“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. (Matthew 25:1-4, ESV)

Abraham Lincoln said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” What is our responsibility as Christians? If we believe God is truly in control and it is better to yield our will to His, then we are to put our tomorrow and our today into His all-wise, all-knowing and loving hands. But, does that mean we should not plan for the future?

It is easy to slip into a carpe diem (live for today) attitude and lift our eyes heavenward saying, “God takes care of the lilies of the field, He will care of me.” There is great truth in that. Before that passage in Matthew 6 it says to not be anxious about anything in our lives. But, it ends with seeking His kingdom above all else. In other words, we are to actively seek, take action, and do our part.

I was watching the Christian movie Facing the Giants. A faith-filled man would go by the halls of this school every day and pray as he ran his hands along the lockers of the students. He told the coach he was plowing the field for these students’ future, praying that they would all come to know Jesus as their Lord. There were two farmers, he explained, who prayed for rain. But only one plowed the field in preparation for the rain to come. That was the farmer with more faith.

How can we prepare our fields in prayer? God may not always give us what we want, but He will always provide what we need. Our responsibility is to believe He will act. We need to PLOW:

P – Pray – through prayer we put it all back into God’s hands

L – Listen for His response. Too many times we turn our prayers into one-sided conversations. We hang up before we allow God to speak.

O – Observe the small ways He taps on you on the shoulder to remind you that He loves you, knows you needs and is working in your situation.

W ? Wait upon the Lord and do not give up hope.

The bridesmaids who prepared their lamps for the bridegroom were considered wise. They didn’t know when he was coming, but they knew that he would come. They stayed prepared. They knew their responsibility. It was the same one John the Baptizer called out- prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Heavenly Father, teach me how to rely on You but show me what I must do to prepare for the blessings You will bestow on me. In all things, good or bad, help me to give You the glory, to do my best at what is my responsibility to do right now, and to trust without reservation that You have plans to bring the rains in due season to bless my field. Help me plow in preparation with confidence. Through Jesus’ name – Amen.

Question: Are you willing to plow for as long as it takes to prepare for what blessing God will bring into your life?

“My sheep listen to my voice…” (John 10:27a)

 God speaks. That could be the end of this devotional.

The gravity of that statement is enough to meditate on for a long, long time. God is actively engaging with his people in a personal and loving way. He is communicating. Amen!

 What does that mean for us? One of the simplest conclusions that can be made about such a vast truth is that we must listen.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

How do we come to know the Lord’s voice? First of all, we must listen. We must be patient and still as we wait upon the Lord.

But coming to know the Lord’s voice is a learning process as well. As we learn to listen we will inevitably make mistakes, but there are checks and balances along the way that can help us.

• Is the voice consistent with scripture and the character of God?
• Is the voice confirmed by wise guides?
• Is the voice aligned with inexplicably coordinating circumstances?

We listen, we learn, and we discern, but may we always come back to the fact that the God who created the whole world is speaking to you and me.

God, thank you for speaking. Thank you for your words and their life-giving presence. Holy Spirit, help me discern the one true voice amidst the many false ones. Amen.

 Question: Does the thought of God speaking to you on a personal level amaze you? How could you be a better listener?

“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran” Genesis 12:1-4

Many people miss God’s purpose for their life because they are waiting for details about what He has in mind. But nowhere does Scripture say that God is required to spell out His plan. If He does have something for us to do, His only obligation is to show us how and to enable us to accomplish it.

If we do not know the particulars, our walk with the Lord can seem perplexing. Abram (who was later known as Abraham) must have felt that way. When God told him to pack up and head to a place he’d never been before, the would-be patriarch probably wondered, Lord, why can’t You just bless me here in Haran? But God had something greater in mind than Abram could envision.

Feelings, sight, and human reasoning can be terrible enemies to our walk of faith. So that we might demonstrate faith and rely upon Him, God sometimes calls us to a place where emotions, physical vision and logic are of no help. The Lord wants us, as believers in Jesus Christ, to lay down our own ways of figuring things out and to trust Him instead. That may sound irrational in human terms, but it is completely reasonable in the infinite mind of complete knowledge and wisdom.

Whenever you are tempted to prefer your own logical solution, remember that God is watching from a vantage point of omniscience. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Like Abram, choose to follow the Lord’s instructions. (Genesis 12:4) A step of obedience may feel like blind faith, but you can fully trust the One who sees all.

Questions: Have you wondered about what God’s plan for your life is? Have you been waiting for hear specific directions from God rather than going ahead and doing what you know to be good and pleasing to Him?

“And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.” (Luke 10:39)

When my children were young I had a little saying that I kept myself mindful of, “Stop, look, and listen, when my children talk to me.” By practicing this I was able to get a clear understanding of what their need was, as well as leaving them with the sense that they were heard and valued. The result was better communication, a more peaceful household, and less frustration.

