Entry 04 - March 3rd, 2014
It came over the airwaves like a primal telegraph...or Tommy can you
hear me?
Well I'm a few weeks behind in posting to the blog...and I'm
sure that most people are not surprised by that fact. Be that as it may, I do
have a good bit of stuff prepared that I felt compelled in my heart to share
with everyone that will in fact put me right back on target to meet my weekly
goal.
I was recently reminded of a series of short messages I
wrote for my brother to be used for a week of summer camp about seven years
ago. They were told from the perspective of Jesus and used as voiceover to
video pieces that were shown to the campers as part of the daily message in
order to engage them on the nature of faith and the voice of God. I recently
reread them and felt that the words within were inspired by something more than
just me being clever and thought they might be just what hits the spot for you
today...they certainly have for me. I'll post them daily and my prayer is that
it speaks to everyone in some way...
The Voice of God is Powerful
Sound. It surrounds you in hundreds of ways throughout your
daily existence. Some of these you recognize and focus your attention on –
musical instruments, different animal calls, the breeze rustling through the
palm fronds, a nearby stream, voices of those around you – while others slip
past or are not within your auditory range – a heartbeat, a dog whistle, your
normal breathing. These things fill you and have multiple influences on how you
perceive the world around you. They are part of who you are and how you were
designed to function. It’s no wonder then that the thought of silence is both
foreign and frightening to you at times.
Close your eyes. I want you to be as quiet as you can and
imagine with me for a moment. With your eyes closed and the lack of sound it’s
almost like a void – like there is nothing. In this expanse of darkness there
is no shape or form…and yet there is a presence, something residing outside of
the darkness…moving through it. All of a sudden the silence is shattered by a
voice – commanding and powerful, but not in a loud or brash way – speaking into
that blackness. “Let there be Light.” And it happened. The darkness retreated
and a warm glow radiates and illuminates the coming creation. This happened a
lot in those first few days. The sound of His voice would fill everything and
whatever was spoken became a new part of the creation. The planets and galaxies
of stars hanging in the heavens were called forth from His lips. The animals of
the earth and sea and the birds filling the skies were realized in the words
echoing from his purposed speech. It is truly beyond understanding what kind of
power it is to be able to speak an entire universe into existence, even down to
the very beings created in His image that have been resuscitated to life by the
very breath of the Divine. Can you feel it?
Think of it just for another moment. Imagine what that kind
of power must be like…to be able to create something from nothing just by
speaking it. It’s incredible…and comforting too. There is a certain comfort in
knowing that voice, knowing that at any moment it could resonate from the
heavens like thunder and send shudders through the earth…and yet He chooses to
speak quietly in our hearts and minds. David felt much the same way when he
described the nature of the voice of my Father, indeed the very nature of the
Father, when he sang about a strong tower and a refuge in the midst of daily
struggles. Even in his darkest moments, when everything seemed to be turning
against him David sang about his GOD who was above all others and commanded the
very elements of this world. David knew the voice. And he knew that, despite
all of the twisted paths that were stretched out before him, the power in my
Father’s voice was calling him down the path where he could find rest and joy
and comfort even in the midst of the most troubled times of his life.
You might be asking yourself, what does that really mean to
me? Well think of it in your own life…are there times when things seem
overwhelming? Like everything and everyone seems to be trying to bring you
down? Even in my own time here on earth I had moments when I felt like even the
people I considered my best friends were not really there for me…but my Father
was always there. And He still is, if you want Him to be. That’s the truly
amazing thing about Him. Even with all of His power and strength, He will not
force Himself on you. He will wait for you to call out to Him, and He stands
there with open arms to receive you.
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