“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8 NKJV
Have you ever had the feeling someone is watching you? In today’s world it is more than a feeling, it is true. Just think of how many times in a day you have been observed by surveillance cameras. They range from the local grocery store, the sandwich shop, the bank, the gas station, amusement parks, going for a stroll on your favorite beach, and just about anywhere, even knocking on your neighbor’s front door. As efficient as these surveillance cameras are they can only capture what is in range and only if a subject enters into it. But think about a surveillance camera that is on you at all times, day and night, and you are never out of range. That is some high surveillance.
David writes in Psalm 56, “You number my wanderings.” David was aware of God’s ever present eyes upon him as he was being pursued by his enemies. God was constantly watching over David knowing every step that he took. God didn’t lose track of a single day or hour of David’s life, having him under constant surveillance numbering and remembering his travels. The same is true for us today. As we go through our days and nights the Lord’s constant surveillance is on us. He sees our fears, our struggles, and our tears. There is not a moment that we are out of His sight. God is aware of every step we take and every step that is taken against us.
What a comfort it is to be assured that we are never out of sight when we are in trouble and in need of help. But the other side of that coin is that we can be just as assured that we are never out of His sight when we find ourselves doing something that displeases Him. The Lord doesn’t turn His back on our sin. He sees all.
Let it be a comfort to us that God is there in our time of need. He is there for us in grace, mercy and forgiveness as we confess our sins before Him, and He is there during trouble brought upon us from the world in which we live, all through His High Surveillance Camera.
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 NLT
We are rapidly approaching the eve of another New Year. Looking back throughout the current year, what burdens have you carried that were too much for you to bear? How often have you felt you were walking alone through all your difficulties? You imagine to yourself how much easier life would be if you had someone walking beside you helping to carry your burdens. But not just anyone, it needs to be someone who knows you intimately. One who understands your feelings, knows your hurts, knows your strengths and weaknesses and still loves you, one who will continue to walk with you helping and guiding you along the way. There is such a one and His burden is light.
Jesus teaching the way of salvation in the gospel of Matthew said the following, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28 NLT) Those in Jesus’s day as in our day struggled in finding the meaning of life, finding happiness and contentment, working exhaustively in trying everything and anything new looking for hope and that pie in the sky feeling. The truth is, what Jesus offers is more than an unrealistic pie in the sky moment, but a true reality of a light burden in this life as we trust in Him and walk with Him.
Jesus uses the example of being yoked with Him as two farming animals are yoked together with a wooden bar. The purpose was to distribute the weight evenly, lining them together in order to work efficiently with no extra burden on one or the other. The burden of plowing was made much easier by the wooden bar, and our burden in life is made much easier when we are yoked together with Christ. He knows us intimately, He is gentle, He will guide us and supply our need along the way, and it is where we can find rest only in Him. Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Allow yourself to be yoked with Christ in 2024 and beyond and may we all travel lighter in the New Year!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV
So much emphasis is put on one day of the year, Christmas Day. Traditionally it is known as the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Christmas. Concerts, plays, and musicals performed by preschoolers up to the professional level take our time either by preparing or attending these holiday events. The purchasing of gifts for family, friends, associates, and that special loved one adds to our time. Christmas is also the baking season. Who doesn’t enjoy their favorite Christmas cookies this time of year? There are parties to go to and meals to prepare, especially that Christmas dinner. With all the preparations during the Christmas season for celebrating one day many people are glad when it is over, but many also suffer a letdown for a day only last twenty-four hours and it is soon gone.
The day after Christmas can be a depressing time if your emphasis is only on the day itself. Although Christmas day itself and the weeks leading up to it can be a time of goodwill, joy, and peace even among those who hardly agree with each other, this will soon past. The struggles of everyday life continue into the New Year. Is it possible to avoid an after Christmas letdown? Are we able to maintain the joy and peace of Christmas on the day after and all through the year? Yes we are!
The apostle John penned the most familiar verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn.3:16 KJV) When our emphasis is on, as we say, ‘the reason for the season’ and we have come to trust Jesus as our Savoir, we as Christians should never have an after Christmas letdown. We may miss the cookies and time with family and friends, but we have the presence of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit all through the year.
