Hold On

Psalm 119: 105, 11

5 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

11 “I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.”

Things that keep us.

When my sister and I were small, we learned a new scripture every Sunday, and of course in Vacation Bible school, and then in Weekday Bible school. For some reason, these two scriptures always were together and so I learned them as: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I may not sin against you.”

It automatically flows together. Look at the power for a child to know that God’s word keeps us through the dark places and shows us the way. Look at what it does for us as adults. Dark places come in so many ways- but God, and his word holds, shows us the way. And when we have that word to hold to, nothing can misdirect us for long. 

Yes, we can be misdirected, distracted, thrown off the path for a minute, but when hold his word close, we are reassured and redirected.  That’s holding his word in our heart. 

As I am writing I remember the year we were in Nassau when hurricane Andrew was about to hit. 

One of the guys with us went out to try to take a picture of what he saw. All he could do was grab a pole and hold on. His legs went out from under him and he wrapped his arms and held on tight, until a few of us got him down. It took a few of us. 

When we hold to God’s word we can hold on for our life. And he keeps us. Oh since then I have many other scriptures that I hold to, that I stand on. That I hold to for my life. What scripture do you stand on? And hold on, help is always on the way- when you hold to him. enough for now.

See It

Psalm 34:1-2, 3-4, 7-8NRSV

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4I sought the Lord, and he answered me, 

and delivered me from all my fears. . .

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 

We are cared for, protected. The angel of the Lord encamps around us. Sets up position around us to keep us. And when we call on the Lord he responds, because we are his, he keeps us, he delivers us from those things that try to destroy us. What a mighty God we serve! 

When we walk in that alone we really can bless the Lord at all times, we can praise him at times. We have a reason to praise him. We know what he has done. We know that he has done so much for us, if he did not do another thing - he’s done enough. Oh but- look at him. He keeps on loving, keeps on giving, keeps on protecting. Can you see it? Our actions invite others because we know. Oh try it, taste and see that the Lord is Good.

enough for now.

Yes, Give Thanks

Psalm 13 (NRSV): How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 

How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. 

But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, 

because he has dealt bountifully with me. 

That “but”- you have to go back and see what was before it. I had to write it all so you could see the progression from hopelessness to hopefulness. Sometimes we can’t see, or don’t know the way, but because of our trust in God, we have a way. And out of his way we have hope, joy, peace and we can praise him for it all. Thank him, praise him- when we are up, when we are down. That praise lifts us, and we can give thanks more. enough for now.

We Are Not the Same

Luke 9:49-50 (NRSV)

“John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.”

I think we need to recognize this more, both in the church and out. We are all on a journey. Just because I do not pray the same way you pray, or act the same way you act- as long as I am praying to the same God . . . Do you see it? We are all different but as long as we are on the same journey we can’t think another is not just because they don’t act like us. 

Even in school, in life we really need to be more mindful that not everyone does things like we do, if the same goal is in mind then that’s a good thing. My pastor used to say we will be surprised when we get to heaven who is there.😎 We can’t fight one another, then the enemy wins while we are distracted. We are not the same, but we have the same cause.enough for now.

Just Do It

James 4:6–10 (NIV): “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

We usually stay with submit to God, resist the devil. But here are the steps that we progress through in order to be in that place, that space of humility to God. 

And we do it because we must move away from any negativity within, which causes conflicts within and out. Go back to verse one to read the why we must do the 7-10. We shift, and allow Holy Spirit to guide. Try it and keep in trying it. enough for now.