the voice of God

Good Morning

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For years I have tried to start all my mornings early. It’s hard for me to lie in bed knowing that the world is turning. Life is to short and I don’t want to miss a thing. Usually I sit on my back porch reading my Bible and visiting with the Maker of all things.

Since my porch is facing to the southeast, I am able to watch the motion picture that is the rising sun and wakening day. This morning I am watching a doe and her two babies as they feed on the remnants of my garden. From the woods I hear chattering squirrels and all around me is the unmatched music of God’s orchestra.

I have things to do today, things I want to do. However, I am retired from my secular job and I no longer pastor a church, so I can sit here a little longer and enjoy another cup of coffee. From the Bible we learn that if we will just be still, we can know that He is God. So this morning I sit a little longer listening to the still small voice of my Father in heaven.

Now it may seem to you that I am bragging and I am. It may seem that my life is all sunshine and roses and it is. But understand this, the sunshine will burn you and make you sweat, while roses have thorns that often draw blood. My life has been one of sunburned skin and sweat soaked shirts. The roses of this life have often pricked my skin and my heart, causing both to bleed. However like the writer of Psalms 44, I will boast of my God all day long, and will praise His name forever.

I write these words as a praise to my Grand and Gracious God. I am blessed and I know it. He has been better to me than I deserve. However, I know that tomorrow everything could be taken from me, leaving me with just the air I breathe. If this happens God will still be good. As long as I am able, I will rise early to greet the day. Because everyday is a day that the Lord has made and they all start with a Good Morning.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Good Morning

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Since my porch is facing to the southeast, I am able to watch the motion picture that is the rising sun and wakening day. This morning I am watching a doe and her two babies as they feed on the remnants of my garden. From the woods I hear chattering squirrels and all around me is the unmatched music of God’s orchestra.

This devotion is an audio podcast. Please click the link below to listen.

https://podpoint.com/pavement-ends-ministry/good-morning?fbclid=IwAR1eXiOy-1ad_Qn_S9I5ET2dsNGWVhYt8NGt48eu5dY5esSUHLtAbqP7o0c#

The Solitude of your Soul

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It had been a good trip. Thousands of men had gathered on the Mall in Washington DC for a Promise Keepers rally. The glory of God had invaded the place. Great sermons and music had blessed all our hearts. Now riding on a chartered bus we were on our way home.

The trip home was going pretty good until somebody discovered that the bus had a PA system. Now there is something about a microphone that makes some men think they have something important to say. So one by one various men grabbed the microphone to “ share” their testimony. This was all good, I guess. But I tuned it out, because all I wanted to do was to ride in silence, look out the window and think about God’s great love.

We were riding through Virginia. The highway we were on gave us a great view of the Shenandoah Valley. Surrounded by hills and mountains this green valley stretches for miles. It is one of the most beautiful views in America. Never having seen it before, I was fascinated by the beauty of God’s handiwork. It was at this time that the microphone holder said, “ I want everyone to bow your head and close your eyes while I pray!” I said to myself “ I don’t think so you big dummy.”

It seems to me that men are always getting in God’s way. When The Father wants to show us great things, somebody wants us to close our eyes in prayer. When God wants to whisper in our ear, somebody wants to shout a sermon at us. And when the Lord wants us to be still and know that He is God, a lot of churches want to fill our lives with things to do.

Yes, it is true. We need to pray with each other, and we need to spend time encouraging each other. It is important to listen when people talk about what God is doing. It is also true that we need the church and the local church needs us. But we must never forget that even Jesus needed time to rest and be alone with His Father.

In His wisdom God has given us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts full of desire. So with your ears, listen to His still small voice. With your eyes, look for the beauty of His Holiness and with your heart, yearn for the peace that is beyond your understanding. The sweetest communion with God is found in the solitude of your soul. So learn to tune out the noise of the world and listen to the whisper of His voice.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com

The Power of the Simple Gospel

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The Apostle Paul was a simple man. To the Corinthians he said that he had decided that he would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the One who was crucified. He came to them in weakness, timid and trembling. His message and preaching was very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches he relied only on the Holy Spirit.

Paul was not an attractive man; he did not draw crowds because he looked good . When he spoke he was blunt and to the point so people did not gather around him for his charismatic character. It is thought that he may have had a physical deformity, so his appearance may have caused people to avoid him.