Life is busy, and we very often try to accomplish as many things as we can at one time, challenging our ability to truly focus and do things well. Our prayer and study life can also fall victim to this busyness as we settle for praying on the run, and trying to assimilate the word through listening to teaching while accomplishing other tasks.

Although these are great additions, they do not impact us the same way as those moments that we sit at Jesus feet, leaving everything else to the side, and give Him our full attention. It was in this quiet place of giving Jesus all of her attention that Mary heard the word. Jesus referred to those who “hear the word” as being the good ground that will bear fruit.

May we be more mindful to take the time to sit at Jesus feet and “Stop, Look, and Listen” to hear what He wants to say to us. We will have a clearer sense of His will and experience more peace.

“But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit.” (Mark 4:20)

Lord, help me to be more mindful of my quiet time with You. Forgive me for the times I have rushed and not listened as closely as I should have. Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness.

Question: How can you be more mindful in your prayer and study life?

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one…who speaks the truth from the heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” (Psalm 15:1-3)

“What comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart.”  (Matthew 15:18, The Message)

In human beings, less than twelve inches—thirty centimeters—separates the heart from the mouth. That measurement is a vivid reminder of how quickly the mouth reveals what dwells within the deepest core of our being.

When caustic, hurtful, or “I-didn’t-mean-it-that-way” phrases slip from our lips, we need to take a careful look inside to discover the source of the words. Inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal our speech patterns is the first step in improving our communication, but practical steps should also be taken.

1. Listen to yourself. Take note of when a person is hurt. What were the circumstances when you said something that you later wish you had said differently? Do your responses occur most often with individuals or in groups? Try to find a pattern.

2. Listen to others. Often when we respond in a less than appropriate way, it’s because we didn’t fully hear and comprehend what was being said. Take time to sit back and listen to people and observe the atmosphere of the conversation.

3. Look at others. Learning the body language of our listeners will help us “fine tune” our word skills. How people convey information is a very good indicator of how they best absorb information.

4. Consider the words you wish to deliver. One expert advises, “Is what you want to say effective, necessary, accurate, timely, and appropriate?” If you are just responding because other people are talking, you may wish to limit your response. You want what you say to have impact, not just make noise.

While we need not examine every word that comes out of our mouths in excruciating detail, growing in our ability to speak in a wholesome manner is addressed directly by one first century man who used words well: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Take the next step:

10 Tips to Effective & Active Listening Skills
Train Yourself in the Art of Listening
Do you need to talk? 

If I’m ever going to connect with people in my life  to Christ, I need to be an effective listener. I must be able to hear their concerns, their heart, and their questions in order to connect their story with God’s story, and I must demonstrate a quality of listening that communicates love, value, and respect. What’s your listening saying about you?

Take the next step:
Are you a good listener? Become a mentor

Are you struggling with anxiety? What does your soul crave?

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“Go everywhere and announce the message of God’s good news to one and all…” (Mark 16:15, The Message).

“Each one heard their own language being spoken” (Acts 2:6).

Many years ago we attended a conference where an American pastor spoke to an auditorium filled with German students. We were in the beginning stages of learning German and so we wore headphones to hear both English and the German translation. Though a native German speaker, the translator was university trained in English and accustomed to conversing with his American friends. He stood close the speaker and seemed aware of his every gesture, his every inflection.

While relating an incidence from his youth, the speaker said, “To hide my bad breath, I put Sen Sen into my mouth.” Sen Sen??? Very few people—even Americans—know what Sen Sen is. What would the translator say to make sense of the speaker’s words? Without a pause, we heard him interpret Sen Sen into the German word for peppermint! He had been listening closely to the speaker, he knew both the language of the speaker and that of his audience and he knew his responsibility was to get the message across.

For a variety of reasons, we Christians often fear the word “witness.” We know we should tell others about Jesus, but we tremble at actually doing it. Can we learn some simple advice from our translator?

Listen closely to the speaker: Live in close, warm fellowship with our Heavenly Father; be so attuned to his every gesture that we are ready to follow his every move. “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master…so our eyes look to the Lord our God” (Psalm 123:2).

Know the “speaker’s” language: Live in the Word (and words!) of God in order to lovingly share their meaning.

Know the language of the audience: Learn how to avoid Christian terms which are meaningless to those who know?little or nothing about Christ.  Learn how to communicate God’s good news to a younger generation.

Commit unreservedly to the task of translating: Shortly before returning to heaven, Jesus told his friends—and now tells us—“Go everywhere and announce the message of God’s good news to one and all.”

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: How to share your faith journey

Questions: How do you feel when you know God is asking you to “witness” to someone? What are some steps that you could take to become more confident in telling others about Jesus?

About the Author Marilyn J. Ehle

Blah, blah, blah!

