Silence – Embrace The Moments of Silence

Silence

By Steve Crowley

For God alone, O my soul, waits in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalms 62:5 (ESV)

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines silence as the forbearance of speech or noise, the absence of sound, stillness. I personally have come to believe silence is one of the strengths God has bestowed upon us, if we’d become comfortable with it. For many, silence is an uncomfortable unease. It’s a gap that many feel needs to be filled. Think for a moment of a time when you were engaged in conversation with others and the conversation stopped. How long did the silence linger before unease permeated everyone involved? We dislike silence. Hearing is one of our key sensors and when there is silence we sense a void and seek to fill it. In fact one of the strongest negotiating techniques is silence. The one who speaks first usually does so in a conciliatory manner because of the unease of silence.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

Yet God instructs us through His Word to be still, to embrace the stillness of silence so that we may come to know Him.

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of Elijah and his confrontation of King Arab and Queen Jezebel as told in the Book of 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19. Elijah was a man mightily used by God. Yet after Elijah had completed the task God had given him Elijah, exhausted, spent and in fear ran and hide even asking God to take his life. God instructed Elijah to go into solitude for a period of rest and refreshment. Then God instructed Elijah to travel to Mount Horeb and await word from God.

And He said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” ‭‭And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (ESV)

It’s it just like us to look to hear from God in boisterous over the top kind of way! Yet God more times than not uses silence around us to enable us to hear the sound of a low whisper. When we stop and think about it, how can we hear from God when we are overwhelmed by the distractions of the noise around us. Therefore, embrace the times of silence and look to God and listen.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)

Holy and Sovereign God, by Your hand You created the heavens and the earth and by the sound of Your voice you silenced the storms. Blessed be Your holy name.

Lord, we humbly come before Your Almighty Throne of grace, thanking You for the times in our lives where we stand before You in silence seeking Your Word. Lord, may the silence around us enable us to open our ears and hearts to be sensitive to the sound of a whisper and the voice behind us as we seek You. Lord God, we ask in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen

Thanksgiving – A Time of Reflection and To Give Thanks

Thanksgiving

By Steve Crowley

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with Thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 (ESV) 

Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite holidays because it is one of the few holidays where we celebrate giving thanks to God for His blessings He has bestowed upon us. We actually pause from our hectic lives and give thanks for the blessings that we have received. In fact Thanksgiving is almost like the last rest area for us to pull into before the stress of the holiday shopping kicks into high gear. About the only stressful thing that occurs during Thanksgiving is the pressure of my waistline from enjoying God’s bountiful harvest.

 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? Psalm 106:2 (ESV)

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, a time to pause and take stock of the blessings that surround us. Far too often in the busyness of our lives we fall into complacency of taking for granted the beauty of God’s creations as well as His grace. We go through our lives at such a hectic pace that we rarely stop to ponder the majesty of a crisp fall sunrise or the beauty of the colorful landscapes of Fall. Life has gotten too busy for anyone to stop and take in the splendor of God’s creations.

Therefore Thanksgiving comes at a prefect time of year. It comes at a time of year when the year is winding down. It comes at a time when the sun begins to set earlier. It comes at a time of the year when we experience a significant change in the climate. God seems to culminate the changes of season to remind us of His majesty.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. Psalm 30:4 (ESV)

This Thanksgiving let us pause before the bountiful harvest before us and give thanks to The Lord for His many blessing. Let us thank Him that while we were still sinners He sent His only Son to be sin and die upon the cross so we might become the righteousness of God. Let us thank Him for the air we breathe, the people whom He has placed in our lives. Let us thank Him for the ability to live in the nation and be free to worship His name.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord of Lords King of Kings Holy be your name. Father we come to you this Thanksgiving Day thanking you for what you have given us in this world. Your grace is beyond our understanding and the blessing that you have bestowed upon us are overwhelming, we thank you from the depth of our hearts.

Father, thank you for the bountiful harvest that you provide us each day. Father thank you for the friends and family we have and for all the blessing you have graced us with. Father, may we partake of your blessings with a grateful heart and cheerful spirit as we rejoice and give thanks to you O Lord.