He was not a big shot preacher. If he were here today he probably would not be invited to speak at the annual preaching conference nor would he be appearing at the denominational convention. And yet this simple man, while he was in chains, had the opportunity to stand before kings and governors and preach Christ and Him crucified.

It is true, Paul did not have a church growth plan, but everywhere He went strong churches grew. He did not have a disciple making plan, but his disciples took the Gospel into all the world. He was not a dynamic preacher but his preaching is still impacting the world today.

Paul was an intelligent and highly educated man, but for him it was the foolishness of the cross and not the wisdom of man that was important. He gladly poured out His life for the Gospel and counted it a privilege to suffer for the Savior.

This is my challenge to all of you. I hope you understand that the just shall live by faith. You must never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. The scandal of the Cross is our only hope of eternal life.

To the preacher who wishes to please God I say this; put away the how to preach books. Throw away that resume that you planned to send to the bigger church. Stand wherever you are and preach with the power of the Holy Spirit. Understand this, your purpose and goal is to take the Gospel into all the world and it is not human wisdom but the power of God that will save the souls of men.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Marvelous Grace

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There once was a young man who was homeless. He lived on the streets. Finding shelter where ever he could he existed on food and clothing that others had discarded. He was hungry and cold, he was ragged and dirty and he smelled bad.

One day a very kind man saw him and felt pity for him. The man took the boy to his own home. He gave the young man use of his bathroom and provided him with everything he needed to be clean. The boy was then given new clothes and fed a good meal. At the end of the day, he was shown to a wonderful bedroom with a soft bed and fine linen. When he awoke the next morning he was fed a hearty breakfast and sent back out into the street. The young man was grateful for what had been done for him, but he was still homeless.

Now listen as I tell the story again. There once was a young man who was homeless. Finding shelter where ever he could, he existed on food and clothing that others had discarded. He was hungry and cold, he was ragged and dirty and he smelled bad. One day a kind man took the boy to his own home. He gave the young man use of his bathroom and provided him with everything he needed to be clean. The boy was then given new clothes and fed a good meal. After the meal, he was given a wonderful bedroom with a soft bed and fine linens to sleep in.

This is where the story changes. The next morning after sharing a good breakfast with the young man the host said “I have something to tell you. Son, if you choose to stay you will never have to go back to your old life. Because I am offering you a new life. From this day forward everything I have will be yours. My home will be home now. From now on you will be my son and I will be your father. You will never be homeless again.”

This is the message I want you to receive. In the first story, a homeless man was shown pity. In the second, Grace was given. In the first story, the boy was given temporary relief. In the second he was made permanently whole. You should know that God is a giver of Grace. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” God the Father with His Marvelous Grace is saying to everyone “Come with Me and all I have will be yours. I will be your Father and you will be My child. And you will never be homeless again.”

Douglas Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

The Word of God

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Down through the years the Word of God has been written in many places, on many things and in many ways. It has been carved in stone, written on parchment and in Daniel’s day it was God’s handwriting on a wall. Jesus read scripture from a papyrus scroll and prisoners of war have written from memory passages of scripture on pieces of toilet paper.

For centuries it was painstakingly copied by hand and then at the end of the dark ages the printing press brought light to the world by giving the Bible to common men. Once upon a time we watched mimeograph machines roll out the scripture. Now laser jet printers give it to us in the blink of an eye. From the shelves of my study, I can choose to read God’s word from about twenty five different translations or I can open my computer and read from even more.

Down thru the years people have tried to destroy it, discredit it and dispute it but they have never been able to ignore it. Tyrants have tried to wipe it from the face of the earth but the Bible is still here and they are not. Today, there are those who wish to outlaw the Bible in schools, courthouses and on the airways. These people are evil and one day they will bow at the feet of Jesus who is the Word of God.

This you can count on, God’s Word will never go away.

