers, financial support and any other ways the Holy Spirit leads us to reach out and allow God to minister through us so that "the whole family" will know the great riches of His love. Imagine the strength we can bring to the body as we each follow His leading and simply do our part in His great plan in the earth!

No matter what country we are in and what our current situations look like, we need each other just like every family does. Let's flood heaven with praises and petitions on behalf of each other and lift up our missionaries, church leaders, fellow believers and the harvest of souls waiting to be won across the globe as we watch God fill the earth with His glory!

Your sister in Christ,

Debbie Beck

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