RUSSELL SANDERS

9-25-2025

THE CHOICE

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Here is what the world teaches you: 

In all your ways, trust your own judgment. Lean hard upon your own understanding of matters, and let not the opinions of others sway you, and you shall navigate the seas of life calmly and peacefully.

God has given you a good brain, so use it! Do not second guess yourself. God will n ot let you make a mistake.

Here is what God teaches you:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Here is the choice: Do you follow the natural way of the world? Or do you set aside your own way to follow God’s way? Who do you think knows what is best for you; God or yourself?

I choose God’s way, at the sacrifice of my own will. That is not an easy or a natural thing to do, but it is the best thing.

“Choose ye this day whom you shall serve,” – self or God. (Joshua 24:15.)

HELEN SANDERS

9-25-2025

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

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Are you going through a season where you have prayed but you have not heard an answer from God? Are you ready to give up on your dreams because everything seems at a standstill? Do you feel lost, undone, and empty because you are not hearing anything from the Lord?

Do not be weary. There are many reasons that this is happening. Often, it is just a test that we are going through to see if we have developed patience during this silent period. As we develop patience, it strengthens us for those times when we help others to also learn the lesson. It does not mean that you have sinned or that God has forgotten you. You are in the incubator, growing until you are ready to hatch!

Then there are times that God is silent because He has asked you to do something, and you have put it off. You may have planned to “change,” but it took an effort on your part, and you just continued to put it off and did not do it. God will not give us another assignment until we have finished the one that He has already asked us to. If you find yourself in this condition, then be honest with yourself. Admit you have been wrong. Confess it to the Lord, ask Him to forgive you, do what He asked you to do, and things will change.

We must determine which of these two things are happening in our lives when God is silent. Is God developing patience in us or is God waiting for us to respond to what He already asked us to do? When we realize which of these are the truth of the hour, then we can move forward expecting to hear from God once again.

If we read Psalm 107, we see Israel in this kind of place when they sinned and were in darkness. God allowed them to go through very difficult times to cause them to see their sin and cry out to him.  When they cried unto the Lord and repented things changed for them. When they did that, He restored them to prosper. Sadly, it kept happening over and over and eventually God allowed Israel to be scattered because they chose the way of sin instead of repenting and going God’s way. 

Psalm 107: 8, 15, 21, 31, all say this, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” I truly believe this Psalm is a lesson in how to live. Praise changes things. 

Praise Him in the silent times and praise Him in the good times. A grateful heart full of praise changes things. When we do that, the silence will be broken.