Finding your way back

Have you ever taken a detour, or found yourself lost on some road? I have and it gets a little bit 'intimidating' to be lost! You feel like the world as you know it is just not right! Some of us have been 'lost' for a little while, just wandering around in some form of 'life muddle' and it is likely we want to just find our way out! Have you ever just felt like it was past time for God to intervene in your life to help you out on this mess you are in - the wait has been so long, you have endured so much, and all you want is some kind of deliverance from the pressure you have been under. I imagine we all face this kind of 'loss' or 'frustration' from time to time, wondering IF God even hears us when we pray, thinking he may have his attention focused on something or someone else. The important thing in the midst of our 'muddled mess' is the object of our focus WITHIN the mess! The object of focus needs to be God himself - his Word will bolster us and get us back on track.

It's time to act, God; they've made a shambles of your revelation! Yea-Saying God, I love what you command, I love it better than gold and gemstones; Yea-Saying God, I honor everything you tell me, I despise every deceitful detour. (Psalm 119:126-128)

We are often caught between right choices and EASY choices. Have you ever noticed just how much EASIER the easy choices are? They seem quicker, to the point, and likely don't seem to cost you much up front, The "easy" choice just seems to come "naturally" to us, falling into step with wherever that choice leads us without much effort at all on our part - it is like we can do it without even thinking. On the other hand, standing up for what is right, not compromising the values God teaches in his Word, is not always the easiest path! Let me correct that - it is rarely the easiest path!
We get all kinds of little warning voices to not do something and then without anymore thought, we turn right toward those choices! Ever find yourself there?  Frustrating, huh?

What probably amazes me the most is how immensely patient God is with us when we do this! He takes us back to the Word, reminds us what he says, and then sets us on course again. If you are finding yourself dealing with a little "guilt" over not ending something very well, don't fret. God has already prepared the route for you to get back "on track" in the area of your struggle. This is the great thing about God's Word - it stands the test of time. It has the staying power of generation after generation. Put to the test, it continues to do the job it was intended to do - guide and direct our course. We may have despised "every deceitful detour" we've taken from the truth revealed in the Word. We can come full-circle into the place of renewed faith, determined obedience, and refocused perspective. The Word may bring conviction, but it is because we need to be convicted and respond with obedience! It is in this conviction where we find our way back to where we find our greatest hope! The "easy" path may have taken you somewhere you really don't want to be. If so, allow God's Word to guide your steps back to the path he designed just for you! Just sayin!

Let me introduce you to love

I really didn't deserve that! There is nothing more "secure" than allowing God to deal with us according to his LOVE instead of what it is we honestly DESERVE! You and I may have found we have "tapped into" God's intense love so many times that it is hard to count all the times! I find it greatly comforting to realize God's dealings with us are according to his love - love is the basis of grace; grace is the basis of forgiveness; forgiveness is the basis of restoration; restoration is the basis of all relationship. It all begins with love! Love, pure and simple, yet we try to complicate it so much by our rules, regulations, and reasoning.

Let your love dictate how you deal with me; teach me from your textbook on life. I'm your servant—help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of your instructions. (Psalm 119:124-125)

The word "dictate" almost escapes us in this passage, but it carries an important meaning that lends to the richness captured in these words. It means to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily - we think of this as commanding something in such a manner that there are no options for any other or opposing conditions to exist. In other words, God deals with us in such a way that there is no opportunity to deny or debate his love! Try as we might, there is no way of denying God's love because it is the very nature of who he is! Is the desire of your heart to be taught from the textbook of life? There are many avenues of learning in life - some significantly better than others. The goal of our heart should be that we have no other instruction influencing our life choices. We should want to be influenced by the love of God alone.

Love is the basis of grace. Grace is receiving what we don't deserve - it is also giving what another doesn't deserve. It is the intense favor of a holy God to bring an unholy people close to him through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. It is NOT God turning his head away from sin, but it is dealing with sin head-on through the perfect sacrifice of his Son. Grace deals with the sin head-on, so that the sinner can be embraced full-on! Grace is the basis of forgiveness. Where mercy begins, forgiveness is allowed to take root. Grace gives us the "pardon", while forgiveness changes our perception of where we "stand" after receiving the full pardon. In other words, we "hear" words of pardon - forgiveness is the process of "walking out" the reality of the pardon. It is what leads us to desire to live a "changed" life.

Forgiveness is the basis of all relational restoration. Restoration is only possible when a way has been opened for one to be drawn close again. It is through the process of restoration that we are brought back to an "unimpaired" condition of mind, will, emotions, and soul - both in our relationship with God and with others. In realizing that we are dealt with "in" God's love, we move into a state of forgiveness in which we begin to recognize the reality of being made new in Christ Jesus. In turn, we begin the journey of drawing close to God because there is a re-establishing of what was lost by the entrance of sin - close, personal relationship. Love began the work - love completes it. It is good to know grace - it is best to know love. When we know love, we know God! Just sayin!

Just standing....

Comic book heroes of the '50's and '60's were all a kid could think about. Superman zooming through the open skies, swooping down just in time to save the injustice from being done. Some 'super-villain' would have to be dealt with and the super-hero would step in to 'save the day' in just the nick of time. Captain Comet, Flash, Batman, Batwoman....the list goes on. Everyone wanted (and needed) a hero! What did these heroes all have in common? They took a stand for justice of some kind. Taking a stand for something in life is probably one of the most telling things about an individual. The things or people that an individual takes a stand for reveal the priorities of the individual, the values developed in life learning, and the importance one places on that thing or person in their life. There are really two things worth taking a stand for: Justice and the Right.

I stood up for justice and the right; don't leave me to the mercy of my oppressors. Take the side of your servant, good God; don't let the godless take advantage of me. I can't keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you to keep your promise to set everything right. (Psalm 119:121-123)

Justice is simply the moral "rightness" of a matter or individual. In daily choices, we'd say an individual is exhibiting just behavior when they are allowing moral principles to guide their practice. There are just some things and individuals we should stand up for like the widow that cannot provide for her own needs after the loss of a spouse of many years, or the orphan left with no family to surround them with the love they so desperately need. The right is exhibited in an individual operating in accordance with what is good, proper, or just. Really, we cannot separate Justice from the Right. They go hand-in-hand. You could say God expects us to be 'agents of Justice' in our everyday life.

It is so easy to stand up for those we believe to be exhibiting "moral excellence", but how well do we handle those in our lives that exhibit actions we could not consistently label as good, proper, or just? I think we might all struggle with this a little everyday - people don't always "behave" as we think they should! In most cases, God wants us to learn the grace of forgiving the offenses of those individuals with a gracious immediacy. It is unthinkable that God would allow us to hold onto the injustices of these individuals and allow the injustice to become a thing we focus our attention upon. As with the 'superheroes', we are deal with the injustice swiftly and with the right measure of grace.

It is quite possible to take a stand, yet there are those who would oppress or resist this stand for justice. There is the tendency of those who don't understand our "stand" and they use the action of attempting to put us down for that stand. There is a tendency for us to want to restrain any actions of others that we don't understand - our oppressors are likely doing this in our lives - they don't understand our actions, so they resist them. Their response to our moral excellence is conviction and we know that some don't like the feeling conviction produces in their lives! It is easier for them to resist, or restrain the actions, so that those 'ill-feelings' don't continue to niggle at them. They want to shut down the conviction!

Oppressors may be described as the godless. In other words, those that really don't operate by the same principled standards as outline in the Word of God. Therein stands the "rub" because we are pretty frequently surrounded by those with differing values. Their differences become most evident anytime we take a stand for justice. Our only hope for being "bolstered" or "encouraged" in our stand is the "backing" of our God as we stand! At times, the very best 'tactic' we can take is to wait for God to intervene even when we are growing weary in the stand. God knows our weariness - nothing escapes his view. Our oppressors don't escape his view either! He has a time and a purpose for his intervention. We must learn to trust him "IN" our stand for justice and the right. It is "IN" the stand we are made strong, enduring what others would flee from. It is "IN" the stand God meets us, grows us, and changes how our oppressors view US! Stand on! Cast your weariness upon the one who will lift you high! Stand strong! Hold onto his powerful hand through your oppression! God is changing how your oppressors are viewing you this very day! Just sayin!

Dream BIG

Do you remember "taking sides" in some game you played as kids? You'd all stand on the sideline, two people would pair off as the "captains" of the teams, and then one-by-one each person on the sideline would be "picked" to be on one of those teams. I remember being disappointed at times because I may not have been the best at some particular sport...so I was picked toward the end, almost as a "have-to" instead of "on purpose". At other times, I was one of the first picks, simply because I did well in that game. There are times we do well and stand out; at others, we aren't so proficient in our actions, leading to rather poor outcomes, but we still 'stand out' - just not in a right way!