For those of you have not trusted in Jesus for Salvation, put your faith in Him by confessing and repenting your sins this Christmas and avoid your after Christmas Letdown.
This week many children of all ages are hoping they receive what they asked for from the man in the red suit or whoever represents him in your circle of influence. From the Bitzee interactive toy digital pet, to anything Barbie, to the Magna-Tiles Downhill Duo complete with figures and race cars for the youngsters, to the hottest video games, cell phones, and latest in digital devices for the coming of age crowd, not to forget the big toys for the big kids; all have that hope they will receive that requested gift on Christmas morning.
‘Hope’ defined by most dictionaries is; ‘to cherish a desire with anticipation:to want something to happen or be true.’ All of us hoping for that gift have the desire to have that hope come to realization. Although, if we are honest with ourselves, we know it does not always hold true. Oh, it is true the one supplying the gift will do everything possible they could to insure the granting of the request, but unavoidable circumstances beyond their control always get in the way.
Biblical hope is never affected by unavoidable circumstances. Biblical hope is fixed. It is guaranteed. Biblical hope is the future confidence in expecting all that God has promised will come to pass. God has promised that all who believe in His Son Jesus for salvation will be saved from the wrath to come and will have eternal life with Him. Our guaranteed hope, as Max Lucado described it, was born as Christ entered the world on that first Christmas morning. God’s promise to reconcile us back Himself through Christ by defeating Satan on the cross was fulfilled. (Gen. 3:15) Our hope, our assurance of salvation, was born in Christ Jesus.
Our Christian (Biblical) hope is far different from hoping to receive the latest got-to-have gadget for Christmas. Our hope in Christ is sure, guaranteed and lifesaving. It is backed up by a holy God who does not lie and can do all things. As the apostle Peter says to us this Christmas, “…….if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”
“Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” Genesis 2:7 NLT
“………But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!” Daniel 5:23b NLT
How many of God’s blessings do we take for granted? Our normal everyday life activities have countless examples of all we take for granted until it’s gone, even for a short time. A power outage in your home disrupts everything. It’s amazing what you now are unable to do with no electricity. Lack of fresh water is more than an inconvenience especially if lasting more than a couple of days. Most of us take for granted that our automobile is going to start when we get in it, but we all know that is not always the case, and we can go on and on with those things we take for granted.
My thought is we take for granted the very air we breathe the most, not to mention the source of our air supply. The Old Testament book of Genesis says, “He (God) breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” (Gen. 2:7b NLT) God breathed into us the very breath of life. He has created air consisting of mostly of three gases; nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, which He also created, to maintain our breath of life. Have you ever thought, what if God had decided there would an ‘air outage’ for a period of time? I think it’s safe to say none us would be around to remember it. Electricity and water supplies are vital for survival in our current day, but it doesn’t mean instant death when their service is interrupted. But it is “God who holds your breath in His hand.” (Dan.5:23 NKJV)
The prophet Daniel told King Belshazzar he was going to lose the kingdom and his life that very night because he did not humble himself before God but mocked Him and praised their gods of silver and gold. Daniel was clear in his explanation to Belshazzar that he did not honor the true God who gave him the breath of life and the air to breathe, but took it for granted. “…But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!” (Dan. 5:23b NLT)
It is a message for us to take to heart. Let us count our blessings, (as the old song goes), naming them one by one. May we not take any of them for granted, especially the air we breathe supplied to us by the one who gave us the Breath of Life.
“Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.” Psalm 26:2 NLT
Like many of us here in the United States I have been summoned to serve a turn in jury duty. Most of my experiences have been sitting around waiting to see whether or not I would be called to sit on a trial. But there were several occasions that I had the privilege to participate as a juror in a criminal trial. One of the most tense and informative aspects of a trial is the cross-examination, either by the prosecutor or the defense attorney. It is during that questioning that previous testimony is either substantiated or debunked as truthful. You might say it gets to the heart of the matter.
