This old green chair has been a front-row seat witnessing the good, the bad and the ugly of our lives. Super Bowl championships, comforting sick babies, recovering from surgery (with a bag of frozen peas to keep the swelling at bay!), time outs, times of prayer, movie night, on-hold waiting, wedding planning…and so much more.
Now that we are empty-nesters, this old friend regularly provides a place for me to sit with the Lord to hear Him speak to this sheep. If you were here at the beginning of Lifetime Remedy, you know that Streams in the Desert is my go-to devotional each morning. Today did not disappoint! The teaching resonated with my spirit and I wanted to share with you in hopes that you’d be encouraged as well.
Here is an excerpt:
Streams in the Desert
September 28
In me . . . peace. (John 16:33)
Paganini, the great Italian violinist, once stepped on stage only to discover there was something wrong with his violin, just as the audience was ending their applause. He looked at the instrument for a moment and suddenly realized it was not his best and most valuable one. In fact, the violin was not his at all. Momentarily he felt paralyzed, but he quickly turned to his audience, telling them there had been some mistake and he did not have his own violin. He stepped back behind the curtain, thinking he must have left it backstage, but discovered that someone had stolen his and left the inferior one in its place.
After remaining behind the curtain for a moment, Paganini stepped on-stage again to speak to the audience. He said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now demonstrate to you that the music is not in the instrument but in the soul.” Then he played as never before, and beautiful music flowed from that inferior instrument until the audience was so enraptured that their enthusiastic applause nearly lifted the ceiling off the concert hall. He had indeed revealed to them that the music was not in his instrument but in his own soul!
Dear tested and tried believer, it is your mission to walk onto the stage of this world in order to reveal to all of heaven and earth that the music of life lies not in your circumstances or external things but in your own soul.
_________
Have a wonderful day, dear friend, knowing that you are exactly the person God planned before time to live right where you are. And, He created you for a good work which He will reveal at just the right time, whether you think you’re ready…or not! Let Him speak into your heart and mind, write down what you hear, test it through Scripture, and pray into it. His words do not come back void.
If you would like to know more about HOW to hear God’s voice, I’d love to walk you through Habakkuk 2:1-3.
Another great resource is the book 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Dr. Mark Virkler.