Get out of my life, evildoers, so I can keep my God's commands. Take my side as you promised; I'll live then for sure. Don't disappoint all my grand hopes. Stick with me and I'll be all right; I'll give total allegiance to your definitions of life. Expose all who drift away from your sayings; their casual idolatry is lethal. You reject earth's wicked as so much rubbish; therefore I lovingly embrace everything you say. I shiver in awe before you; your decisions leave me speechless with reverence.
(Psalm 119:115-120)

What those team "captains" were doing was selecting those who they felt would be to their "benefit" on their "side" of the field - they had some form of confidence they were selecting so as to "win". They saw some advantage to having a particular player in their ranks because they knew the outcome they were desirous to achieve and believed those individuals could help achieve it. Some of those teams were chosen because they had demonstrated their proficiency - others were chosen based on some element of trust. Either way, the teams came to pass.  Our psalmist reminds us of the advantage of having GOD on our side - his presence produces life! We may choose him because we know his abilities, or perhaps we have chosen him because we trust in what others have said about his abilities. There is just a little bit of a difference there, but an important one. Choosing because you know and trust is one thing - choosing because someone else says you can trust is another!

Do you remember ever sitting down with a pen and paper, writing out a list of "dreams" you might have for the future? As a kid, we made mental lists of things we hoped to accomplish like being a firefighter, flying to the moon, or having a particular car when we grew up. As adults, we have similar lists - some written and others still quite 'mental' in nature. Lists such as the one that begins with, "My ideal mate would be...." or "The best job I could have would be..." or "My ship will have come in when..." When we are engaged in making these lists, we are outlining our "hopes" or "dreams" - things we haven't realized, but would like to at some point. Hope is simply the feeling that what is "wanted" can be obtained - the events we find coming our way will lead to the outcome. Without hope, people really have no reason for living. We all have "grand hopes" - impressive in size, sometimes highly ambitious, but hopes nonetheless. It is often the very fact that we have someone walking beside us during the lean times when hope seems to disappear that we hold onto the hopes we have formed. It is in the "sticking power" of God that we can and will find our hopes bolstered.

Do you remember the last time you "shivered in awe" of anything or anyone? There have been moments in my life when the "awe" of the moment just overwhelmed me - the birth of my two children, the moment by grandsons took their first breath in this world, the day my Dad "pinned" me at my nursing graduation. I recall these events because of the "affect" they had on me. The memories of "awe" at the birth of my two children were moments I looked back to when we were struggling through all those moments of teenage rebellion or wayward behavior of some sort. The "awe" produced at the pinning ceremony as my Dad looked into my eyes with such pride and just a hint of tears is a fond memory I hold onto now that he is gone - waxing nostalgic now and again. The very decisions or actions of God should leave us in a place of absolute awe - speechless with reverence.

Don't mist it...  It is in the "recall" of God's greatness, his keeping power, his attentiveness to the details of our lives that we are "bolstered" in our faith, able to stand "strong" in our walk, and "upheld" in our beliefs. Sometimes we do well to "remember" what God has done (Past Tense). It points us to what he IS doing right now (Present Tense)! It is good to have memories - their purpose is to spur us on, not hold us back! What you remember will definitely affect what your actions might be that you engage in today. Past wrong actions hopefully lead to present better actions and present better actions hopefully lead to more and more 'good actions'. Just sayin!

Overdue?

If it has been a long while since you have been able to get away on vacation or to a quiet spot on a beach, high in the mountains, or just alone by a pool somewhere, then you know there is nothing more renewing than a little retreat. I used to think of times of retreat as something along the line of a "forced withdrawal". I really just did not enjoy time away from what I was doing everyday. Some would have called me a little too retentive to let things go and let others take the reins for a while so I could enjoy time away. I have come to recognize that "retreat" is sometimes the most strategic thing you can do!

You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me. (Psalm 119:114)

The very act of withdrawing into a place of quiet and safety is often the best move we make - even when we know there are a whole lot of other 'movements' that need to be made. That very movement into a place of what appears to be a lack of movement is actually bringing us to a place of refuge. Within that refuge, there is privacy for the planning of the next movements we will make and for the clarity that can come when movement ceases for a while and we can just stand back and look. The opposite of retreat is advancement. There are very specific times when we need to pull away, step back, and allow God to change our focus long enough to impact our plans for the next steps we take. Advancement may not be possible until we have had a moment of retreat!

We might find we have a tendency to make others our place of retreat. When things aren't going as we'd like, we sometimes find ourselves gravitating to the comfort of sounding off to another individual. There is nothing wrong with having a trusted friend. Yet, there are times when the best person to hear about"our issues is not our trusted friend, but God himself. We have to guard against using our trusted friends to be what God deserves to be in our lives. If we really desire the clarity for our next move, God will use our friends to help us by giving us the confirmation of what he gives us when we seek him first. Be careful, though, because we have a tendency to make God operate on our schedule and that may not be his schedule for the issue. The fact is, times of retreat may be necessary long before we feel we are ready for them. We often don't realize how "ready" we were for the benefits of retreat until we have enjoyed the blessing of that time away from what it is that had us all wound up so tight in the first place!

We often don't understand the joy of quiet until we have stepped away from the chaos of the daily battles. In the midst of the fray, we seldom realize that we have no real sense of peace. I am not just referring to the absence of noise, but the real sense of inner assurance that comes from knowing that what you are engaged in is exactly as it should be, in the exactly correct timing, and with the exactly correct steps being taken. In the times of retreat, there is often a "re-ordering" of our steps. Until we enjoy the quiet place, we pretty much won't see with clarity the next steps we need to take. We have a hard time with the waiting part of retreat. Just as soldiers pull back into periods of planned retreat, we need to do the same. In the retreat or pulling back, time is given for healing, fortification, and just enjoying each other a little. To be at our best, there are times when "waiting" is the best "action" we can take!

Not sure where you find yourself today, but if you have been hitting it hard, you may be ready for a little retreat from the chaos of your circumstances. The fact remains, no one can run at full speed forever - we all need times of retreat. It may take some doing, some adjusting of your priorities, but you will find the benefits of retreat far outweigh the constant plugging away under the pressures of your day. I don't believe "retreat" times always need to be extended weekends away from home in some cabin on the mountain top, long vacations away from phones and emails, or periods of sabbaticals from your professional pursuits. I do believe they need to be frequent, dedicated times of rest. Times when God is able to renew us at the very center of our being. Wherever, and however that is accomplished in your life - do it! You don't realize the benefit of retreat until you have taken the opportunity to experience it! Just sayin!

You wanna be free?

Have you seen someone so 'plastic' that you wonder what is still real about them? They have such an obsession with their appearance that they enhance that, reduce something else, go through that lift or tuck, pulling tighter and tighter, until what once was recognizable as that person is something quite different from the original! You might say they are a little 'two-faced'. Two-faced is just another way of saying someone is "fake". What you see isn't the real-deal. The tendency of these individuals is to act one way when they are with certain people and then a totally different way when with others. Their set of values can fluctuate based on the circumstance or opportunity. They lack consistency and are always changing depending on the whim of the moment. In time, they are harder and harder to 'recognize' because they are so inconsistent!

I hate the two-faced, but I love your clear-cut revelation. (Psalm 119:113)

I know a great many of us have the tendency to conceal our "defects" so that we APPEAR more "put together" than we really are! Somehow, in the "made up" presentation of ourselves, we portray what we think others will see as a better, or perfect picture of us than they'd really see if they saw us as we really are. The problem with this tendency to be two-faced is our inability to always have the "right" 'face' on at the right time! It gets harder to juggle our 'untrue' selves than it would actually have been to just remain true to who we really are! Do you realize just how much "void" there is in our lives without having the Word of God as our guide? Whenever we choose to wear a mask instead of being "real"- we seek to conceal, hide, or not trust. God's exact mission in our life is to reveal what we might seek to conceal because he knows change is only possible through truthful revelation!

I have done more than my share of "mask-wearing" in my day. My friends probably saw right through my lame attempt to cover up some defect in my character I was not very proud of at different times. There is a fairly common catchphrase which I think sets us up for failure - "Fake it till you make it". I think this little phrase is riddled with all kinds of difficulty. In actuality, we are telling someone (maybe ourselves) to "imitate confidence" until that confidence produces some form of success or positive outcome in our lives. In turn, that imitation of confidence will generate some real confidence. The only problem with this is the idea of continuing to imitate or fake what we don't really possess. God is very clear in his Word that we possess ALL THINGS in Christ Jesus. There is no need for imitation when we have the real thing!

When 'faking it' enters into the realm of "belief", we are telling ourselves one thing, but the facts speak differently. For example, we may tell ourselves we are not feeling depressed, so we make ourselves do things people do who are NOT depressed - like being with others, cleaning the house, getting out of bed. We are trying to convince ourselves one thing is true, but in reality the real thing in control is the feeling that we ARE depressed. Belief is clearly not enough to bring about full deliverance - it may be the beginning of hope, but it is not enough to sustain us through bad times. We need the reality of changed feelings to realize deliverance from our depressed state. It is only as we tap into the strength that God gives, the Christ-empowered determination of mind / will / and emotions, that our deliverance comes. "With God, ALL things are possible!" This is the basis of our belief - but the walking out of this belief is in the daily, moment-by-moment reliance upon God's enabling to walk strong!

There is a definite "void" in our lives whenever we begin to rely upon self instead of God. Two-faced living is really a place of extreme void - we are attempting to cover what we are really powerless to change, or don't realize needs changing. It is in the revelation of our true self where change becomes a reality. In the moment of revelation, we are able to behold our true condition, reach out to God for help, and then begin to behold new and bolder life choices through his eyes. In those moments, change begins. We may cry out for change in our lives, but until we remove the masks of "creative cover-up" we have been hiding behind, no change will come. As we learn to value the revelation that comes through the Word, trusting God to assist us in the changes we so desperately desire, we step into a new freedom of being "real". What a freeing thing living without masks can be! Just sayin!

Not another sock day

We have all probably heard the saying, "If you cannot laugh at yourself, then who can you laugh at." Well, some days I just do a lot more laughing than others! We should laugh - if not that good belly laugh that releases all those happy feelings - then at least a little chuckle now and again to remind us we are all human and all do some kinda dumb stuff! I don't laugh 'at' people, but because we ALL are people, suffering from similar inconsistencies in our lives, and we just do 'funny stuff' from time to time. You know what . . . life gets pretty doggone hard at times and if we could not laugh or celebrate from time to time, it would be pretty hard to get through!

I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever—what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—I always have and always will. (Psalm 119:111-112)

I always loved watching my children and now my grandchildren opening their gifts on Christmas morning. I observed their expressions with each gift - was it the thing they had hoped for, or the gift that kind of brought a little let down (like new undies or socks). You know what - there are times in life where our face says it all! The moments of delight or disappointment are written across the expanse of our face, our eyes betraying our real feelings. I remember one Christmas with my grandson. The first thing he removed from the box I had prepared for him was socks! Imagine his look - disappointment was spelled out on every inch of that wee face! Not the gift he really expected - nor the one he probably wanted! Then he reached in for the next thing....more socks! What he did not understand was that I had used the socks to "fill in" the two very much hoped for toys underneath those socks in order to keep them from rattling all around in the box! When he finally found those - the laughter came!

Sometimes God is like that, packing really desirable things with some pretty "regular" stuff - we just have to dig a little deeper to find the really desirable things he puts a little deeper into the box we call everyday life! When we finally "hit upon" the desirable in the midst of the regular, our interpretation of the "gift" changes, doesn't it? It went from being a 'so-so' gift to being a real 'awesome' one! I think this is what David might have had in mind when he penned these words: "I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever—what a gift!" I am sure David had to "weed through" a few "ordinary" church services, routine studying of the Word, determined listening to preachers explain the passages, and then as if by some miracle, there it was - the "desired" gift! He was weeding through the ordinary until he found the desirable!

In those moments, laughter brought lightness to his heart, even in the midst of some of the greatest trials. When God reveals himself, the heart's response is gladness. We cannot but smile, even laugh a little, whenever our heart is made light in a dark time! Imagine God's Word as a gift, beautifully wrapped, carefully "packaged" so as much content "fits" into it as possible. Sometimes our study will be like "sock" discovery days - good to have, but not really something that "wows" us. At others, our study uncovers something in which we will take great delight - enjoying it over and over again until we almost are worn out in the revelry of the gift! So, get into it, dig deeper - you may never know what there is to discover there! Just sayin!

I see what you are doing now!

We all have had weeks we'd like to put behind us. Some days are just better than others! In the passage of time, there are moments we'd like to "erase" from our memory, while there are also those others we hope to hold onto forever and ever. When things are just not going well for us, how do we handle it? What is our response to the chaos, disappointment, frustration, or fear? When you have one of those "EVERYTHING's falling apart on me!" kind of days or weeks, how do you get up to do another? To be totally transparent here, we all have those days when we are just good and ready for this chapter of our life to be closed and a new one to be written!

Everything's falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don't forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don't swerve an inch from your course. (Psalm 119:107-110)

In "rough patches" of life, we often cry out for deliverance long before we cry out for God to teach us a lesson in the rough place! We want our "comfort" restored, but we don't see there is a lesson in every season. "Put me together again with your Word." Rather than pray for deliverance maybe we should be praying for sustenance - sustaining power! Whenever I have one of my grandsons over to help with a project, it makes the project go a little easier for me. In the end, I am not only grateful for their assistance, I am delighted with the end results! Their presence actually made it easier for me to endure all the hard work that went into the project!

God works this way sometimes. He comes along, placing the pieces of our lives together in keeping with the principles of his Word, making his Word come alive in the process. In the "watching and participation" in what he is fashioning in our lives through the revelation of his Word, we "see" the pieces of life take form. In the end, we realize the results of the "work" occurring as there is this passage of time. Unfortunately, most of us don't like to wait for that passage of time and find ourselves struggling with things because we are in the moments where the lessons are being learned.

At the end of the day, God rejoices in our praise, delights in our reaching, and relishes our "I love you's". The day will deal us stuff that we don't want to face - but when we look to the one who knows how to put all the pieces together, undertaking his work carefully each step of the way, we do more than "make it through". We are "sustained" - upheld and strengthened! We are supported, born up, and kept going until the final work is done within us! Don't take your eyes off the one doing the building in your life - mirror his steps. In the end, you will finish well! Just sayin!

Carry a Torch

I have taken to watching a few shows on the BBC channel and am always amused when I hear them call the hood of the car the 'bonnet', or the parking lot the 'car park'. We all have differing ways of describing things, but I really connected with how they describe a flashlight. They call it a torch. In my mind, a torch is that long piece of wood with some form of material wrapped around the end, like cloth, soaked in some sort of oil and then lit with a flame. Torches have one function - to illuminate what is otherwise not seen. They are very 'portable' - so they can go with you wherever you go. In much the same way, God's Word is a torch by which the unseen becomes known and it is always with us no matter where we go.

By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I've committed myself and I'll never turn back from living by your righteous order. (Psalm 119:105-106)

I have a Bible app on my smartphone that allows me to view my Bible from anywhere I am, in whatever version I want to read it, and with whomever I wan to share it with. This means I am never without the Word at my side! I like that! I have at my disposal whatever I need to help me bring light into a situation. That is the way God's Word is for us - it helps us navigate the twists and turns of life with grace, always right there when we need it most, and comes to us in just the right way we need to hear it. The sad thing is we don't always appreciate the benefits of the light we receive until it is no longer visible to us!

I think many of us navigate through life expecting that it will always be "picture perfect" - nothing 'dark' will make it hard to navigate or impair our understanding. Whenever the need arises to examine the spaces of our life in order to really see all those latest demands being placed on us, we freak out a little! Here's where we can draw from the Word - allowing it to illuminate our path so we can navigate through the latest demands with "grace". Light is what brings us safely through - it serves to provide us the "grace" to traverse the toughest paths with ease.

The 'torch' serves no purpose until we turn it on, though. The Word serves no purpose until we draw from its richness! The flashlight illuminates my path down the dark corridors that give passage to my next destination in much the same way the Word of God illuminates my passage through some of the darkest corridors of life! Oftentimes, we don't know the light has "faded" from our view until we find ourselves fumbling around in the darkness! David said earlier in this chapter, "Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you." He reminds us that the Word stands ready to illuminate our path, filling it with graceful passage whenever it is needed. Don't miss the point he makes about being so 'into' God's Word so that when he needed it most he only needed to "illuminate the torch"! Maybe we would do well to check the status of our 'torch' today! We might actually find a dead battery or two! Just sayin!

Planning ahead helps

Whenever anyone receives the advice to "watch their step" it is usually because there is a very good chance that they will step in something not so pleasant! I may not have been raised on a farm, but it took only one visit to a farm to remind me of the importance of looking down - - taking each step with care and caution! Taking great care to avoid any path that leads to evil is kind of riddled with a lot of warnings to 'watch your step' along the way. It requires a whole lot of avoiding the "ditches and ruts" that evil present in our lives. It takes attentiveness to avoid the things that will leave a 'stench' in your life!

I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil so I can spend all my time keeping your Word. I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions. Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. With your instruction, I understand life; that's why I hate false propaganda. (Psalm 119:101-104)

I remember a hiking trip (more like an expedition) we took into the Grand Canyon when I was a much younger lady. No kids, just a bunch of adults who thought they were 'fit' for the expedition! It was a group of us all planning the trip with such excitement over the joy of getting away, enjoying nature, and having fun in one of the most scenic parks in our nation. We had our backpacks all packed, meals planned out, sleeping bags rolled tightly, and trail maps all marked out. If I had been paying as much attention to the trail maps as I was the menu for the meals, I might have stayed home! I had no idea what was about to come for me!

Once on the trail I soon began to realize that the walk UP was going to be a whopper of a climb! We were making our way down a path with about a 60 degree slope or grade. The reality of the UPWARD climb became clear to me at the bottom of that particular trail, as I sat in the coolness of the sand gazing up toward the trail-head, and only then paused to think about the journey we had just undertaken! I would have to traverse the slope again, but it would be much harder going UP than it was going DOWN. The idea of making an UPWARD climb is sometimes more daunting than we ever realize when we start down the path that leads us DOWNWARD. I sat in the coolness of the sand, thinking we would have two days to rest up, then we'd be able to start that climb. The cold, hard truth was we'd only gone two miles in our thirteen mile journey into the canyon! What I believed to be the END of the downward journey was really not over!

