"The Stones Will Cry Out"

If you are like me you have been following the events in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami this past week.  Over the past few years our world has experienced many major natural disasters.  During such times it makes a person wonder just what is going on in our world that such terrible things are happening.

Some may believe that our earth is deteriorating and that the end is coming soon.  It makes sense.  Just how much can this planet take?  Some might look at those who are affected and claim that God is using nature to punish them.  Some look to the book of Revelations and see that our earth is falling apart and that we might be close to the coming of Christ.  Again, it could make sense - and wouldn't it been wonderful to know that Christ would return in our lifetime!?  But I find myself in the book of Luke.

Luke 19:28-44 tells of Jesus' "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion.  I was reading this and something popped out to me that I had never paid much attention to.  As Christ was riding the donkey into Jerusalem, the people were laying down their cloaks for him to pass over and they were joyously praising him.  Of course the Pharisees didn't like this and told Jesus to make the people quiet down.  Here, in Luke 19:40, Jesus says, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Now think for a moment what it would be like if the stones actually cried out.  Think about the power that would take place if stones cried out.  Stones don't have voices, as we do, so their praise would be through movement and movement of rock can be devastating to civilization. 

Psalm 148 also speaks of all creation praising God.  Psalm 148:7-9 (NLT), "Praise the Lord from the earth you large sea animals and all the oceans, lightning and hail, snow and mist, and stormy winds that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars."  Again, think about just how nature would praise it's Creator.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that we live in an imperfect world and disasters do happen.  But just dwell for a moment on Jesus' own words - "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  Now take a moment and think about your worship.

• Is worship a part of your DAILY routine?

• When you worship corporately are you more concerned with how you will be perceived by those around you for your all-out worship or are you more concerned with giving God everything you have?

• How do you enter worship?  Are you more concerned with what YOU get out of it or what you GIVE GOD during worship?

Those worshiping Christ during his triumphal entry did not care how they looked.  They didn't care about others trying to quiet them down.  Those people were there to worship the King of Kings!  They worshiped so much that they drowned out nature's worship.  Can you say that?  Maybe, we are not worshiping enough.  God deserves to be worshiped and if we aren't doing it maybe, just maybe, nature has taken over giving God the proper praise that he deserves.

Purpose

Have you ever wondered if God has a purpose for you?  If you're anything like me, you KNOW that God does have a purpose for you but you might not always FEEL that he has a purpose for you.  I have really been struggling with this over the last few months.  Without going into details, I found myself in a place where I wasn't comfortable.  I really have been questioning what God wanted from me.

During this time, my reaction was to push God away - not on purpose mind you, but I definitely was.  When I finally realized what I was doing I decided to call out to God.  First for forgiveness for pushing Him away but secondly, I cried out to God for him to show me that purpose.  I felt purposeless and needed to know that this wasn't true.

Yesterday, I started a job that quite honestly, I was not thrilled with.  To me this is a temporary job, just to get us by.  The days preceding I felt down and depressed and I couldn't figure out what God was doing.  So this is when I literally cried out to my Heavenly Father.  

I immediately felt the peace that can only be a divine peace.  God showed me that no matter where I was, He was using me.  I needed to realize that He places all of us in situations that can be used to point others towards Him.

If I had any doubt about what God was saying to me he proved it to me today.  I was at work today when a man came in who knew me.  He said to me that the people where I am working needed to be influenced.  He said that I could minister to them.  Immediately I knew that God was speaking through this man!

Through this one statement God confirmed that he has a purpose for me - no matter where I am.  God is in control and he places us where He needs us.

Make an Eternal Difference

Deuteronomy 6:4-7, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

These words, spoken by Moses, are some of the most important in raising a child and helping that child develop his own faith.  First, YOU must love God with everything you have – heart, soul, strength (and Christ adds mind).  As you love God with everything and devote yourself to Him, your children will see this.  We need to model faith to our children.  They need to see how important our faith is to us.  They need to see faith LIVED out!

Next, God’s words must be on your heart.  The only way to truly have God’s word on our hearts is by spending time with Him – in prayer, in worship, and in study.  What is your prayer life like?  Do your children see you pray?  What is your worship time like?  Do your children see you worship?  Do you study the word of God?  Do your children see you reading your Bible?  Again, it is important to model for our children what we want them to do.

And finally, we need to TALK to our kids about Godly things!  How often do you talk to your child about your faith?

“Talk about them when you sit at home.”  What do you talk about around the dinner table?  Do you point out things on TV or in movies that might not portray how God wants us to live and then talk to your children about what the right choice should be?
“and when you walk on the road”  What to you listen to in the car?  What do you talk about?  Drive time can be a special time to spend talking with and worshiping with your kids – they are a captive audience!!
“when you lie down”  Do you pray at night with your kids?  Do you read the Bible before bed with your kids?  Bedtime can be a special bonding time for you and your children while also bonding with their Heavenly Father.
“and when you get up.”  Mornings can be so hectic but imagine what would change in your day, and your child’s,  if you took a few minutes to pray together and to remind each other that God will be with you throughout the day.  Take this time to ask God to help you live for him throughout the day.
Making a few changes in your life can make an eternal difference for your child's!