In the 26th Psalm, King David seems anxious to get to the heart of the matter of his own life, and the many accusations made against him. He asks the LORD to put him on trial and cross-examine him. David asks that his motives and his heart be put on display for God to see. David writes, “Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity” (Ps. 26:1a) David is not claiming he is perfect or without sin, but that he is innocent of the false charges against him, and is not afraid to stand before the justice of God in these matters. It is quite revealing of David’s confidence to have the Lord God cross-examine him.
Would we be able to say the same thing to the Lord? “Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.” We can if we are confident of our innocence in a certain matter, but what about our motives and what is truly lying beneath the surface of our hearts. There are some things that even a well-informed attentive jury cannot get to the root of, but we can be certain that an Almighty God who knows all will get into those deepest crevasses of the heart for the truth. We cannot hide it from God. May we live in such a way that we will never be afraid to say “Lord cross-examine me!”
“I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” 2 Peter 3:17 NLT
This morning we experienced the first snow that covered the ground in our area. Although it didn’t amount to much as I write this in the afternoon it is all but gone. But during that brief time there was caution on the roads when driving and secure footing was needed while walking to not slip and fall. In Peter’s final words from the book of 2 Peter, he gives us a warning to be careful not to lose our secure footing. He is not referring to the slippery conditions cause by wet snow, but to the slippery slope of listening to false teachers that can easily persuaded us to abandon the truth of the gospel.
Peter noted that many will be persuaded by their teaching, “They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.” (2 Peter 2:1b-3a NLT) There is plenty of false teaching in the name of Christ occurring in our day. A secure footing is required as we walk in slippery conditions.
If you are inclined to be persuaded easily, understanding of the scriptures is a must to remain steadfast in your faith and not lose your footing. A careful study of the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit is where you start. As you immerse yourself in the Word you will be begin to connect the dots observing the entire Bible is about Jesus Christ and God’s plan of Salvation for those who trust in His Son. The apostle John gives us the best advice on fact checking a Pastor, evangelist, or teacher if their message is the truth of God’s Word. John writes, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” (1 Jn. 4:1 NLT) Test (fact check) them with what God says in His Word and be not easily persuaded to error, but steadfast with secure footing.
“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.” Psalm 146:3-5 NLT
The year 2023 is rapidly coming to a close. There is truth to the old sayings, ‘time flies’ and ‘time waits for no man, or woman.’ It is also true the older you get the faster it goes and I’m now on that fast moving train. Time flies. With time moving on as it does, where is your hope for the future? In whom do you place your trust and hope? Whom do you have confidence in to lead you and help you in this world we are living in and ultimately in the next world? The Psalmist of Psalm 146 says this, “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.” (146:5 NLT)
As 2024 rolls in so does another Presidential election year in the United States. What was once a very exciting time for me every four years being intrigued with politics has become a time of frustration and disappointment in the political process. I have learned over the years that putting your trust in people over God also adds to this frustration and disappointment. Our trust is to be in God who “controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.” (Dan. 2:21 NLT) People no matter how noble, honest, sincere, humble, smart, or tenacious they are, will fail and disappoint you, even the most powerful people.
As Christians our trust and hope is to be in God, and God alone. Our current culture is crumbling in the United States and seemingly out of control. One can easily be overcome with frustration, disappointment, and depression. Therefore, the words of the Psalmist written many years ago are here to comfort us today as we head into 2024, “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there….. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. “(Ps. 146:3, 5 NLT)
“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord.” Malachi 1:14a NLT
Successful athletes sacrifice much in striving to achieve the best they can be. When reaching the pinnacle of being able to perform at a high level, they do not slack off, but continue to give their best. Their desire is to see the results of heavy training, a healthy diet, and the sacrificing of creature comforts. Giving their best is self-satisfying and pleasing to teammates in a team sport. When one does not give their best in the sporting world it is very noticeable. Teammates and fans alike recognize it immediately and one’s individual statistics cannot hide the fact. Giving a lackluster performance when one is more than capable to step it up by giving their best is, well let’s say, cheating.