Sin is that way. We begin a downward journey, believing we will be able to "recover" and find our way back up without too much difficulty. Has anyone else realized with me that the journey DOWN is so much easier than the journey UP! Even more surprising is the idea that the journey DOWN is never fully realized for its full impact until you get ALL THE WAY down! At the end of those thirteen miles in that canyon journey, every fiber of muscle in my body screamed in terror for the workout it had endured. Even the sweet promise of rest brought me more pain than I imagined....getting down onto an air mattress also required the effort of getting up from it! What I did not realize in the weeks leading up to this venture was the extent of the journey. No one prepared me for where this path would take me physically - or if they did, I sure wasn't listening! The same is true with sin's path - we often find ourselves unprepared for the spiritual toll it will take on our lives! We are unprepared either because we don't listen to the warnings to "watch our step", or we just blindly follow behind others taking the path!

By the end of my journey that weekend, both big toes had blisters UNDER the toenails! My body ached in places I thought ache could never occur! My well-planned camp meals just never materialized - the energy to cook them took way too much effort! The games of Farkle, Yahtzee, and spoons just lacked any of their normal enjoyment. In a nutshell, the "enthusiasm" for life was knocked right out of me by the things I had endured along the trail INTO the canyon; not to mention the ominous feeling of terror that making my way OUT of the canyon added! Sin robs us of our enthusiasm for life. It makes every effort of life more taxing and less enjoyable than the last. The things we once planned seem to matter very little in the face of the effects of the toll sin's results have taken on us. What's more, the journey OUT weighs heavier than a ton of bricks! We may be "worn-down" by the effects of sin - making every step toward restoration even more demanding and difficult.

God understands this downward path better than we might think. I believe this is why he warns us so frequently, in so many ways, at so many different turns! His Word is rich with examples of others who have endured patches of difficulties as a result of wrong choices. The warnings stand as "trail-markers", warning us to avoid these paths! You might find yourself on a downward path today - heading in the direction of least resistance. Hear this: The path DOWN is a whole lot easier than the path UP! You will likely not know the extent of the journey until you are ALL THE WAY down! Just sayin!

No more excuses

"He is wise beyond his years" - when we say this, we are pointing to the fact the person is making choices "smarter" than they usually would be for their age or station in life. In common thinking, wisdom is something that comes with age. As an individual ages chronologically, the opportunity for multiple experiences have presented the added benefit of learning new things. We get exposed to more, so therefore it stands to reason we will get to learn new things as we grow up a little. I think we can challenge the belief that aging equates to the development of wisdom, though. I have known many an individual who has "aged" chronologically without really "learning" from their life experiences! They just keep repeating them over and over again, not really showing any signs of having learned anything along the way.

Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel. I've become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me. (Psalm 119:97-100)

Wisdom isn't developed because we age. It is a process of listening, taking various steps of obedience to what we are learning, then using that wisdom over and over until we have 'mastered' it. Wise people reveal a delight for what God reveals. Delight carries not only the idea of something producing extreme pleasure for the bearer / hearer, but also the feelings of gratitude that are produced in the revelation. There are some things in life I have wished someone never shared with me. There are images I have beheld that I would rather erase from my memory. It is quite another thing to find pleasure (enjoyment) in what God reveals - those are the memories we want to have stick around for a long while.

Wisdom is produced not so much in the revelation, but in the rehearsal of the revelation. That is what many refer to as the concept of pondering. The things revealed to us by God are turned over and over in our mind until our heart finally gets it! Too many times we stop at the "revealing" of truth and then wonder why we just don't find any change as a result of what was revealed to us. It is in the rehearsing of that revelation that we "learn" the truth - the 'repetitiveness' of rehearsal actually helps cement to revelation. The most important thing along the journey is in having the way made clear. I wonder if we actually would go nowhere without God's commands - in other words, we keep the truths we have been taught in the forefront of our mind so they affect each step we take along the way. When faced with choices, are we relying on what God has said? We don't find ourselves floundering around so much in the moment when we have become familiar with how God expects us to live. We know God's commands because we have learned through the rehearsal of them!

We need to become students of the "rules". I recently overheard someone sharing the reasons people were giving in class for having to attend a "traffic" class after having received tickets from the police for some infraction while driving their automobiles. The purpose of the class was to "train" the drivers to not commit the same violations. Some of the individuals attending the class thought it was "foolish" and just plain "unfair" to get the moving violation they had received. Their excuses went something like this: "I wasn't following that close! I could usually stop on a dime!" or "I don't see the big deal! I didn't hurt anyone by driving that slow!" or "I steer just as well with my knees as I do with my hands!" Now doesn't this make us think a little? We all have various "excuses" for the things we do, don't we? These folks weren't there to "study" the rules - in fact, they didn't even feel that the rules applied to them! The fact is the "rules" DO apply! There is benefit in learning the "rules" that keep us safe. Wisdom that is not equated to "chronological years" is really a matter of studying the "rules" that keep us safe in the journey and applying them to our lives.

Rules are fine, but apart from obedience to the rules, they are merely words on paper - ideas that are 'nice', but not very 'rewarding' or 'practical'. Those drivers in traffic school did not really believe the rules applied to them - they devalued the rules. We actually learn the value of rules in the obedient steps we take in keeping them! Maybe it is time for all of us to examine the "excuses" we have been making for the "rules" not applying in our life. Look at the attitude we have been exhibiting toward the revelation of truth. If we find that it has been nothing more than an "AH HA!" experience and then you move on, we might consider rehearsing that "AH HA!" until we really get it worked into our hearts. You know, God can hit the target repeatedly, but if we keep moving the target, we really are doing nothing more than testing his skill as a marksman! Just sayin!

I'm all yours....

We can never forget the "keeping" power of God's Word. It is a stalwart in hard times. It stands the test and keeps on ticking! "If your teachings had not delighted me..." Here is the crux of the "keeping" power of God's Word - it is in the "delight" we take in it. How we treat God's Word determines how much it will impact our lives. Casually reflect upon it and it will likely only have a momentary impact. Dwell upon it, ruminate on it, and it will sink deep into the craters of your life until there is no empty space remaining.

If your revelation hadn't delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I'll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I'm all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I'm only concerned with your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can't contain your commands! (Psalm 119:92-96)

Does the Word of God delight us like nothing else? When we delight in something, it gives us intense joy and almost brings us to a place of satisfaction like nothing else can. For some of us, chocolate is our favorite candy. That endorphin rush that is released when we consume that milky rich sweetness just lulls us into a place of "endorphin rapture". What "rush" does God's Word give us? The intensity of our pleasure in his Word is often a direct result of the calamity of our circumstances - sometimes the worse things are for us, the more his Word satisfies!

Does God's Word come to us as the "advice" we hold onto when hard times come? We have many avenues of advice in our lives, but none should be "louder" than the Word of God. Advice is something taken that guides our actions. What has been guiding your actions lately - what advice have you been leaning into? You probably will be able to answer that by the outcome of your actions!
Is the Word of God something we interpret as "worthy" of our attention? Do we find ourselves looking both high and low for God's wisdom? Have we done our best to know God's instructions? Are we truthfully counting on God to do the rest, or are we stubbornly still trying to do it all ourselves? When we do our part - - obedient to what God reveals - - he is right alongside doing his part!

Are the plans of God our only concern? Some of us have plans of our own that we attempt to "fit" God's plans into - kind of like a patchwork quilt of sorts. We want to make God "fit" our purposes instead of the other way around. It should come as no surprise to see how many times we "plan" life only to see how miserably we fail to end as we hoped when this is the method we utilize in our planning. You'd think we'd learn our lesson the first time! Alas, many of us don't! Remember...God's words make us wise! If we want well-directed plans, perhaps we should consider God's words a little closer in our planning.

Do we know our limits? EVERYTHING has some form of limits - everything except God's Word and God himself! No words are as powerful. No words are as illuminating. No words are as convicting. When we do our best to know his Word, we are allowing him to do his best in establishing HIS limits in our lives. Oftentimes, those "limits" are really farther than we'd believe possible on our own!
Seek him and be filled with a new appreciation for the limitlessness of God's Word! Just sayin!

Let this serve your plan

As I have grown older, time seems to pass faster. The "ebbing" of a new day seems to be upon me before I even realize that the old one has passed me by! There is one truth that endures through the passage of time - God's Word is dependable! For some, this goes without saying because they have adopted the Word of God as a standard by which they live their lives. They have tested it and found it to be "a sure thing". There is another truth that I think we might miss if we are not careful, but it is equally as important - everything serves God's plans!

What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it's as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that's what you ordered—you set the earth going. (Psalm 119:89-91)

You have probably been told that change in inevitable, and that would be true. As much as we can count on the "permanence" of God and what he says, we can count that nothing (absolutely nothing) escapes his purposes and plans for our lives - even where change is occurring. This should give us hope that the events of yesterday prepared us for something we face today and the occurrences of today will prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow. Sometimes we think events are "random", or that they could not serve any real purpose in our lives. If we take to heart what God says here, EVERYTHING serves his plans!

