We walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV.

There was a time I had 20/20 vision. I enjoyed all the benefits of being able to see clearly, at all times without any aids. Then I got older. My vision began to shift, and it was harder to see label instructions at the store. I bought some readers (well, several pair–because if you know, you know!) These wonderful aids helped for awhile. But then, more changes occurred and I bought my first pair of prescription glasses.

When I put those glasses on and looked through the right part of the lens (they were trifocals) I could see. There was a learning curve, but once I figured it out my vision was clear. As i have walked this faith walk, I find myself asking the Lord, “How is my spiritual vision?” How do I know if I am seeing clearly? Do I have some blurry areas with you? We can be thankful our God loves to answer these kind of questions.

First and foremost, we need to view life from an eternal view. This word is not our ultimate home. It can be difficult to understand and remember that as we follow Him, we are storing up treasures in heaven. The Bible is full of such reminds. I love reading Hebrews 11 about the heroes of our faith. How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. Hebrews 11:32-35. Can you see them? Each of them overcoming their own fears. Putting aside their own desires and seeing God’s vision, not only for themselves, but for God’s reputation? Blurry vision keeps us from accomplishing God’s plans and purposes. Clear vision causes faith to arise and the impossible happens. We too, can have our own faith stories, as we walk by faith, not by sight.

Blurred or dim vision can occur when we are trying to walk in our own light, instead of God’s Word and HIs ways. His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105. If we wander off His path, then it is understandable HIs path will be harder to see. Staying in the Word will keep our vision much clearer and focused. We cannot walk two paths at the same time.

Blurry vision can happen when we are tired and weary. We begin to focus on our circumstances, and not our Savior. I encourage you to take a break if you are weary. Re-focus on Him and what He has done for you. Pauls’ wonderful reminder: do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season you shall reap. Galatians 6:9. When the prophet Elijah struggled with feelings of isolation and fearful of Jezebel’s threats, his vision was blurry. He thought he alone had not worshipped Baal, when God reminded him I have 7,000 others! You are not alone. The Lord saw him, and the Lord sees you. If you are feeling weary, take time to rest, eat and listen to the Lord. God had more for Elijah to do, and once he rested, he did it!

Walking in deliberate or compromising sin will definitely cause blurred vision. WE cannot serve two masters. Sin, by its nature leads us away from God and His purposes. It may seem pleasurable for a minute, but it brings shame, guilt and draws us to hide in dark places. Repentance naturally leads us towards GOd and HIs light. That is when our vision clears and we see how sin desires to bring death to us. This is true for everyone. There are no exceptions. Sin leads to death, separation and darkness.

Learning to walk by faith and not by sight means we must to learn to walk in His love. God’s love helps us see God’s people clearer. We begin to see them as He sees them. Our faith begins to rise not only for ourselves but for others. Walking in God’s love causes us to avoid the blurred vision caused by critical and divisive spirits, which undermines faith.

Blurry vision causes us to walk in fear. We can’t see clearly, so our imagination begins to run wild. Fear begins to run our life instead of trust and faith in the Lord. This is not good. If you find yourself dealing with fear and anxiety, check your vision. What is really there? Or what might be there? We must bring our imagination under control of God’s truth if we are to walk free from anxiety and fear.

Friends, we need God’s clear vision in every area of our lives. Faith is trusting God’s ability to accomplish His promises, where we see it or not. It is God’s desire that we walk in this faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17 NKJV. But without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that HE is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11;6. NKJV. Satan loves to blind us to God’s goodness, His character and His purpose in our lives. It is up to us to fight these lies with the truth, which sets us free. Let us continue to walk in the freedom that faith has given us.

Father, I thank you for fresh vision. Help us to see those around us with Your eyes of hope and faith. Clear up any blurry vision we have. Refresh those who are weary in doing good, help them know their labor is not in vain. Encourage those who are stumbling in the dark to get back to Your path. We need Your vision, dear Lord desperately. Thank you for helping us in this area. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 ESV.