I know that nothing is permanent. Where God’s Word is written in stone, one day the stone will be turned into gravel. Where God’s Word is written on paper, one day the paper will burn. Where God’s Word is written on lambskin, one day the lambskin will rot. But God’s Word will never fail. I know God’s Word will never fail because God’s Word is written in my heart. And my heart belongs to God.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

Be Still and Know That He Is God

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Be Still And Know That He Is God

People often asked me, “Where do you get the ideas for the devotions that you write?” The short answer is,” God gives them to me.” The long answer however is that I have learned to see the evidence of God in all my surroundings. This forensic evidence confirms the power of His love. Just as with Jeremiah, the proof of God ignites a fire in my soul that cannot be contained. It is my inspiration to write and to preach.

Right now I am watching some large birds floating on currents of air that are stirred up by an approaching storm. The gentle strength of the wind that carries the birds and the boisterous power of the coming storm bear witness to the presence of an omnipotent God. I can see the fingerprints of God all over the red and yellow leaves that seem to have suddenly appeared on the trees. He tells us in Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Never make the mistake of thinking that God is in everything. That kind of erroneous thinking often leads to idolatry. No, God is not in everything, but evidence of God is on everything. He is the Creator of all things and all of creation bears His DNA. The heavens declare His glory and the ocean tides reveal His constancy. The silence of a falling star punctuates His brilliance and the crash of thunder highlights His strength. In all things He makes Himself known because all things bear His fingerprints.

So, where do I get the ideas for the devotions that I write? Well the answer is easy. My heart is warmed by His invisible presence, while my eyes marvel at His visible glory. The simplest things bear witness to the most profound truths. It is easy to write when I take the time to “Be still and know that He is God.”

Douglas& Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

The Patience of God

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This week my daily Bible reading has me in the book of Job. As I read, it occurs to me that we may have missed something in this story. You see for years I’ve heard people talk about the patience of Job. However I think it was God and not Job who was patient.

As I read the story of Job, I see God being very patient as Job’s wife tells him to “curse God and die.” God was patient with Job’s friends who gave long speeches but had nothing to say. Most of all I see the patience God had with Job himself. Job struggled with his pain and suffering. He charged God with being unfair. He wanted to meet with God in a court of law and he demanded answers from God. But through it all, God patently waited until Job was ready to see Him with clear eyes.

God’s patience has been evident throughout all time. He was patient with Adam and Eve when they hid themselves in the garden. He was patient when David cheated with Bathsheba. He was patient when Jonah ran from His calling. And He has been very patient with me when I have been everything but the man I should be.

I am thankful that the God of all grace has called me to His eternal glory in Christ. I know that even though I fail miserably, He himself will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. The patience of God is driven by His love and mercy. It is because of His merciful patience and not my goodness that I know He will never leave nor forsake me.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Listening to My Friend

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Most mornings I spend a half hour or so listening to my friend. As I sit, mostly with my eyes closed, I try to take in all that He has to say. Sometimes He tells me secrets about Himself that I never knew. Occasionally He reveals His reasons for things that seem to have no reason. Other times He just lets me know how glad He is that I am His friend.

My friend is Jehovah Shalom, the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Lover of my soul and my Prince of Peace. Some people would call what I am doing, “Prayer” but I call it listening to my Friend. Sometimes when I sit listening to Him I drift off to sleep. However, He does not mind that I go to sleep, no more than I mind when my grand-baby goes to sleep in my arms. You see it’s easy to fall asleep when you know the Peace that is beyond your understanding.

You might ask, since you are spending time with God shouldn’t you be praying for your friends and loved ones? Shouldn’t you be telling Him your trouble and asking for help. Aren’t you just wasting your time sitting there with your eyes closed? Don’t you have more important things to do? The answer is no, there is nothing more important than listening to my Friend

All day long God walks with me. He has told me to pray without ceasing, so we have a running conversation. We talk about my friends and their needs. He knows about the ones who are sick and hurting and He knows that you need encouragement. We talk about my family and I ask Him to watch over them. For the most part my days are filled with me talking and God listening.

That is why most mornings I spend time listening to my Friend. I enjoy the feel of His hand on my shoulder and the sound of His voice whispering in my ear. When He whispers in my ear I feel the warmth of His breath on my neck and His Spirit enlarging my soul. As I drift in and out of sleep, I dream the dreams of eternity. I have peace that is beyond my understanding because my Friend is God, the glorious One, the Lover of My Soul. He is Jehovah Shalom. He is my Prince of Peace.

Douglas & Deborah Huff