Sometimes I think we find the reliability of God's Word easier for us to trust than the assurance that God is at work in the midst of the present events of our messed up and chaotic day! We doubt his "awareness" of our circumstances - - thinking that maybe these "events" have "popped up" without him really being "in the know" about them. We can never forget the fact that God is divine - he has no limitations when it comes to being all places at all times, knowing all things that are known,even though we do. We have a hard time with these concepts because we are trying to grasp them from a purely "human" perspective. At best, we can catch a glimpse of the divine - God giving us insight one moment in time into the events - that glimpse into what he is doing serving to bring us peace and assurance that all is in his hands. We don't really "live in" the divine, so we have to learn to "trust in" the divine! Trusting that he does have an awareness of everything that happens - nothing escaping his plans - this is how we are to live.

We don't know what each new day holds for us, but we do know this - - God has been in control all along, he remains in control today, and he has full control of tomorrow. There are plans bigger than our understanding at work in our future - all we can do is trust them to be "worked out" according to his "master plan". We don't see the purpose in many things such as the loss of loved ones, a reduction in income, waning changes in friendships, or an unexpected illness. In our "finite" minds we cannot conceive the plans God has in each of these events - we can only trust the "infinite" perspective of his "BIG PICTURE" view of it all. Know this...

- God has placed you in this season for a reason. Each season serves a purpose. Some are times of preparation, others are times of growth. Still others seem like times of coldness and dormancy. Even in those "dormant" seasons, there is work being done. The ground of our hearts may seem cool and blanketed in darkness - just beneath the surface, seeds have been planted and are waiting to take root in just the right season.

- God has designed the friendships you have within this season. They serve the purpose of helping you with the "labor" and the "rest" of the season you are experiencing. You are not designed to face the seasons of life alone - - he has purposefully placed individuals in your life as companions in this walk.

- God has provided for your future. It may not be evident as you look through the "vision" of today, but he sees that "big picture" of what tomorrow will bring. His "vision" is far better than Superman's - he sees right through the present and into the future - not with XRAY vision, but with divine. We need to trust the Lord to lead us by his hand. He's marked out the path - we simply need to follow it forward. Trust the plan. Just sayin!

I've got your number

I will admit to being homesick on more than one occasion, but nothing hit me quite as hard as that first week of Basic Training when I went into the US Army. Those first seven days away from home were torture to my psyche! I had been to Girl Scout Camp for two weeks and been a little 'lonely' for mom and dad, but somehow it just did not affect me quite like being at Boot Camp! Maybe it was because I knew there was an end to Girl Scout camp, but there was no hope of going home from Boot Camp! Those feelings we have internally when we experience homesickness are almost hard to explain, but there is an intense longing to just be safe again. To be home includes that idea of safety (at least for me) and security - - there is just something about being surrounded by what is familiar that gives us that sense of peace, security, and even a little bit of sanity.

I'm homesick—longing for your salvation; I'm waiting for your word of hope. My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise; how long must I wait for your comfort? There's smoke in my eyes—they burn and water, but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post. How long do I have to put up with all this? How long till you haul my tormentors into court? The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and his ways. Everything you command is a sure thing, but they harass me with lies. Help! They've pushed and pushed—they never let up—but I haven't relaxed my grip on your counsel. In your great love revive me so I can alertly obey your every word. (Psalm 119:81-88)

Homesick - wanting the safety and security of being comforted by our Lord and Savior - is that a real thing? When we find ourselves in an intense period of waiting, the most difficult place to be for most of us is outside of what we consider to be 'secure' or 'safe'! In those moments, all we really are seeking from God is just one word - - giving us hope and the ability to hold on a little longer until the full deliverance from what we are going through can be fully realized. It was kind of like when I was waiting for that first letter from home while I was in Basic Training. Just one letter is all I needed! Mom couldn't write until I wrote to her, though. She had no idea how to contact me, that I'd made it safe, or that her "wee lassie" was being taken care of. She must have been experiencing some of the same intensity of being apart, even though my thoughts were on how miserable I was and not really on how miserable she probably was, as well. I think we often feel the intensity of our own loss without regard for the intensity of loss God must feel when we are "apart" from him for a while.

Our spirit can get pretty low in those times. We might experience a longing to be near God, but we seem to be experiencing some type of "absence" in the sense of knowing God's comfort. We might be found "crying out", "waiting intently", and "longing" - words expressive of pretty significant "need". Ever been "holding on for dear life"? I think that must be what it means to "not relax our grip on God's counsel". The idea of "holding on" is requiring a whole lot of effort on our part and we oftentimes are feeling the "strain" of the effort of simply 'holding on'. This is the condition many of us might find ourselves in right this very moment. We might have been thrust into circumstances throughout that we did not choose. The challenges have mounted and the walls seem to be closing in. The feelings of "alone-ness" are so intense that we don't seem to see any hope or way out. We have been waiting so long for God to intervene that we just have grown weary in the waiting. We cry out, but the answer just seems to be so far away. In a word, we are "homesick" for God. We haven't experienced the intensity of his love and presence as much as we would like - we are bleary-eyed and feeling alone, not just 'lonely', but alone.

Why do we experience homesickness in the first place? Isn't it because we have experienced the warmth and love of "being at home"? We long for what we know to be possible! Here's the short answer: God never leaves! He is still right here! We just need to re-establish the contact! It wasn't until I wrote to Mom that she could write to me - the feelings of intense "alone-ness" were really resolved when I established the "connection". Maybe this is the week we examine where we are with establishing and maintaining "contact" with the one who cares so deeply for us. In those "contacts" we are renewed, re-energized, and re-vitalized for the challenges that lay ahead. "Dial in"! You won't be sorry you did! Just sayin!

Head held high

Okay, I would like us to get a little honest with ourselves and each other this morning. Just how many of us have wanted God to deal with those who stand against us in some form or fashion? It is not unusual to actually converse with God, telling him how much we need him to 'deal with it' as we open up in our frustration, fear, or even anger about how someone is treating us or others. At the same time, God hopes we will allow him to use us in the lives of others - even when they are kind of 'pickles' to deal with! Being perfectly honest here, I actually EXPECT God to help me live my life well - even when what I want isn't perfectly aligned, I EXPECT him to help me get right alignment before I go too far in the wrong direction. Why can I EXPECT this of God? He loves me! His grace has changed my course many times in the past, just because of his love!

Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance.
And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high.
(Psalm 119:78-80)

According to our psalmist, he was dealing with fast-talking tricksters who tried to sell him a bill of goods. When we are encountered by someone "selling a bill of goods" we usually see that we have one of two choices: accept what they say at face-value, or reject it based on what we see. In truth, we have a third choice: investigate it for truth rather than trusting the face-value! When someone is trying to sell us a bill of goods, they are attempting to have us accept something that is untrue or is of little value to us. Investigating 'under the hood' often reveals a little bit of a 'bitter lemon', if you get my drift! When our life has been exposed to this kind of "trickery" and it is not unusual to want God to expose the lack of truth in the bill of goods our enemies have been trying to pass off as true.

We often are exposed to these kinds of "schemes" in life these days. Just think back to the last set of TV commercials or printed advertisements you encountered. How about that immediate release of stains with a generous application of this or that magic cleaner - did you ever try one of those products only to find the stain was still there? A promise of teeth bright enough to signal men in outer space with the simple application of a tiny strip - did you really think fifty years of tea stains could be removed in one simple application? The list could go on and on. You get my point. The fast-talking tricksters WILL be exposed for their 'untruths' - their trickery is God's business to expose, not ours. We "deal" with their trickery by having an accurate "test" whereby to "filter" their claims - - the counsel of God (his Word).

God will use our life to touch the lives of others. Do you and I have a desire to be a living "testimony" of what God does when he has complete access to a life? When our prayers begin to turn to an examination of ourselves, God is then free to begin to move within us in a way that changes our lives in a positive manner. God is always working to create evidence of truth deep within our internal framework. In turn, when we ask God to use that evidence to give both assurance and hope to those who will turn to him in search of the reality they cannot find elsewhere, God is honored. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking God to make your life an open declaration of all that God has been doing within your life!

Think about the 'bravery' or 'courage' it takes to ask God expose the work he is doing in us. I don't know about you, but anytime I get to the part where I think God might just expose what has been going on in my life, I get a little nervous! Why is that? I think it might be the fact we are not always comfortable with others knowing our struggles - it is one thing for God to know them, but to open up about them to anyone else is kind of scary. If others see that we struggle inwardly with some of this stuff, they see us as human! Really all God wants of us if for us to want others to see the reality of what God can do when a heart is perfectly yielded to his care. There is nothing shameful in exposure when God does the work of exposing!

It isn't wrong to pray for yourself. This is not a selfish prayer in any respect. We are really asking God to "cement" the work he has been doing so that he need not be ashamed of our behavior at any point in our day. When we ask God to let us live whole and holy, soul and body, so we can always walk with our head held high, we're beginning the process of yielding. We need to be willing to submit mind, will, emotions, and spirit to the care of God - - giving up the need to be in control of self. This is a prayer God delights in answering. In fact, when we see this prayer coupled with the other two, we understand the importance.

I don't know if you are dealing with fast-talking tricksters today, but if you find that your path is riddled with their schemes, take them to God. He has both the "filter" by which you can evaluate their claims and the ability to silence them with evidence beyond argument! If you have been struggling with something you just don't think God will ever use, don't be surprised when God urges you to allow him to make it a testimony of his power and grace. When he urges, he also empowers. Walking with head held high is God's greatest honor. When he sees us yielded, engaged in this walk we call Christianity, he is honored greatly. Just sayin!