God, in His sovereignty, chooses who He will to fulfill His will and purposes. I suggest as you read through His Word, take note of various individuals. Just in 1 Chronicles 27:32, we find four men singled out. Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. Ahitophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. These four men had different roles to play, different assignments, if you will. We assume God chose them for these various positions. Imagine simply being mentioned because you were the king’s friend! In 1 Chronicles 28:10, we find David’s admonition to his son Solomon: so take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. NLT. I think we can take advice from David’s words to Solomon…whatever He has chosen us to do: we need to be strong and do the work.

Matthew chapter 2 mentions some more wise men. The Magi who followed a star. No one forced them to leave their homeland. No one forced them to, at their own expense, bring gold, frankincense and myrrh. Somehow, they were the ones chosen to help support Jesus, Mary, and Joseph during his beginning years. They were not Jewish, but pagan! They not only studied the stars, but understood its special meaning and responded to it. As I was thinking about them, I wondered about our callings. Do we not only study the truth that God has a calling and purpose in our own lives? But do we actually invest to accomplish that purpose? Are we, like David’s advice to Solomon, committed to be strong and doing the work it takes? I want to encourage all of us, we have what we need to do His will, because we have Him.

My friends, focus on what you can do to fulfill what you know is His will for your life. Ask for any further revelation, as needed, but I believe if we simply seek Him, follow Him and do what is at hand, our lives will be successful. Maybe we are called to be someone’s friend, like Hushai the Arkite. Or are you a wise counselor? Maybe you have been called to teach the next generation, like Jehiel the Hacmonite. He probably taught Solomon! Maybe if we humble ourselves and do the seemingly “smaller” things at hand, God will do even more in us and through us. It is really up to Him, isn’t it?

Father, I thank You for allowing us to take part in Your purpose and calling. We were chosen, by You to strengthen Your Kingdom through our lives, and for that we are so grateful. Please continue to teach us and guide us in Your ways,my Lord. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

You will make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 NIV.

Paths are important. Most of us are not trailblazers—even though we may want to be or think we are! So we need paths to follow. This scripture always brings me so much hope. When I feel stuck in my life’s journey, I turn to this verse. The promise here is if I ask Him, He will show me the path of life. However, there is no guarantee of what I shall encounter on that path, but I know if I keep following Him, it will lead to life eternal.

So many parts of our paths involve the intersection of others. My dad joined the Navy during WW2. The Navy moved this Texas family to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, in Oak Harbor, WA. When the war ended, my parents chose to remain here. Physical complications prevented my mother from bearing children, so they went the adoption route. If they had moved to Texas, my triplet sisters and I would have had a completely different life. I think it was very much a God directed decision. They adopted all three of us right before the adoption agency was going to split us up. We are forever grateful they did not split us up. Their paths definitely affected ours! Because their path led to Washington state, so did mine. I still touch lives here because of their path following. Who might be in your life because you chose His path? It really is not all about us!

Not all paths lead to life, however. Proverbs 14:12 gives us a warning. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. NLT. We need to be aware of what path we are taking—the path to life or the path to destruction. Many times, the path to destruction actually looks like the easiest and best. Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 2:16-18, Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the path of truth. One guideline to watch for if we are on the path of life is if we are seeking truth and are willing to let that truth find us. If we are hiding from the truth, then we have veered off the path of life. Conviction, repentance and correction are found on the path of life. These are good things! I used to be so anxious reading Matthew 7:13-14: Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. I finally had a conversation with the Lord concerning it He said, the path to life is not a tightrope! The path to life may be narrow, but it is doable. It is wide enough for you to enjoy the journey! I think as a child I pictured it as a balance beam! Not so.

What great promises we have in the Bible! Proverbs 3:6, Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. How amazing is this? Are you feeling a bit blind in your way or lost? Go back to Him and know the Holy Spirit will guide you. Maybe you find yourself at a crossroads, take the time to seek Him before any decisions. He knows the way you should take. Decision time, no matter how difficult it is, is always a good time to get to know the Lord even better. Spending time with Him, waiting for direction can be challenging, but will pay off in the end.

Father, no matter what season we are in, we need to follow your path. We ask you for the ancient paths, knowing your ways are best. Help us slow down in our decision making and listen to Your Holy Spirit. You want us to follow your path of life for life. Thank you, we can trust in You, In Jesus Name, amen.

