Day 13 - Enjoy the Silence

Psalm 46 ---

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Where were you on September 11, 2001? Or how about December 26, 2004? How did you feel when you heard about the World Trade Center crashing down? Or seen reports on a massive tsunami breaking across the Indian ocean? Certain times in our lives we hear of people saying "life returning to normal," but we can't help but wonder, what does normal look like in a world filled with such violence, pain and human tragedy? Maybe our problem is that our "normal" is defined by unreality. The notion that somehow we might have wealth enough, or education enough, or power enough to make ourselves secure from the world's violence and uncertainty.

I like this Psalm, in a way, it's realistic. We do live in a World where there is violence of nature, geopolitical turmoil, and violence of war. Sometimes it really feel like this world is coming apart, whether is it global turmoil, or even personal. The thing is, in the midst of it all, this Psalms says exactly what we need to do to survive. "Be still and know that I am God."

What if God were to speak those words personally to you today? What if he where to hold your hand, lift up your face, look you directly in the eye and whisper, "Be still, and know that I am God."?

Listen to that voice, and journal what you hear as God says those words to you.

"Stop, be silent, trust me, I won't screw up..."

-Colton

Day 12 - Enjoy the Silence

Exodus 3:1-6 ---

¹ Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."

⁴ When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."

⁵ "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." ⁶Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Hey guys!

So I have had a pretty awesome day, how about you? I had a whole mini revelation tonight about "character". You are what you do. People see that. Anyway, that's just a thought, let's get to the silence. Read the excerpt from Exodus, think about what God's startling appearance must of been like for Moses. How would you have felt if you were Moses? Now, try this, journal as if you were Moses, what would he have written down after that experience?

So, think back over the past 24 hours! Did you hear or see God's presence in your life? If yes, then when and where? Jot these things down as you remember. Just a thought, sometimes, well most of the time God speaks to us in less dramatic ways then a burning bush. If you did hear God, how did you respond? How did He speak to you? What were His words of encouragement for today?

Remember, even if you can't think of a time when you saw or heard God today, that doesn't mean he was silent or absent. Relax, your very attention in reading these words is a clear indication that you're willing to listen, and that is a gift to God.

Waiting for something beautiful.

-Colton

Day 11 - Enjoy the Silence

Jeremiah 23:16-24 ---

¹⁶ This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁷ They keep saying to those who despise me,
'The LORD says: You will have peace.'
And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts
they say, 'No harm will come to you.'

¹⁸ But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD
to see or to hear his word?
Who has listened and heard his word?

¹⁹ See, the storm of the LORD
will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.

²⁰ The anger of the LORD will not turn back
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand it clearly.

²¹ I did not send these prophets,
yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
yet they have prophesied.

²² But if they had stood in my council,
they would have proclaimed my words to my people
and would have turned them from their evil ways
and from their evil deeds.

²³ "Am I only a God nearby,"
declares the LORD,
"and not a God far away?

²⁴ Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.
"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.

Hey You!

Check out verses 23, for a few minutes let the thought of God being nearby sink in. How does that make you feel? Encouraged? Comforted? Re-assured? Is it hard to believe? Or does it feel like a word of warning? Journal what you're thinking. Now, switch gears... a God far away. How does that thought make you feel in compared to the last set? Now, the big question. Which of the two concepts represents best what you feel right now?

Saint Ignatius described the life of faith as two tides: Consolation, and Desolation. Consolation is basically God-near times, when we are consoled by His presence, when we feel washed up in Him. Then there also times when it feels like the tide has gone out - desolation.

So think about these two tides, think of God as an Ocean, immense in His presence, awesome in His depths, unfathomable in His mysteries. If it helps, even close your eyes to picture the waves going in and out.

Okay, here's the amazing part: Today, whether the tide is in or out, God is close at hand. Whether you feel the rush of waves under your feet, or the horizons of the beachfront seem to stretch out well from the shore, you are still on the shoreline of His presence. And what He desires, no matter where the tide is, is that you draw closer to Him. Journal.

I wrote: God, if you are far away it is my job to be faithful. You still hear, you still love me, and I adore you.

-Colton

Breathe and Enjoy

Hey Folks!

So, tonight I wanted to take the time to ask how you are liking the silence? To be honest, I love it and get a lot from it when I do it by myself, but I miss blogging and spewing my thoughts through my fingers onto this screen. So I am looking for some feedback. What do you think? Feel free to comment.

Well, tonight was Friday and for youth group we had a camp fire, with Smores and the whole bit! It was so relaxing, sitting by the fire, praying, just feeling peaceful. You know what, find that feeling and embrace! That is why I love the Moments of Silence with God everyday, it's where I actually feel relaxed and just original, special, myself. That is worth a smile.

Tis the season for stress, especially for students with exams and what not, but I am thinking that we should coat each other in prayer. That no matter how many other things are on our plate, we will know where we want to be focused, what we want to accomplish, and that it is all very possible with God on our side.

Well, I am being summoned to sleep! Which, to be honest, I am kind of excited for.

Sweet Dreams, Bonne Soir. You know I love you.

-Colton

Day 10 - Enjoy the Silence

Jeremiah 3:11-22 ---

¹¹ The LORD said to me....