Scope this out...

It began one way, but ended another. Is that the story of your life? It goes without saying that "hindsight" is often much better than "foresight". If we could see how everything would turn out in the end, we might not take some of the steps we take along the way. If we had insight into the outcomes of some of our words and actions, we might speak up or volunteer more often as we'd want to have a positive impact in our world. The simple truth is that we don't know how things will end - - and this often keeps us from acting in the first place. Sometimes our action ends up being more like us acting in "blindness" - we just move ahead, groping at whatever we can to avoid stumbling, and hoping to make it to our destination in the end.

I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what's true and right. Oh, love me—and right now—hold me tight, just the way you promised. Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. (Psalm 119:75-77)

Hindsight is the recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a decision AFTER it occurs. It is this idea of hindsight that caused us to coin the phrase, "Monday Morning Quarterbacking". We can call all the right moves NOW, knowing when to run the ball or when to pass it, simply because we know the OUTCOME of the passes or runs we already chose! In the field I am in, I spend time investigating outcomes of care - - was it successful, did we follow our protocols, did the treatment planned result in the best outcomes for the patient? In other words, I am doing a whole lot of Monday Morning Quarterbacking! Yet, a great deal of my job has to do with just the opposite - foresight.

Foresight is knowledge or insight gained by looking forward into the future. Most of us don't have crystal balls that magically help us to 'see the future'. Foresight suggests the act of looking FORWARD, not just at what has happened, but at will happen if we take various actions. We may not fully grasp the things we behold, but in the FORWARD look we get some insight that causes us to take various actions that are likely a little more 'planned' or 'ordered'. Some believe that foresight involves a whole lot of faith because you are constantly stepping out into the unknown. I guess that might be true, but we must never forget that nothing is unknown to God and he leads our steps.

To the one who surveys land and parcels it off, the term "foresight" is used to describe a reading taken on a point of unknown elevation. There are two types of readings that are taken - - intermediate and true. The intermediate reading focuses on a point that will NOT be used as a turning point or benchmark in the process. The true reading focuses on an UNKNOWN point that WILL be used for a turning point or a benchmark. The turning point is a point along the way that is established as a benchmark. The true purpose of that mark is to provide a new reference point - - like a stake in the ground. In the use of both the BACK-SIGHT (hindsight) and the FORE-SIGHT, the surveyor is able to determine the elevation of what he is observing. That small point in the scope marked as a turning point (benchmark) is simply a temporary focus point. This benchmark is used to focus on the next point, and that one on the next, and so on. That 'hash-mark' in the little scope he uses does a whole lot more than we ever imagined!

The two "sights" have to be used together in order to get a true measure of the elevation! The same is true in our daily walk. We can determine our "elevation" by the "hindsight" and the "foresight" readings we take in life! We may determine that we are making progress toward higher "elevations", or we might just find that we have come to a valley of some sort. Either way, those "points" are analyzed with the use of both "sights". In "looking back" and in also considering what "lays ahead", we begin to see the wisdom of God's ways. Learn to use both "sights" to guide your walk. The challenge for us comes in learning to not rely on one without the other! Both serve a purpose and keep us on target. One without the other gives us a false sense of "reality". So, don't be afraid of "looking back" on occasion to get your "reference point". Those benchmarks along the way are not put there to point out where we have been, but to ensure us that we have an accurate view of the heights that lay ahead! Just sayin!

Fraying at the Edges?

I don't always stand strong. Some may think I do, but there are days when all I want to do is curl up in a ball. forget about having to look difficulty in the face, and escape into a safe place. I am not alone in this - you probably have those days, as well. In those moments you just don't have the 'want to' - you don't 'wanna' anymore. Have you ever been told to "take heart" while in the midst of one of these times? The term "take heart" means to gain strength and courage in a difficult situation. While it might not seem like it, the example we exhibit in the times of waiting on God to act has the potential of causing others to take heart - - to gain strength and courage for their own difficult circumstances. In the midst of difficulty, what makes you stand strong, even when you don't 'wanna'?

With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad.
(Psalm 119:73-74)

It should be the confidence we have in the one who has created us. It goes without saying that the one doing the "assembling" of the pieces of our lives is the best to address the pressures that come against those "pieces" from time to time that make those "pieces" feel like they are about to bust apart. I have sewn a few things in my days - some better than others. By the time I finished with the assembly of those pieces I was assembling with needle and thread, I knew everything about that item. I had touched the material so many times, turning it this way and then that way, until it was "formed" into what the pattern promised. The key to the "forming" was in the "pattern" that I followed! Deviate from the pattern and the project required a few 'redone' seams along the way!

The same is true in life - - the key to us being "formed" well is in the "pattern" we are being formed to fit! We are reminded repeatedly that we have but one pattern worth following - - Jesus Christ. The one doing the "forming" is God himself - - the pattern he follows is his one and only Son, Jesus. It stands to reason that God would know us "inside and out" just as I got to know the ins and outs of the items I put together with that needle and thread. As his hands pass over the pieces of our lives, he is forming them into something that no longer resembles what once was - - disconnected pieces without any recognizable form. He is connecting the pieces, and with each connection, the thing he is producing becomes more and more evident.

I marvel at the skill of God in taking those things within our lives that seem to have no recognizable purpose and then using them to become the very things that give stability and testimony within our lives. The hands of God sometimes have to "pass over" the pieces of our lives many times before the "forming" work is complete, just as mine do when I am creating that garment. There is a technique of making a french seam in sewing that allows the frayed edges to no longer be visible - - they are sewn within the framework of the seam in such a way that they stop their raveling! The frayed edges are still there where the scissors cut through the material, but you cannot see them, nor will they cause you problems later, for they are well 'encased' in the other fabric of the seam.

God is all over that work of keeping us from "unraveling" - of encasing us in his protection! His hands skillfully guide the parts of our lives that are given to "unraveling" by placing them into a protective "meshing". Grace has a way of protecting the weaker parts of our lives so that our emotional unraveling is no longer a threat! In his skillful way, he guides us through the "forming" process, stitching together the pieces we don't see value in. It should never surprise us that God sees value in every stitch he places! Nothing escapes his perfect touch.

In making those garments or items from fabric, I often wanted to leave out some of the pieces. I just did not see the importance of that small piece of facing, or the hidden pieces of materials that would give "firmness" to the finished product. The facing served to "tuck out of view" the edges - - in so doing, not only was a "prettier" image presented, but the edges that were raw were protected from further fraying! The "interfacing" was placed within the structure of the garment because it added firmness and support. In much the same way, God's Word provides firmness and support when it is allowed to be "sewn into" the structure of our lives.We may not see what is taking form within our lives - - but when we trust the skill of the one doing the forming, we can stand strong. In the forming process, others look on and take courage - - seeing that reliance on the skill of the Great Craftsman yields a finished product that mirrors the "pattern"! Just sayin!

Not another 'work around'

Have you ever been 'talked about' by others? If you are human and living on this earth, the answer to that question is probably a resounding "yes"! Human beings have a way of finding things in others they want to talk about - rationalize, complain, point fingers - we all do it. Even the best of us find ourselves talking about others from time to time - maybe in a nice way, but maybe not always in the best of ways. Knowing this, isn't it important that we continue to 'refine' the way we speak about each other, allowing God to guide our conversation?

The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying; they're bland as a bucket of lard, while I dance to the tune of your revelation. (Psalm 119:69-70)

I once wrote a post about a friend who reported she has had to learn to 'work around' what others have said about her. She found herself in the midst of gossip and as a result, she was 'working around' the mess those words were creating for her life. David was faced with the same challenge - - friends were spreading gossip and lies about him. His response was much the same of my friend's - - he turned to God, listening intently to what God had to say about him and the situation - - not to the hurtful words of those who were speaking those unkind words. He was learning to work AROUND the things in people that just made his life a little less than enjoyable. Confidences don't always seem to remain that way; words are sometimes spoken that may bring a little hurt within our emotions; and we frequently find ourselves in a situation of wanting to say, "Get 'em, God!" I wonder if perhaps we are smack-dab in those circumstances because God is teaching us to work AROUND those things in others!

According to scripture, those who spread rumors have minds that are dull and brutal. There is a certain "dullness" of mind that just becomes apparent in the words they speak. Dullness is really a condition of being without spirit. Maybe it is more of being without the "Spirit" in that area of their life that causes them to speak against others. When we are not being "governed" by the Spirit of God in our words, we are allowing unwholesome gossip, backbiting, and the like to be part of our communication. We have not given that area over to the control of the Holy Spirit. In another sense, this dullness is evident in the lack of "richness" within our conversation. God reminds us often to speak words that "edify", or build each other up, avoiding those words that tear one another down. Those closed-door conversations, secret words in the corners of the office, and the passing comments hidden from public hearing are simply not "building" blocks - they are more like "wrecking balls".

