Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Monday!  All is well here at 811.

Dear God, Being obedient is sometimes really tough. Please help me to obey so that I may show my thankfulness and fully receive your blessings. Listening to you requires that I am quiet. I am around so much noise Lord that I am used to thinking with a lot going on around me. But your Word commands me to “be still before you.” Help me to remove all the distractions and hear only your voice so that I know it is you speaking to me. Lord, I love you so much. In Jesus name, amen.

I teach one student at a time for 45 minutes a day. My room is fairly quiet and I am able to communicate with my students in a quiet tone of voice. Teaching one on one does not require a lot of classroom management because the children I teach behave in an obedient, respectful manner. However they are sort of a captive audience and required to be there. With individual instruction of these children I am able to develop relationships with each of them and they are making nice improvement. They can choose to listen or tune me out, but if they do listen to my instruction, correction and encouragement they learn and improve. I, in turn, listen to them and discern their needs then we work in relationship to have a greater learning experience.

The purpose of obedience to God has a twofold meaning. First God does not love us because we are/are not obedient. We do not earn the love of God and God does not stop loving us if we are disobedient. Love is a gift freely given and it is good to be obedient because after all God is God. As our Lord, we show our thanks to God for all of the blessings we receive as an act of grateful obedience. But here is the other point. When we are quiet before God and choose to listen with our hearts and minds we are acting in obedience and in a perfect position to receive the deepest of God’s blessings. We can receive God’s Holy Word and instructions. We also receive correction and encouragement. God knows the most intimate desires of our hearts and no one can give us joy like God does. So let us take a few moments each day to seek God in quietness standing in His presence and know that God is with us.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46: 10

“Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you.”

Deuteronomy 6: 18

Take joy in the journey and when the journey gets rough step away to a quiet place and stand in the presence of God. Wear comfortable shoes, get some sleep and think pink!  Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene