Encouraging and empowering people to live victorious lives in Christ

Archive for July, 2025

Still and Listening: Meeting God in the Quiet

Earlier this week, I posted this thought on my personal Facebook page:

“Sometimes what we need most isn’t a book or a devotional—it’s simply to sit in God’s presence.”

This idea came to me as I was thinking about how we can grow spiritually.  I recently preached a message at my church regarding spiritual growth and victorious living (you can click here to listen in!).  I shared some things we can do to help us; activities such as prayer, bible study, fasting, etc.  All of those activities are good, but there is something we can add to that list, something I believe we don’t do enough of.

When was the last time you sat quietly in God’s presence?  When was the last time you just sat in a chair or knelt or just paused to be with God?  Since God is omnipresent, we don’t need to go to a particular place (like our local church) to be in God’s presence.  Nor do we need a book or a devotional or worship music (although there is nothing wrong with using these tools) to usher us into His presence.  All we need is a true desire to spend time with Him! And guess what: God desires to be with us too!  

Sitting in silence may make us uncomfortable.  We are so accustomed to there being constant noise around us, so when things are quiet, it may feel awkward. But the quieter we are, the more prepared we are to receive from God.  Our intentional silence is our way to get in position to hear what He has to say.

When should we seek God’s presence?  All the time!  Not just we have a specific need, but whenever we want to just be with Him.  Think about a good friend:  although life can be busy for all of us, unless we maintain some connection, we may grow apart.  If we are not intentional about seeking God’s presence, our connection with Him can weaken.

So, what are you going to do today to enter into the presence of God?  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in how you spend that time. And as we spend intentional, quiet ime with Him, He can speak to our hearts as we are drawn closer to Him.

Does this post resonate with you? Please comment below and share this post with a friend!

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Joy Is Still Possible—Even in Hard Seasons

As you read the title of my message today, you may wonder how joy is possible in hard seasons.  You may even ask how ‘joy’ and ‘hard seasons’ can exist in the same sentence! Hard seasons are hard!  And there’s probably nothing good about what we may be going through: nothing good about losing your only source of income, nothing good about losing a loved one.  So, how is joy possible?

Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, says this:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13, NLT

Paul is coming to the end of this letter to the Romans, a letter that has been filled with doctrinal truths about the sinfulness of man, Jesus and the forgiveness He offers and how we should live as a result of our new lives in Christ.  In all of that important information, this verse in Romans 15 really stands out in my mind.  

Paul is offering a prayer on behalf of the Roman believers, and because we too are believers, we can also receive it.  His desire is that the God of hope would fill us with joy and peace as we trust in Him.  This verse reminds us that God is the source of our joy, no matter what we may be experiencing.  The verse also says that, because of the joy and peace we receive, we will overflow with hope!  This kind of hope is not just a wish, but it’s a confident assurance of what God says we have in Him and an assurance of who we are in Him.  Again, this is regardless of our circumstances.

This message is just a quick reminder to you that joy is possible, even in hard times.  As we trust in Him, we can experience the joy, peace and hope that will carry us through our difficulties.  Things may be tough now, but we have an assurance that God is with us in the tough times and provides exactly what we need when we need it. AMEN!

If you know someone who is in the middle of a challenging season, please forward this message to them.  Also, I would love for you to share your comments below.

Be blessed!

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