Hearing from God in Everyday Living
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The Invitation: While backpacking through a slot canyon in Utah, fellow hikers warned our group to be careful of the quicksand. They said a woman had fallen in up to her waist several days before. I quickly asked, “How did she get out?” They responded, “Her husband pulled her out.” This potential hazard sounded scary and not something I wanted to experience.
Seeing my dismay, one of our group members assured me that if I fell into quicksand I wouldn’t die. I just needed to respond appropriately. Although counterintuitive, since quicksand is filled with water, the best response is to put your head back and move to the edge with swimming-like motions. This made total sense to me. In water-like conditions, adapt to the principles of the water. Moving through water with the motions that are efficient over land, won’t work. Stop. Don’t panic. Readjust. My anxiety disappeared.
I thought of times in life when it feels as if I’ve stepped into emotional quicksand. I unknowingly wander into difficult situations where I worry, feel stuck, or keep working harder to get myself out, and anxiety creeps in. What if I took the time to shift gears, change my thinking, and do something new? Maybe even something counterintuitive? It might be a time to put my head back, find God in the midst, ask for help, and stop working so hard.
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness,
everything coming together for good,
will come and settle you down.
It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
–Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
Your Response: Thank you Lord that You came to save us. You offer us a way out of seemingly hopeless situations by inviting us to think and act differently. As I go through life, sometimes I step into situations that tempt me to sink into anxiety. When that happens, what is the best way to respond?
Is there a situation in my life where I am thinking or responding in a way that is outside of Your principles or ways? What would it look like for me to stop and readjust in this situation?
Thank you Lord that You promise to bring a sense of peace and to displace worry with Your love. Today I choose You and Your way, even when it’s counterintuitive or not how the world says to respond. May my heart be full of praise as I live with You at the center of my life.
The twirling blades of wind turbines spanned the horizon, and I pulled over to take a picture. Often I wish the turbines weren’t there, as if they’re cluttering the landscape. But that morning they seemed to be celebrating, lifting their arms in praise for the goodness of God. I paused, taking in the wonder, and asked, “Lord, what do You want me to know?” Then I listened as I drove down the road.
What does He want you to know? Let God speak to you through the picture and the following scriptures. Give Him even 5 minutes and see what you hear, see, or sense. It will be enough to make a difference in your day.
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
—Psalm 134 (NIV)
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey,
the people shouted, “Hosanna!
… Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent,
the very stones would cry out.”
–Luke 19:39-40 (ESV)
The Invitation: I tried to listen to the Lord—about whatever was on His mind. But even though I was sitting down, my mind was busy, as if it had turned into a playground for thoughts. They were racing, taunting, and jumping around. I pictured myself nestling up close to Jesus, determined to listen. He knew what was going on and calmly invited me to do a handoff. A handoff? Sounded like football to me. I looked it up.
Handoff–hand·off/noun: an exchange made by handing the ball to a teammate; to relinquish
—Oxford English Dictionary
“Handoff implies an interaction between two people with a common goal.
Also, handing off often means the other person is going to do something with the object.”
—english.stackexchange.com
I sensed Jesus telling me I had hopes and hard things that were blocking my capacity to listen to Him. The hopes were things that were out of my control, and when they popped into my mind, a simple prayer would still their voices. I chose to pray “Giver of Life, Your kingdom come” when my dreams or desires tempted me to take things into my own hands. The prayer was a handoff or relinquishment to the Lord.
The hard things? They were tasks that are necessary but no fun, making complicated decisions and plans, the details of life, etc. I made a list of all those things and handed it off to Jesus in prayer. I don’t expect Him to do them for me, but He will manage the list and even go before me—leading me to what is the most important for today and encouraging me along the way.
Circumstances hadn’t changed, but my mind had free space. I could listen to the Lord, and I realized that handing off hopes and hard things allowed me to take on God’s perspective and heart. It also allowed God’s hand to be at work in circumstances beyond my reach.
Therefore…let us strip off every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
—Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Your Response: (Pray) Lord, I don’t want anything to get in the way of being able to hear Your voice. I give You permission to strip off things that block me or slow me down from being available to You. You are the One who sets good things before me and shows me the way.
Lord, when hopes come into my mind that I can’t make happen, what words do I pray to hand them off to You?
(Listen and write down what you hear. Then practice using this prayer; sense the difference it makes.)
Lord, bring to mind all the hard things on my mental to-do list.
(Listen and write them down in any order.)
I handoff the list to You, Lord. (Picture yourself doing so in prayer.)
Thank you for showing me what I’m to do in the next hour or day, and how You want to help me complete the tasks.
Now, Lord, I’m ready to listen. What’s on Your heart?
And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
—1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
Page 7: What If. . .
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them….
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?
You must follow me.”
–John 21:20-22 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I keep trying to figure things out. Why are they doing that? What’s going to happen? I have a lot of questions. But I just want to understand, I tell myself, then try every angle I know to make sense of the irrational, confusing, tragic, or unexpected circumstances that come up.
Thinking this way isn’t wrong, but when it is my focus, anxiety creeps in and poisons my sense of peace and well-being.
What is the antivenom to this poisonous way of thinking? Trust. Being certain that God’s character is good. Believing He is at work and He watches over me and those I care about. Holding loosely to the unknowns instead of demanding an answer to regain my false sense of control. Letting go of my longing to understand.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all you ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
–Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV)
I realize I want understanding and I want peace, but often they don’t walk hand-in-hand. When I choose to trust God, He leads me on the right and good paths of life. He brings a peace which transcends human understanding, a peace that guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus and results in a wave of well-being. This is how I want to live. A life of surrender and trust in the One who is trustworthy.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:6,7 (NIV)
Try it out…
Lord, is there any place I’m experiencing anxiety due to my desire to figure things out so I can hang onto an illusion of control?
What would it look like to exchange this desire for trust?
How can I trust You today in practical ways?
Lord, Thank you for being trustworthy and working all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purposes. I choose today to put my full, complete trust in You.