Category: SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

LISTEN FOR THE SKYKLARK

Has God sent a skylark to you during this past year?  Maybe you have forgotten to look up and to listen.

I talked to a friend recently about the shutting down of businesses in her home town.  Crime has gotten so bad that even the Walmarts have closed their doors.   Cracker Barrel has also shut down, however my friend didn’t even know they had a Cracker Barrel, so that point was moot. A spirit of fear can fill our hearts.

A SURVIVOR

Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of Ravensbrück concentration camp. If ever there was a place for fear, it resided at that death camp.  The largest concentration camp for women in the German Reich, it was second in size only to the women’s camp in Auschwitz. The first prisoners interned at Ravensbrück were approximately 900 women in May 1939. By the end of 1942, the female inmate population of Ravensbrück had grown to about 10,000. In January 1945, the camp had more than 50,000 prisoners, mostly women. Can you imagine the despondency, terror, and desperation of the women interned there?

A BIRD SONG

Corrie recorded in her memoirs regarding Ravensbrück,“Once, while we were on a roll call, a cruel guard kept us standing for a long, long time. Suddenly, a skylark began to sing in the sky, and all the prisoners looked up to listen to that bird’s song. As I looked at the bird, I saw the sky and thought of Psalms 103:11. “O love of God, how deep and great; far deeper than man’s deepest hate.” God sent that skylark daily for three weeks, exactly during roll call, to turn our eyes away from the cruelty of man to the oceans of His love.”

FORGOTTEN WORDS

Has God sent a skylark to you during this past year?  Maybe you have forgotten to look up and to listen.  Maybe you have forgotten to let Him drill into your soul these truths: “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. (Psalm 33:4-11) Listen for the skylark!

For further reflection, read This is My Battle Cry

WHEN THE TRAIN GOES OFF THE TRACKS

It was one of those weeks. Tired, frustrated, exhausted.  Bummer day after bummer day.  Days when I felt not only like I’m not hitting the mark, but I didn’t even know what the target was.  It’s not that bad to have an occasional “off” day, but a row of them takes its toll. I’ve been on this track before.  Discouragement leads to depression, which leads to darkness, which leads to the pit. The train’s off the tracks. I’ve been derailed.

GOD IS RAINING ON MY PITY PARADE

How dare the psalmist write Psalm 96?  Verse after verse, he describes a party that is in full swing.  There’s a whole lot of singing, praising, exclaiming, offering, and worshipping.  Reading those words, I realize that God is raining on my pity parade.  He is transporting me from my circumstances to Who He really is.  It doesn’t matter what my friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or what the world news is saying.  The truth of the matter, in the midst of my mess, “The Lord reigns!”  God is not asking me my opinion or my take on my circumstances.  He reigns.

WE CAN ENDURE!

I’m to exist in the truth that “He will judge the world with justice and the nations with His truth.”  Can you hear this thundering in the distance? The roar of the angels? God’s purpose steamrolling down the tracks? Through the clouds He will lead us, straight into glory. Finally, all the evil and craziness of this world will be terminated because there He reigns, forevermore, oh, forevermore. We can endure!

JOIN THE CHOIR

Believers are offered the power to wait, by the grace of God, with patience so that not one minute is wasted that God gives us on this earth, no matter the adversity we face. As I’m writing this, the train has not arrived, but it is very close and I can see it in the distance. He will soon be coming. Yes, even though my vocal cords may be unwilling, I will “sing a new song to the Lord!” Read Psalm 96. Are you choosing to join in with the choir?

For Further Reading: Win the World With Singing

WHAT ABOUT THE POPPY?

Perhaps the God we remember is small, distant, disconnected, uncaring, and seemingly unwise.

Carefully we had to navigate amidst all of the photographers’ tripods and equipment in the Longwood Conservatory for the magical event. The blue poppies bloom for such a short time and then they are gone.  Why in the world did God create blue poppies and also give us the gift to see their magnificent bursts of color?  Why in His power would He allow something to exist just because it is beautiful?