¹² Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
" 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD,
'I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,' declares the LORD,
'I will not be angry forever.

¹³ Only acknowledge your guilt—
you have rebelled against the LORD your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,' "
declares the LORD.

¹⁴ "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵ Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶ In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷ At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. ¹⁸ In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.

¹⁹ "I myself said,
" 'How gladly would I treat you like sons
and give you a desirable land,
the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.'
I thought you would call me 'Father'
and not turn away from following me.

²⁰ But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,"
declares the LORD.

²¹ A cry is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten the LORD their God.

²² "Return, faithless people;
I will cure you of backsliding."
"Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the LORD our God.

Hey Folks! I am praying you are having a fantastic day. Well, I know that those verses are a lot to talk it, but hang in there with me! I think there is a good message. First of all, read it twice, slowly, carefully, prayerfully. Take it in. Is there any certain thing tugging at your heart? How do you feel when it talks about an unfaithful woman to her husband, that is how we are to God? Is God using that to speak to you right now?

Okay, think about a time when you were unfaithful to God. Don't rush by it, even if it hurts. What brought you to that place? What was it that made you turn away from God? Really consider these things, you find so much stuff out. Why did that thing, person, event, whatever, turn you away from God who loves you with everything He is?

Stop, enjoy the silence while pondering that question. Try to remember the failure, or guilt you felt when you let God down. Journal this stuff!

Okay, read the passage again, but focus on verses 12 and 13. I think you'll like this! How does it make you feel to know that no matter how much you rebel against God, or deny Him, He still calls you back to His side? Do you feel unworthy? Or do you feel loved unconditionally?

God knows where you've been, He knows what you've done, but He says "Come back." In the spot where you wrote down your failures or guilt, cross it out with big letters saying "Return to me."

Share your thoughts and reflections. I was thinking, maybe sometimes these blogs don't hit home when you are reading them. However, maybe you know of some one who could really benefit from them, at least that's my prayer. So share, fill people in on what God is doing!

Smile.

-Colton

Day 9 - Enjoy the Silence

Isaiah 43:16-21 ----

¹⁶ This is what the LORD says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,

¹⁷ who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

¹⁸ "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

²⁰ The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,

²¹ the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.

Hey you guys! Okay, read this, really read it, then check it out in "the message" translation on www.biblegateway.com. I think you'll like it.

So, God's promise to us, is that He'll make a stream in the Dessert. God promises that He will make something new come from something that is dried up. This is my favourite, He encourages you to not dwell in your past, but on the now and the new. You know what is kind of lame? Sometimes our past makes it hard to focus on the present. Are thoughts and memories of disappointment, betrayal, or regret, distracting you from the new things God wants to do in your life? Journal some of those things that might be holding you back.

Okay, picture a dry disgusting wasteland dessert, being transformed by fresh streams of water. Now picture your life being drastically renewed by God's overflowing love and grace. Don't move away from this image too quickly. Think about it. What might spring up from a life so refreshed? That's the mystery and wonder of your present.

Picture it. You and God are standing together on cliff, looking down on a field that was once a dried up dessert, but now it's healthy, lush, and green. What's exciting is that maybe that growth is only in it's earlier stages. Either way, it is ALIVE, with new hope!

Journal, what do you think God might say to you as you look across the landscape of Your life today? What would he invite you to see? Thoughts?

"I see the clouds, and yes I'm read, to dance upon this barren land. Hope in my hands. It's 'gonna rain."

-Colton

Day 8 - Enjoy the Silence

Matthew 12:9-13 ---

⁹Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

¹¹He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?¹²How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

¹³Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.

Hi-yah Readers. So, right off the bat, read this passage slowly two times. Try to experience this story with you senses, put yourself in the scene. Can you feel the tension in the temple courts as the showdown occurs? Take a look at the man with the shrivelled hand. He is playing a role in this story I bet he thought would never of occurred. Read again, don't just read the words, experience them.

For a few minutes try this out. You are the person with the shrivelled hand. It wasn't always like this, you used to have a limb that was lush and full of blood and muscle. It was a hand you could use to touch and feel with, or to offer help and love. But now, it hangs at your side, constantly reminding you of disability, shame and disappointment. What do you think of those bolded words? Besides the fact that they're bolded? Remind you of any dryness and pain in your own life? Do you feel like your hands that once were lush, healthy, and lifted up in worship are now lifeless and dangling at your side? What is God saying to you? Journal it.

Sometimes I think we are afraid to show people our dryness, to be exposed, especially in front of other spiritual people. But that day, in the temple, in front of tons of people, Jesus simply said, "Stretch out your hand." Or in other words, "Expose to me your places of dryness and weakness, your symptoms of lifelessness and loss, so I can make you whole." That invitation makes me smile! Divine love and grace! To God, we're not objects of some silly law. We are objects of deep affection. Check out verses 11 to 12 again.

Okay, so before we wrap this up... imagine, Jesus saying right to you. Looking you in the eyes... "Stretch out your hand, your dryness, your shame, I want to make you whole again, you are valuable to me." Now, Journal away my friends.

God, please make me whole.

-Colton