14 Times in 6 Chapters

 This morning I read in the book of Numbers. Not the most exciting Bible reading. A phrase kept coming up a total of fourteen times in six chapters. What was the phrase? "Then the LORD spoke to Moses." That struck me especially since the bulk of my prayer this morning was asking God to speak to me and listening. 

Prayer can be rushed with a list of requests without taking time to listen for what God wants to say to us. What He has to say to us is always more important than what we have to say to Him. How many really take time in prayer to listen? Some might ask how do you listen to an unseen God who rarely speaks audibly. You train your spirit to get in touch with His spirit. You must discipline the mind to be quiet before Him. I find this to be one of the most challenging aspects of listening. My mind often races like wild stallions across the prairie. Reigning in those thoughts is a battle. Satan uses his demons to plant thoughts in us to keep us distracted. The father of lies does not want us to quiet our minds to listen to God. With the weapons given us to fight these battles, we have to trust God to take our thoughts captive in obedience to Christ. [II Cor 10:3-5]

Do we really want to hear from God? He does not always speak uplifting devotional thoughts. He sometimes rebukes calling for repentance. He chastises when we are not compliant with His commands. He prophesies about future events. He calls us to assignments that require faith and courage. He guides us in decision making. He also reveals important truths that we do not know. 

My favorite part of seeking God is the listening. I never know what He might speak. This is the difference in religion and a relationship. The relationship consists of back and forth dialogue between followers and our supreme leader. There are times when God speaks something so important it changes our lives. 

He did that for me three years ago one morning reading Acts 16:9-10. Paul had a dream one night about a man from Macedonia calling him to come and help. That same passage showed up repeatedly that same week in several books I read. I knew God was speaking to me. A casual conversation over lunch days later confirmed it. I told Brenda that I sensed God was going to move us to a new church and I believed it was going to be in the Panhandle of Texas. Two years passed. One morning I received an email from pastor search committee in Fritch, TX telling me they received my resume. A friend sent my resume to them without my knowledge. I did not seek them or pursue a job with them. Based on the Acts 16:9-10 I agreed to a phone interview. For two years I believed there was a church crying out to God to send them help and that Brenda and I were the answer to that prayer. The last thing I told them during our phone interview that day was not to ever contact me again unless they were convinced I was God's man for them. I did not hear anything from them again for five months. After all that time they contacted me to inform I was their number one candidate. We had an in person interview and the rest is history. Brenda and my whole lives changed based on God speaking through one passage of scripture on a mundane morning. That is the thrill of seeking and following God. The same God who spoke to Moses also speaks to us. Are we listening? May He show us great and mighty things we do not know. Jer 33:3

Empty

 Have you ever run out of fuel in your vehicle leaving you stranded? It happened to me one time while riding with a friend. He ran out of gas and the engine stalled. The ironic thing is the guy was rich. He just neglected to stop long enough to refuel. We had to push his vehicle to the nearest gas station. Our cars and trucks have gauges to let us know when the fuel is running low. 

People don't have gauges to indicate they are running low of emotional, spiritual, and physical fuel. Many are living on empty. I'm not sure we could even call it living. People are going through the motions coasting on the fumes of past God encounters, and all the while they are empty, dry, and maintaining daily routines robotically. Empty people are often emotionally numb. Unable to feel deeply. 

This can happen as a result of burnout. It can be caused by repeated trials that eventually wear a person down. It can be the outcome of a life of trauma. No matter the cause, there are empty people walking all around us. People who appear to be alive on the outside, but they feel dead on the inside. Empty people are often hurting people. They may not even be able to express what is going on inside of them. They just know they are not right on the inside and in the mind. 

Well meaning believers may exhort them to read their Bible and to pray their way through the emptiness. The empty person may still do those things and still feel they do not benefit. What is a person to do when they feel empty? The enemy who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy [Jn 10:10] wants to isolate people in their emptiness. What they really need is someone to listen, someone to care, and someone who will not try to fix them. That is not our job. It is God's. 

Empty people need to reflect on activities that bring joy and refuel them. They may need to alter their routines to include these activities. Mark Batterson is an author and pastor and he writes that sometimes we need a change of pace and a change of place to get us back on track. Maybe a walk slowly taking in the scenery or take out a book to read for pleasure. Maybe lunch with a friend is a good medicine to refuel your spiritual, emotional, and spiritual tank. It may sound kind of silly, but it is amazing how a good nap can recharge our batteries and give us a fresh perspective. Empty people have little left to give. Refueled people are a tremendous help and blessing to those they encounter including empty people. 

My friend did not stop long enough to refuel his SUV all those years ago. It ended up costing him more in the long run. Maybe you to stop to do some refueling too before you are completely empty.