And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4: 11-16 ESV.

I know that is a long opening passage. Paul gets very wordy, doesn’t he? As I was reading this section today, I began to wonder, is their any area in my life that I have not become mature in, that may be hindering someone else? Paul is encouraging us to allow the apostles, prophets, evangelists, the shepherds (or pastors) and teachers to equip us so that we may grow up in Him. I had a picture of an adult person with a full grown body, but one arm did not grow up. It remained small and for the most part useless. I don’t believe God has provided prosthetics for the body of Christ.

If we are all part of the body, then I don’t want to hinder that body, by NOT growing, learning and maturing. My own childishness could hinder someone else! That hurts! As I look around the body of Christ, I see many who are hungering and thirsting for Him and His ways. I also find others who don’t seem to comprehend the need to grow. It is possible they haven’t been encourage to self feed from the scriptures themselves. I can only try to be an example to them. I trust the Holy Spirit is trying to encourage them to grow in His ways.

I appreciate those before me who have stepped up and followed Him. Their example is so encouraging. I found a poem, written by just such a saint. She was part of our church when we were pastors in Medford, Oregon. Her name was Alice M. Stephens. Alice loved to teach children God’s Word and God’s ways. One of her gifts was writing. Here are her encouraging words, I am sure learned from walking with her Savior:

Looking Unto Jesus

Look not at yourself, for that is in vain:

Look not at your faults, that only brings pain:

Look not at your habits, and hope to transform them:

Look not at your friends, you cannot reform them:

Look not at your failure, it will help not at all:

Look not at success, you will head for a fall:

Look not at results, you cannot control them:

Look not at your sorrows, that does not console them:

Look not at your sin, you only add to it;

Look not at your past, you cannot undo it:

But look unto Jesus, He only is strong:

He is the one who can cover your wrong:

Looking to Jesus, you will not sink in despair:

In success of in failure, you will find he is there.

All things through Christ, in Him put your trust.

His is the doing, and His the result

So look not at self, your gain is His loss.

But look unto Jesus, put self on the cross:

Behold, then, the Lamb, find forgiveness in Him.

Count all things but loss, that Christ you may win.

Forgetting those things that are helplessly past,

Press onward and upward to heaven at last!

–by Alice M. Stephens

My friends, let us determine to grow in Him and His ways. Let us strengthen God’s Church by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. By His help, and His Spirit, we will continue to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

Father, I thank you for your daughter, Alice. I thank you for the legacy she has left in the hearts of many people. I ask for your continued grace to continue to grow up into You and Your ways. You want us to put off childish things, and put on You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding for her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Proverbs 3: 13-15

It isn’t easy to impart wisdom and pass on our values to others. We find a story of a tribe of people in the Old Testament who did a phenomenal job of it. They were the Rechabites. Some of you may be thinking, “who are the Rechabites?” We find their story in Jeremiah 35. It is an interesting story, one I think we can all learn from. Read this excerpt from the Message Bible.

The Message that Jeremiah received from God ten years earlier, during the time of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Israel: Go visit the Rechabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in God’s Temple. And serve them wine. So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with all his brothers and sons–the whole community of the Rechabites as it turned out–and brought them to God’s Temple and house of the Lord, to the meeting room of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the room of the Temple officials, and just over the apartment of Maaseiah, son of Shalium, who was in charge of Temple affairs. Then I set out chalices and pitches of wine for the Rechabites and said, “A toast! Drink up!” But they wouldn’t do it. “We don’t drink wine.” they said. Our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab commanded us: “You are not to drink wine, you or your children. Neither shall you build houses or settle down, planting fields and gardens and vineyards. Don’t own property. Live in tents as nomads so that you will live well and prosper in a wandering life. And we have done it, done everything Jonadab some of Recab commanded. The Message Bible Jeremiah 35: 1-9.

