God is our Protection

My goal is to daily get in God's Word. Most days, I do, but I regretfully say, there are days that I do let things hinder me from reading God's Word. No excuses, just fact, I don't always do it. But, I am grateful for His new mercies that He gives us each day. Just because I stumble, doesn't mean I'm down for the count! I have the choice each day to put Christ first, and to serve Him! I'm so thankful for the scripture in Micah 7:8, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." What a blessed nugget God gave me in my study time this morning! Let that verse sink in! He didn't say 'if' I fall or 'if' I sit in darkness, but he said, 'when'. You see my friend, we are NOT guaranteed smooth sailing just because we are a child of God. We are still in this old human nature and the enemy still rages, but, don't stop there, don't dwell on that fact, because we are protected by our precious Saviour! The enemy may laugh, they may even rejoice when we fall, but just hold on......God will lift us up again, in those dark days when all hope seems to be gone, no answer is there and no one seems to care..........God will enlighten your way. What a precious promise! Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie, so hold to that promise!

I like to find a verse during my study to try to memorize. I feel that it pleases God for us to 'hide His Word in our heart.' I will admit to you, I stink at memorization. It just won't stick with me, but I won't give up, I keep trying anyway. God certainly could have given up on me so many times, and didn't, so who am I to give up on doing His work! Today's nugget for me was found in Nahum 1:7, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them who trust in him." What a blessing! What another testimony to God's protection! A stronghold is a defensible place, a place that is fortified. Reminds me of when I was a child, whatever fears I had, I knew exactly where my stronghold was...........my Momma's lap! Whatever the trouble or fear, if I could just make it to my Momma, then everything would be alright! How much the more is our Heavenly Father a stronghold for us? I am so fortunate to still have my Mom with me. She was 84 in March. I still feel safe with her, but, I know I won't always have her, and she cannot always be there when I need her. But my God, He can go with me anywhere, anytime! What a sweet consolation! Why do we let Satan scare us so much, why do we let him back us into a corner? Child of the King, it's time to arise, take hold of the scripture and know..........KNOW that God is our stronghold in the day of trouble, KNOW that he knows them that trust in him! He will be there to pick us up and to light our pathways during our darkest hours! Keep your head up, and feel the warmth of His neverending protection! But, let's remember the rest of the verse.......'he knoweth them who trust in him.' We've got some responsibility, too! Yes, he will see us through everything, yes, he will lift us up again, yes he will be a light in our darkness, yes he will be our stronghold...but if we don't trust in him, we won't realize it, we won't get to enjoy it! If I don't trust in him, then how can he be that stronghold for me? As a child, when I would get scared, if I didn't go get in Mom's lap, then it wouldn't have calmed me. If I hadn't have trusted that she could help me, then it wouldn't have meant a thing to me. Let's TRUST in God as our stronghold, then you're going to see some mountains in your life start to move! It's one thing to say that God is your stronghold, but to believe it, to trust him, then that makes that stronghold real.........real to you!

So join with me today, let's put these 2 verses in our memories so that when we falter, when we get scared, we can pull them out and remember God's protection!

Micah 7:8 "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."

Religious Fences

Fences, what are they for? Why do we put them up? Well, we put up fences to keep things out, or to keep things in, or for privacy, don't we? We may not want someone walking through our yard, we don't want our family pet to run off, we may put one up so no one can easily see us. Nothing is wrong with putting up a fence for any of those reasons. It's the attitude that we have to watch. I remember as a child, there was one man in our neighborhood that was so mean. He never was happy, never smiled, and you didn't dare touch anything he had. That fence was an extension of his attitude, he didn't care about you or anything you had, and he didn't want to be bothered! As a matter of fact, we would even walk on the other side of the road to pass his house just to make sure he wouldn't yell at us or think we were coming near his property. That's the only memory I have of him. Funny, I'm 39 yrs old, and that same old feeling of fear penetrates my heart just thinking about it, even now.

As christians, we've got to be so careful of our attitudes and our fences. Spiritual fences are needed, but only for the right reasons and with the right attitude. We need a spiritual fence to keep the right beliefs around us, to keep the Word of God rightly divided. If you don't have your standards and convictions, then you may fall for anything. Let's not forget over in Ephesians where he talks about putting on the whole armour of God. But, let's don't be like the Pharisees either. They had a bad attitude, a wrong spirit. They weren't following Jesus and watching his love, they were watching every move he made and being critical. Look in Matthew chapter 10. They scolded him for the disciples taking corn on the Sabbath, they scolded him because he healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath........instead of thanking him for a wonderful miracle that they were privileged enough to be a witness to!

Don't get caught up in the religious critism. You can technically be in the 'right' with your rules and regulations........your fences if you will, but you lose sight of the big picture! God's love, God's mercy, God's grace!!!! He came to seek and to save that which was lost! Now don't go around saying that I am telling you to do anything you want or feel like. That's not the point, you've got to have rules and regulations in your christian walk........what I'm saying is don't get so caught up in them that you lose focus on the cross of calvary!

Don't build a fence around your spiritual life that no one can come in, no one feels welcome. Build a fence that is pleasing and warm, where the love and mercy of God can shine through, but yet it is a hedge of refuge to keep Satan out!

So many times I see good christians, start out right, but get so focused on convictions, or opinions, or beliefs that they forget about the love and sacrifice that Jesus gave. God help me to keep my fences up concerning the devil, because he is that roaring lion seeking out those he can devour, he is a mighty force NOT to be taken lightly. But at the same time, may I lovingly care for my fence to keep it warm and friendly, welcoming all to enter to get a glimpse of Jesus Christ!

