Category Archives: Hearing from God

A Purple Bible

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Finding myself back in the Chicago suburbs last weekend, I had no idea how much fun God had in store. Baby showers are always energizing as women gather to celebrate new life and help “induct” young parents-to-be into the adventure of parenthood.

Roxanne and me.After the shower, I listened to one of the other guests tell stories of God-sightings in her life, always an inspiration. Hearing the details of another woman’s radical trust in God urges the rest of us to trust him “just like that.”

Roxanne told of a recent mission trip to Hungary with the church high school youth group. Their purpose was to teach English to Hungarians by day and fellowship with them by night. Those whose native language is English are welcomed into foreign cultures by those wanting to learn the language. Roxanne, along with the other leaders, prayed God would use them in ways that would bring the students closer to him.

When Roxanne’s luggage didn’t appear in the Hungarian airport, she became a celebrity of sorts, borrowing clothes for a few days and remaining upbeat about her suitcase. Thankfully she’d packed her “necessities” in her carry-on bag.

One of those necessities was her favorite Bible, the one her husband Ricky had given her as a birthday gift years before. It was unusual in that it was purple, and through the years Roxanne had underlined and filled the margins with notes of personal discoveries.

One evening a Hungarian student named Sabrina noticed Roxanne’s purple Bible. In broken English she asked about it, and Roxanne felt God nudging her to give away her Bible.

“Really, God?” she said. “She can’t even read English, and this is the English Standard Version!”

Purple BibleSabrina asked to see the Bible, and Roxanne resisted, not wanting to part with her treasure. But she had prayed God would use her, and God’s intention was clear.

As Sabrina was walking away with the purple Bible tucked under her arm, Roxanne said, “Try to read the underlined words first. I’ll be praying for you.”

Roxanne’s prayers about the trip began to change. For one thing, they had Sabrina’s name in them. They also pleaded with God to open her understanding to the underlined words in the Bible.

Roxanne wasn’t able to go on the next mission trip back to Hungary, but when that was over, those who’d gone told her they’d seen Sabrina, who was still working at her English. And she was carrying the purple Bible.

God works wonders with his Word and watches over it carefully. From our point of view, it’s a long shot that Sabrina will manage enough English to understand and appropriate the words inside her purple Bible. But Roxanne is trusting God to teach her — both the English language and the truths of his Word.

“My Word…. shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

It’s in my head.

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Every Tuesday morning a small group of women gathers in our church library to pray. We try to take God at his word: that he hears us, acts on our requests, and has the power to change the lives and circumstances we pray about.

As we sit around an oval table each week, I sometimes think about God’s perspective. Though we believe he’s near, we also know he’s watching from his high position in the heavenlies. He sees us spreading out our prayer lists and knows we’re hoping he’ll do spectacular things in the lives of those we’re about to pray for.

GiftsBut he sees something else, too: the blessings he has prepared for those of us who assemble to pray.

We don’t ask for them, but our generous God has them wrapped and ready for our little group every single week. It might be an unusual prayer spoken over someone who is particularly precious to one of us. Or one of our Scripture cards might do something powerful as it’s read aloud.* Or it might be a direct word from him plunked into the heart of one of us during moments of silence between requests. Or, like today, it might be an insight shared from one woman to the rest of us.

Prayer mugs

The requests that come to us include people who desire reconciliation with someone else. This morning as we talked about forgiveness, we chose verses to pray over those people. And then we spent a few minutes talking about sins of the mind and how insidious they are, how difficult to route out.

That’s when God’s gift of new understanding came in a statement made by one of the ladies: “Why do you think Jesus died on a hill that looked like a skull?”

Place of the Skull.I’d never given much thought to the name of the place where Jesus died and what it meant: Golgotha (“place of the skull,” John 19:17). Though it’s named for its resemblance to a skull, might it include a warning to be especially vigilant to guard our minds against sin? After all, the grey matter inside our skulls is where sin-battles rage. Whether we’re making a yes-or-no decision to do something we know is wrong, or are wrestling with sins already committed that need forgiving, it’s all mental torment.

If we learn to attack evil at its starting point, in our heads, we have a much better chance of living victorious Christian lives. And today, as I understood the dramatic picture-link between “Golgotha” and the sins inside my skull (for which Christ died), I knew our generous God had given us yet another gift during our prayer time, this one an intensely practical one.

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

*(God’s Wish List)

Seeing Eye-to-Eye

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A week ago while I was visiting Linnea and her family of 6 in Florida, I marveled at how she got so much accomplished each day. Maybe that’s because she’s a goal-setter and a list-maker, but I think it’s more about knowing that her life as a wife and mother is a high calling.

I enjoyed watching Linni deal with 4 young children, home-schooling 2 and keeping careful track of the others. Somehow she manages to spend one-on-one time with each of them, each day.

Linni and kids.

Of greatest interest to me was her method of discipline, probably because I was never much good at that as a young mom. When Linnea was about to reprimand one of the kids, she’d always start the same way. Bending down to their level she’d say, “Skylar (or Micah or Autumn), look at me.”

The child might take a quick glance at Linnea’s face but then, inevitably, would look away, knowing that whatever was coming next wouldn’t be good. But Linni wouldn’t deliver her message before she’d gotten their full attention. “Look at my eyes,” she’d say again. “Here,” pointing to her eyes. “Look here.”

The child often took another quick peek but then repeatedly looked away until Linnea absolutely insisted. “Eyes,” she’d say. “Right here,” pointing to her own. When finally both pairs of eyes locked in, she’d “deliver the goods.”

God does the same thing with the rest of us. Though I can never physically look him in the eyes, I can always “see” what he’s trying to tell me through what Scripture says. But watching Skylar, Micah, and Autumn automatically look away from Linnea was a powerful object lesson for me.

How often do I do the same thing with the Lord, glancing left or right or even worse, right past him, pretending not to notice he wants me to pay attention? Of course trying to dodge the gaze of the Almighty is ridiculous, even more so than children trying to avoid their mother’s eyes.

The Lord goes to great lengths to connect one-on-one with us. And thankfully he perseveres, because he has important things to say. The only way to move forward in the Christian life is to listen to him and then heed his words.

Hebrews 12 offers a warning: “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking,” meaning Jesus. (v.25) Even if we know his message is going to be one of rebuke or correction, we can take comfort in knowing his discipline comes from a heart of love. (vv.5-6) So there’s never reason to fear receiving his focused attention.

As for Linnea’s children, one day they’ll thank her for taking the time and making the effort to always look them in the eyes.

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus….” (Hebrews 12:1-2)