January 16th, 2023
Written by Alex Fortson
Who doesn’t love a good Bible reading before bed? Scarlett, our six month old daughter, cannot go to sleep without completing her routine of reading her Bible before bed. Of course she cannot read yet, but she tries her best. We get all cuddled up together, crack open her Bible, and begin to journey through the incredible stories of God's word. She intently looks at the colors of the pictures and feels the pages as they turn (I am always scared she is going to get a paper cut), and every now and then she even tries to get a good taste of the big ol’ fish that swallowed up Jonah. Scarlett finally has a tooth coming in so, as most of you know, everything ends up in her mouth at some point or another.
Something that never fails to happen when we read at night is her desire to figure out who is reading to her. Although it is me, her father, who sits down and reads to her every night, she still feels the need to search for the voice speaking behind her. As she turns her attention from the colorful pages and looks over her shoulder, she finds the voice that is speaking to her, and with a huge grin begins to let out the most innocent baby giggle known to man. Why is this? Because she found the voice that she was looking for.
Discerning and knowing the voice of God is not always easy, but it is always worth the search. We should always be seeking the voice of God. There should be a desire to follow His voice wherever He leads us. Sometimes we can get focused on what we’re looking at in front of us and we miss God and the things He is trying to do in our lives. Although the colorful pictures and the taste of the Bible are very intriguing to Scarlett, it’s not what she is most interested in. She is more interested in the person speaking to her and holding her rather than what is in front of her. And whenever her search comes to an end by making eye contact with her father, that’s when the joy, peace, and assurance comes. She knows she’s in good hands.
As you read this, you are also in good hands. You’re in the hands of God and you can be sure that, no matter what you are going through, the Comforter holds you. He is not hiding from you and is not far away from you. His voice is much closer than you think.
In Acts 17:26-27 Paul states, “ And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”
God knows every detail of our lives and has an intricate plan for each one of us, but we must choose to follow it. He does not force us to follow Him, but He has guided the events of our lives in such a way as to draw our attention to the fact that we need Him. Everything He does involving our lives is aimed at leading us into a personal relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether a person knows Christ yet or not, the Lord is never far away.
Remove your attention from the things that are in front of you and turn your attention to the voice who is speaking to you. Through time spent with God, you will become more familiar with his voice. Daily seek the Lord and His direction in your life, and, just like Scarlett, you too can lay your head down at night and sleep with abundant peace and joy in your heart.
Who doesn’t love a good Bible reading before bed? Scarlett, our six month old daughter, cannot go to sleep without completing her routine of reading her Bible before bed. Of course she cannot read yet, but she tries her best. We get all cuddled up together, crack open her Bible, and begin to journey through the incredible stories of God's word. She intently looks at the colors of the pictures and feels the pages as they turn (I am always scared she is going to get a paper cut), and every now and then she even tries to get a good taste of the big ol’ fish that swallowed up Jonah. Scarlett finally has a tooth coming in so, as most of you know, everything ends up in her mouth at some point or another.
Something that never fails to happen when we read at night is her desire to figure out who is reading to her. Although it is me, her father, who sits down and reads to her every night, she still feels the need to search for the voice speaking behind her. As she turns her attention from the colorful pages and looks over her shoulder, she finds the voice that is speaking to her, and with a huge grin begins to let out the most innocent baby giggle known to man. Why is this? Because she found the voice that she was looking for.
Discerning and knowing the voice of God is not always easy, but it is always worth the search. We should always be seeking the voice of God. There should be a desire to follow His voice wherever He leads us. Sometimes we can get focused on what we’re looking at in front of us and we miss God and the things He is trying to do in our lives. Although the colorful pictures and the taste of the Bible are very intriguing to Scarlett, it’s not what she is most interested in. She is more interested in the person speaking to her and holding her rather than what is in front of her. And whenever her search comes to an end by making eye contact with her father, that’s when the joy, peace, and assurance comes. She knows she’s in good hands.
As you read this, you are also in good hands. You’re in the hands of God and you can be sure that, no matter what you are going through, the Comforter holds you. He is not hiding from you and is not far away from you. His voice is much closer than you think.
In Acts 17:26-27 Paul states, “ And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”
God knows every detail of our lives and has an intricate plan for each one of us, but we must choose to follow it. He does not force us to follow Him, but He has guided the events of our lives in such a way as to draw our attention to the fact that we need Him. Everything He does involving our lives is aimed at leading us into a personal relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether a person knows Christ yet or not, the Lord is never far away.
Remove your attention from the things that are in front of you and turn your attention to the voice who is speaking to you. Through time spent with God, you will become more familiar with his voice. Daily seek the Lord and His direction in your life, and, just like Scarlett, you too can lay your head down at night and sleep with abundant peace and joy in your heart.
1 Comment
This message is so amazing and so is the person that wrote it I love him with all my heart