OF LOST SHEEP AND WAYWARD PRODIGALS

From Susan:

Bean-Bag Tag!

We have lots of Hillis family variations of hide-n-seek. My all time favorite is beanie-bag tag, in which the person who is IT counts to 50 while everyone else hides in a dimly lit basement or outside at after dusk, and then tries to run and catch everyone else by throwing the bean bag at them and hitting them with it. Since I am slow but have a pretty good aim, this is a game I could actually win from time to time by getting everybody OUT! Every one of  you remembers the joy of finding the person who is hiding, lost to our sight! 

It is so natural as a parent to chase after our kids, literally and figuratively. 

There are times to chase, and as they get older there are also times not to go running after them!  

To Chase or Not to Chase: That is the Question!

I particularly struggled with this question when one of our high-maintanance kids was sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night at age 16, making irresponsible choices about school, and choosing friends who were corrupting her morals. 

Saying no to our yes, up to our down, right to our left, and generally speaking, exhibiting those unique qualities characteristic of kids with reactive attachment disorder--
at every step. 

I felt EXHAUSTED and FRUSTRATED and CONCERNED about where she would end up! 

I felt OVERWHELMED with the demands of homework and sports and music lessons and friends and life for 10 kids, particularly since 1 of them seemed to need more attention than all the other 9 combined! 

Faced with this conundrum, Brian and I were praying, "Lord, do we go after this lost sheep or do we focus on the disciples?"  

We kept asking in prayer for the Lord's advice and direction, as there was NO WAY to care for the other 9 wanting to head in the right direction AND to care for the very needy one who was daily being pulled into more and more danger and destruction. After several weeks of praying with no apparent answer, the Lord whispered to me by His Spirit ever so simply and clearly one morning while I was looking in the mirror and brushing my teeth and not even thinking of our conundrum:  
"She is not a lost sheep. Where is her face pointed? Lost sheep would point their faces toward home if they knew where home was. Her face is pointed away."  

Then I understood that Luke 15 contrasts the difference in what the parent/shepherd does with a prodigal versus lost sheep. He lets one go, and goes chasing after the other! All I needed to do was to just copy the prodigal's father in Luke 15. Let the prodigal go her way until she wants to return--

Trusting You, Lord, to be her Father as she wanders. 

Trusting You, Lord, to bring ours and yours home to Yourself and to us, once they come to their senses.

Then, after a few days, in our good Father's sweet way, the Lord added to this sense of direction by a paraphrase from Acts 19:9, 

But some of them become obstinate,...so Paul left them, [and he] took the discples with him. 

Another version expresses that last part this way, "he went on with the disciples."  

Brian and I experienced the living and abiding word of God that was exactly what we needed in this moment.  
"Many became obstinate, so he left them and went on with the disciples!"   

I do not expect this would be the same answer for everyone, but it was our Wonderful Counselor's answer to us in our particular situation. 

Please don't misunderstand this "leaving." We continue unchanged in our abiding and enduring love for them, and pray for them and keep the relationship with them. But our focus is on those who are disciples and on those who may be lost, whose faces are pointed towards home.  

And we continue to hold the prodigals tightly in prayer, believing that faith even as small as a mustard seed can move those mountains of fear, theirs and ours!

I wish I could say that life was easy from the day we fully understood God's answer to our prayer; it wasn't easy, but as Aslan says to Lucy in Chronicles of Narnia, it was "good!"  

So the end of the story is this: our prodigal did come home after many years of wandering, which culminated in two years on the streets of Atlanta when she was 19 and 20.  Now she is 23 and doing very well - we talk by phone almost every day! 

So let me close with a new appreciation of Jesus's word in Luke 14,

How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate!  

Just this week end, yet again, I felt nudged to leave one of our kids to the Lord's care and allow Him to gather this sweet soul of my heart, rather than try to meet all the needs. I took a step away and let the Lord gather this treasure--and gather, He did!  I am amazed by the miraculous transformation that occurs with even mustard seed sized faith!!  

