FAITH
Texting and God's Holy Text
By Stacie Ruth Stoelting
Guest Columnist
CBN.com –
A busy teacher and mom, Shelly Beach dashed through life and never expected her running legs to stop. But they did. Although her legs halted, her mind raced. A sudden health crisis made her stop and listen to God. In her beautiful book, The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk, she points out: “Not far into my journey, the Spirit of God put a megaphone to my ear and blasted a message. ‘Sit down and be still. How can you hear what I’ve got to say if you’re filling all the airtime?”
Our days fill with unfulfilling white noise. How often do we text yet ignore God’s holy text, the Bible? Or answer our cell phones yet ignore calls from Heaven?
Here’s a text from God: “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” (Ps. 81:13-14)
I’m not anti-texting. (I enjoy texting! It’s so fast, and it’s fun.) Recently, it hit me faster than my fastest friend texts me: God calls us each day. We choose to keep our lines busy or to answer His calls.
Your inbox might be crammed but your heart might feel empty. Your cell phone might be fully charged yet your heart might be drained.
Five Easy Ways to Charge Your Soul
1. Fast from the info fast lane. Got Twitter jitters? Can’t face Facebook? Fine. Newsflash: One can survive for a day without the omnipresence of technology. (I enjoy Facebook, by the way. But we all need to take breaks.) Let’s shut off our cells and close our doors and meet with our God. (Better yet, head outdoors to a quiet place!) There’s a reason Jesus said: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
2. Pray. Take a break and praise God for Who He is – not just what He does. Join a prayer group at your church or online. If you want to join my online prayer group, Praying Pals, consider yourself invited. It’s meant for the overworked and offers a way to pray each week.
3. Rest. We’ve all heard it and thought, “Man, that sounds good, but I can’t slow down.” Hey, rest now or be forced to rest later...in the hospital, divorce court, or doctor’s office. Just rest. (I’m the champion of overdoing. So if I can learn to rest, you can too.) Make rest a priority and use the time to seek God’s face – not just His hand. He is beautiful, loving, and true. He is more than enough! Jesus said, “...whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)
4. Learn to listen to, lean on, and obey Jesus. He’s our constant companion. Push your stress load to Jesus’ feet and leave it there. Stop the rush. Imagine! We receive a Heavenly call and are called into companionship with the true God! Our Creator didn’t just make us and toss us out to fend for ourselves. He loves us so much and offers His faithfulness and Jesus’ companionship now. Get this power-packed serving of truth: “God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)
5. Read God’s text now -- the Bible. Life offers a choice, to listen to God here or hereafter. He always has the final word. He will send us to Heaven or Hell –depending on whether we accepted His gift of salvation through Jesus. Know Him now and you’ll have peace with God. You have a choice -- accept or reject Him. You will not have a choice after you die. Choose Heaven. Choose Jesus.
Let’s go back to my friend, Shelly. Her legs work now, but so do her spiritual ears. Hey, listen! I think it’s God. He’s calling you. He’s already sent His text. Will you answer?
 After Stacie Ruth met Jesus, her life blossomed with true joy and purpose! Life’s blows hurt her, but Jesus heals and strengthens her. Now an author, actress, and recording artist, she laughs at the irony and praises God, who uses unlikely people...like herself. Why is it ironic? She was an unpopular kid who planned to be an eye doctor when God called her out of her comfort zone to speak/sing for Jesus. Today, Stacie Ruth's passion for Jesus grows! Her passion combines with professionalism to propel events to higher levels. She steps aside and points people to God Most High.
Discover why she's sung/spoken for the President, been pictured in major media (The New York Times and USA Today), written a book at age 15, and keynoted conferences since she was a teenager. Today, she offers a new conference for those hurting from job losses, financial troubles, depression, grief, diseases (like Alzheimer’s), and other heartaches through her national conference, The Heart Hospital. Her new album, Heavenly, will release nationally in July. To watch video clips, listen to music, view and download photos for articles, and other features, visit www.stacieruth.com or www.brightlightministry.com.
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