"Shhh! No Talking While the Pastor's Preaching!"

 How many times during church have we felt a little tap on our arm or a tug on our sleeve and leaned over to whisper, "Shhh!  No talking while the pastor's preaching!"?  I felt that little tap this past Sunday during morning church service.  Since my children are grown and my husband was in the sound booth, I quickly recognized that the tap on my arm was really a tap on my heart.  I realized that it was the LORD Who was speaking while the pastor was preaching.

And so, while the pastor was delivering a stirring sermon on every believer's call to be a missionary, the Holy Spirit was addressing an entirely different issue in my own heart.  In order to do so, He hijacked my pastor's perfectly good text, threw me into the wagon with it, and off we went down a divergent path.

In the hope that our conversation might also help you, I transcribed it to share.  It went something like this:

"The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat." (Mat. 8:14)

How are we going to pay for college next fall?  We only have a small savings.  It is not even enough for ONE year, let alone four..


"Why are you talking about having no bread?  Do you not still see or understand?" (Mat. 8:17) 

How much or how little you have is irrelevant, because your provision is not in what you have, but in Whom you have.  And you have Me.

"Is your heart hardened?  Do you not have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?  And don't you remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfulls of pieces did you pick up" (Mat. 8:19)

Do you not remember that I have always provided for you?  Do you not remember that I sent your husband to school when there was no money?  Do you not remember that I sent your daughter, too?

I do remember, Lord.  We stepped out in faith, believing that you were calling Him there, and without fail, every semester, you provided.  For over four years.  Over $17,000.
And Kristen, too.  She'll graduate in May with no debt.  You provided.

And how many baskets of food were left over after I provided for your needs?

Lots, Lord..  We've had everything we've needed and then some.

"Do you have eyes, and do not see, and do you have ears and not hear? . . . Don't you understand yet?"


Yes, Lord, I understand.  And I want to understand while it is still faith, not sight.


Thank you, Lord.  I love you a lot.

Dear friend, are you struggling?  Are you seeing the giants and forgetting the promises?  Are you facing huge needs with small faith?  Are you forgetting all that God has done for you in the past and focusing only on what is looming before you today?  Then join me. Put your face in His hands, look deep into His kind eyes, and hear Him say, "Don't you remember?  Do you not see?"  And let's watch Him do a miracle.

"If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Be thou removed.'"