Hearing His Voice

"The voice of God is a friendly voice. No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it."

A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963

It was a beautiful afternoon when I went across the street and took snaps of our neighbor's lake.
 

I read a different perspective on hearing God's voice last week. Chris Tiegreen started with an interesting introduction to relate God speaking to us. He spoke about scout bees that find new locations for a nest and give a detailed map to the rest of the swarm. He spoke of fireflies lighting up simultaneously without any apparent prompting from a leader. I wasn't too interested in the spiders, but he mentioned birds migrating across thousands of miles year after year without losing their way.

How? he asked. An inaudible voice. That's when he continued about people, and hearing God's voice.

"The Word that lived among us is the Word that formed us from the beginning . . . We are governed by the sound of God's voice, guided by an inaudible expression of His will . . . Know that even when you don't hear God's voice, you are being held together by its power and led by His intentions. His wisdom is in every cell of your body and every impulse of your brain." "Hearing His Voice"

In ways we'll never understand, God is completely in us, and He directs us every day. His Spirit teaches us, guides us, helps us, prays for us and is 100% in us. If He can create birds that can fly to the same nesting grounds each year, or fish that swim 100s of miles to their nesting ground, He can seal His guidance in our bodies too.

"God infuses His way into the very depths of our soul. He directs us from within. He fills us with himself." Tiegreen, Walk With God

It's all kind of amazing. But that's the way our God is. The Creator of all things. There are so many amazing facts, proven 100% over time, and we'll never understand how. 

The reds and oranges of fall are lovely!

"If you keep watch over your heart and listen for the voice of God and learn of Him, in one short hour you can learn more from Him than you could learn from man in a thousand years."

Johann Tauler, 1300-1361

By His Grace . . .

Beauty of Fall

The sky may have been gray, but the leaves were stunning! This scene is of the Clarion River as it goes around a bend off of Millcreek Road.

"October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came--

The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band."

George Cooper

And what a party it's been! Last week I had the opportunity to go on some "fall color" drives three days, and I was delighted with the show! Come along and see some of the beauty I enjoyed!

I discovered this lovely pond blanketed with orange and yellow leaves.

"I love autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it."

Lee Maynard

Wildlife out enjoying the day, peacefully grooming.

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."

Martin Luther

" The testimony of nature alone is sufficient to lead man to an understanding of the personal righteous nature of God so that they are without excuse."

Romans 1:20

I was delighted to take pictures of my neighbor's lake one early sunrise. The gray sky didn't want to disappear, but I enjoyed the beauty anyhow.

"Thy bounty shines in autumn unconfined,

And spreads a common feast for all that lives."

James Thomson, 1700-1748

After a delicious lunch in Bellefonte with a Maryland friend, I was delighted with blue sky, white clouds and brilliant fall color as I drove back on I 80.

"In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October, when the trees are bare to the mild heavens, and the red leaves bestrew the road, and you can feel the breath of winter, morning and evening -- no days so calm, so tenderly solemn, and with such a reverent meekness in the air."

Alexander Smith

What's there to say about beautiful except it's beautiful!

Portrait of Fall

"Looking out my window At October's golden light,

I see a beauty unsurpassed, A truly lovely sight.

"Leaves are saying soft goodbyes As they come floating down

To make a nature's carpet Of yellow, red and brown.

"Mountain tops now turned to white, Forewarn of winter chills,

While trees like golden rivers, Wind their way up through the hills.

"Throughout our world's creation You will ever find it thus,

Kaleidoscopes of color, In God's Hand, the artist's brush."

Alora M. Knight

Animals were enjoying the color too!

"May you Fall in love with October and all the beauty it brings. May your life be as colorful as the turning leaves, on each blessed autumn day."

Charmaine J. Forde

A lovely fall country scene as I continued my drive home via Rt. 28, past Brockway. Jerry said it looks like PA,

"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."

Lauren DeFtefano

On Moore Bridge Road as I neared home, the North Fork River was beautiful too.

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons."

Jim Bishop

Through the woods in the forest and found these bright and happy type of grass/ferns. Not sure which, but I loved seeing them!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

L. M. Montgomery

This lovely scene a few miles from home on Rt. 36. A dear women gave me permission to walk in her backyard to capture it!

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love -- that makes life and nature harmonize . . . delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

George Eliot

Every time I pass this pond on Rt. 949 I enjoy seeing it. but with all the fall beauty it was stunning!

A Beautiful Fall

Dean N. Julia

"The leaves are changing and so is the weather

It's time to put away shorts and put on the sweater

Halloween is near and Thanksgiving is coming

My favorite time of year this is becoming

'Tis the season of pumpkin and apple

An ordinary time for loved ones to meet at the chapel

I wish they appreciated the beauty of fall

Then and only then they could see why it's the best season of all."

With every leave a miracle . . .  Thank you, God, for your majestic and beautiful creation! I praise you and worship you, and I'm thankful my eyes were opened to see all the beauty you made for me!

By His Grace . . . 

Breath of God

Yes, I could take a stroll down this drive and breathe in the beauty from the Hand of God.

A scripture verse in 2 Timothy has always encouraged and inspired me. You've heard it many times if you've been a Christian for any length of time.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Verse 3:16

These words were given by Paul to advise Timothy, and all of us, that scripture is by God. We can believe it, trust it, be encouraged by it and grow with it. There can be no doubt whether Scripture is man written or God written. God wrote the Bible. That's a fact.

