Wednesday, January 20, 2016

DJD120 - God Still Speaks

Read More Daily Jesus
Scripture: 

Acts 22:14-16

Starting Question:

Has God ever helped you do something? How did He help?

God Still Speaks

My Dad always starts the story the same way. “Lots of people don’t believe me when I say I have heard God’s voice. They say, ‘You mean you’ve had an impression of something you should do? Right?’ … No,” My Dad continues in story mode, “I mean, like you are hearing my voice right now, I heard God’s voice. Then they look at me like I’m crazy.” And then he tells the story. 

Before my brother Teddy and I were old enough to be in school, Dad was a logger. Sometimes he fell trees. Sometimes he loaded them onto trucks. Sometimes he talked to landowners about the job. And sometimes, when he wasn’t doing anything dangerous, we got to go along for the day. What an adventure!

So, this day was Teddy’s turn. Dad was going out to see the progress on a job and then coming home. A simple day. Nothing dangerous. 

When they got to the job, the tree-feller hadn’t shown up. There were two trees that needed to be down today. So, Dad explained to Teddy that he must stay in the truck and play with his toys. Teddy agreed and Dad locked the doors, got his chainsaw and protective gear out of the back.

Dad put his ear plugs in, put his helmet on and pulled the earmuffs down over his ears. Then he put on his goggles and gloves. When he waved at Teddy through the window, Teddy laughed because of how silly Dad looked. Dad grabbed the chainsaw and walked away.

After the first tree, Dad came back and checked on Teddy. Everything was great. Teddy was having fun playing with his toys and said he would be fine until Dad fell the other tree.  

About halfway through cutting the second tree, Dad heard a voice say, “Stop.”

I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard a chainsaw. It’s loud. That’s why Dad was wearing the earmuffs with ear plugs under them. Dad laughed to himself. What would people say when he told them he was hearing voices? Knowing it was impossible to hear a voice through the ear plugs, muffs and the roar of the chainsaw, Dad pulled the trigger and let the chainsaws teeth dig into the tree. He was almost done.

Again, he heard it. This time louder than before. “Stop!”

Dad pulled the chainsaw out of the tree and turned it off. He took off his gloves, lifted his earmuffs, pulled out the earplugs and shouted, “Is there somebody out there?” 

“Yes, Daddy! I’m almost there!”

Dad walked around the base of the first tree - the one that was already laying on the ground - and saw Teddy making his way along the tree, climbing over one branch and under the next. 

If Dad had finished the second tree it would have fallen alongside the first. And they would have bounced sideways as trees do when one crashes next to another.

“So, yeah, I’ve heard God’s voice, more than once” my Dad always says. “And you can too, if you believe He still talks to people!”

Reflection Question:
When God speaks, there is a clear reason. What was the reason in this story? What was reason in today's scripture passage?


Prayer time:
Before you pray together, ask: What would you like to say to Jesus today?


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