For it is in Your Holy Loving Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that we pray,

 

Amen

 

Understanding – When Things Don’t Make Since

Understanding

By Steve Crowley

“Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!” Psalms 119:169 (ESV)

In the 1975 hit comedy series, “Welcome Back, Kotter,” John Travolta played Vinny Barbarino, a cocky Italian-American and unofficial official leader of the sweathogs, a bunch of misfits and under performers in high school. One of Vinny’s famous sayings when confronted by circumstances beyond his understanding was, “I’m soooo confused!” Isn’t that often true for us?

How many times have we asked for understanding in our circumstances, only to find our understanding of our circumstances are insufficient for us to gain insight, much less understanding? It’s at these times of searching that I realize the limits of my understanding. My understanding of any given situation is based on my knowledge and my life experiences. When we face situations that exceed our knowledge or our life experiences, we struggle with not only knowing what to do, but more importantly, we don’t know how to understand what is happening or how to react.

I remember as if it were yesterday, March 31, 1988, my father passed away after a battle with cancer. My world was rocked. It wasn’t that I hadn’t experienced the loss of a relative, having attended the funerals of grandparents and aunts; but this was my dad. All kinds of thoughts were running through my mind. But at the end of the day, I didn’t have the answers to my questions. I was thoroughly confused. Everything I had ever trusted, all my understanding, was thrown out the window. I was answerless, I questioned God, I questioned everything I knew. I was at a loss.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

It wasn’t until I came before God, opening my heart before His Almighty throne of grace that I find peace in my understanding. No, God didn’t explain to me why my father got cancer and why he had to die so young; but what God did was open the eyes of my heart in knowing my father was in heaven, in the comfort of his creator. It wasn’t until years later, after searching God’s Word, that I gained the understanding that while we may never know this side of heaven why God allows certain things to happen, we do know that God loves us so much that He would send His One and only Son to this earth to do what we as human beings are incapable of doing, atoning for our sins, so we can stand blameless before Almighty God. Once I gained this understanding, Scripture became alive and the more I pour my heart into understanding God’s Word the more I realized Scripture is an owner’s manual for life.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV)

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalms 42:1 (ESV)

Confused or lacking understanding? Search no further than turning to God’s Word.

O merciful and gracious Father, You and You alone are the GREAT I AM, the creator of all. Lord God, when we are humbled by our lack of understanding, it is so comforting to know nothing in this world confuses You. For from You and through You and to You are all things. To You be glory forever.

Lord, we humbly come before You, thanking You for giving us Your Word, that in it we may find understanding. Lord, may the eyes of our hearts be opened to the wonders of Your Word so that we look to You for all our needs. 

Lord God, we love You and worship You, thanking You for being who You are. For it is in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior that we pray.

 

Amen

Detour – Has Your Life Been Placed on a Detour?

Detour

By Steve Crowley

 

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (ESV)

Let’s face it, we all have times in our lives when we are brought to our knees, whether through relational strife, financial worries or health related concerns. Life’s curveballs can come at us from different directions, at unexpected moments and seemingly at times when we are least prepared for them. Tribulations are like being derailed from the paths of sunshine to the shrouds of fog, from seeing to not knowing.

In 1999, I was out of town attending a conference when during a break I checked my cell phone and saw I had repeated missed messages to call home, only there wasn’t cell service inside the conference center. I immediately called my wife to be told my mother had gone in for a routine cardiac appointment and was rushed to the heart catheterization lab and then on to surgery. The heart catheterization revealed a blockage that required immediate repair. Needless to say, I was in shock. My world went from a perceptional normalcy to clouded uncertainty. I was lost in a cloud of what if’s and worry knowing that I now had to find a way home. The following hours my mind raced from worry to logistical step taking and eventually to prayer.

It is in times of tribulations when one looks within and sees not, but then instead looks to God and receives hope.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2 (ESV)

After I made my way back to Atlanta, I went directly to the hospital. My brothers and I sat by my mother’s bedside, thankful the doctors had discovered the blockage and had taken immediate action. In fact, her cardiologist stopped by her hospital room and said the blockage was what they refer to as the “widow maker”, a blockage that often causes massive and fatal heart attacks. Thanks to the doctors and the providence of Almighty God the blockage was found and corrected.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91:1 (ESV)

The uncertainties of life are a certainty. We are all going to go through times in our lives when we get derailed from normalcy to uncertainty. But during times of tribulation, we have a faithful God who walks beside us to comfort us and to give us peace through the hope Abba Father.

