Which Report Are You Listening To? (Part 2)

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And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. Numbers 13:32

As I shared with you in last week’s blog, (click here to read) recent storm experience taught me some valuable life lessons. A few of these are:

Don’t live life controlled by a list.

Treasure the one moment that you have been given.

Don’t miss the beauty within the storm.

Be careful of quick assumptions.

The loudest report is not necessarily the correct report.

Listen for the voice of wisdom.

Don’t assume that the truth is what you think it is.

But the most profound for me was the caution of listening to the wrong report.

Due to the threatening weather reports, misinformation and lack of communication, we almost missed a beautiful week at the beach. The weather reports turned my heart to doubt and I mentally decided that we were not going on the trip. I paused my preparations and settled for Plan B. Instead of disappointment over the cancellation of my reservation, I was relieved because I felt safe with that decision. When I was unable to get an answer to any phone calls that I made to our condo, I assumed all plans were off. At the last minute everything was turned upside down and all of my thoughts and emotions quickly raveled. There was no way to make a wise decision in this state of mind.

Once our husbands made the wise decision to get going, my heart settled. As I drove toward our destination, the Spirit nudged me. In my inner being I heard, “Be careful whose report you listen to.” I had been tossed to and fro with all kinds of information, leading to confusion. Too many voices and too many opinions led to difficulty in finding the voice that really mattered and that was God’s voice within me.

It feels much like the world that we live in today. If we listen to the reports instead of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves in a personal hurricane. Some reports appear as good warnings that will lead you to safety, while others lead you to believe you need to cancel all plans and just stay home. “Stay home and be safe” can be louder than the wonderful experience waiting for you.

A familiar story in the Bible comes to mind that brings light to this topic. You can read the entire story in Numbers 13 and 14. We find there the story of Moses sending out the twelve spies to search out the land the Lord had given them. It was theirs for the taking, but they were sent out to see what was ahead. Ten spies came back with a bad report, while Joshua and Caleb returned with a God report.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:30-33

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Numbers 14:6-9

The size of the people in the land shook the ten spies, convincing them to stay instead of go and conquer as the Lord had commanded. But there were two who believed God’s report. Lord, make us Joshua and Caleb’s who move by your leading, not the reports thundering around us.

Our encouragement today in the midst of many rivaling reports is to listen carefully for the voice of the Lord. Let’s not miss the wonder that He has for us because we are gripped by fear from the reports.

Lord, sharpen our ears so that we might know the voice of God. May the Voice of Truth be so much louder than the Voice of Fear. Give us faith to walk forward and “Go” where you send us. Guard us from being tossed to and fro by the winds that confuse us. In the middle of chaos You are constant and You are near to guide us in the path of truth.

“But the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Numbers 16:9

Which Report Are You Listening To? (Part 1)

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I couldn’t believe it was really about to happen. It was like a dream unfolding in my heart. A week at the beach (my happy place) with my three grandchildren (my happy people) that I had not seen for eighteen months. I had prepared in my mind for many weeks. My thoughts were cluttered with all the details of traveling as a family of seven. Since they were staying with me for two weeks prior to the beach trip, you can’t even imagine all the lists that were floating around.

As the day approached, so did Tropical Storm Fred. He was sending out all kinds of threats to mess up our long awaited vacation. We listened to the weather report over and over, but pressed on. The lists became less important because the reports convinced me that it would be ridiculous to travel into a possible hurricane. The day before travel, I received an email suggesting that I contact the condo to see if there were any change of plans.

I spoke with a man that immediately informed me that due to Fred, our reservation had been cancelled, but a full refund was in process. As disappointing as it was, it brought relief because I hated to pay that amount of money to head into Fred. He also alerted me to expect a phone call or email from the condo management confirming this information. As the day rolled on, I heard nothing. My son made arrangements and reservations for another family outing.

I felt unsettled that something wasn't right. I eagerly checked my phone for a call or an email. Repeated calls to the condo only connected me with a recorded message. Late in the afternoon, I finally reached a real person. The manager was shocked by my information, because there was no cancellation and there would be no refund because there were no orders of evacuation. They had no knowledge of the information I had been given.