I recently read a devotion by Rick Renner, a new author for me. He titled his devotion: "Let God Breathe Into Your Life!" Rick is a leader, teacher, and author within the global Christian community. One of his devotion books is titled: "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" and each devotion breaks down several Greek words to help understand Scripture.

It fascinated me reading about this Scripture verse and the true meaning of the Greek words involved. He focused on the word "inspiration." All the quotes I share here are from Renner's devotion book, except the last one.

"Your Bible is one of the greatest sources of power on earth! . . . If you learn how to tap into God's Word and let its power flow into you, it will equip you with wisdom, answers, and the power to overcome in every single situation in life . . . inspiration is the picture of God breathing or emitting His own substance into something . . . The Word was breathed out from God and thus carries His very essence and fragrance within it . . . This power continues to sustain the universe -- is still working inside the Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as it was the day it was penned by 'God-breathed' writers."

"Pneuma" is the Greek word where we get the word "inspiration." It is the picture of God breathing or emitting His own substance into something.

"When God was ready to speak to mankind, He held up human language to His mouth and breathed into it. After breathing His pneuma power into the language to produce life-giving words, God moved upon the hearts of those He had called to write His book, and men began to write under divine inspiration. As God continues to breathe on words, and phrases and sentences, His Word began to form and take shape until finally it had become the Bible as we know it today.

"God didn't just inspire the writing of the Bible. God Himself--His life, His life-force, His essence, power, energy, dynamism, and power -- is contained inside the Word . . . The supernatural breath and life of God that is held within His written Word . . .  brings benefit to the one who reads it, meditates on it, and taps into its pneuma [inspiration] . . . By studying and meditation on the Word, you will learn to unlock the power contained within it. And when you have unlocked that door, the power of God will come pouring into your life and into the situations you are facing."

Knowing God Himself wrote the words contained in His book, through men and women He miraculously inspired to write, so that normal people, like you and me, could understand it and gain wisdom and power through it, is indeed miraculous!

You can't pick and choose what you will believe in the Bible. God wrote it all. All of it is true. We may not like some parts, and may not want to follow some parts, but every word is from our God.

GotQuestions.org is a ministry to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation and other spiritual topics. The following quote is from their website:

"Although 2 Timothy 3:16 may be the only place in the Bible where the phrase 'God-breathed' is used to describe the Word of God, Scripture is replete with similar claims. These are actually God's Words reminding us that His truth and love can be found there to guide us in all aspects of life. Perhaps James has the final word about the nature of Scripture (and many other things) when he proclaims, 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

We can trust God's Word, the Bible. I'm so thankful!

By His Grace . . .

Seasons of Life

"Each moment of the year has its own beauty . . . a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882 

Beauty to come . . .

Seasons. I'm so glad I live in a part of the country that experiences all four seasons. They are all beautiful in their own way. I especially like fall because of the beautiful color displayed in nature. Spring brings us new birth in animals, plants and lovely blooms. Summer brings us giant, white, fluffy clouds and lightening bugs, and winter brings us snow. We can experience in our mind just what God says about "washing our sins as white as snow." for the beauty is exceptional!

On a recent Sunday morning a prayer was said at the beginning of the worship service. God was thanked for the fall season we are coming into, and we were reminded that God is with us in all seasons of life. I hadn't heard that said before and it really touched me.

"There's winter, spring, summer, and fall. Just like the natural seasons change, so do the seasons in our lives. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, 'For everything there is a season.' It tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11, '[God] has made everything beautiful in its time.'"

Two days after I heard those words about reminding us of our seasons of life, I read these words in "Beautiful Wisdom":

"The Bible teaches us that God ordained the seasons. He set them in place and wants us to enjoy them. In the same way, we go through different 'seasons' in our spiritual lives too. Think about it. Our hearts can get frozen over (winter). Then God breathes new life into us, and a thawing begins (springtime). From there, we move into full blossom, a season of productivity (summer). Then, as with all things, we slow down, preparing for change (autumn)."  Beautiful Wisdom, Barbour Publishing

It always makes me smile when I read or hear something that touches my heart and then a few days later it is confirmed somewhere else.

Just as we enjoy the seasons in nature, we can look upon the seasons in our own life and know God is in charge and will care for us just as He cares for nature. His creation is beautiful, and a life living for Christ is beautiful too. No matter what season we are in, because of His care and love for us, we will get through and He will make something beautiful out of it.

"'Paul told Timothy: Preach the word of God, be instant in season and out of season.' We can be confident that God is working things out for our good no matter how things are going in our external world. God's main purpose is to prepare and form us for eternity, to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. When we understand that, we can understand that we are not going to have easy seasons all the time. Even the blessed man of Psalm 1 who meditates on the world bears fruit 'in its season' Psalm 1:1-3. Whether we see fruit in our current season or not, God is still at work, preparing something good for us."

Unknown

A favorite hymn of mine is "This is My Father's World." He has made His world beautiful, all seasons of the year!

"This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears,

All nature sings, and round me rings -

The music of the spheres.

"This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.

"This is my Father's world, The birds their carols raise;

The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world, He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere."

Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901

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By His Grace . . .