Not only are the words of a gossiper dull, but they are brutal. There is a sense of "cruelness" in what is spoken. In a sense, they are "animal-like", tearing apart another just like a ravenous animal would attack prey. These type of words do nothing but create hurt, deep wounds, and ongoing "soreness" in a relationship. That is why they are so dangerous! David gives us a little insight into "handling" these dull and brutal words as he reminds us to focus our attention elsewhere. Learn to "work around" those things in others that give you reason to talk - not by focusing on them, but by focusing on God in them. All of us have the ability to be just as dull and brutal, but we would want others to extend the same grace in our lives as we are being asked to extend to them. Forgiveness is indeed hard, but it is oh SO very rewarding. There is nothing that confounds someone more than being "deserving" of our anger, but then receiving our grace instead!

I like David's explanation of those that tend toward gossip as if they are like tubs of lard! Ever see a tub of lard? Not so pretty, but also not very easy to get a handle on the contents of that tub! Try holding onto lard and you will find it quite difficult. It takes the shape of whatever it is in contact with because it is really not capable of being "pressed upon" or exposed to the "heat" of an outside force. I am not saying the "gossiper" cannot help but conform to the gossip around them, but they just tend to go with the flow more than they know! It is probably pretty important for us to learn to work AROUND the one that speaks those words of unkindness. They probably deserve your anger, but they will be shut down by your grace! Just sayin!

Good, Gooder, Goodest

Have you ever known someone with all the book learning in the world, but they simply lacked good common sense? Doesn't it amaze you sometimes how much we can amass in "knowledge" and still lack the "skill" to do some of the stuff we need to do? Simply put, common sense is the "sound" practical judgment that is independent of any of the specialized knowledge we might amass through training. In some fields of human psychology, they might say this is the "native" intelligence that someone possesses. My "native" intelligence differs from yours. You may excel in baking and cooking, creating all manner of new and delightful cuisine in your kitchen. I have a way of seeing things in a new light - using what we have to create new uses for that item. For example, if you buy a cup of coffee on a road trip and later decide to have some cherries as you travel along, that little hole in the top of the plastic lid of the cup is the perfect size to discard your cherry pits into! Knowledge doesn't have to be lofty - some of the best knowledge is practical, down to earth, and useful to all who can benefit from it.

Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way. Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word. You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. (Psalm 119:65-68)

Getting the Word "into" us is great! We cannot live without it. Yet, it is not in the "amount" of intake that we are made wise! It is in the "asking" for the intake to be made "good common sense" that wisdom begins to take form - when the "intake" becomes practical for us, the outflow will reveal much wisdom. What we need is for "soundness" in our judgment - to see things from a practical, day-to-day perspective, in such a way that we are making wise choices. We try to make this Christian walk kind of "ethereal" instead of very "practical" and down to earth. The fact is that God deals in the "practical", not in the ethereal! He deals with us right here on earth - complete with all the 'earthly' stuff we have to figure out and maneuver through! Ethereal things are really kind of "airy", "fluffy", and hard to nail down. I say it is like trying to nail glue to the wall! God wants us to fully grasp his truths, learn to walk with them as guidance for our daily decisions, and to make better decisions because we understand what it is we are doing with what it is that God has given us. You might have heard the saying, "That person is so heavenly-minded they are absolutely no earthly good!" This points out that we can get so "deep" that we lose the ability to make God's Word practical in our lives. Depth isn't that same as amassing knowledge - depth comes when character matches the knowledge.

Practical truth is learned from experience - we put into practice what we are learning. We actually USE what we are taking in. Ethereal truth is good - practical truth is applicable! We allow God to help us understand how it is put into practice - impacting our decisions / choices. When we say we have "learned" truth through experience, we are probably referring to the idea of having put good judgment into action in some life circumstance. For example, we might be feeling a little "goaded" into speaking some unkind words in the midst of a little heated discussion - when we are reminded of the idea of returning good for evil as is outlined in many passages in scripture, and we might stop short of speaking those words. What happened is that we are making "learning" practical. God's goal in us studying the Word is that it might be made "practical" to us. If you hadn't guessed, practical is from the root from which we derive our word "practice". Therefore, practical truth is practiced truth! If you have ever been in a sport, or played an instrument, you know one of the most important parts of becoming "proficient" in your sport or instrument is in the "practice". It takes hours of practice to throw a good pitch, or to play a chorus without one flaw. It takes just as long for us to become "practiced" in God's Word. We want "instant" - but God says it comes in the consistency, not in the "instant-cy"! (I know that is not a word - I made it up!)

Not sure what you might be "practicing" today, but if you are consistently allowing God's Word to impact your experience, you are practicing the right stuff! The sweetness of the Word comes in the practicality of it when it is applied! Gotta love it! Just sayin!

You know me so well

We could all probably make a list of our friends, right? We'd likely start out with those who have been there through thick and thin with us and end perhaps with those we see regularly, but don't really have any 'depth' of relationship with yet. It is good to have friends. If we do divide that list into those who we could say were more than just our acquaintances the list probably would probably get a little shorter on one side than the other, right? The further we refine this list to pick out those who we really know have our back and we see the list probably got downright tiny with that one! We can have lots of friends, but few will go the extra mile of walking with us through our mission in life - partnering with us in our walk with Christ. Few will accept us with our 'dents and dings', 'hurts and hang-ups', or 'haves and have not's'.

I'm a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel. (Psalm 119:63-64)

A friend and companion of ALL who fear God - that would make for a big list, right? But...break it down a little further into a list of those that are committed to living by the rules God establishes for their lives and the list gets downright small at that point. There are a lot who would make good friends for us because of their similar interests, but there are some who'd make the best "traveling companions" because of their commitment of heart! A companion is someone who is a "match" for you. It is like having two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. The term "companion" is also a nautical term and carries the meaning of the frame on the upper deck of the ship that may be raised in order to allow light to flow into the recesses of the ship. The true "companion" brings light into dark spaces! Isn't that a neat way to think of those on the "smaller" list we just made? They serve to "bring light" into what would be an otherwise dark existence for us!

We need that companion because of the light they bring - the light that actually assists God in training us to live by his counsel! When we think of those on our "short list" of friends, we are probably able to see how the individual(s) possess certain levels of maturity, talents, and insights that we have not completely developed in our own lives yet. This is probably why they make such a perfect "match" for us - - they bring into the relationship what it is that we lack! In the process of being "trained" to live by the counsel of God, the companions we choose in this journey make all the difference in the outcome of the journey. In my life travels, the companions in those travels have made all the difference in how it was that I "experienced" the places I visited.

There have been times when I have traveled to brand new places - - with no one on the trip knowing the journey any better than the other. It is less reassuring, and I daresay we took less adventures, trusted ourselves less to make the right choices, and felt plagued with lots of doubts. We simply did not know what to expect, so we were a little wary! The same is true when we only align ourselves with those that are "weaker" than ourselves in this journey we call the Christian walk of faith. We need companions along the way who have "gone before" us - - those with experiences we can learn from. If you find you are lacking that true "match" for the journey, it may be a perfect opportunity to begin to ask God to reveal such a person in your life. I have enjoyed these "matches" along the journey - - there have been just a few, but they have been perfect for the season I was walking in. I pray the same for each of you. May God "gift" you with the perfect "match" for this journey you are on! Just sayin!

I cannot lift myself

Do you have one of those early childhood experiences of going to see the big man in the red suit around the Christmas holidays? We'd wait in the long line, lining up all our 'asks' in our minds, excited to tell him just exactly what we wanted under the tree on Christmas morn. We'd ask for way more than we needed and we'd hope for more than we'd receive! Sometimes I think we approach God telling him that we want ALL these blessings - each and every good thing that he has promised to us, but not really knowing what it is we have need of in our lives at that moment. Most of us do a good job with the "asking" part -- but when it comes to "receiving" we stink - either because we get upset when we don't receive all we thought we'd receive or because we don't really know how to use all we have received! We simply don't believe the provision is true, or we just don't reach out and make the blessing fully ours.

I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn't drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out—but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true—I can't wait till morning! (Psalm 119:58-62)

It is in the times of taking those "long and hard looks" into our lives - truly seeing the way we are headed by the choices we are making - that we come face to face with the provisions of God. In the "pondering of our ways" we often realize that course corrections are in order. We have a tendency to drift without even knowing we are drifting - yet our choices are clear cut indications of the direction we are traveling! When we are "adrift" in life choices, we often find ourselves at a point where our "feet are swept out from under us". Many times we don't even know what happened to get us "down" where we are right now -- we just know we are no longer standing strong.  I sometimes feel alone in a whole crowd of people. I can be surrounded with people enjoying life and having a great time celebrating each other -- yet in the midst of all that revelry, I feel isolated and alone. I have the blessing of others right there around me, but I have not made that blessing mine!

Why is it that I get to this place? Why is it that you may find yourself alongside me in that same place of "isolation" in the midst of so much activity? It might be because we have "insulated" ourselves so that we cannot really be approached by others and affected by their lives. There are times in life that we just don't want any influence from "without" to impact what it is that we are experiencing "within". We insulate ourselves, keeping what we are experiencing to ourselves. This can be a very dangerous spot to find ourselves in -- isolated people who insulate themselves from the influence of others often drift deeper into the "stories" they are telling themselves! For instance, if we honestly believe that we have one thing the group may benefit from, we isolate and insulate so that we won't be hurt when we experience what we perceive will be their inevitable rejection of our contributions. In actuality, if we never venture out of our protection, we will never know if there will be rejection!

