The Whispers of God

Sometimes I find life is like the Space Mountain ride in Disneyland. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of that particular ride, it’s a high speed roller coaster—in the dark. It quickly separates the fearless from the fearful. And as the ride gets going it gets easier and easier to see who’s who.

While standing in line for this ride the people look pretty much the same. That is, unless the prospective traveler has been down this road before and is being dragged down it once more by her fearless friends. But, for the most part, people arrive with an anxious excited prospect about the future and the thrills it will hold for them. But Space Mountain changes people. Well, maybe it doesn’t change them as much as it brings out what is there already—on the inside.

From what I remember of this ride it begins slowly with an incline and then you enter what seems like a vast room of complete darkness. Come take the ride with me. Sit in the cart next to me—it may prove to be a revealing moment in your life.

While the cart continues to clatter, clank and clunk upward the people around us are chattering in anticipation. But once we are in total blackness there is an abrupt silence as the cart begins to gain speed. Faster and faster our lives race down their tracks. There’s a quick jerk to the right and then we’re thrown to the left. Once more we head straight but the force of acceleration slams us back in our seats. Then just as we recover we plunge downward several stories and…at this point it’s revealed. It just comes out of you. You either scream in delight or terror.

Which one are you?—And if you’re in the cart with me—you know which one I am.

One person is holding the bar in front of them screaming in terror while seeking in a fruitless effort to open their eyes wide enough to see the next flip, turn and nose dive. However, the other traveler who is screaming in delight is laughing with joy while throwing their hands high in the air to get the fullest experience of the ride, welcoming every surprise the journey has to offer.

I was confronted with a “ride” this morning. One that looked dark and frightening…did I throw my hands in the air and shout, “Woo-hoo—bring it on!”? …No. I stressed up and sought to find something to grasp. And I realized my lack of faith, my fear…my need to see the future to believe…my lack of trusting God with my everything—my life.

Funny thing, that ride. I know exactly which rider I relate to. My knuckles turn white just thinking about it. The last thing I want to do on a roller coaster is to throw my hands in the air. But then I can hear the Spirit speaking to my heart.

Will you hold on to the things of this world—thinking they can keep you safe? Will you try to see the future—will you ever be able to open your eyes wide enough to see it? And if you knew your future would you be able to protect yourself from the twists and turns?…Or will you let go, and surrender all. You can enjoy the ride. Regardless of what happens. If you trust in the Lord of your life—remember even He surrendered and it was to His joy.

“… let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a and 12-13/NKJV).

I don’t know my future, or yours—but I do know the ending of all—it’s tells us in the Bible.

And so now, in my heart I’m praying for the faith to throw my hands up now in both surrender and in worship to say, “Bring it on! I am yours Lord. Take me, use me to bring glory to your holy name. Help me to pray as You did in the Garden before You hung on the cross, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours” Luke 22:42/NKJV.

I’m thankful for those fearless friends that travel along with me and encourage me as I look dreadfully at the next ride in life I am to endure. But I’d like to move out of enduring to enjoying and I know I can only do that as I surrender–throw my hands up–and live fully for Him–my truest fearless Friend.

It’s easy to see the Irish roots in my husband, Dan and his two brothers, Tom and John. Besides being brawny, easy-going, playful, and hard working these guys have two other things in common—they love Jesus and fishing. I could easily imagine these guys seriously challenging the Apostle Peter to a fishing contest.

When Tom and John heard about the nautical stories I was working on they invited Dan and me on their next deep sea fishing excursion.

Standing on the pier in front of the fishing boat, Dan’s brothers were waiting for us to arrive. Tom greeted me with a grin as rascally as the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” and then reached in his back pocket and pulled out a little red rag. Handing it to me he said, “Here…you’ll need this.”

One look at the rag accompanied with his grin, and it didn’t take too long to figure out the function of this cloth—so I pushed it back to him, “Oh, no thank you, I won’t need that! I’m not baiting my own hook—Dan will do that for me.”

Dan baited my hook, without exaggeration—one time. From then on I had to bait my own hook. And that little rag?—I had to pry it from Tom.

I had never been out so far in the ocean before and it was an uneasy feeling looking back at the shoreline knowing we were relying on the captain of the vessel to keep us safe. The Lord began to whisper in my heart. I didn’t receive words, but rather an understanding.

Being in God’s will is like being in that fishing boat out at sea. When we’re in God’s will we won’t always feel safe or comfortable in our physical world. Those are the times it is especially important to rely on the Captain of our vessel, Jesus, to keep us.