A FUNCTIONAL ATHEIST

It’s easy for me to forget the blue poppies in my day to day life.  I often interpret the character, size and strength of the God Who rules when in my brokenness I judge by what I have not seen God do.  I sometimes exist as a “functional atheist”. Paul Tripp writes, “I have been struck that if I believed in the same “god” they described, I’d be in a panic too. Perhaps the God we remember is small, distant, disconnected, uncaring, and seemingly unwise.” I forget Who my powerful God and substitute Him with a mini-god. 

JOB COULD NOT EXPLAIN GOD

There is a wakeup call that God gave Job after all the explanations Job’s “friends” had given him for his extended disasters which included the death of all Job’s children, loss of all his wealth, loss of reputation, loss of the support of his wife, loss of health, and loss of peace of mind.  Job’s advisors began hammering away at him that everything was because Job had sinned and apparently Job had committed a whopper.  Job repeatedly told them that their words were meaningless, but Job also could not explain God. 

JOB, WHERE WE YOU?

Everything comes to a dramatic head. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? Get ready for a difficult task like a man; I will question you and you will inform me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding. Who set its measurements—if you know— or who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone— when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:1-7) In other words, “Job, where were you when I created the Himalayan Poppy?”

OUR OWN HEARTS: SMALL, DISTANT, AND UNWISE

We have the God who has the power to create the blue poppy and Who wants us to realize that the problem is not that He is small, distant, disconnected, uncaring and unwise.  The problem is that those words often best describe our own hearts: small, distant, disconnected, uncaring and unwise.

Do not forget the poppy!

Further reading: Ephesians 1:18-23

GOD IN THE MIDST OF SORROW

These past few weeks have been overwhelming.  I already had trouble comprehending the slaughter of over 1,200 people and the taking of hundreds of hostages on October 7th.  Then I saw on the news thousands of people not regarding October 7th as terrorism. Beg your pardon, but “terrorism” is defined as: “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims”.

STUNNED AND STILL STUNNED

What about October 7th was not violent, against civilians and not politically motivated?  What was the purpose of murdering women, children and babies?  I was stunned and am still stunned. 

HE FRUSTRATES THE PLANS OF THE WICKED

As my soul was grieving over the senseless violence, I came across Psalm 146:3-9: Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but He frustrates the plans of the wicked.

I FORGET WHO GOD IS

In the midst of all of this, I often forget Who God is.  I have made the mistake of expecting governments to do the right thing.  The writer of the Psalm is totally accurate regarding powerful people: “There is no help for you there”.  

HOW BIG IS MY GOD?

How big is my God? He “frustrates the plans of the wicked. He keeps every promise forever”. Afterall, He “made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them”. It can’t get any better than that! In the midst of this, I have become blind to seeing the Hand of God.  I dearly need the One Who “opens the eyes of the blind”. 

I HAVE A CHOICE

What is going to overtake my heart and mind?  Is it fear? Anger? Frustration? This is the God Who knows where the weapons are, Who knows where the hostages are, and the God “Who lifts up those who are weighed down.” I have to pause.  I have to let Him open the eyes of my blind heart.

IT WAS NOT RAIN THAT SMEARED THE WORDS

The print on the pages of Bill’s open Bible became a little smudged that day when my dear husband’s heart was broken

The first major death in my immediate family.  Four days previously my mom had dropped over dead in the church sanctuary. Now in that same room in which her heart had failed, we were having her memorial service.  Daddy asked my husband Bill to preach for the funeral. 

And so we began.  From my perch on the pew I could barely see Bill’s face.  The resident pastor gave the introduction.  It was then Bill’s turn to speak. He rose to the pulpit to commence giving the words he had worked so hard on. Understandably due to the strain, his voice was a little distorted. 

