christian

WALK WITH ME

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Holding-Hands

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He [God] delights in his way.
Psalm 37:23

I have been thinking lately about how the Lord plans our lives and our steps. He says so right here in His Word. Listen to how The Message Bible says it, “Stalwart [man] walks in step with God; his path blazed by God, he’s happy. If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; God has a grip on his hand.” How totally awesome is that! Webster’s defines the word stalwart as “marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind or spirit.” So, do the plans God has for us manifest in spite of our own response? Think about this …can two people accomplish a common goal if they are walking in opposite directions? No, it’s impossible. Suppose someone very reliable says to you, “Walk with me to the bank and I’ll make a withdrawal and give you a large sum of money?” How foolish it would be for you to turn and walk in the other direction. And yet, how many times do we as Christians willfully plan our own way without even consulting our Heavenly Father? And how many heartaches and setbacks has it caused us in our quest for happiness?

How wonderful it would be if we could consistently walk in step with Him by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. And how can we accomplish that? You cannot recognize a person’s voice unless you have spent time with him, listening to him, memorizing his inflections and intonations. So it is with hearing the voice of God and following His leading. As we spend time with Him, learning to hear His voice and walk in cadence with His steps, our path to happiness and fulfillment is blazed before us. He takes the sword of His Word and cuts a path through the jungle of worry, fear and unrest that try to block us from the path of success that He has specifically laid out for us.

As for myself, I know one thing, or should I say two things, that have caused me to break cadence and stray into enemy territory. They are the culprits of impatience and self-will. “God, it is taking you entirely too long. I’ll just handle this one myself.” We wouldn’t dare say those words, but how many times have we thoughtlessly acted them out? I have many a battle scar incurred along this pathway of disobedience. But thank God for His mercy and grace. We can find our way back onto His pathway of peace at any time by repentance…simply changing our mind and falling into step with Him once again. If we really believe that God has planned our way, there will be no place in our lives for worry or trepidation. As we rest in Him, we know that whatever comes our way has to come through His hand and He will either lead us out or lead us through.

“Holy Father, as I walk in step with You;
I thank you that my path is blazed by You and I’m happy.
If I stumble, I’m not down for long;
For You, Father, have a grip on my hand.”

TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES

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ROSE WITH THORNS ROSE AMONG THORNS

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…
consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Hebrews 12:1-3

As I was having my devotional this morning, the Lord started speaking to me, not verbally of course, but in my spirit regarding the challenges I have been facing lately. I like to call them challenges, because that means they can be overcome with God’s help. For the Word tells us , “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

The Lord used the analogy of a rose. You know, you can’t pluck a rose and leave the thorns behind. The rose comes with the thorns…the beauty comes with the briar…the petals come with the prick. We can choose to focus on the thorns or the rose. Our attitude will be determined solely by the focus of our choosing. Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to stare at the barbs when you have unfolding before you lovely silken petals? Wouldn’t it be foolish to sacrifice the soothing aroma for the anxiety of the prick? So life is like a budding rose. Each day unfolds anew with awesome beauty and fragrance. But many times, along with the beauty comes a thorn or two. Sometimes it seems that there are more thorns than petals! Continue to focus on the flower. Continue to revel in its beauty and fragrance. When you do, God will make a way, not to avoid the thorns, but to overcome them.

Go back and read our scripture verse again…slowly to let each sentence sink in. It tells us that Jesus had thorns to overcome…literal thorns. Not only so, but He shed His own blood on a Roman cross as a sacrifice for our sins, past, present and future. He chose not to focus on the thorns, but on the throne! He was joyful about the final outcome…our salvation! Oh, how much He loves us! So consider Jesus when you feel the thorns of adversity. Consider Jesus so that you don’t become weary and discouraged in your soul. You haven’t striven so much that you shed your own blood the way He did. Be thankful for the Rose of Sharon who took a crown of thorns so that we might…“have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

THE “Aaaaah!” MOMENTS

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COFFEE . CHILD DRINKING

I (Jesus) came that they may have and enjoy life,
and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
John 10:10 Amplified Bible

When I get up each morning, the first words out of my mouth are “Good morning, Father. Good morning, Jesus. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Thank you for abiding with me.” Isn’t that a lovely way to start the day? : ) …But then my day really starts! I amble to the kitchen, start my coffee, feed the cat, fix my lunch and sit down for my devotional with a fresh cup of coffee. But my eye is never far away from the clock. I glance up again as the cuckoo rudely interrupts me to remind me that my time is limited. I’ve got to get up and get ready…just five more minutes…now three, two, one …time is up! Now the race is on! I jump up (literally) and head for the closet to pick out my clothes for the day. I have a walk in closet overflowing with clothes and shoes, besides two more in other bedrooms, but what am I going to wear?! I just don’t have anything! (Lord, forgive me.) I pick out an outfit and lay it on the bed. After showering and doing make-up I put it on and…oh my goodness, it shrunk the last time I washed it! (Yeah, really?) Bummer! I have to find something else. By this time that cuckoo is screaming its head off…”You’re going to be late, you‘re going to be late, you’re going to be late…again!” I finally make it to the car and I’m on my way. Oh, no, I forgot my cell phone. Can’t do without that! I turn around and go back to get it. Then I get behind an elderly lady headed for the Piggly Wiggly with her weekly grocery list. She is oblivious to my presence behind her. She doesn’t believe in driving over thirty-five miles per hour and there’s no place to pass on these country roads. “Lady, you need to turn in your car keys!” I didn’t say it…only thought it (or maybe I did say it that time). Anyway, by the time I get to work, I have to consciously calm myself and settle down. You get the picture…probably very vividly.

Life shouldn’t be that way. I spend five out of every seven days in this routine. I need to change something! Some things about it I can’t change. I can’t change the fact that I need to get to work on time. But I can change my attitude and maybe even do a little more preparation. (Me…preparation?…did I say that in the same sentence?!). I just read a statement that made me think about all of this. “Today should be savored, not gulped down.” A preacher I often listen to talked about how he and his siblings used to sit with his dad and drink a cup of coffee in the morning…probably on Saturday and probably the coffee was half milk. But he said his dad would take a sip and then say “Aaaaah”. After a while all of the kids were following suit. Everyone would take a sip of coffee and in unison say, “Aaaaah.” That is the perfect picture of a savored moment!

I know that every moment in life can’t be savored. There are times that we just barely get through. But we can enjoy a lot more of those moments if we make a conscious effort. We can choose to be hurried without being harried. Next time we find ourselves getting caught up in the “rat race” so to speak, let’s mentally pour a cup of coffee, take a sip, sit back and say “Aaaaah!”

PUT ON YOUR ARMOR AND STAND

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ARMOR

[You] Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:14-15

The subject “you” is implied in this first verse. You stand! It also implies personal responsibility. In the arena of spiritual warfare, no one else can stand for you. Others can pray for you, intercede for you, and even agree with you. (Matthew 18:19) But, ultimately, you have to make the decision to stand. Now if the Apostle Paul is telling us to stand, it must be that we will be faced with obstacles along our Christian walk that would trip us up and cause us to fall. I love this saying. I know I’ve shared it before, but it bears repeating…“I’m never down! I’m always up or getting up!” It reminds me of some of the old Rocky Movies. The dude just wouldn’t stay down! He would get knocked down and it would look like he was beaten, but the word defeat just isn’t in his vocabulary. And when he is fighting the ultimate foe for the championship, he is bruised and bloody and on the canvas. Everyone knows it is the end! But suddenly he gets up and with one last surge of strength knocks out the champion and through swollen lips yells…“Yo Adrian, I did it!!!” Sometimes I feel like I’ve spent most of my life “getting up.”  But one thing I have determined, “I’ll never stay down!” And when I finally meet my Lord face to face, I want to be able to say, “Yo Jesus, I did it!!!”

But Paul tells us that we do not have to go into spiritual battle being ill prepared. When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, He immediately issues us a uniform. And not just any uniform, but a coat of supernatural armor built to withstand all of the onslaughts of the enemy of our soul.

We receive the first piece at the moment of salvation, for when we accept the truth of the Gospel, the Belt of Truth becomes the central part of our armor…and sheathed on that belt is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It always supports us against the Devil’s lies. “So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 AMP

OUT ON BAIL

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COURT, JUDGE
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 8:12

A while back I had a problem with someone who was living in a rental house that I owned.  Despite countless efforts on my part to reason with her, the person had decided that she could pay rent whenever and if she decided to do so.  I talked with her, was patient with her and gave her several written notices, but she refused to move out!  Bottom line…I finally had to have her evicted, much to my chagrin.

My daughter went to court with me and she, the lady and I came up to the judge’s bench when the case was called.  Now I’m kind of like Clark Kent… I’m a mild mannered person until I feel an injustice has been done.  Then, (even without a phone booth) I turn into Superman, avenger of all evil!  Well it so happened that this woman was telling the judge all kinds of things that just were not true.  My daughter, who was standing at my right side, could feel the transformation taking place.  I wasn’t even aware, but she said I was slowing shaking my head and there was a small amount of steam coming out of my ears and wafting through the air! She just kept patting my hand and saying softly, “Mother, just calm down.”  I do thank God that she was there, because otherwise Superman may have fully manifest with red cape flying in the wind as I verbally flew into that woman!  I do hope you know that I’m kidding…not about being angry, for I definitely was, but about not restraining myself.

Now I gave you all this background information for two reasons: First of all, I thought it might give you a good laugh and secondly to tell you about a conversation afterward.  Without my knowledge, my daughter thought it would be funny to play a trick on my son-in-law John who knew that she would be accompanying me in court.  She called him and said, “John, the judge put mother in jail for contempt of court.  What are we going to do?”  John didn’t even hesitate in disbelief.  He simply said, “You’ve got to be kidding! Well, we’ll have to get her out.  How much is her bond?”  At that point my daughter started laughing and he realized it was all a ruse.  Later I said to him, “John I knew you loved your mother-in-law and this just proves it!  (Never mind that he didn’t hesitate to belief such a thing!)

I don’t know why but I was thinking about this again on the way to work one day and laughing about the joke on John.  John and I have always teased about our mother-in-law / son-in-law relationship although I love him dearly and I know he cares for me.  Then it just came to me how much that is like our Heavenly Father.  We are His children and it is our desire to please Him and continue in fellowship with Him.  But when we mess up and end up behind the bars of unfavorable circumstances, He still loves us and will bail us out if we call on Him!  Not only so, but He covers the indiscretion with the blood of His Holy Son Jesus and will remember it no more?  Oh, what love!!!

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son,
will be with us in truth and love.”
(2 John 1:3)

LORD, HELP ME TO PICK MORE DAISIES

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PICKING DAISIES 2

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town
and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?
Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
What you ought to say is,
“If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:13-15 NLT

“If I had my life to live over…” How many times have you heard that phrase or seen it on an e-mail. Following is one of my favorites. When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again. I think we need to read this at least once a week to remind ourselves not to plan so far ahead that we lose track of today’s little wonders. Like James says, at best our life here on earth passes like a vapor, entirely too quickly. It seems like only yesterday when my kids were growing up and now I’m watching my granddaughters grow into young ladies. Where did the time go? If I had my life to live over, I’d learn this lesson sooner! But hey, it’s not too late! I’m not gone yet!

I’d Pick More Daisies
by Nadine Stair

If I had my life to live over,
I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.
I’d relax, I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely,
hour after hour, day after day.
Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again,
I’d have a lot more of them.
In fact, I’d try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.
I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.
If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies.”

Father, help me to take the time to appreciate Your blessings…
my family, my friends and Your glorious creation.
And yes, Lord… help me to pick more daisies!

SAVOR THE SEASON

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RAINDANCE

There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Genesis 8:22 NLT

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly
and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap,
if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Galatians 6:9 AMP

Yesterday I was thinking about the seasons. Actually I was thinking about the fact that fall is almost gone and winter is fast approaching with its dreary skies and cold weather.  The time change has just gone into effect and now it will be dark when I get home from work. To put it mildly…I really dislike winter!  It’s my least favorite season of the year.

But then, I have to admit, winter has its perks…Thanksgiving with its proverbial feast of roast turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Then comes Christmas, the most wonderful holiday of the year when we celebrate our Lord’s birth with gift giving and receiving and fellowship with family and friends. So the dilemma is evident… will I enjoy the season I’m in or will I spoil the good times by dwelling on the bad? The choice is entirely up to me.

It is an indisputable fact that we cannot control the seasons, neither the natural seasons nor the seasons in our lives. But it is also an absolute fact that we can trust the God who created them and who has complete control over them. And He promised, after the great flood described in the Book of Genesis, that as long as the earth remains, the seasons will come and go as usual. And even though there may be one that we prefer, each season has its own joys and sorrows. I love the spring and summer, but along with the sunshine and flowers comes the mowing of grass and trimming of shrubs. I don’t particularly like the winter, but I do like snuggling beside a crackling fireplace with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.

I’m certain you get my point by now. Learn to enjoy the season you’re in! Don’t let negative thoughts surface and drown out the positive aspects of each season. I don’t know who originated this saying, but it is one of my favorites…”Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain!” If I had waited for all of the storms in my life to pass before enjoying it, I would have had a dismal existence. In order to survive the storms, I had to learn to dance in the rain…and I’m still dancing! I refuse to let the devil dampen my spirit. He may try to rain on my parade, but I have the umbrella of God’s promises at my disposal. He may whip up the winds and turn my umbrella inside out. But if he does, I won’t miss a step as I continue to dance in the rain!

RENEWED HOPE

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I cried out, “I am slipping!”
But Your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:18-19

Have you ever felt totally hopeless? I have. I can remember times in my life when I thought it would be a blessing to go home to be with the Lord. I was physically sick and emotionally drained. I just wanted to rest. I felt like that old commercial that the younger generation won’t remember…“Calgon…take me away!”

In those times, my love for my children kept me going. Now mind you, my children were grown and had children of their own, but still my love for them had not waned in the least from the time they were born until now. I thought, “I need to be here for them. I need to be strong for them. I need to be available if they need me. I can’t leave my children. I will never forsake my children!”

I made that statement a little dramatic at the end to make a point. If we, as human parents, feel so strongly about our relationship with our children, how much more does our Heavenly Father feel about His relationship with us, His children…His creation. Do you realize that God Himself breathed into Adam to give him life? “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

This is what the Paul, the Apostle says in Hebrews 13:5, “For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] (Amplified Version) Wow! That’s how much God thinks of you, His child. Think of a father crossing the street, holding the hand of a young child. That child may try to pull away, but the father has a firm grip on him. He will not relax his hold…no way! If you are a born again believer, you are a child of God and He will not let you down. He WILL NOT relax His hold on you! Be totally confident in that today!

OUR MACRO GOD!

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God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
      toddlers shout the songs
   that drown out enemy talk,
      and silence atheist babble.

 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
      your handmade sky-jewelry,
   Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
      Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
   Why do you bother with us?
      Why take a second look our way?

  Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
      bright with Eden’s dawn light.
   You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
      repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
   Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
      even animals out in the wild,
   Birds flying and fish swimming,
      whales singing in the ocean deeps.

 God, brilliant Lord,
      your name echoes around the world.

Psalm 8:1-9
The Message Bible

When I read this passage of scripture, especially this poetic rendition from The Message Bible, my heart swells with excitement and awe! Why? The psalmist is talking about my Heavenly Father and His unprecedented, unequaled love for me. The brilliant God who made the macro vastness of the universe cares for micro me!  And in His eyes, I am not micro, but macro also. He loves me so much that He made me in His image and put me in charge of His glorious creation.

I know you’ve often heard stories of kids bragging on their dads. Each one thinks his dad is the greatest! What about the children of famous actors or football stars? Well, let me tell you, they have absolutely nothing on us! Our Father is not just world famous, He is universally famous. His power and influence extends to the far reaches of the earth, the universe and beyond. His exploits are renowned to every people group that inhabits the earth. Even creation itself proclaims His existence with voices loud and clear! And we have the awesome privilege of saying, “That’s my Father…that’s my Dad!”