Jonadab left some very strict guidelines for his family and descendants. We are not sure how he delivered them; but he did it in such a way that they became known as Rechabites and these guidelines became their values and culture. I wonder how did he communicate them to his family that made them not only keep them for the first generation, but for the next and the next? My research said that by Jeremiah’s time, it had been 250 years since they had been living under these rules. These vows were not part of the Mosaic law, but were instituted by this father hoping to keep his descendants free from falling into the ways of the Canaanites. That is quite a legacy. How clear and set are your values? Would they withstand an invitation to the White House or the King of England? These people were not intimidated by the Temple surroundings or by Jeremiah’s personality. They kept true to their own beliefs, no matter what. By setting wine in front of them, as the Lord led, Jeremiah discovered how devout they really were. Life often tempts us to compromise our character, beliefs, or values. How do we not only keep them ourselves, but pass them on to the next generation?

As we skip down to verse 12, we discover the Lord’s purpose in Jeremiah’s invitation to the Rechabites. Then Jeremiah received this Message form God” “God of the Angel Armies, the God of Israel, wants you to go tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem that I say, “Why won’t you learn you lesson and do what I tell you?” God’s Decree. The commands of Jonadab son of Recab to his sons have been carried out to the letter. He told them not to drink wine, and they haven’t touched a drop to this very day. They honored and obeyed their ancestor’s command. But look at you! I have gone to a lot of trouble to get your attention, and you’ve ignored me. I sent prophet after prophet to you, all of them my servants to tell you from early morning to late at night to change your life, make a clean break with your evil past do do what is right, to not take up with every Tom, Dick and Harry of a god that comes down the pike, but settle down and be faithful in this country I gave your ancestors. And what do I get from you? Deaf ears. The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab carried out to the letter what their ancestor commanded them, but this people ignores me. The Message Jeremiah 35:12-16. Wow, you can tell the Lord is upset with His people.

If we want to influence our children and others, we must decide what we want to pass on. By God’s grace, we modeled for our kids the importance of personal devotions and Bible study. We prayed with them as different issues came up–both big and small. It was important to us to show them that God is available and interested in every aspect of their lives . We modeled forgiveness and apology. It is a joy to watch them passing on these values to their own children. Could we have done better? Of course!

When I was pregnant with my first child, I read a fiction book about a pastor and their family, but it was based on a true story. The “church” criticized their children mercilessly. They expected 100% perfection all the time. After reading this book, I made a vow to never expect more of my children than God would. That I would help them learn His ways with grace and forgiveness. As pastor’s kids, they had their share of unrealistic expectations from our congregations, but we never disciplined them for other’s expectations. I did not want my children to think following Jesus was a bunch of rules, but a life-giving relationship. What are the values and expectations you want to pass on to those you influence? Jonadab the Rechabite made it very clear to his family his expectations. I don’t think we were as clear with our words, but more with actions. No matter what, I am so grateful my children are doing their best to pass them on. Often, more is caught than taught, right?

I don’t know why Jonadab made the particular list he did for his family, but there is still a legacy from their tribe. The Victorian Rechabite Tent is still functioning in Australia. The members sign a pledge to abstain from alcohol, and for a time lived in tents. It is a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

None of us knows how or what God is going to do with our obedience to God and His ways. It is in His hands. The good news is if we sow good fruit, we can trust Him with it. Clarify your values. I think the best ones are those that line up with His values. They are the ones who have the most potency. It is worth it.

Father, I thank you for helping us sort out good values and teach us how to pass them on. Jonadab made set some obvious lines for his family. Help us do the same, in love with grace and mercy. Thank you for helping us influence generations to come by our actions. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 NLT

As I was pumping gas the other day, I felt the Lord ask me a question. “Why do you think you are “the exception?” I was continuing to ponder the connection between wisdom and discipline (last week’s blog post: Faith and Wisdom). I must admit, it stopped me in my tracks. I mumbled, “I guess it’s pride”. It made me think about areas in my life (and others) where I can/could fool myself into thinking I am the exception.

