Same Pain Same God

Sunday night The Simple Church (my church) watched a video on Rwanda and the genocide that went on there. With around 1 million people killed in under 100 days in 1994. The founder of African New Life Ministries was there talking about what his organization is doing now in Rwanda. When watching the documentary one woman talked about the pain of loosing her family. Her pain was so apparent as she cried. It was interesting to me that even though i couldn't understand what she was saying (w/out of course reading the subtitles) I was aware of her pain. I found my self ignoring the subtitles and just understanding as she cried. Her pain looks the same as my pain and your pain. And the God she cried out to for relief from the pain is the same God that we cry out to. God made us so unique, but yet He gave us the same set of emotions. We just experience those emotions differently. We all feel pain--you, me, the man behind you at the grocery story, and the woman that lost everyone she loved in Rwanda. Each story is different, but the pain is the same. I believe that He gave us this similarity so we could share it and not have to go through the hard times alone. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 

 *picture from weheartit.com

Hearing From God

This morning in my quite time I was looking out the window and taking in all of God's beauty that was in my line of sight. As I looked at the leaves and branches of a tree I became aware of the slightest breeze. It made me think of a wisper--a wisper from God. God is always communicating with us. But he does not often communicate in a loud and audiable voice. We hear God moslty in still soft moments. The problem is we don't pay attention to His voice or we may not be familiar enought with His voice to recgonize it. Either way we miss Him.

Over the past couple of days I have been hearing Him say to me, "Be still and KNOW I am God" I have been busy lately so this past week with all the hustle and bustle I did not make time to get still and listne. I could tell the difference too. I have to hear what H is telling me for our relationship to be strong. To hear God takes a little more than just listening. We have to be able to recognized His voice. That is not a tricky task. God gives us a marvalouses way to learn the sound of His voice--by reading His word. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning the word already existed. The word was with God and the Word was God." Reading and studying His word is the best way to get to know His character. If you are searching for the truth my challenge to you is this: spend a few minutes in His word each day and you will find Him and the answers to most of the questions you have ever had.