By Dr. Andrea Chamberlain
Hear Dr. Benzio live on Dr. Tim Clinton’s American Family Radio show, “Turn it Around.” Tune in at 12p.m. (ET) today, November 8th, to learn more about strengthening your walk with God.
A church bell in my neighborhood rings throughout the day. Those who listen attentively for it realize it rings not just on the hour, but every 15 minutes. For many in my town – myself often included – those church bells are just part of the on-going background noise of my life … a symphony of birds, jet engines, lawn equipment, road traffic, cell phones, television, and chatter in my head.
Sometimes when my distractions are at their lowest (often it’s either early in the morning or late in the evening), I’m able to tune in and hear those bells. This particular church tower crisply and beautifully sounds the Westminster chime, made famous by the Big Ben Tower in London. Words to accompany the melody were written by Handel: “Lord through this hour, be Thou our guide. So, by Thy power no foot shall slide.”
When I was in parochial elementary school, students were allowed to interrupt the teacher every hour, on the hour, in order to pray and “bless the hour.” As a grade-schooler, I didn’t “get it.” I didn’t see any value in asking God to be part of my day, let alone each hour. Instead, I welcomed these hourly opportunities as a longed-for distraction from the daily grind, rather than as an opportunity to thank God for guiding me throughout each day. My spiritual default status was to operate like a solo pilot, relying on my own self-sufficiency and my “can-do” attitude. But, looking back at some of my choices, I can say there wasn’t much to be proud of.
So what has changed? As a kid, I really had no sense of my need for God. But I also had no idea that He deeply cared about the details of my life. At a particularly low point in my life, I cried out to God, asking Him to show me who He is. For the first time, I finally understood that He had always been revealing Himself to me. When I actually started to pay attention to how and what He was teaching me through my daily interactions, my life changed and has never been the same. So now those chimes and that melody are a beautiful reminder of how much I need God throughout every day, and how faithfully God helps me.
How about you? Are you self-sufficient or God-reliant? Are you in tune with your need for God? Do you allow His Holy Spirit to direct your words as you interact with family, coworkers, clients, drivers, sales clerks, and pedestrians? Do you realize his Holy Word, the Bible, offers you great advice as you make decisions about your job, finances, relationships, emotions, and other details of daily life? Have you read any of His messages today? Have you shared your concerns about today’s problems with Him?
Today, in fact, right now, ask Him to be your Guide for the next sixty minutes. You have a choice: You could go with the flow and not acknowledge His right to be sovereign in your life. Or you could admit that your own decisions leave something to be desired. Let the Lord of the universe take control for even a fraction of your day and see if He doesn’t prove Himself worthy of your trust. As you see God answering your prayers, your trust in Him and your relationship with Him will grow exponentially.
Take time to tune in to God today. You won’t be disappointed!
Hear Dr. Benzio live on Dr. Tim Clinton’s American Family Radio show, “Turn it Around.” Tune in at 12p.m. (ET) today, November 8th, to learn more about strengthening your walk with God.
Lighthouse Network, a Christian-based, non-profit organization that offers a mental health and addiction referral program and helpline that strives to equip people and organizations with the skills necessary to shine God’s glory to the world and provide guidance and safety to others experiencing stormy times to impact their lives, their families and the world