God accused Israel of cheating by not giving their best sacrifice. They had it in their power to do so, they had their best, and even promised to do so, but chose to not give it. God demanded the very best, an unblemished animal, for sacrifice. Israel thought they would get by offering a less than stellar performance but they did not get away with it.
Christians today will also not get away with not giving their best in serving the Lord. God is holy and He demands the best that each one of us is capable of doing. He will call us out. We cannot hide or get away with it. The talents and gifts the Lord has given to us are to be used for His honor and His glory to the best of our ability. Although I am a sports enthusiast I was never much of an athlete, but the Lord has given me other talents that I am to use in serving Him. All of us have the opportunity and capability, with the Lord’s help, to give our best. Give your best to the Lord!
“There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!” Joshua 10:14 NLT
Moving into a new stage in life is difficult as we have been examining for several weeks now. Adjustments need to be made, accepted, and adhered to. Wisdom in determining your priorities are essential in on-going decision making as you proceed through your new territory. All these under the direction of God who is leading you through it with your faith, courage, obedience and trust in Him. Managing through the tough times with the Lord’s help is such an encouragement and motivates us to keep going as well feel His blessings. We are thankful for His help and guidance for even the small things, for even the small things add up to a big thing. And sometimes a big thing can be so overwhelming you cannot imagine or see your way through it. But God has not stopped leading you and is about to see you through as only He can.
Joshua and the nation of Israel had been under the Lord’s guidance through a miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, conquering the city of Jericho and Ai after a second attempt due to their sin. They had partaken of the fruit of the land as the manna stopped once settled in the Promised Land. They were beginning to feel confident and comfortable in their position leading them to make the mistake of not seeking the Lord in a matter they deemed a small thing. That small thing of making a treaty with Gibeon turned out to be a big thing. We at times begin to get over confident when things go well for us forgetting that it is the Lord who is accomplishing His work through us. Although this gets us into a mess at times, the Lord has not abandon us and will see us through as He did for Joshua and Israel.
In Joshua chapter 10 we learn that five surrounding cities have allied together to attack Gibeon who made the treaty with Israel. Gibeon fearful of the outcome sought Joshua and Israel for their help in this battle. But now instead of fighting one city at a time, Israel was faced with the five armies of the Amorite kings at once. Overconfidence by trusting in ourselves does not always work to our advantage as Israel is about to find out.
Our Lord is gracious to us even in our downfalls. He was gracious to Joshua and his fighting men as they approached the battle scene. A message from the Lord that was very familiar was spoken once again, “’Do not be afraid of them,’ the LORD said to Joshua, ‘for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.’” (Jos. 10:8 NLT) Once again Joshua is assured victory with the Lord’s help. The Bible says God threw the invading armies in a panic and Joshua and his men slaughtered them in great numbers. The Lord God also sent a hail storm upon the retreating Amorite armies killing more of them than were killed in battle with Joshua. The Lord indeed was fighting for Israel. As much as a miracle that was, Joshua receives another miracle as an answer to his prayer marking this as his miraculous day.
Joshua prayed, “’….Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.” (Jos. 10:12b-13a NLT) What a spectacular event! The sun stood in its place allowing Joshua’s army additional daylight and time to defeat their enemies. There are several theories as to the meaning of the sun standing still. Some say an eclipse of the sun occurred providing them with shade, others view it as language of observation in that Joshua’s army only felt the day was longer as they were able to accomplish the victory, and then others as myself, claim that the sun did indeed stand still. It was a miracle by the creator God who spoke the universe into existence now suspended the earth from rotating in its normal pattern for a day.
If you are currently in a bad place in your new territory by your own doing and see no way out way of the tunnel you drove yourself into, ask the Lord to help you see the His light at the end of that tunnel. Ask Him to extend the daylight in your battle, whatever it is, long enough for you to see clearly His direction and allow Him to continue to fight your battles. Do not get overconfident in trusting yourself and end up in bad place, but if you do ask the Lord to extend to you, ‘your miraculous day.’
Word for the Soul 