Silent Time

Young chicken look for protection under the wings of the mother hen.

Do you look for freedom? Everyone prefers to live in freedom. What really limits and what enables freedom?

To whose words does it makes sense to listen to? Who has such authority making it worth listening to?

Ride on in majesty! But which majesty?

What are you excited about?

Are we a random product of evolution?

Do we do away with the law?

What is in your range of capabilities? And what is impossible for you? As humans we have limits, but everything is possible for the almighty, eternal creator God. The question is: how much trust do you put in him?

Have you experienced situations, in which you have almost given up? There might be too much workload or too strong pain from sickness or feeling lost in a prison cell and many other hopeless situations. Yet there is always hope, we are called to persevere; God’s offer of help and blessing is greater than any difficulties can ever be.

A commonly known, a person consists of body and soul. By human definition, someone is alive, as long as the body is alive. But regarding eternity, the question is whether the soul is alive in Christ.

Whom do you trust more? Your own reasoning and common sense, or the Lord? For the big majority of decisions to take, both point in the same direction. But there can be few cases in which God in his eternal wisdom has a better long term plan for your life than common sense looks like. We may only understand later. Whom do you trust more?

How do you react when you get accused? People may first tempt, confuse and then accuse us. Also the devil tries to first confuse and tempt us and then accuse and condemn us. But the Saviour is stronger than any accuser can be.

Do you like changes of circumstances in life? Often changes go hand in hand with temporary pain towards long term gain. For example the birth of a child means labour pain but enables new life.

More precious than big riches can be: Godliness with contentment is great gain, because it also provides peace in the heart and eternal joy.

Do you regard your available food, clothes, freedom, health for granted or as your own accomplishment? Or do you humbly give thanks to the Lord?

Whose advice do you follow?

What gives you confidence in life? Your job? Your land? Your family? Your skills?

Under which conditions do you live? Is there freedom of faith or persecution and oppression? One pattern that repeats itself over history is that religious leaders worry that they loose influence, so they aggressively try to eradicate the living faith in the Lord Jesus.

How will it be like, when Jesus returns?

He has come and brought great joy.

A person who has experienced the help of the Lord has the natural desire to pass on the good news to others.

How do you pray?

It is difficult to describe the gap between us humans with our errors and faults on the one hand and the eternal, holy Lord on the other hand. But praise the Lord that in his grace he has provided a way to bridge that gap.

One thing that appears to be among the least attractive that we can imagine: obedience. But blessed with a life full of adventures and an ultimate goal is the person who obeys the Lord.

Life seems to be unfair; some continually suffer hardships of many kinds, while others seem to enjoy their life. Does God treat people in an unfair way? The Lord is holy and just. The important question is: on what do you put your focus? On envy and greed? Or on the Lord’s kindness?