Areas like diet. I can eat what I want, when I want to and I won’t get overweight, get diabetes or other health issues because “I am the exception”. Even when these things occur, people don’t really believe it could really be “that” bad and then they discover it can be. I can be a couch potato and not exercise, because “I am the exception”. I hurt my knee area (lateral collateral ligament). The doctor told me to use the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. I tried a few days, bought a brace and decided doing 1/4 of the prescription would be good enough. When I went back again, he yelled at me. I told you to use the RICE. With hanging head, I apologized and said, I guess I don’t hear the word “rest” very well. Who was to blame? Me. Who suffered because of it. Me, and those I could have spent time with! It made me realize, I am not the exception. Maybe I think, I can ignore my financial situation because “I am the exception”, but that too, comes home to roost. As I’ve gotten older, and my body is starting to show signs of how I have treated it over the years, I am finding out I am not the exception. Then there is the area of spirituality.

The biggest area of “I am the exception” is probably in believing what the Word of God says. Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:7 NLT Do we really believe we will reap what we sow? So many live their life ignoring any tugs by the Holy Spirit to surrender to the Lord, because they do not want to consider this truth: and it was appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:17. People don’t really want to believe that we will die and then face God’s judgment.

I think the sooner we swallow our pride and understand that we are not the exception to the Laws of Nature or the Laws of the Spirit we will be better off. I started physical therapy for my knee this week. I chose to leave certain items at the grocery store so I wouldn’t be tempted to consume the entire container of miniature cinnamon rolls. I’ve started paying more attention to my Fitbit, too. But the biggest thing, I have been journaling God’s instruction from His Word. As I read the seven things God hates in Proverbs, I took better note. I prayed for His wisdom and grace to actively listen and avoid the things He hates. We are encouraged to avoid gossip, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, to cast our cares upon Him. There are no exceptions to these guidelines. If we submit to these and others like them, our lives will prosper much more than if we don’t. I know it is hard to admit we are not the exception….but God already knows it! Just agree with Him.

Father, I thank you that you don’t make exceptions to your mercy, your love and your gracious actions toward your people. I thank you for helping us all learn to submit to your will and your ways. If we do you promise we will prosper, and for that I am very grateful. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Proverbs 1:1-2 NLT.

Wisdom, something we all want (and if we are honest) something we all think we possess! The good news is, if we are humble and teachable, we can be taught wisdom. However, if we look carefully at this verse it declares the purpose is to teach people wisdom along with the challenging word “discipline”. Do you consider yourself a wise person? How about a person with discipline? They both come together. We may receive information or revelation about what we should do, but it is discipline that helps us carry that through. It appears we can’t have one without the other.

We find it stated again in verse 4. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair. So if we seek wisdom we will learn how to not only be disciplined but also learn to do things the right way, the just way and the fair way. Often we think wisdom is useful in difficult decision making, but apparently there is much more to it than that. Young children often complain that life isn’t fair to them. Maybe they can’t see the bigger picture, but only look at life as it relates to them and their needs.? Oops, it isn’t only children that face that dilemma is it?

These proverbs will give insight to to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Proverbs 1: 4. As parents, grandparents and teachers we need to share these proverbs with the young ones in our lives. I have two grandchildren heading off to college this year, plus another one who is enrolling in a program called Running Start. Each of these young people have been home schooled. Their parents have done their best to prepare them for life. It is a joy, as their grandmother, to hear wisdom coming from them. It wasn’t by accident, but by deliberate exposure to God’s Word and ways. Aaron, my oldest grandson, is heading to his junior year at Pacific Lutheran University. He plans to be an elementary teacher. I already know he will need to draw not only on God’s wisdom, but learn about applying that wisdom with discipline.

One day, as I was reading Proverbs 1:8-9: My child listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck, I realized that helping our children gain wisdom actually gives them an advantage. They will have accessories that will help them stand out. A crown of grace and a chain of honor around their neck are quite the gift. As they learn to fear the Lord and walk in His ways, Proverbs 1: 5 will come to them. Let those with understanding receive guidance.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Proverbs 1:5. Learning to apply this wisdom is more than just reading them. It takes deliberate focus and decision making to listen to them and then apply them. The challenges of life seem to becoming harder and harder, but if we are established in God’s wisdom and character the path gets clearer and more obvious. If you are like me, there is “listening” and then there is “listening”. When we appreciate and respect the speaker, we pay much more attention to what they are saying and become even wiser

None of us want to appear foolish, much less be called a fool. Proverbs 1:7 is the bedrock of walking with the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. I have grown in discipline in some very practical ways, however, in others, it is still a struggle. Exercise and diet are two of the areas where I have wisdom to do the right thing, but not always the discipline to do it. So am I wise? God is helping me in these areas, and I am grateful. I encourage you to take a look at the book of Proverbs with listening ears. Look for those areas where you can apply the wisdom that is so abundantly there.

