He Will Direct Your Path

 Proverb 3:5,6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We think we know and can figure it out. Common sense guides us many times to understand the path we should take. Common sense is what human beings would do given a reasonable sense of right and wrong. We make decisions based on experiences and through the things we have been taught and what we have learned through reading. God has gifted man with an ability to do extraordinary things and accomplish feats that would have seemed impossible at one time. But, in matters of the heart, we often cannot understand or ascertain the answers to many problems in life. We can reason within our minds all the variables and possible solutions, but we come up empty-handed. Some would advise you to follow your heart and do what your heart says. But the heart of man without God is flawed and can easily be deceived. A heart that will trust in God will lean on God’s word, search out the scriptures to find the right path to take. In matters that matter, it is vital that we trust in the Lord, and not let the wisdom of this world guide our path. Common sense is a reasonable guide, but it is not infallible. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”- James 1:5. In everything we do, ask the Holy Spirit to guide our path. He will never lead us astray, and will keep us on the path that is good and right.

Nailed to the Cross

 Col 2:14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

We are at the end of passion week. Jesus is living out his final few days on earth. Life on earth is about to enter a new age. Today, over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. He has suffered humiliation and shame and now hangs on a cross, a spear is thrust into His body, and His blood is spilled for you and me. On the cross, the nails that were hammered into His hands and feet, blotting out the law that condemned us to eternal damnation. The fountain of blood providing eternal life is open for all who will plunge in and be made clean from sin. For all the good reasons that Christ came to earth, this was His ultimate mission. He suffered on the cross to provide salvation, and to give us an example of what it means to give it all to the Father, and follow His steps. As follows of Jesus Christ, He tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him. He did not promise that the journey would be easy. In fact, He said that it would be one of suffering. On this good Friday, we thank God that His Son came to be nailed to a cross and die for our sin and give eternal life. Give Him glory for all He has done, for today, salvation has come.

Unity of Believers

 Eph 4:3

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity. The state of being united or joined as a whole. I have no illusions that it is possible to be united in every facet of life. We were not created to be robots, programmed to all think alike. God created us with unique personalities and with a will to think for ourselves and make decisions that we believe to be right. Having unity among believers is made possible when there is a common goal to live our lives to please the Lord, but it may not come without effort. Because we are uniquely made by God, we will no doubt not view every situation and problem in the same way. We may be unified in our goal, but not unified in how it is achieved. Maintaining unity is always a work in progress. It is an endeavor that requires intentionality. Unity does not just happen because we all love Jesus. Chances are, there will be many times that we will not see things eye to eye. What is important is to maintain the spirit of Christ in our hearts.  We may not all think alike, but our hearts can be united to keep our spirits in the likeness of Christ. Love and peace can still abide when Christ dwells among us. The Spirit of Christ that lives within each believer compels us to live with an attitude to preferring one another, not allowing strife and contention to arise. There will be times when things are said and done that can lead to division, but Paul says to work hard, make every effort to keep peace and be kind in our spirits. Keeping the unity of the Spirit is essential if we are going to see the Kingdom of God accomplished. 

In Old Age, He Will Carry Me

 Isaiah 46:4,9
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you…Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me
One look in the mirror and I know that my time on this earth is growing shorter. If the Lord permits me to live as long as my mother, I am over two-thirds of the way there. It is not uncommon for us to think that we still have plenty of life left, especially if we have maintained our health and are not suffering many ailments.  But the gray hairs that sprinkle my head are not my imagination, old age is at my doorstep. I look back on my life and see how God has carried me through. He carried me through a broken home, through my teens, as I sought to find happiness and a pure conscience. He carried me through my college years as I sought to know God’s will for my life. In the turmoil of church divisions, He carried me through, still trusting Him to keep me true to His word. Through the conflict of work dynamics and interpersonal relationships, He was there to bear me up and let me know He would not leave me alone. As I have entered my retirement years, I realize that I need Him more today than ever. My years of experience living this Christian life is not enough. I must lean hard on Him even more as I enter into this new journey of life. I can see the sun starting to set, and it will be here before I know it. But I remember the past, and He has never failed. He will carry me through until the end. There is none like Him.

Jesus Came to Save Sinners

 1 Tim 1:15
 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Jesus came to earth for many reasons. He came to show us how to live and love. He was the supreme example, showing us how we should treat our neighbors and even our enemies. His message of the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5-7, is a call to a higher righteousness and a life of love, compassion, and selflessness, emphasizing humility, forgiveness, and living according to God's kingdom rather than worldly concerns. Many religious leaders and founders of various religions have also proclaimed this message. There is no doubt the centrality of human desire to those who want to live in peace on this earth is to follow this teaching. But man is born in sin and no amount of good works can alter the fate of man’s condition and ultimate fate.  For all have sinned and are eternally lost without God’s forgiveness. Christ came to earth to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He came into the world to save sinners. We may see ourselves as good people who desire to live in harmony with others. We may have lived respectable lives, keeping the law and doing good.  Surely, this is what it takes to enter eternal life with God after death.  Compared to the “chief of sinners” who surely desire eternal punishment, we would not commit such hideous acts. The reality is that without Christ and His death on the cross we would all be lost and are the “chief of sinners” in the sight of God.  Jesus, the greatest man to ever walk the earth, died to bridge the gap between man and God.  Yes, He came and preached love and forgiveness, but greater than all that, He came to the world to save sinners. I am glad He included me and you!

To Whom Shall We Go

 John 6:68
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

This verse reminds me of the old gospel song, “Where can I go but to the Lord.” We live in a mixed-up sinful world. A world looking for answers to the meaning of life. What is my purpose of existence? The world is full of seekers who desire love and happiness, but many are going to the wrong place to find it. Some seek it in the pleasures of sin, others in their work, and others in relationships. We are all born to this earth, but our journeys in life are not the same. The faithfulness of the Father calls all of us to Himself. He sent His Son to make it possible for all who desire to find their purpose in life. Like the disciples, we look all around us and see that the only answer to a fulfilled life is to give ourselves to Jesus. He not only has the words of life, but He is the Word of life. In Him all things are created and in Him all things exist. When we get to the end of our human resources, when life becomes overwhelmed with the cares of life, we have but one place to go. He is the answer to all of life’s problems, and in Him, we can rest assured that all will be well. Love and happiness on earth is found in Christ, and He alone can fill and meet our every need.

The Holy Scriptures

 2 Tim 3:15,16
 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus…All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

As a child, the Bible sat in a special place in our home, a sacred decoration that indicated that we were a home that believed in God, an emblem of faith in the church I attended for most of my early childhood. It contained the teachings that were held sacred to the church. Personally, I had very little knowledge of the words that were written between the cover of that book. I was taught the doctrine of the church through the catechism of classes I attended, and not by the investigation of holy scripture. I was ignorant of scripture and had no idea of the deep truths that this book contained. I was 15 years old when I came to the knowledge that this Bible contained the life-giving words of God. From Genesis to Revelation, God revealed the holy scriptures to me. I was like a little bird with my mouth wide open, taking in everything that the Bible contained. It was amazing to learn that Jesus Christ was revealed in both the New and Old Testament. The word became my spiritual life source. Over the 50-plus years of my spiritual journey, I have read it from the beginning to the end several times, not only becoming a student of the word, but a Bible teacher. Teaching others what scripture says about Christ, and how we should be living as Christians. The word is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing the hearts of men, revealing man’s sin and his redemption through Christ. I don’t claim to know all the answers, but I have experience that God’s word will guide us to truth if we have an open heart to the light He sheds in our path. Like Timothy, I want to study, to do my best to learn the holy scriptures, that I may be approved of by God, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)