Big decision. What do we do now? Which report do we listen to? The lists had long been set aside and few preparations had been made. We decided to wait until morning and once again check out the weather report. It didn’t look promising, no matter which report we listened to. We wavered back and forth a hundred times until the men finally said, “Let’s go. Let’s travel before the rain hits and hope that once Fred passes, we will have some sunshine.”

Everyone moved into fast motion. We didn’t work by a list or a plan, but under pressure. The things that seemed important went out the window as we decided to just pack bags of necessities and deal with the rest later.

With two cars sloppily packed, off we went. I vicariously felt like the Weather Channel people chasing a terrible storm. As we drove, the excitement began to rise. It felt right.

We traveled surrounded by the most beautiful blue sky and gorgeous puffy white clouds. The cars were bulging with suspense, joy and excitement. Fred rolled in the following day, but it was an incredible experience to weather the storm together, enjoying a tropical storm from the safety of our deck. The blowing wind shook the doors and windows making frightening noises, but within the safety of our family, we were full of joy. The day was filled with games, coloring, reading and music, but mostly viewing the magnificent ocean. The power and grandeur of the wind and waves displayed the glory of our mighty God.

The following day was absolutely perfect. Beautiful sunshine and clear blue skies. Riding waves and soaking up the sun made for another “best day ever.” In unison we said, “And we almost missed it.”

So why do I tell you this story? Because there are so many wonderful spiritual treasures within. Join me next week for part two as I share how God is using this experience in my life today.

Until then, be careful which report you listen to.

Living in Today

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“Making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” Ephesians 5:16 AMP

The simple act of flipping a calendar page rattled me this morning. There in black and white, it glared at me like cat eyes glowing in the night.

SEPTEMBER 2021!

How could it be? Wasn’t it just February yesterday? I clutch the chunk of 2021 days that have already zipped past like a car out of control. I pause and ask, “Where did it go?”

Do you ever have the urge to stop time?

The truth is, as I type these words the date is Aug 31, 2021. I’m not on that startling September page as of yet, but I peeked ahead for planning.

We plan for tomorrow, but we must live in TODAY!

During my three week visit with my grandchildren from Seattle I experienced it a ton of times. Having not seen them for eighteen months, I couldn’t believe the growth, the change. I had enjoyed glances at them through Facetime calls, but nothing could have prepared me for the shock of my babies being so grown up. Not only in stature, but in maturity of speech and action. I found myself searching for a remote enabling me to pause or even rewind their little lives.

The world is changing so quickly that I also find myself longing for a life remote. One that would allow me to press pause or rewind to a simpler time—normalcy of life as we once knew it. Perhaps even STOP! A time when there was less evil. I long to grab another opportunity at the moment I missed. I want to say or do it differently, but I only have this moment.

The truth is the present moment is the best time there is. We are alive right now because God has chosen for us to be a part of this page in His big love story. Grands grow up, traditions shift, rules change, life disappoints, people we love die early, governments fall apart, evil flourishes, but God...He is always the same.

Not only is He the same, unchanging every day of our lives, but He is already on every page of our lives. Theologians call this His immanence. Put simply, there is no place—or time—where God is not. There is no time with God so He has been in every day that is past and He is in every day in the future and certainly He is in this one day that I have been given.

With these great truths in hand, my mind and heart settle down. I can choose to live in this day called TODAY. And I can choose how I will live it. I so desire to live in the truth of this key verse:

“Making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” Ephesians 5:16

I choose to make the most of my time on earth.

I choose to take advantage of each opportunity.

I choose to use each day with wisdom and diligence.

I choose to live in faith not fear.

I choose to love with God’s love.

I choose to keep my eyes set on Him, not on the events of the calendar page.

I choose to live forward instead of looking backward.

I choose to love my grandchildren right where they are.

I choose to live with great expectation, not regret.

I choose to surrender my life to His hands.

What do you choose TODAY?