It does, indeed, still move mountains! Just dig that tiny hole of faith, instead of exhausting yourself with running!

May you and yours experience the Lord's Wonderful Counsel and Presence, this and every day!
Love eternal,

Susan

AN ADOPTED CHILD SHARES HIS STORY: ALEX HILLIS

It is a special privilege for us to introduce you to Alex Hillis as he tell his story of adoption. At 22, Alex has much to say and his story is an encouragement to all of us parents to trust God to do in each of our children the same saving and freeing work he has done in this amazing son.

What God Told Me
I want to start off by saying that a couple of days ago I was going on a run and only planning to run three to six miles. Before I started the run, I was talking to The Lord and I told Him, that I wanted to hear from Him. I was not going to stop running until I heard his voice. My plan of running only three to six miles turned into 25 miles! It was then that The Lord spoke to me. This is what He told me, "Treat people the way you want him or her to become"-- and that's it. This quote got me thinking about my life. Looking back 14 years since I was adopted I know exactly why God was telling me this. 

A Second Chance at Living

At age seven I walked into a room when I saw a woman and a man and they had the biggest smiles I have ever seen in my whole life. Beside them they had a girl and a little boy, who was four at that time. I knew then that this was the family that was going to adopt me. I remember the lady coming to me without hesitation, giving me the biggest hug and putting me on her lap. She started talking and it seemed like forever.  She was asking me question after question. To tell you the truth I have never felt so love. When God introduced MY family, MY real family to My life, I now I had a second chance at living. 

Brian and Susan, Cristi and Trevor, with their new
family members-- Alex (next to Susan) and Anya.

My Parents Saw Me as Someone Who Had Hope

Let me tell you what I mean by this....

When you are in the orphanage, you only stay there until you are 18. After that if you are smart enough you go to college, but those who aren't go to the street. Then their life is most likely over. They start taking drugs, start getting in to gangs and before they turn 21 their future is not looking so bright. 

Alex (right) with sisters Ksusha and Lana Grace, running
to their new parents.

Right now I am 22 and I can not start to explain what my Lord has done in my life. From the first day my parents adopted me they started seeing me as someone who will succeed, someone who had a hope. They started seeing me as a beloved child of God. Even through all the pain they went through, their love never changed. They loved me unconditionally. Also, having a father figure for the first time was such a blessing, and honestly I could have never asked for a better dad. Just when I thought life could not get any better, it did!. Not only was I adopted into an amazing family I was introduced to my REAL Father: Jesus Christ. 

My Family Stood Their Ground

Alex with Susan, speaking together at
 Created for Care (retreat for adoptive moms)

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that that my life was so easy after that point because it wasn't. As a child I was so broken. But my wonderful family stood their ground and they rebuilt me into the man God wanted me to become. It was not easy, but I've never seen a faith as strong as my parents'. Yes! Physically they are not that strong, but I guarantee you that their faith and love is stronger than anyone I know. With that much power, they could move Mount Everest! Looking back now, knowing that if my parents loved me that much, how much more does my God love me! 

Want to hear more from the perspective of the adopted child? Check out the Adopted Children's Stories section of our blog.

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3 OPEN DOORS

From Susan:

Several years ago I went to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Conyers, Georgia, for some time alone with the Lord, simply enjoying His presence and the splendor of His creation. For those of us who have busy lives and are constantly with children, being intentional about getting away into the Lord's presence is so very refreshing and restorative (I recommend it!) I was only there 24 hours, yet while there, was awakened three times in my sleep (just like Samuel! - the only time in my life this has ever happened!), with this sentence in my mind:  "I have not called you only to the literal orphans, but to all the orphans."  I understood clearly what this meant: there are many children and adults with living parents, yet they feel dead inside because they feel alone, lonely, worthless, hopeless. God's new call for me was way beyond the literal 153 million orphans, and it included all those who were figurative orphans and needed their view of themselves transformed -- transformed to see themselves as daughters and sons of the King of kings, of infinite value, untold worth, and with eternal hope. On a number of occasions since, when I am talking with someone, regardless of their age, I find myself wondering, 'are you one of them?'  By this, I mean, 'are you perhaps a figurative orphan whom the Lord wants to encourage? If they are, Lord, please encourage them in Your love.' 

