Roses from God

June 7, 2009 · Filed Under spiritual hearing · Comment 

A friend of mine told me a wonderful story yesterday about an experience he had in hearing God. I was so moved by the story that when I told my wife his story, I started to weep. It’s such a wonderful story of God’s love, and how God uses people who hear him to speak his love to other.

My friend, Allan, was only teenager when one day he was headed out on a bike ride for some exercise. As he was getting ready, he sensed that “still, small voice” say, Do you see those roses over there? Go pick some and take them to the pastor’s wife.”

He was a little reluctant at first. God was interrupting his exercise routine, but he knew what heard. So, he picked a few roses, hopped on his bike and headed over to the pastor’s house to drop off the roses. On the ride over there, he kept saying to himself, “I’m just going to knock on the door, give her the roses and get out of there.”

After he knocked, the door opened up and he handed the pastor’s wife some roses and said, “Here. God wanted me to give you some roses.” He quickly hopped on his bike and rode away.

The next Sunday, Allan and his family went to church as normal. It was a small church, and everyone knew everyone. At the close the service when people were leaving, the pastor’s wife pulled Allan aside and said, “I just wanted to let you know that you heard God that morning. Before you showed up, I was telling God how lonely I was and how invisible I felt, like no one loved me. I asked him to show me that he loves me, and then you show up with roses from God. I want to encourage you, Allan, that whatever voice you heard that morning, tune into it. That was God.”

I share this story as another example that God has such a desire to speak into our lives. And, maybe it’s not all about us. Maybe he wants to speak into our lives so that we can be a blessing to others.

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Does God really love me and accept me?

March 3, 2009 · Filed Under accepted by God · Comment 

This question is so key to our walk with God. I believe it’s a question we ask ourselves constantly. But, it’s not a question we ask out loud or even think about directly. Rather, it’s a question that looms deep in our soul, deep in those sub-conscious regions of our mind. It’s the filter in which we perceive God.

Yesterday, I was having an interesting dialogue with my Father. And, it started with a question. While the question may sound condemning at first, it was not at all. But, it was very engaging.

    Son, why do you hold back and choose not to spend time with me in the morning?

    I guess many times I feel like you don’t have anything new to say to me. Or, I don’t trust that I’m hearing you or obeying you.

    I know you love me. I know that. I guess I just don’t feel worthy, because I make so many mistakes.

    Son, do you really think your performance, your ability to be good enough counts for anything?

    It’s got to count for something. The whole law of sowing and reaping.

    Son, there is nothing you can do that can sway my love for you. The reason I don’t like sin is that, in your mind, you think it pushes me away. Guilt, shame, condemnation—those never come from me, son. Never.

    I see you perfect. I see you as Christ.

I realized yesterday morning that I am way too hard on myself. I try to determine God’s feelings towards based on my feelings towards myself. If I’m mad at myself, then surely God is mad at me. But, he’s not.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8, 9).

In the mornings, when I start to feel condemned for making mistakes or discouraged for failing in some area of my life, I immediately think of Lamentations 3:23,

“The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day” (Lamentations 3:22, 23).

His mercies begin afresh each day, each morning. His love is unfailing. It never ends. His mercy keeps us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness. Great!

I can’t even begin to describe what this means to me spiritually. His mercy is new every morning. Every morning, I am given the opportunity to succeed. Even if I fail the day before, his mercy is new every morning.

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It’s all about love

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under spiritual hearing · Comment 

If there is one thing I hear the most when I hear God speak, it’s this, “I love you, son. I love you so much.”

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God–for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

When I talk about hearing God, you will often hear me say, “It’s all about love.” You see, according to the above verse, God is love. So, if he is love, then everything he says to us is filtered through his love, through himself.

There was a season early in my journey with God where I asked him to show me how much he really loves me. During those days, he would often show me glimpses of his love for me.

I remember this one time specifically. I was upstairs in this office having some quiet time, praying and listening. It was pouring down rain outside. Downpour.

As I looked out the window, I had this thought, Each drop of rain is like a lens, a prism. You can see through it. And, since each drop of rain is a slightly different shape, each drop of rain gives you a different perspective. Then, God spoke, “Son, with every drop of rain in this downpour, I look at you with a different perspective of love. I see you through each rain drop, and I love you that many different ways.

I sure felt loved that day. God’s deep love for us goes beyond anything we can measure or understand. Even when we mess up, he loves us. Even when we fail him, he loves us. Even when we lose hope, he loves us.

Here’s the rest of that scripture in 1 John 4:

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (v. 9-10).

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