God is ALWAYS speaking

This first photo is looking out over the Ben Hinnom Valley, where in Biblical times, children were sacrificed to the pagan god Molech. I love the contrast of sun shining in the valley while the darkness looms beyond. It was almost like a sign from heaven that God is redeeming the valley, and that life and praise will come from it.

The second photo is of the building where people from all over come together in two hour time slots to praise and worship the Lord 24/7. It overlooks the Ben Hinnom Valley and the Old City walls toward the east.

The day that I took these photos was very interesting. It had been raining all day and when I got to the spot where I took the photos, the sun was shining so beautifully. Yet beyond Mt. Zion, the clouds were still dark and threatening. I went inside to hear a guest speaker, and not long after that it started raining so hard that I couldn't even see across the valley. I don't know--it was just powerful. Like God was washing out the valley or something. I don't want to over-spiritualize everything, but sometimes I think we really miss out on hearing and seeing God in the everyday things of life. We write it off as "strange weather" or "coincidence" or "luck" and we totally miss it. God is always speaking. ALWAYS. I know this and yet I'm so guilty of ignoring Him most of the time.

I know so many people trying to "find God". I just think it's not that hard. He's everywhere. But we make life so complicated with rituals and spiritual rules of how to do this and what not to do, that many people just get so frustrated that they give up or settle for some acceptable form of religion. Maybe it's a bit too audacious of me to say that. Maybe being here in this land just makes me feel like He's not hard to find. Maybe.

No. I don't think so. I think we make God too little by under-spiritualizing events. The evidence is everywhere if we just open our eyes. Whenever I get frustrated and feel like I can't see Him, I start reading Job 38 and on to the end of the book. It doesn't take me long to remember who He is and stop my whining when I read God's response to Job:

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
"Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand...."
JOB 38:1-4

Can't you just hear this thundering voice that shakes the earth! That just gets me every time!!!! So many of my words are just without knowledge. It's extremely humbling, as it should be, to know how little I am and how big (can't even grasp HOW BIG) God is. And to think that He loves me so much that he died for me is just about more than I can handle.

Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, that we may see You.