Heavenly and gracious Father, blessed be Your name. For You and You alone know every step we take, every day before it happens. Thank You for Your steadfast love and holding fast to Your promises, never to leave nor forsake us. Thanks be the name of the Lord.

Lord, we humbly come before You asking You to strengthen our faith in the normalcy of our days so that in the moments of testing, our faith holds steadfast to You. Lord God, may we be one with You as You are one with Your Son.

Father, it is in the name of Jesus Christ, the perfector of our faith, that we pray.

Amen

Steve Crowley

Stress – In Search of Simpler Times?

Stress

By Steve Crowley

 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but lately, I am feeling stressed beyond my normal stress. I yearn for the simpler days, days like the Andy Griffith Show, Leave it to Beaver or Father Knows Best: days of simple joys, seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset and basking in wonder of the artistry of Almighty God, days of wonder when seeing the miracles of life and seeing nature in all its glory, days of peace in witnessing mankind’s compassion to man. Oh how I yearn to escape into the innocence of children whose joy is in discovery of all that is before them. What has happen to us all?

We have embraced technology and the convenience of knowledge at the stroke of an app yet all that we have has stripped us of contentment in knowing there is more. The pace of information as well as the enormous selection of daily options has eclipsed our capacity to process resulting in an overload to our senses. Stress has become the mainstay within our lives causing infractions in relationships, in productivity and in our wellbeing. Balance in life has become unbalanced as we attempt to process everything being presented to us.

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:16 (ESV)

“All that is in the world – is not from the Father but is from the world.”

We have created our own mess by looking to the world, which creates stress when we should seek God who created the world.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Gracious and merciful Father, creator of the heavens and the earth, by Your hand You cast the heavens into being and by Your breath You gave life. Blessed be Your name!

Father, stress in our lives is contrary to Your Word. Lord, may we place our unbinding trust in You knowing that in You we have life. For in You O Lord is peace and rest for our souls. Lord, we yearn for simpler times yet the world is what it is. May we set our sights on You and You alone knowing that Your burden is light and You give rest to our weary souls.

Father, may Your Word be our source of strength as we seek You above all else. May Your sovereign will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. For it is in the name of Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life that we pray.

Amen

 

 

 

 

Light – Who Lights Your Path?

Light

By Steve Crowley

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 (ESV)

I don’t know about you but I don’t like the dark. For one, it’s difficult to see and another; bad things seem to happen in the dark. Even Hollywood knows the effectiveness of darkness and the fear darkness creates. But there is another form of darkness that is more fearful, the darkness of a lost heart.

For years I walked in the darkness of believing in self-sufficiency. The outcomes of events were directly a result of my efforts or lack thereof. I developed a philosophy of self-sufficiency so much so I didn’t trust the efforts of others. I think the origin of my belief was partially related to my father’s counsel of always telling me, “if you want something done right you had better do it yourself.” I pushed myself to achieve. In fact when I first started my career I adopted a mental thought process of thinking, “what can I do that I haven’t done or who can I call that I haven’t called.” That is a great mindset for a salesman or high achiever but from personal experience one that leaves a hole in your soul. Self-sufficiency is a very lonely existence, and worse, self-sufficiency always results in emptiness. There is nothing one can do to fill the hole in your soul. There is no achievement or any accomplishment that will satisfy. You always want more.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)

Thanks be to God who loved us so much that He would send His One and only Son to this earth to bring the light of God and forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What caused the light to be seen in my life you may ask? I saw in others what I desired for myself. I saw love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In other words, I saw the fruit of the spirit, the light of Christ. I saw all the attributes of life I so desperately sought yet couldn’t achieve until I gave my life to Christ.

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.” – John Newton “Amazing Grace”

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)

Do you strive in darkness searching for the light of fulfillment? Search no more. Pray this prayer in submission before Almighty God:

Heavenly and gracious Father, Lord God, I am a sinner who has sought meaning through my efforts only to find darkness. Be the light of my life O God. I believe You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to take away my sin through the blood He shed upon the cross. Jesus was dead and buried and in three day rose again. Lord, I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my life to be the light of my life. Lord, I pray this prayer in the name above all names, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, in Jesus name I pray.

Amen

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John‬ 1:5‬ (ESV‬‬)