After something this monumental happens -- like God clearly unfolding part of His calling -- it helps me to discuss it and get prayer from my husband and our pastors and elders, so that is what I did.  As we prayed that night one of our elders shared with us this truth:  "Behold I have set before you an open door." (Rev 3:8), and encouraged me that the Lord was showing me the door He had opened, and that I would know, by His Spirit and direction, when and how to walk through it.  This 'OPEN DOOR' passage, since, has been very meaningful to me personally. In the past week the joy of the OPEN DOORS has multiplied, and gone from 1 to 3!  I would love to pass along to you what has blessed me!

3 Open Doors!

Today, for you and for me, there are 3 Open Doors!  And all in the space of the two open pages for Revelation 3:5 thrugh 4:5 in my ESV Bibble!

1) God's Open Door (Revelation 3:7-8)

"The words of the holy one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one can shut....behold I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut."  
Whatever God's promised land is for you, NO ONE can shut the door to His good purposes in your life today, or tomorrow, for the rest of your life on earth, or for eternity.  Beth and Stephen tell the story of being in Russia and being denied the needed documents for their adoption, of going back to the place they were staying and seeking the Lord in prayer, and of the Lord speaking words of life back into their deflated hearts through this assuring verse of His calling and His intent to open the doors needed for their adoption.

2) Your Open Door (Rev 3:20)

"Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me."  So, what I see of about this second door is this. Anyone who has visited a Russian flat knows that there is the outer steel door which must be opened first;  so, it is like the husband coming home and opening that heavy first outer door, and then knocking and tenderly calling his wife by name..."Honey, it's me (knock, knock)."  She must open that second door in order for him to come inside the home and for them to enjoy time in each other's company. It is this same way for us. The Lord is like that

bridegroom/husband, who holds the first door wide open, determined no one can shut the door on His deep and eternal and unconditional and sufficient love and delight in you and me; and then He politely, gentleman that He is, knocks on the second while calling our names, waiting for us to open this second door of our hearts and invite Him in, to spend time together in each other's presence, listening and speaking in intimate conversation.

3) Heaven's Open Door (Rev 4:1)

"And after this I looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven..Come up here, and I will show you what must take place. At once I was in the Spirit and behold, one seated on the throne...." (read aloud what comes next to your children today an spend some time drawing or painting THAT together....we have done it and they love it!). When we keep reading, expecting to see a series of events unfolding on earth;  instead, what we immediately see, is that what 'must take place' is just this: After God opens DOOR ONE, and then we open DOOR TWO, His Spirit opens DOOR THREE for you and me to see, in a glorious way, Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, seated on Heaven's throne! We walk into heaven's Open Door to worship the One who is seated on the throne and who lives forever and ever, as we and they cast our crowns (proof of our service) before the throne (we don't need those crowns!) saying, "...worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power." It is as unlikely as entering Narnia through the open door of the wardrobe.  And it is ours, available, today.

So today, for you, dear soulmate, our prayer is this....that you have eyes to see THREE OPEN DOORS! 

- DOOR ONE, which the God of heaven is holding open just for you and your family, so that your part in His Story will be unstoppable...un-shutable!

- DOOR TWO, which you yourself open up so that you and your Friend can spend some time in conversation

- DOOR THREE, which the Spirit Himself reveals, in the intimacy of worship.

And after all this, we cannot help being filled with joy....the kind of joy that is like Peter's:  joy inexpressible and full of glory!

H@HKIDS! DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD: IMPRESSIONS, WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, WORD OF WISDOM

If you are like us, you are passionate about training your children to hear from their Father God. Scripture is full of the ways God speaks to His children. This post is 6th in our H@HKids! series. They are written for your older children to be able to read on their own and for you to read and discuss, maybe one section at a time, together as a family. You may want to go back and copy off the others (just click on the numbers below) in the series on Hearing God from our friend Colleen Coombs. They are a wonderful resource for your family devotionals:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five

To find out more about Colleen Coombs and her ministry to children, check out No More Crumbs Ministry.