What Was That Noise

I then began to hear a kind of rumbling sound from the platform.  What was that noise?  I couldn’t hear Bill’s voice; there was just a long silence punctuated by that low choking sound.  Then it dawned on me.  My stoic husband was sobbing.  I had never heard him cry before. Grief was wracking his body. I prayed, “Dear Lord, please calm him down and give him the words.” Bill’s message was the only hope we had for the Gospel to be preached at my parents’ church where the Bible was rarely shared.  A miracle was needed.

WE QUIETLY WAITED AND WAITED SOME MORE

We quietly waited and waited some more.  The peace of God finally drifted down on my husband’s heart and mind. Bill took a deep breath and began to share about his mother-in-law Hazel and about the grace of Jesus Christ. The death, resurrection, and hope of salvation was clearly laid out for an audience who had rarely heard the Good News. 

IT WAS NOT RAIN THAT SMEARED THE WORDS

The truest words are those that have been pierced by the hand of God. The print on the pages of Bill’s open Bible became a little smudged that day when my dear husband’s heart was broken but the story of our Savior was clearly told.  “It was not rain that smeared the words.”

MY GROANINGS

Have you ever looked back at your prayer life and come to the realization, “I’m so glad that God didn’t answer my prayers the way that I wanted”? As early as I can remember, I found my identity in music – directing choirs, coordinating productions, coaching and teaching vocal students, and performing solo.  If you had asked me who I was, the word “musician” probably would have been in the first sentence. Then God slowly pulled me away, kicking and screaming, from that world. It was my season of groanings.

GOD WAS SHUTTING THE DOORS

Yes, I knew Jesus as Savior but I had no idea how I still fit into God’s plan. I felt robbed by God.  About 1/3 of my singing voice had departed due to overuse.  Due to arthritis, a lot of my instrumental skills were out the door.  With my eye issues, I even had trouble reading straight across a musical page.  What a mess! No matter how I prayed, God was shutting doors. It was not pretty.

HOW DOES THE SPIRIT PRAY FOR US

While I was groaning about this, God was patient.  I had fast lost patience with Him, but He still loved me, even though it took so long for my groaning to become God-centered instead of me-centered.  John Piper writes regarding Romans 8:18-27: How does the Spirit pray for us, is that He moves powerfully in our hearts to create groanings – His groanings experienced as our groanings – which are based on two things: 1) a deep desire and ache of heart that Christ be magnified in our lives, and 2) a weakness that leaves us baffled and unknowing as to how this is going to happen or should happen. So we are not sure how we are to pray, but we are sure that we want Christ to be magnified in our bodies.

GOD’S SPIRIT FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

The Father searches our heart and he hears this groaning. He hears the Christ-exalting yearning in it, and He hears the Spirit’s clear intention that certain decisions and circumstances come about in the exact way that will bring the most glory to Jesus. One of the reasons this matters so much is that it means that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

MY GROANS WERE NOT HIS GROANS

Daily, during that time, I commuted to work in tears because I deeply missed both music and the classroom.  The Holy Spirit heard a whole of groaning coming from me while I was making the drive to work.  God was not heartless.  God was not deaf.  However, my heart didn’t really want to hear God’s plan.  My heart was deaf.  I wanted the familiar; not the unknown. My groans were not His groans.

BECAUSE OF THE DOORS GOD SHUT

I’m so glad that He stuck with me as my Abba Father. I could never have imagined the life I have today because of the doors God shut. God has opened an entire new world for me in knowing Him better.  He has given me huge opportunities in writing. I even have the privilege to coach others in writing, seeing them grow into far better writers than I will ever be. One of my greatest joys is that I also get to work as a shepherd, helping to draw women closer to knowing the Good Shepherd.  God has given me a front row seat in seeing His hand mend lives in ways I could have never imagined. 

GROANINGS FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST

I wish someone would have told me these words of wisdom: experience the wordless groanings of your heart as groanings for the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for you about the specifics. Trust Him, that because He is praying for you, your Father will bring about decisions and circumstances that will magnify Christ in the best way – in the very midst of your ignorance and groaning.

FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

I am strong willed, thick headed, and often dumb as a doornail, however God has plans that exceed anything we could even imagine. Would I want to repeat the seasons of intense pain? No!  However, they have been necessary for God to bring me into this new season, the best season of all.  I just had to realize that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

HOW DO I GET UNSTUCK?

Just how did we drive the car over the parking curb?  The vehicle was wedged in so tightly that we could not clear the barrier. Yes, I confess I was the driver on that little side trip in Florida. We had made a wrong turn. I chose to stop at a tiny parking lot next to the shore so we could get our bearings. Concentrating more on the map than parking the car, I had pulled in too far and driven right over the curb. We were stuck good and tight. Repeatedly, I tried alternately putting the car into drive and reverse, but was making no headway. 

SEASONS WITHERING ON THE VINE

During seasons of my life, I have also found my spiritual life stuck, making no headway. The fruits of the Spirit that are to propel me forward: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control have withered on the vine.  I have lost them because I have decided that I am the better judge for what is best for me.  Because of my rotten judgment, I have become stuck, wedged on to a spiritual curb.

THE ANTIDOTE FOR DEEDS OF THE FLESH

This is not God’s best plan for believers to remain spiritually stuck. Galatians 5:16-27 lists many “deeds of the flesh”. Notice there is an antidote for each of them: the fruits of the Spirit.  For example, one can’t be faithful to God and sexually immoral at the same time. It is impossible to continue in impurity and indecent behavior if self-control and goodness are the filters for our minds.  Idolatry and witchcraft go down the tubes if one first loves God above all else.  Hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, and selfish ambition are not even on the table if love, patience, kindness, and self-control are our first response to pain.  I can’t sustain a fit of rage if the Holy Spirit is controlling the words that come out of my mouth. We are not to remain stuck in the deeds of the flesh.

WHAT DOES SPIRIT CONTROLLED LIVING LOOK LIKE?

What does a Spirit controlled life look like? Have you ever noticed in the Gospels that Jesus didn’t waste His time going around screaming at the Roman soldiers?  He didn’t throw that first stone at the woman caught in adultery. He didn’t move away from the dinner table when the tax collectors sat next to Him. He even loved His disciples when they were at odds with each other over who would be first in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus lived in an unlovable world.  The words that came out of His mouth and His behaviors were all fruits of the Spirit. Every single last one…

TAKING OUR HANDS OFF

Is it possible for believers to live this way, not mired in the deeds of the flesh? Galatians 5:22-23:But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Amplified Version) How do we become empowered by the Holy Spirit?  By taking our hands off of our spiritual steering wheels.  By refraining tearing down the throne of our “rights” and instead seeking the best for others. 

TO BE INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Isn’t that what Christ did when He gave up all the beauty and light of heaven? He chose to walk on this earth surrounded by people who didn’t believe Him, blasphemed God, made a mockery out of faith, and made the decision that getting rid of Him was for the better good?  Yet, He still loved us and gave Himself for us. He made a way so that we could not only become God’s children but be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  We would no longer have to listen to our own inner navigation systems which would steer us toward death.  We could have the navigation system of the Holy Spirit Who would direct us to life and all the lovely fruits of such a life.

THE SOLUTION

Has your spiritual life gotten stuck? Offtrack?  Maybe you don’t know how you ended up there, but you desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to lift you out of that pit of deed of the flesh.  What’s the solution? Confess it, turn away from it, and ask the Holy Spirit for directions on how to live.  Since I have a God who got a rental car eventually unstuck from a parking curb in Florida, I know that we have a God Who can steer us safely into living holy lives.

For further reading: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Gods-Word-Spiritual-Strongholds

Listen to https://compelledpodcast.com/search?q=Hannah%20Overton&f_collectionId=614a4f671d15f05a2a43bf52