Our communication techniques can devalue those we are closest to. In fact communication or lack thereof is among the leading cause of divorce today, and contributes to numerous problems in both personal and professional relationships.
With little practice one can not only improve his or her communication skills but also improve relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

When it comes to communicating through the spoken word follow these simple steps:

1. Think before you speak. We find ourselves jokingly saying, that once again we “open mouth and insert foot”. Remember the words we say have the power to hurt or heal.  Once the words have left our lips we cannot take them back.  Think before you speak!

2. If you have a complaint, turn it into a specific request, with a goal in mind. This keeps the complaint from being negative and putting the receiver on the defense. Try the sandwich approach. Give a compliment, then the request or creative criticism, followed by another compliment. Make sure the compliments are genuine. False flattery will do more harm than good.

3.  Get permission before “dumping” on another person. Ask if this is an acceptable time to unburden on them. You don’t know what kind of day they have had, and by unloading your problem you could be adding more stress to their already stressed out day.

4. Listen to the problem, don’t try to solve it. As someone shares their problem with you, remember this is not an invitation to solve the problem nor does it warrant your opinion, unless asked for. Often when someone shares a problem the purpose is not seeking advice so much as the opportunity to hear themselves think out loud.

5.   Ask leading questions. Leading questions are those which give the listener the opportunity to choose between two or more options, give their opinion, or express their feelings. Exercise caution when asking leading questions as we can influence the answer to our question by the way we present the choices, our body language and the tome of our voice.

6.  Give the listener time to respond to your question or statement before giving more information. Remember not only is silence golden, but conversation is a two way street involving both speaking and listening. During a conversation you make a comment then wait for the recipient to reply.

7.  Eliminate background noise and distractions. Distractions whether from music, television, or any other source can make it difficult for the one being addressed to focus on what is being said. This is especially important when addressing an elderly person who may experience a hearing loss problems or dementia.

Body language

While the words we speak need to be chosen with care it is important to remember that they are only a small fraction of our conversation. The actual words we speak count for only 20% of our conversation. The tone of voice we use when speaking and the body language we display, including our stance carries more weight than the words we speak and will be remembered long after our words are forgotten.

Listening is just an important part of communicating with another as speaking is. Listening is an art that involves more than just hearing what is being said.  The art of listening, like that of speaking can be learned with practice.

1. Listen to not only what is being said, but perhaps more importantly to what is not being said. Look at the person as they speak, what is their body language saying? What tone of voice are they using? What are they not saying?

2.  Stop interrupting the person talking. When you interrupt you send a message that shouts, “What I have to say is more important than what you are saying. I’m more important than you are.” It’s also important that we give our complete attention to what is being said and stop thinking about what we are going to say next. By listening and not planning what you are going to say, as soon as the speaker stops talking, even for a second, you are in essence putting the other person ahead of yourself.

3. Give the speaker your full attention. Stop texting, put the book down, and stop looking around to see who else is in the room. When we are distracted we miss out on what is being said, thus hearing only part of the message that is being conveyed to us.

4.   Restate what you just thought you heard. It only takes a minute to rephrase what you heard and helps to avoid misunderstandings. A simple, “If I understand what you are saying, you said that…” can work wonders.

By learning the art of communication we can not only avoid misunderstandings, convey out thoughts influence the opinion of others as facts are presented, give clear directions and perhaps most important of all improve our relationship with those closest to us.

Are you struggling with anxiety?

As a follower of Jesus you wear a distinguishing mark as well. Is it visible?

You wear His love.

When Jesus came to this earth He brought a special kind of love. This love is unselfish, compassionate and unconditional. He loves us just as we are. Our present condition is irrelevant to His love. It is a love that picks us up just where we are in life and carries us further than we could ever go on our own.

He gives us His love so we can give it away in the same unselfish, compassionate, unconditional way He gave it to us. He tells us this love will be our trademark. It will distinguish us as followers of Jesus.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Your actions reflect Jesus to the world around you. You can choose to offer love or to hold it back. In situations where it is hard to offer love, ask Him to give you an abundance of His own in your heart so you are able to give it away.

As you move into the Christmas season, this week be reminded of the distinguishing mark you carry as a follower of Jesus. Ask for His love to be evident in your words and actions as you interact with others. Seek to bring unity and balance into relationships or situations. Listen to people with sincerity and interest. Ask for a graciousness that comes from His Spirit as you mingle with those in your circle.

Wear the love of Jesus as your distinguishing mark as His follower.

Father God, Thank you for Your generous love to me. Thank you that You see the abundance in my life rather than all the shortfalls I have. Help me to offer that same gracious love to those I mingle with this Christmas season. Pour Your love into my heart so I can give it away. May they know I am a follower of Jesus by my love. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: Do people know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ by your love? How can you show someone in a tangible way this week that you love Jesus?

About the Author Gail Rodgers