Isn’t it amazing how creative God is that he uses so many languages to speak to us?! It makes me so excited to share these with others, as so many people don’t know that God wants to talk to all of His children.

IMPRESSIONS
Another language that God uses is Impressions. Impressions are feelings, emotions, or ideas that you have about a person or situation, that come from God. It can be something God puts in your heart to do that can help others.

In Jeremiah, God talks about putting things in our hearts and minds. When He does this, he is showing us that He is our God and we are his children.

Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10 & Hebrews 10:16

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

  I will be their God, and they will be my people...”

One of the best examples of God using Impressions is Nehemiah! It was an impression that God gave Nehemiah that moved him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem - and in only 52 days! This was one of the greatest building undertakings in the Old Testament and it was accomplished based on an impression from God!

Nehemiah 2:11-12

I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

Nehemiah 7:5

So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return.

In Ezra, we see that God is the one who ‘moved the heart’ of the king to make a proclamation. Ezra also praises God for putting it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord. So we see that once again God can speak to those that don’t yet know Him. 

Ezra 1:1

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing.

Ezra 7:27 

Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way.

In the story of the bleeding woman, she felt in her heart that if she touched Jesus’ clothes she would be healed. And she was!

Mark 5:27-29 

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

God gave Titus the same concern for the church that He had given to Paul. This concern led Titus to go and help the church in Corinth - all because God impressed this upon his heart!! (II Corinthians 8:16-17). God puts things in our hearts so we will accomplish the plans He has for us in the Kingdom. 

Revelation 17:17

For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE
A Word of Knowledge is knowledge given to you by the Holy Spirit that that you would have no way of knowing on your own. It does not come from our own experience. It is a Gift of the Spirit.

I Corinthians 12:7-8

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.

A Word of Knowledge is the Holy Spirit sharing information about certain people and situations. It is God showing us a problem, a sickness, or other situation revealed by the Spirit, so we can pray and act according to His will.

Words of Knowledge give godly understanding and facts about circumstances that does not come from others. This spiritual knowledge agrees with God’s word – which is true, factual, trustworthy, and pure.

There are over two dozen examples in I Samuel 9 and 10 of specific words of knowledge God gave to the prophet Samuel. Here are a couple of examples:

I Samuel 9:15-16

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”

I Samuel 9:19-20

“I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.  As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

In I Samuel 12:1-18, we see that God gave Nathan a word of knowledge concerning David and Bathsheba. He knew that they had sinned before God and he told David how angry God was with him.

Elisha is another example of God speaking through a word of knowledge. He knew Gehazi was lying to Naaman about some silver coins. You can read this story in 2 Kings 5:25-27.

In the New Testament we see God revealed the truth to Peter about the money Ananias and his wife held back from the church and then lied about in Acts 5:1-4. 

Words of Knowledge also work with gifts of Healing. When God reveals an ailment, injury or sickness, it is because He wants to heal this. Words of Knowledge and Words of Wisdom often work together: knowledge is like a foundation that wisdom builds on.

WORDS OF WISDOM
The Gift of Wisdom is the wisdom of God about people, places, or situations. It is a wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God and has nothing to do with what we have learned, which is the wisdom of the world. Through this gift, God lets us know how he wants us to deal with a specific situation in the present or the future. This Spirit-given wisdom gives the best solution for a disagreement or problem. It gives the best answer to a difficult question and the best way of acting in a tough situation. 

You might even say, “This was not an answer that I got by preparing and thinking about it for a long time. It was given to me when I needed it and it was from the Holy Spirit.”  This results in bringing glory to God!

1Corinthians 12:8 

“To one is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom.”

Proverbs 2:6

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Luke 21:14-15

But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

The person best known for hearing God this way was Solomon! He was known for the words of wisdom God gave him. He was the wisest man that ever lived because God gave him His wisdom, not mans.

I Kings 4:29

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

I Kings 10:24 & II Chronicles 9:23

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

In the New Testament we see Stephen heard God’s wisdom. This wisdom was so wise that the Jews could not even argue with it!

Acts 6:9-10

Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyreneand Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

We see that Joseph, in the OT, had this wisdom from God which helped him to become very powerful in Pharaoh’s court. God spoke wisdom to him in order to fulfill His plans for the future of Israel.

Acts 7:9-10

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh King of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

God gave Paul this kind of wisdom before the council of the Sanhedrin and also to encourage the churches.

II Peter 3:15

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Have you ever been in a tough situation and suddenly knew just what to do? Well that was God speaking words of wisdom to you. The great thing about wisdom is that God promises us He will give us His wisdom if we just ask and believe

James 1:5 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” 

Can you think of a time when you felt the need to call or write someone – a friend or relative? What happened when you did this? I bet the person was so blessed by what you did and knew God had told you to do this! Ask God to speak to you in these languages and see what He does! It's a great idea to journal everything God speaks to you so you have it to remember later.

May God bless you each with ears to hear and hearts and minds to receive all that God wants to speak to you!

H@HKIDS!: DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD- SIGNS, COLORS, NUMBERS

If you are like us, you are passionate about training your children to hear from their Father God. Scripture is full of the ways God speaks to His children. This post is 5th in our H@HKids! series. They are written for your older children to be able to read on their own and for you to read and discuss, maybe one section at a time, together as a family. You may want to go back and copy off the others (just click on the numbers below) in the series on Hearing God as a resource for your family devotionals:
One,  Two, Three, Four

To find out more about Colleen Coombs and her wonderful ministry to children, check out No More Crumbs Ministry.

From Colleen Coombs:

SONGS 

Have you ever heard a song in your mind when you were thinking about God? God loves to sing over us and give us songs! We see several people in the bible that God spoke to through songs. God told Moses to write down the song he gave him and to teach it to the Israelites! 

Deuteronomy 31:19-22

Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them....So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

Another person God spoke to through songs was Job. He talks about how God gives songs in the night!

Job 35:10-11

But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?’

The best known person who God gave songs to was David! He gave him lots of songs. The book of Psalms is full of songs God gave to David. In fact Psalms means Songs!

Psalm 32:7

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 40:3

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

  Psalm 42:8

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.

 Psalm 65:8 

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.

In the book of Zephaniah, he tells us that God sings and rejoices over us! How cool is that?

  Zephaniah 3:17 

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

In the New Testament, Paul talks about making music in our heart to the Lord and how we are to speak and teach each other through songs from the Spirit!

Eph. 5:18b-20

Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I love that God uses songs to encourage us and also that He gives ‘new songs’ that we can praise and worship Him with. What a beautiful language songs is! What are two of your favorite songs to sing to God? Have you ever sung a new song to Him?

COLORS

God loves colors!! It is something we see every time we look at God’s creation. Just think of all the amazing colors of birds, flowers, trees, and animals! God loves to show us things with colors. 

What do you think of when you see the color yellow? Perhaps light or the sun comes to mind. What about the color purple? We often think of royalty when we see this color. What do you think of when you see the color black? Sometimes is reminds us of sin or death.

Colors can have meaning to us - they remind us of certain things. God also likes to use color to show us things – it is another of His languages.

Rainbows may be one of the best examples of this language. When God painted a rainbow in the sky  he did this as a promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. We can still see rainbows today to remind us of this promise. (Genesis 9:12-17)

In both the Old and New Testament we read about rainbows seen in visions of heaven. Both Ezekiel and John saw rainbows in their visions of heaven. So we know God loves to speak through colors.

Ezekiel 1:28

The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That's what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell with my face toward the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking.

Revelation 4:3

The One who sat there shone like jewels. Around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

The meaning for each color is not always the same. Colors can mean something different to each person.  We have favorite colors and God knows this already, so He may show us this color to let us know He loves us and knows our favorite things.

Let’s look at some colors and what they mean in scripture. Look up the verses for each of these colors and talk about what God was saying through each. 

COLOR	MEANING	SCRIPTURE
RED	Blood, Redemption. Love	Joshua 2:17-19; Isa. 1:18
GREEN	Plants, Growth	Gen. 1:11-13, 30, 2:8-9; Ps. 23:2; Prov. 11:28
PURPLE	Royalty	Ex. 27:16; Esth. 8:15; Matt. 21:5-11; Isa. 14:14; Ezek. 28:2, 6, 9
WHITE	Washing, Purity	Ps. 51:7; Isa. 1:18; Daniel 7:9; Matt. 28:1-3, I Cor. 6:11, Eph. 5:25-27
BLACK	Judgment, Sin, World	Amos 5:20; Job 3: 3-6; 2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 1:13; Job 28:3; John1:5

NUMBERS

Because God is a God of order, we see numbers all through the Bible! Each one can mean something different. When we see the same number over and over again in the Bible, we can begin to understand the meaning of that number! 

Numbers are important to God! He gave Noah exact measurements to build the ark. And even told him the exact number of animals to put on the ark! What if Noah didn’t have these instructions and built the ark too small to house all the animals? What if he brought only one of each animal? So it was VERY important that Noah listen to the numbers God was giving him!

  Genesis 6:14, 19

  So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.

Numbers, like colors, can mean different things to different people. For instance, God might show someone the number 12 and it might have a specific meaning to that person, such as a special date in their life or it may have a biblical meaning or could be related to a verse in the bible. Often, God gives numbers related to a scripture verse! 

Here are some common number definitions found in scripture.

ONE - THE NUMBER OF UNITY. Father. 
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."
Ephesians 4:5 "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."

THREE - THE NUMBER OF DIVINE PERFECTION. The Trinity consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
FOUR - THE NUMBER OF CREATION - North, South, East, West; 4 Seasons.

SEVEN - THE NUMBER OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. Seven days in a week. There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 parables in Matthew, and 7 promises to the churches. There are 7 "eternals" in Hebrews which are: (1:6); (1:9); (6:2); (9:12); (9:14); (9:15); (13:20).

TWELVE - THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTAL PERFECTION. There were 12 tribes of Israel; 12 Apostles, 12 foundations in the heavenly Jerusalem; 12 gates; 12 pearls; 12 angels. The measurements of New Jerusalem are 12,000 furlongs or stadia, while the wall will be 144 (12 x 12) cubits (Rev. 21:16-17).

Did you know that both the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem were built to God’s exact size, based on the measurements He gave his people? (Exodus 26 & I Kings 6) So we can know by these things that God cares a lot about numbers!

I think it is so amazing that God uses numbers to speak to us!!

Take some time to wait on God and see if He speaks to you in one of these languages – songs, colors or numbers. Write down the things you hear through these languages and thank God for being so creative!

H@HKIDS!: DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD: THE BIBLE AND HEARING

This post from Colleen Coombs is the third in a new series for us, HOPE AT HOME KIDS. So, when you see H@HKIDS! in the title, you know we are giving you something geared specifically to use with your children. For many, these posts will be good read-alouds during family devotions, and for some they will be great to email or print out for your older children to read on their own.We are excited about this opportunity to share with your children!

One of our most popular breakouts last year was one Jenni Means did on helping our children hear God for themselves. We've asked her to do another breakout this year along the same lines. It is called, Helping Your Child Hear and Experience God. Watch this video to hear what one adoptive mom has to say about it:

Hope At Home - Cindy's Story from Tru Media Productions on Vimeo.

We'd love for you to join us October 5-6 for HOPE AT HOME 2012. You will be refreshed and encouraged in your parenting, and you will experience afresh the love of your Father God for you, His very own precious child. To find out more and to register, click HERE.