Have you ever brooded over a failure of some kind? We find ourselves bemoaning some aspect of character flaw that we continue to struggle with and as a result, we "pull inside" so as not to allow others to see that "flaw" any clearer than it is already apparent. Truth be told, no matter how much "cover-up stick" we apply to a blemish on the end of our nose, there is still a blemish underneath all that make-up! It may not be glowing bright red on the end of our nose, but it is still there! It is amazing to me that we think that our character flaws will simply not be apparent if we skillfully cover over them with some type of "mask" we apply. The truth is -- God is in the business of uncovering us so that we can be comfortable being just as we are -- no masks needed. We get down sometimes. We get off course at other times. Maybe the two go hand-in-hand. Yet, when we do, all we need to do is recall God's promise to be gracious to us -- a sinful man or woman, prone to act in wrong ways on occasion, given to thinking wrongly about one's self and others. The grace of God is the basis of all of God's promises toward us.

Know this - our help is found in God and no other. Recognize that the blessings of God are an encompassing thing - clothing us amply in grace and mercy. Our protector and deliverer is none other than God himself - we are to keep that squarely before us even in the times when enemy influences seemed to be closing in around us, making us feel isolated and insulated. Count on the fact that God has not lost control - even when we have taken the control out of God's hands for a while. Own up to the fact that growth is simply impossible unless God does the planting. As with our psalmist, let us remember we are to trust God THEN and NOW. Getting back up on one's feet is not an easy matter -- it is made much easier when we trust God to do the lifting! Trust him when you see no way out. Recount his mercies when you feel no hope in your failure. Open up to him when you begin to feel isolated and insulated from the very blessings he has placed in your life. Then, and only then, will you be able to say, "I am walking in every promise you have given!" Just sayin!

Fixed, but not fixed

Some of us are fixed, but not 'fixed'. We get things all 'fixed up', only to find we never 'fixed ourselves in place' and the 'fix' never stays 'fixed' as a result! How many times have we made the promise to be obedient in some area of our daily Christian walk and then before the day was over, we somehow 'forgot' about the promise? If you are like me, probably too many to count! We often promise God that we won't follow some path of wrong choices - then almost instantaneously turn back to doing what we committed NOT to do. All because we are not 'fixed'.

You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to keep Your words. (Psalm 119:57)

God knows perfectly well that our promises to be obedient will be spotted with occasional failures. I think that is why he says, "When you tell God you'll do something, do it—now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it. Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up." (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6) Better NOT to make the vow than to make it and not keep it - to fail to be 'fixed' means we will likely fail to keep the promise, no matter how well-intended we were.

So, why are we always making promises that we have no real 'independent' ability to fulfill? Perhaps it is because we expect to fulfill them all on our OWN - independently, without any help, all in our own power! God never expects us to fulfill the promise of obedience on our own. He gives us the Holy Spirit, his Word, and a conscience to help guide us - to give us direction and to help us get 'fixed' with a solid foundation. As we embrace these "tools", we find we are moving closer to obedience than we ever could with only our own will-power.

What is "will-power" anyway? Simply put it is the ability to control one's OWN impulses. Another term we use today is "self-control". Since the time of Adam and Eve there is more than ample evidence that this concept of being able to "control" self is pretty fickle business! "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" (Proverbs 3:5-7) When we get in the "mode" of trying to figure everything out on our own, we get into a place of self-reliance. We expect to find the fix, work the fix, and then declare we are fixed - but all without being 'fixed' when it comes to a reliable foundation!

That's probably not working very well for most of us! First of all, we don't know the fix, or we'd never be in the mess we are in! Second, whenever we think we can work the fix ourselves, there will be "steps" and "parts" that we just don't know or possess on our own. It is like thinking we can put together the pieces without a guide! If those boxes of Legos did not come with picture diagrams and step-by-step guidance, we'd never get the princess castle built out of those hundreds of pieces in that box! We'd have something built, but I bet we'd end up with a 'version' and not the true image!

To think we can declare ourselves "fixed" is sheer arrogance on our part. We have a pretty inaccurate "measurement" by which we compare ourselves. To make a comparison of self to any other measure than the Word is to have a faulty measure. David says, "I promise to obey." Don't miss how he tells us he will accomplish this obedience - it is by making God his - not making the fix his! He nuzzles in closer to God and allows God to get down to business in his life. In that moment, there is an exchange - David's imperfection and disobedience for God's grace and encouragement.

Where are you finding your satisfaction today? Is it in finding the fix, working that fix, and then declaring yourself fixed? If so, you will not enjoy that satisfaction for long! If it is in hearing God say, "We'll work on that together," you are likely finding great encouragement for all of the work that lies ahead of you! "Christians aren't perfect, they are just forgiven." God knows that our obedience is contingent on one thing - his presence in our lives. He relishes the opportunity we give him to "fix the fix"! To get the foundation right so the 'fix' is really fixed. Today is a new day - yesterday was filled with all those messes and failures. Tomorrow will work itself out. Today is the day the Lord has made  for us to live today - let us pull near to him, rejoice in him, and rely on him to bring out the best in us today. We need to stop relying on our "will-power" to make us each into a new creation. In delighting in him - making him the object of our affection and attention - we are aligning ourselves with the power that affects our will! It is when the will is affected that obedience is the outcome! We finally get fixed, so the fix will leave us fixed. Just sayin!

Polish that mirror

What has become your way of "doing business" everyday? If you are me, your first stop is likely going to be somewhere in the kitchen to make your morning beverage of choice - coffee, tea, cocoa, or perhaps a smoothee. Then you may head to your favorite spot to enjoy it and read, contemplate, or commune with a family member for a while. Eventually, you might get around to a little time of prayer, reading, and listening to God. Hopefully you make him part of how you 'do business' everyday! Following his decrees is just going to make your 'business' be a whole lot better!

Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.(Psalm 119:54-56)

David had made following God's decrees (his Word) his way of "doing business". He had a lot of choices (as do we) in dealing with the stress of life, as do we. His choice was to turn to God. Wherever he was "living" - there God was in his midst - right down to the songs he sang. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to remember a passage of scripture when it is set to song? Think about some of the praise and worship songs you sing in your church. Many come from the psalms and are really portions of scripture. We are moved by those songs - because the Word of God was meant to be rehearsed until it had impact in our lives. Songs will do that - they get into the core of our being. That is why we find ourselves hearing a little bit of a song and then we "can't get it out of our head".

David reflects often and frequently on God's Word. It is in this reflection that most of the impact is made in his life. This is the idea of "pondering" - turning over, reconsidering, taking it in time and time again. It is in the "pondering" that the reflection of Christ becomes evident in our lives. To reflect is to allow the reproduction of what is beheld. As we take the time to behold our Lord, we will begin to notice that there is evidence of that reflection apparent in our lives - it is evident in the actions that reflection produces. A mirror is meant to return a reflected image of what is beheld. Look long enough into the Word and you will begin to see the image of God - not just there, but beginning to reflect in your life actions.

Reflection helps to get us to the point of obedience. The product, or result, of reflecting upon Jesus is a change in our activity. We move from a place of self-direction into a place of absolute reliance upon God. We gravitate toward choices that will build up our spirit rather than tear or weigh it down - things that end up damaging us and keeping us bound no longer appeal to us. We tend to display love and mercy, as it has been displayed to us in the reflection we see of Christ. I will make no excuses for myself here - obedience is not always my first choice in life. Neither is it yours! It is in the continual reflection upon God's Word that my choices are changed - it can work for you, as well.

Life doesn't just happen; it is orchestrated and planned out in the moments we take in reflection upon God's Word. Look again at what David says - your laws are the songs I sing where I am living. We need an "orchestra" leader to pull together all the parts of our lives into some ordered symphony of praise! Without some "leadership", the "parts" are just that - parts. When God leads our lives, the "parts" become a "symphony" of praise and adoration - they bring honor to the one who orchestrates the parts! The 'orchestra' doesn't just play - there are lots and lots of times of 'rehearsal' - times when they think through the music and begin to practice it until it is perfect. We need times of 'rehearsal' - reflection helps us notice when a 'note' is just out of tune in our lives.

Reflect upon who God is. Not just on what God does, but on who he is. When we come to understand the character of God, we often see the flaws of those we have been influenced by in our past living. Those influences may not have produced good things within our lives, but God always does! It is one thing to think highly and praise someone for doing good stuff. It is quite another to appreciate, honor, and reverence someone because of the good that makes up their character. David got to know the character of God in the wee hours of the night - in the times of quiet reflection upon what he experienced that day. In the failures of our day, God's reflection returned back to us is always that of mercy. In the moments of anger or frustration, God's reflection back to us is peace and love. In the times of wrong choices, God's reflection back to us is a new start. No wonder David finds reflection such a rewarding and uplifting pursuit!

If we struggle with "getting to" a place of obedience in our lives, perhaps we could begin where David did - in times of reflecting upon God. He clearly says that obedience was an outcome of seeing things through God's eyes - that is what reflection really is. When you look into a mirror, you are seeing what others see! When we look into Jesus, we are seeing what he sees! So, gaze on! Reflect until the reflection you see is that of Jesus in you! Just lookin!