April 5, 2006- In the midst of selling our house (which might have foundation problems), a $1300 plumbing repair, our church’s building campaign, and being 8 months pregnant, I was reading 2 Samuel 22 and found many reminders and promises.

v.3-“My God is my rock, in whom I find protection”

v.7-“In my distress I cried out to the Lord…for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry reached His ears.”

v.26-“To the faithful You show Yourself faithful; to those with integrity You show integrity.”

v.31-“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.”

v.33-“He makes my way perfect.”

June 5, 2006- With a one-month-old, a house we’d been in for 2 weeks full of boxes, etc., Jim and I were getting a little snippy. That day I read Job 40:8(God talking)-“Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?” I realized that there wasn’t really a point in trying to prove that I am right to anyone- especially Jim. It’s argumentative, unproductive and unkind most of the time. That night, Jim and I had a good talk about the pressures we were dealing with.

July 4-6, 2006- We needed some new furniture, and having spent a lot paying for a baby and buying a new house, I was stressed about spending that much money. I was in Proverbs that week, and found these gems…

Prov. 10:16- “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives.”

Prov. 11:25- “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Prov. 12:14- “Hard work brings rewards.”

We bought the furniture!

August 16, 2006- I was asking forgiveness for ignoring my quiet time for weeks. Jeremiah 31:18-22 expressed my heart- “Turn me again to You and restore me… I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity!”

December 16, 2006- With a couple of wayward family members constantly on my mind, I read that day Hebrews 6: 4 & 6-“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened…It is impossible to bring such people back.” BUT… I was reminded of a verse I had read a few months before, Luke 1:37-“NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.”

December 20, 2006- When it rains it pours. Another family member was being unfairly stripped of their job, right before Christmas, and it was hurting deeply- financially and relationally. That day I prayed James 5:13, 16-18 for them and sent 1 Peter 1:6-7 to them-“There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.”

Alright, I don't know who is "listening" out there, but God has been impressing on me for a few weeks that I need to get a message out to everyone I can possibly influence. So stay with me, this is going to be a 2- or 3-parter at least.  

I'm going to jump right in. I think we (Christians) have fallen into a lifeless and sometimes dangerous pattern of not hearing from the Lord about the things we struggle with day to day. I'm afraid that the only times we seem to really "get a word" from God is when we're struggling with something and the preacher may say something on Sunday that gets to us, or a song comes on the radio at just the right time, or a friend sends us a note of encouragement just when we need it, or we see something in nature that reminds us of God's presence in our lives. I am so grateful for these moments that the Lord sends our way, but is that the sum total of our real encounters with Him? What's the last thing you heard God say to you through your regular quiet time? Again, stay with me. I am so burdened right now to show you that God wants to say a specific word to you about the specific struggles or circumstances that you are dealing with.  

And, though He sometimes uses preachers and songs and Beth Moore Bible studies, the best way for you to hear that specific message is through spending time in His Word. We all hate dealing with recordings when we call a company with a customer service issue. I personally want to be able to press "0" and get to a live person as soon as possible. The difference between getting counsel from a Christian book or sermon or even trusted friend and getting it from your quiet time with God is like the difference between getting help from an automated phone service and talking to a live company representative. "The Word of God is living and active..." (Heb. 4:12) It's alive!!! It's real and relevant to me and to you. 

 I know these things are true because God has done this for me, time and time again. Not every day, because I'm not always listening. I mean, honestly, these days my quiet time usually lasts as long as a Dora the Explorer episode or shorter, and that's if I get up early enough. Here's what I'm going to do, so stop reading when you get bored. I'm going to start through my journal which I've been working on since March 2006. I'm going to give you real live examples of things I went to God with and how He answered me through His Word- whether I was in Leviticus or James. I mean, come on, God is God, and He knows what Bible reading plan you're on. That time period for me includes most of the toughest 18 months in my life and also some great periods. I'm not sure how the Lord will use this, I hope some of you will comment if it's helpful. I'll start with this example before I wrap up part 1...

  This morning my heart was wrapped up with this very topic, and I so wanted to honor God in the way I handled it. Here's what He said- "Learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately... for the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him you will find Him." 1 Chron. 28:9 "For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know." 1 John 2:27 Pretty cool! I'm praying for you.