A Firm Step of Faith

 

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him. Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.  Psalm 37:23-24

     Stumbled a time or two along the way? Not only do I stumble spiritually, but physically as well. Being legally blind is fraught with unseen danger ahead. Frustration can peak as a knee is bruised, another bump appears on my head, or as I stumble while holding a cup of coffee or knock over yet another glass of water.

     Luckily, the Lord helps me with a sense of humor and a heart of gratitude for all I have. My life is filled with wonderful people in my friends and family, who continue to be patient with me as my eyes deteriorate. Life is good and I am thankful each day.

     I still have central vision to watch the grandkids grow, to gaze at the ocean or the flowers, to see another sunrise or a sunset. All of these things we can take so easily for granted. Here is one of my life verses. I know I have shared it many times, and I am sure I will share it again, but I hold it close to my heart as I stumble through life. Hang on to Jesus. He will give you a firm foundation.

I will lead the blind in ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

     Isn’t this a great verse? It gives me hope emotionally, spiritually and physically. God guides us through the tough times, through the dark days, on the paths that are unfamiliar and sometimes frightening. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will pick us back up, brush us off, and send us on our way. His unfamiliar paths may lead us to new adventures.

Lord,

Your words continually inspire us with Your truth, Your light, Your hope. Give everyone the words they need today, for their hearts and minds and bodies. You give comfort for every aspect of life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Wait Patiently

 

     As we continue into Psalm 37, we can hear the wisdom emanating from the pen of David. He has lived a life that has not been easy, but God recognized David as a man after His own heart. (see 1 Samuel 13 and Acts 13). David slept with another man’s wife, had her husband killed and later, lived with remorse and shame.

     He did some terrible things in his life, but God recognized him as the one who would be king. He would become reverent, repentant, loving and devoted to God with a humble heart. The Psalms are so beautifully written, echoing the emotions of our own hearts through sorrow, deep regret, forgiveness, fear, loss, and hope. I hope, like David, we find ourselves going back, always, to God, trusting Him, looking to Him for answers, loving Him with our whole heart.

     David learned to trust and let go. Are you waiting for an answer, not sure what to do next? Worried about the future? Have you given everything to God, trusting Him to answer? Let’s read on and see what David says:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. Do not fret. It leads only to evil. Psalm 37:7-8

     Be still and wait? These days, it is so tough to wait. Staying home, away from others, is so very difficult. Do not fret? There are nights my mind just won’t stop. Are you angry or worried? Are you impatient with waiting?

     We are only human, after all.  Be still and listen for God’s heart. He is in this with us, working for our good. Trust Him, without becoming angry or worried, and turn back to Him when you find it impossible. I’m willing to try, if you are. Let’s be called men and women after God’s own heart.

Father,

Thank You for the words of King David. His life was fraught with sin, anger, danger and worry. His words repeat the very words of our own hearts. The wisdom and the care he shows and shares are valuable for our lives today.. Help us to be still and wait patiently for You. Your timing is perfect.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Commit and Shine

 

     Isn’t it wonderful to be saved by Jesus? No more fretting about death, sins washed clean, past, present and future. He is our righteousness. He suffered all of our sins upon His body. David often wrote in the Psalms about forgiveness, about redemption, about trust and faith. Listen to the beautiful words of King David He went through so much in his life and this Psalm was written by him in his old age.

Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noon-day sun. Psalm 37:6

     Have you committed your way to Jesus? I hope so. If not, think about acknowledging Him, seeking Him, inviting Him to be your Savior. He is a life-transforming God, alive and well, ready for a relationship and to cover your sins with His holy blood.

     God is pure light. Let Him shine on you like the noon-day sun, giving you the righteous reward of everlasting life, where His light will shine on us forever. I love this blessing. Let it wash over you today. Bask in the Son-shine and reflect the light.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Amen

Trust and Delight

 

Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

     The verses above are worth some deep thought. Trusting God beyond our own understanding seems impossible. The world around us can turn upside down in an instant, can bring fresh discouragement on a daily basis, or can find us in pure moments of joy. Can we trust God with every single moment and continue to delight in Him?

     God commands us to trust Him beyond the worries, beyond the fear, beyond the grief, beyond the loneliness, beyond our health issues, beyond this life. He will be with us on the path ahead.

     Acknowledge Him in everything around you today, in the morning sun, in the details of the day, in the people around you, in the times you are weary and in the struggles of the day.

     You can trust our Father and His Son and His Holy Spirit to work in you. Delight in Him above all else, and He will give us the desires of our hearts! When we become closer to Him, more intimate in our prayer life and in listening and reading His word, His desires will become our own.

     Trust, delight, acknowledge and watch Him work.

Lord,

You see the path ahead of us and know the future before us. You know the moments of our lives before a word is spoken from our lips. (Psalm 139) How amazing! Keep us steadfast in our faith and trust in You today. Thank You for these words that bring hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Love Love Love

 

     I leave you this week with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. I pray this over each one of you today. Grasp the love and the power available to you each and every day ever after.

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know the love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen

Love Love Love

 

     When we see the world around us with the spiritual eyes of love, we can look beyond the irritating, the annoying, the physical appearance, the hate, the emotionally unstable, the lost and lonely and see the hurt, the confusion, the fear and the hopelessness.

     People act and react from deep hurt and mistrust, from unstable environments, from misunderstanding, from mistreatment and from walls built up over a lifetime. Love sees through. Love covers the sin.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Be kind, one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as in Christ, God has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

     I have a multitude of sins. The love of Christ covers them all. Let’s love deeply and unconditionally and forgive graciously, because that is what Christ does for us.

Jesus,

How can we love like You? Help us to see hearts and not outward appearance or outward actions. Love covers sin.

Amen

Love Love Love

 

     Jesus asks us to love in a radically different way than we would naturally love without Him and His Holy spirit. Without them, we are filled with anger, with pride, with unforgiveness, with competitiveness, with an attitude that we are better than others.

     Christ, through His example, through His living word, through prayer, through His Spirit, gives us the ability to grow in spiritual wisdom, to grow in love, even to the point of loving our enemies. What? I can’t do that, can you?

     With His help, we can. Listen to the very words of Christ, giving us advice on what to do with our enemies.

But love your enemies. Do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35

     But, did you see what he did? Did you hear what she said? He drives me crazy! I can’t stand her!

     We feel and say and question. How? With Christ. He was kind to us. He saved us when we lived so far apart from God. He is humble and kind and generous and compassionate. Let’s try. We represent Him. What do others see in you that represents Jesus? Let it be love.

     As we struggle with all of this, remember. God is the one to hand out justice. He is the one who sees the heart and He is the one who will seek vengeance one day for His children. As we do good, even to our enemies, He will work it all out.

On the contrary, when your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Romans 12:20

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “It is mine to avenge. I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

     Now, that’s more like it! God will take care of evil, in its time. For now, we are to reach out to everyone in the name of Jesus and His love.

Lord,

You understand our emotions, our minds and our sinful hearts. We want to be more like You, but some days it seems to be impossible! When we love our enemies, you will handle the rest. We love You and we want to love like You.

In Jesus name,

Amen