Father, thank you for helping us grow in the area of wisdom and discipline. It is the living out of your wisdom and discipline that helps us becomes more useful to You and Your Kingdom. Teach me to really listen to Your Words and apply them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. Psalm 145: 1 NLT.

My life has been busy and a bit overwhelming these past few weeks. These past few weeks, I have found myself out of focus a bit with the Lord. Instead of walking in condemnation and struggle to get it “better”…I chose to simply tell Him about it and ask Him to help me. What a joy to discover that He loves to answer those kinds of prayers! He really does restore the joy of our salvation when we humble ourselves and go to Him.

Reading through Psalm 145, which is entitled “a psalm of praise of David” brings me back to clarity of really how great our God really is! Here are some of my thoughts as we go through this Psalm. What do you think?

Verse 2: I will praise you every day, yes, I will praise you forever. Adding daily praise to our life is always a good thing. It causes us to look up and away from our small lives, and reminds us of our big powerful God.

Verse 4: Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. If we don’t experience our own “mighty acts” or answered prayers, how can we pass them on to the next generation?

Verse 7: Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. Oh my friends, do not forget the goodness of our God. Life will often raise its ugly head and say “no, if my life isn’t “good”, then your God isn’t good”. Not true. Sin brought massive problems with it, and we all have to deal with it.

Verse 8: The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. This is who our God truly is. He wants to manifest His nature to us, as His children. Look around your world and look for His mercy, compassion and love. Think about where you might have deserved His anger and didn’t!

Verse 9-13: The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; They will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises: he is gracious in all he does. Are you telling others about His mighty deeds? It is comforting to know that His kingdom is everlasting, not just temporary, and that we can depend on Him to govern, love and care for every generation.

Verse 14: The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bend beneath their loads. That is what He did for me this week. I was emotionally and spiritually bent from carrying loads that were really for Him to carry. Such a blessing. On top of my emotionally “bent back” my physical back was also hurting and I have been walking “bent”! After prayer last night with my small group, I am able to walk much taller! When we cast our cares on Him, He truly helps us walk lighter and taller spiritually and emotionally as well.

Verse 15-16: The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. As I read this verse, I thought about more than physical food. If we turn to Him, He also gives us spiritual food, emotional food along with the physical things we need.

Verse 17: The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. He is righteous; therefore everything He does is righteous. When faced with difficult issues, I often pray for the Righteous Judge to come into the situation. I have watched Him move so many times, in only ways that He can do.

Verse 18-19 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes to all who call upon him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. When we call upon Him in truth and honesty He comes near, and intervenes for and with us.

Verse 21: I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever. What a prayer. There will come a time when everyone on earth will bless his holy name and that will indicate the end of all trouble and sorrow.

Father, I thank you that You listen to simple heart felt prayers. You are such an amazing Righteous, Kind, Loving and Merciful God who delights in showing up for us. Help us to show up to You and for You, my dear Savior. It is the least we can do. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13 NLT

As I read the 16th chapter of John, I came across this wonderful promise Jesus gave us. At this point, the end of life as the disciples new it was coming to an end. Jesus was trying to prepare them for life without his physical presence. I have always pondered how they received these truths. I probably would listen in denial–no that can’t happen! But Jesus tells them–no this is a good thing!

One of the thoughts I had as I read through this chapter was that the Holy Spirit loves us. I don’t think I have ever put that thought together. He loves us as much as God the Father, and Jesus, His Son does. So when He promised to send this Comforter, Advocate, Guide, Teacher it not only came from a place of love, but He sent some one who loves us as well. The Holy Spirit is an amazing gift, I don’t think we as believers have to learned to appreciate Him to His fullest extent.

