God’s Sycamore Song You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12 (NIV) God’s voice, or song, can be heard and experienced in many ways, but for me significantly in nature. The way trees move to and fro, the way ocean waves crash in a rhythm and the hypnotic sound of crickets on …
Category: hearing from God
I have a confession to make. I’ve always been the kind of person that acts first and reads directions later. I like to think I’m doing better in this area as I get older but, if I’m honest, I still prefer speed and action over slower, thoughtful effort. As you may know, sometimes doing things this way has negative repercussions. Earlier this spring, when weeds nearly covered our front yard, I decided to go to Lowes to get what I needed – weed …
Recently I endeavored to categorize all 750+ verses in the Bible pertaining to the heart. It was rewarding to discover the dozens of rich aspects of the heart. One such aspect of the heart is the idea of God putting deposits, plans and ideas into our hearts. First and best of all, as followers of Christ, God put a new heart in each of us at the moment of our salvation. You have a new heart. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I …
The heart is often described as the inner self but it’s also known as the center of our motivations. In other words, whatever you do or think, the underlying motivation or intent comes from your heart, not your mind. The Bible says that the word of God can discern the thoughts and intentions (motivations) of the heart. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and …
In my last blog, we looked at the definition of the heart, the need to be sensitive to our heart and we considered how to live from our heart. In this part 2 to the heart, we’ll examine how western culture values the mind and we’ll ask the question as to whether the heart is good. The Wonder and Dominance of the Mind In the western world, we tend to emphasize the mind over the heart. Think of the esteem we give to institutions of higher …
From the verse Proverbs 4:23 it’s easy to grasp that the heart is preeminently important. “Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow all the issues of life“ The heart is a hard thing to put into words and is surely mysterious. While the heart muscle in our chest cavity is easy to describe, the other heart, our ‘inner self’, is significantly harder to capture. Since we lead lives filled with desires, emotions, intentions, willful action, rational thoughts and whispering dreams, we might want …
With everything now in bloom, one of the most beautiful and mysterious plants we have to behold is the daylily. The word daylily means “day” and “beauty”, reminding us that the each bloom is but for one day. The idea of a beautiful flower only having one short day to shine and then being replaced the next day with another bloom is an idea that points us to both death and renewal. Daylily Death The daily death of the daylily reminds me …
Not long ago I was fortunate to participate in a weekend retreat at a Jesuit monastery that focused on prayer and silence. The prayer, the silence, the surrounding natural habitat, the prayerful monks and the beautiful architecture met a need in me that I hardly knew I had. It was as though the emptiness of the monastery somehow filled me up. The whole weekend was an opportunity to unplug from the world, to rest and to be silent. I quickly found …