I never saw the captain of that fishing vessel, but every now and then he would use the boat’s intercom system to offer encouragement and give fishing tips. This also reminded me of the Captain of our souls because Jesus said, “…Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19, NKJV). And if we listen, He will offer us tips for fishing and encouragement, too.

One of several fishing tips the captain offered rang through my soul, “If you’ve had your bait out there for more than 10 minutes and you haven’t had a bite yet, reel in your line. Your bait’s dead.”

Like this live bait I used to catch fish, we offer the world a living Christ—not dead works (things we do to earn salvation) or even a dead Christ. When we offer anything other than the living Christ we will not be leading people to salvation, but to a religious experience or attitude, rather than a relationship with our Lord.

We may need to check our “bait” now and then to be certain of what we are offering, because it is “…by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9, ESV). And “…there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”(Acts 4:12, ESV)

Go fishing today with the living God. Listen for His voice for direction and encouragement.

While rushing around the old part of town, in an effort to work down my “to-do” list, I spotted an antique store. A quick jump in adrenaline drew me to this store and a foreign feeling of wanting to explore—inside a store—overcame me.

This was not a very good idea considering my two young children “helping” me that day. Browsing through this store filled with delicate old things presented more of a torture than enjoyment. But, in I went with each child’s hand firmly held in one of mine, and feeling quite aware of my lack of good sense.

My dread faded the moment we entered and I became like a child looking for buried treasure. I had no idea the Lord drew me into this place to unearth a gift from Him. We didn’t browse through the store. Instead, it felt like a line had been tied to my heart, and it was reeling me in to stand in front of a picture hanging on the wall. And there I stood—staring—not even thinking of moving—not knowing what it meant—and not caring—but simply enjoying. I must have looked like an art student in a museum studying the lines and meanings of a portrait done by a famous artist.

It was a 5″ x 7″ print of an old-world painting. The petite blonde girl in the picture is stretching on her tip-toes and reaching with her right hand to grab hold of the tarnished brass knocker on a faded green door. In her left arm she carries a basket full of her hidden gifts covered with a white cloth. I was so captivated by this picture I hadn’t noticed the store clerk standing behind me until she whispered in my ear.

“I like the picture, too. It reminds me of ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ ”

To my astonishment and horror, I heard myself blurt out in a rather high squeal, “No! Not Little Red Riding Hood!—That means the Big-Bad-Wolf is inside!”

I began to think quicker than I’ve ever done in my life to devise a plan—a plan to get out of the store without having to turn around and face this woman, and my humiliation. But, before I could make good on any of my plans she said calmly, and without a hint of shock or ridicule at my outburst,

“Yes. He’s inside, but he can’t really hurt her. Don’t you remember the end of the story?”

I smiled thinking of the children’s story and felt comfort from the Lord. Without taking my eyes off my new little hooded friend I said in a now softer lower tone, “How much is the picture? I think I would like to take her home with me.”

At that time in my life I was experiencing great changes brought about though stepping out in the giftings God had given me. And through this spontaneous, and I might add humiliating, outburst the Lord began to reveal to me the many fears holding me back from living a victorious life, and entering through the door Jesus placed in front of me.

Fears of success. Fears of failure. Painful memories of jealous people and the unnerving feeling of not knowing what the future would hold behind this door in my life.

My little girl, as I affectionately call this picture, is such an encouragement to me. She is usually found next to my desk, where I do most of my writing. She comforts me as I remember the things I heard in my heart that day in the antique store.

This little girl is symbolic of the believers in Christ. She is the betrothed bride who is still growing and maturing. She is reaching with all her ability, and as she reaches she stretches her faith—and grows. She brings her gifts in her basket, although she may not have discovered what all of them are just yet. And Jesus speaks into her heart as He did mine on that day in the antique store,

Stretch as high as you can, but though you are not yet able to touch even the knocker on the door, I am the one who will open the door for you when it is time to share the gifts I have given you. And don’t worry or be anxious because . . .

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6/ESV).

I love this picture. I don’t need to fear the Big-Bad-Wolf, because I know the end of the story—the wolf is destroyed and Little Red Ridding Hood lives happily-ever-after. I don’t need to be anxious because when God wants a door opened—it will be done—in His time and of His doing. And all He expects me to do is to stretch myself to the best of my ability to do what I can where I am—and to follow Him with trust and enter through the door He places in front of me.

What door has Jesus placed in front of you? Is anything holding you back from entering? No matter what is behind the door—we can trust the Lord with our future—He’s told us the end of the story.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV).