A surprising thing happened to me at the 2009 CCCA National Conference in Colorado Springs. On Monday evening, shortly after Bob Kobielush and I had facilitated the offering, I was sitting with my family, listening to Margaret Feinberg, our general session speaker and author of several books. I soon found myself gulping air and trying to maintain my composure. Wow, I wondered. What’s that about, God? What are You trying to tell me? Then I sat and listened for a while longer.
I knew I had missed some of Margaret’s message, so I focused back in as she continued. In just a moment or two, she said something else that gave me the same spiritual punch-in-the-gut. Again, I asked God what He was trying to tell me.
Another conference attendee told me that he was similarly touched that same night at the conference. It involved his participation in the offering, which, he says, God led him to “sit out”—but only for a moment. During worship, he was overwhelmed emotionally, just like I was, and “for about 60 seconds I had trouble maintaining my composure,” he says.
This man sensed God was telling him that he was to make up for whatever shortfall we had in the offering. He wasn’t sure where that money would come from, but he submitted to God’s leading. The next day he remembered he had been promised a large amount of money as a bonus. He says he “had a good chuckle” when I announced that morning how much we were short of the goal, and it was almost exactly the amount he had been promised. He wrote the check when his bonus came in.
I’ve enjoyed a good conversation with this new friend, and we’ve come to the conclusion together that God was indeed moving that evening at the conference. But I can’t bring myself to believe that He means this to be a once-a-year, or worse, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Are you currently running like I do much of the time, from task to task, meeting to meeting, responsibility to responsibility without slowing down to hear from God? In this New Year, I’ve made a commitment (because I’m not a huge fan of resolutions) to pay closer attention to the Lord’s voice. I want to give myself more time to clear away the mental clutter and distractions, and open my heart to what He has for me. And I wonder if you’ll join me.
One book I know I want to read on this topic is by our speaker that night at the conference, Margaret Feinberg. It’s called The Sacred Echo (Zondervan, 2008). My son says it is the most life-changing book he has read as it demonstrates how one can actively communicate with, and hear from, the God of the universe.
I invite you to read this book sometime this year; then share with me your own experience of listening to God’s voice. Know that I’ll be listening along with you.
Dear Gregg,
I just started this book as part of a six week study with a group of women at my church. I leaped at the opportunity, having also been blessed by Margaret Feinberg during Nationals. Clearly the Lord is echoing for us to come back in communication with Him. What a joy and a blessing when we can hear His love for us and put His plan into action.
I pray you find time to commit to reading her book, but more importantly that you commit to listen and hear God’s voice.
Blessings!
~Corina
Thank you, Greg for sharing this encouragement. I had similar moments during the conference when God spoke to me.
I often, and I mean often, struggle with quieting my mind and opening my ‘ears’ to hear the God of the universe speak. But I’ve had those moments too.
One such moment happened to me while I was sitting on the porch of our Roundhouse on a quiet rainy afternoon by myself.
I had just had one of those days when I was left sitting and asking God if what I was doing really mattered. After about 90 minutes of sitting with my eyes closed and trying to wrestle a response out of God (am I alone here?), I think I finally said, OK if you’re not going to make yourself heard then show me something so I’ll know you want me hear.
That’s when I suddenly had the urge to open my eyes, even though in my mind I was not done with this wrestling match. He was.
In front of my now very open eyes was a full rainbow over the entire camp.
I’ve always been a visual learner, but this was more like what it must have been like for Moses to look upon the burning bush. Although I did not hear, Thom, Thom from the rainbow, I suddenly knew I was standing on Holy ground and the message was very clear. Talk about taking your breath away and being made very small and humble at the same.
I am still learning how to listen.
Sorry for the grammar errors. Typing in the dark on a small iPhone screen is not yet been perfected here.
End of second paragraph….want me here, not want me hear.
And second to last line is missing the word ‘time’ at the end.
Thanks for your understanding.
Thanks for sharing Gregg. Just spurred me on to order the book along with a couple of Margaret’s other books.
Right with you regarding Margaret Feinberg’s Sacred Echo!I read it last year (and also watched the video series) and was challenged to make the space in my life more often to hear the things God has echoed throughout my life…very powerful thought when you begin to reflect over a lifetime of what God has said…often times over and over. We are watching the keynote videos together as a staff and Margaret’s will take us to some great conversation and sharing. The power of God was indeed felt by many of us…I too often struggle to keep my emotional composure at CCCA worship gatherings when it is so apparent that God is speaking directly to MY heart but I sense that He is speaking directly to the hearts of so many around me. HE is amazing.