So what is a guide? A guide comes along side us in the journey. He is there to help teach us along the way. To give us better insight and comprehension no matter how well we already think we “know it”. The guide keeps us from getting lost. He may take us on what we perceive to be a “longer” journey, and we may get frustrated because we want to get there faster or easier. This is why we need to understand that the Holy Spirit loves us. He will not lead or guide us to somewhere false or ultimately damaging. We do know that Paul was led by the Holy Spirit into some very difficult trials, but it was all good for the Kingdom’s sake.

One purpose of a guide is to help us get from one place to another, usually some place new. If we don’t trust, rely on or turn to Him during changes we may not get to the new place as efficiently. If we think we know the truth, already, about our situation, then we won’t even ask for His help. We will make decisions based on our own thoughts and wisdom. This makes us vulnerable for deception and detours.

A guide helps us feel safe. We can relax and enjoy the journey much more, if we know that someone has planned the trip. He knows the starting and stopping places. The children of Israel had the advantage of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to lead and guide them. We can have the promptings of the Holy Spirit, if we let Him.

Learning to lean on Him, isn’t always easy. Our independent spirit can show up and cause us to resist or even reject His guidance. He is a gentleman and won’t push Himself in where He isn’t wanted. When we repent and turn to Him, He is quick to respond. However, we may have to suffer the consequences of our independence. Even, then He is quick to comfort us. The enemy of our soul attempts to discredit His guidance through lies and fears. We must not let those things deter us from following His guidance.

Learning to follow this wonderful guide is a process. It begins with submission and asking. Staying in the Word tunes our ears to the tone of His voice and character. Understanding that He will never lead us to do things counter to God’s character. He will never guide us to hurt or injure someone else. As we listen to Him, we don’t have to fear being deceived.

Father, I thank you that you love us enough to give us a guide. Teach us to respect, honor and listen to this wonderful gift you have given. Train us to listen and then obey, knowing His way is always best. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? Isaiah 43: 18-19

As I was working in my office, I came across this word, written by my husband, Darryl Rodman in 2007. I thought it was a great reminder for us all. I believe it has some great insights we can apply to our lives today.

He entitled it: A New Day, a New Way.

Some of us have been waiting for a new day for along time. What if I told you that the new day is here already. In truth, it is a new day when we begin to believe what the Lord has said about it. This is the day the Lord has made, each day a new day. All that waits for a new day in our lives begins with believing it. Dont’ wait for things around you to change before you say it is a new day. Let the new day start in your heart through faith. Faith is the substance of a new day, and the evidence of all the changes that will take place in the midst of a new day. You see, a new day must start from a new perspective with in you, not from your circumstances around you. We are called to believe, then receive. The new day you are waiting for is waiting for you to embrace it by faith in all the promises the Lord gives you.

This is a day of new beginning. Old things are passing away. We have to learn that we cannot live like it is still the old day and expect that we will have the fullness of the new day. We have to change. For example, when seasons change we change the clothes we wear. We change our expectations of the weather and what we can do or not do. We change our goals to match the season. We enjoy the blessings of the season.

If you are tired of walking the same old ways of the continual old days, here are some other thoughts that can help you walk in a new day.

Believe it is a new day!

Begin by forgetting what has been and focusing on what will be.

Start over like this is the first day of your life.

Put off the old things on purpose–get rid of them! Then put on the new. Ephesians 4:22.

Do not let your memory of yesterday tell you what today looks like.fiish

Stop rehearsing the old stories of the old day. Confess what the new day looks like.

Give God all your history of struggle, failure, hurt or debt.

Believe what the Lord says and live like you believe it.

Know that everyday is a new day full of opportunities to see God’s love in action.

All these things take fighting the good fight. Depend on the Lord who has begin a good work and will finish it. Expect to see what you hope for fulfilled. These are the new ways that help establish the new days we are looking for. Start today, let God help you change your ways, and you will change your days. Darryl Rodman

Father, I thank you that we can have new days by trusting you to change us. What a blessing it is that we can trust you to teach us how to have those new days. What a good God you are. Help us to see every area that You see we need to believe for the new day–whether it is in our personal life, our relationships, or In our faith in your abilities. In Jesus’ Name, amen.