From Colleen: 

So we already know that God wants to talk to His children because he is the best Father of all and because we are his sheep. You can read about that here. We also learned that God has many languages He uses to speak to us and that many of these are non-verbal – they can not be heard. Click here to read about some of these. 
So, now let’s take a look at some more of His languages!

The first language of God that we are going to learn about is THE BIBLE, which is God’s word to us. Whenever we are having difficulty hearing from God in other ways, we always have his word that we can read and store in our heart because His word is perfect!

Proverbs 30:5a

“Every word of God is flawless.”

Why do you think that the bible is such an important language for us to learn? Because it is used to encourage us, build us up and draw us closer to God. It tells us all about who God is, what He has done and what His plans are for us! 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God created us so that he could have a relationship with us. That means that He wants us to be close to him. For us to be close to him, we have to understand who He is. We can know God’s deeds, character, and qualities (attributes) through the Bible. He says it is ‘the bread of life’ and it’s how He feeds us.

Matthew 4:4

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

The bible also gives us many examples that we may look to when we are going through a tough time, or when we need wisdom. It shows us what God has done in the past, what he is doing now, and what he will do in the future. These things will not pass away. 

Matthew 24:35

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

David encouraged himself over and over again in the book of Psalms by reminding himself of what God had already done. When God reminds us of what He has done through the bible, we are encouraged too! 

It is amazing how God speaks to us in so many different ways, but with some languages it may be harder to know exactly what God is saying. The one exception to this is the bible. We know that the bible is true and we must look to it for direction because it is always trustworthy.

The next language we will be learning about is HEARING God’s actual voice. His voice can be heard in two ways – outer audible and inner audible.

Outer audible means that we are able to hear it with our ears. It’s how we hear all sounds and other people’s voices. God can speak just like he is in the room! Inner audible means that we hear it in our minds. When God speaks to us with His inner audible voice, we don’t hear it the way we hear sound-- it’s like a thought or His voice in our head. 

God spoke audibly to Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:8-9

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”

God told Abraham that his wife Sara would have a baby when she was very old. He gave him a promise about his future generations (Gen. 17:1-22). He also spoke to Moses and told him that he would put His words in his mouth, when he called him to lead God’s people out of Israel (Exodus 4:1-15). God spoke to the Israelites through Moses when he led them to Mt. Sinai. He gave Moses the 10 Commandments and he wrote them in stone for all to see (Exodus 20:1-17).

Samuel, a prophet of God, for which the books of 1&2 Samuel are named after, first heard the voice of God when he was a child. He was growing up in the temple, and when he heard God’s voice, he thought that it was Eli, the priest, who was calling him. (1 Samuel 3:1-15)

Did you know that when this happened to Samuel he didn’t even know God yet? That shows us that some people can hear God before they know Him. God does this so they will know he is real and to show them how much he loves them. (1 Samuel 3:7)

In fact God spoke so clearly to Samuel that it was said that not a word he spoke was ever wrong! He was the only prophet that this was said about. Perhaps it is because he learned to recognize God’s voice as a child and never forgot it! (I Samuel 3:19-20)

God continued to speak too many of his prophets in this way, so that they could then tell the Israelites what God wanted them to do. 

Isaiah (Isa. 7-24), Jeremiah (Jer. 1-19), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:1-8, 8:5-6), Books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

In the New Testament gospels, God the Father spoke from heaven during the baptism of Jesus. All the people gathered there heard this!!! 

Matthew 17:5

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Also in the New Testament, a Jewish Pharisee name Saul (Paul) was persecuting the new Christian believers. He was on his way to Damascus to try to find Christians so he could throw them in prison. While on the road to Damascus, God spoke to him.

Acts 9:4

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul,       why do you persecute me?’”

Saul’s encounter with God changed him and he dedicated his life to preaching the gospel. God gave him a new name - Paul. God continued to speak to Paul as he spread the good news. (Acts 22:17-21)

These are just two languages God uses. We will take a look at some others soon. Have your bible nearby and ask Him to speak through his word to you. If you take some time today to listen for God you might be surprised what happens!

We'd love your input-- what are some topics you'd like to share with your children?