Running Into the Wind

Yesterday morning, I went out for my run. That's just one of my things I love to do. I get to be outside, get some 'me' time, get a good chance to talk with God without interruption, and get healthier, too. I just love autumn, no humidity, the air is so light and crisp, but yet the sun's warmth is still there. As I made my way down the road, I was immediately challenged by the wind. It would whip my hair around, and then blow directly at me. Now let me tell you, that's fun.......it's hard to keep running, much less when the wind is pushing against you! My mind went over to the scripture in John 3:8 "The wind bloweth where it wishes and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." I couldn't see the wind itself but I could see it's effects. The brilliantly colored leaves danced in a circular pattern on the road in front of me, the trees seemed to sing as the wind blew through them, and the cool touch of the wind was welcome to my perspiring face!

I was doing okay, but not until I turned and started running in the other direction did I realize the struggle I was under. Now running the other way, the wind was behind me. I still was cooled by it's touch, my hair seemed to calm down some, but my steps seemed lighter, the struggle wasn't as hard. It was so much more enjoyable.

I looked up into the beautiful blue sky with the puffy white clouds, and seemed to see my Father smile at me. I could almost hear His voice as He said, "See, my child, your steps are so much easier when you are in My will, instead of running against My will."

You see, I'm still His child, 'no one can pluck me from my Father's hand' but I can still choose not to do what He wants me to do. I still feel the effects of being His child. Just like when I was running into the wind, I still felt the coolness of the wind, I still saw the effects of the wind in nature, but I also felt the weight of the wind on me. If I go against my Father's wishes, I still feel His presence, but I can also feel his hand on me........often the hand of judgement. But when I turned and ran with the wind, I still felt the coolness, still saw the effects, but I got help, I got that little needed 'push' in my step as I ran. When I choose to do what His will is, I still feel his mercy, I still see the effects in my life from being His child.........but now instead of that hand of judgement, I feel that helping, loving hand, guiding me along life's path.

Let me tell you.........it is so much better running WITH the wind, so if there's something in your life you just can't seem to let go....let me urge you to just stop, and turn around, let God's will work in your life, your steps will be so much lighter and easier!

The Cross

What does the cross really mean to you? We talk about it so often, we sing about it, we wear it around our neck, we hang it on our walls....but it means nothing if we don't take a personal look at it. It's just a 'christian' or 'religious' symbol, until we look inside ourselves and see just what it means to us.

It means everything to me. I speak of it often. Without that old rugged cross, my life is in vain, my life is worthless. This is how I look at the cross:
C- consecration
--live your life totally and fully devoted or
dedicated to God. 'Setting apart' yourself
to live for God day in & day out...out in
the open for all the world to see.
By accepting the cross, I have chosen to live my life for Christ, so that others may seek the cross.
R- resurrection
--rising from the dead
That's whats so different about Christ hanging on that cross....he rose again! That is our hope, our eternal life! He bore our sins and died on the cross so that we may be cleansed from that sin and live life eternal in Heaven with Him!
O- obedience
--the act or practice of following instruction
We must be obedient to God's will and instruction in order to have joy and peace and victory in our christian life
S- salvation
--deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ
Isn't that in and of itself the main goal of the cross? What a God...He gave his only begotten Son to die for my sin...my sin...wow, my feeble mind cannot wrap around that!
S- satisfaction
--the feeling of pleasure that comes when a
need has been fulfilled.
Wow! The only true satisfaction, the only lasting satisfaction there is! The world seeks this everyday, but they only find temporary satisfaction, but as a child of the King, we've tasted that everlasting water and never have to be of thirst again!

That's just scratching the surface, I could go on and on. Look deep within yourself..........find out just what the cross means to you!

Life's Cycle

Life is just a cycle, isn't it? Isaiah 40 says "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

My 14 yr. old daughter had to experience this life cycle. She got Koda, on her 14th birthday, a pug, just what she has wanted, since, well.....in teen terms "4-ever"! We were all so happy and enjoyed him so much. But, Koda was sick. He had so many health issues. We really didn't see just how ill he was. But with patient, loving care, Kaylea cared for Koda, with all of his health problems. At 6 mons., the vet suggested putting him down. His little body kept failing him. He had no immunity, and everything seemed to attack his little black body on the outside, as well as the inside. It was the hardest thing we've had to do. You don't know what pain is until you have to watch your child hurt and know there isn't a thing you can do...............you would give anything to bear that burden for your child! We laid 'Kaylea's Koda Bear' to rest on October 8, 2008.

Though we could never replace Koda in our hearts, we knew we had to fill the void that was left. God helped me find a kennel close by that just happened to have 4 boy pugs left, and they were 8 weeks old! We were out for Fall Break so the girls and I loaded up and took a trip. I couldn't help but notice all of God's beauty around us! The colors of the leaves, the crisp clean air, the brightness of the sun with it's warmth, the blueness of the sky........it all engulfed us in the car, and to top it off, Casting Crowns was singing, "Tell me how far the east is from the west...." It couldn't have been a better morning! While we were saddened over the loss of Koda, we couldn't help but feel a renewed spirit rising up in us.

I discussed with Kaylea that we didn't 'lose' Koda, but were privileged to have him for the 6 months of his life. He taught us love and understanding, how to love something no matter their weaknesses, faults, illnesses. I told her that God chose Kaylea to get the privilege of caring for Koda. You see, most would have gotten rid of him immediately, they wouldn't have gone to all the trouble she did to care for him. He DEFINITELY knew what being loved was! God knew that Koda would find the love and compassion he would need on his short journey of life, and he knew that Kaylea would give that to Koda, and learn what loving at any cost would really mean. When we went to pick Koda, he came to her, she was drawn to him at 3 weeks old, and the day he turned 6 weeks old she brought him home.

Now God has stretched out her heart and given her another to love. His name is 'Kaylea's Reign Bo'..............we call him Bo. He is a fawn pug. And rest assured, he was picked out with that loving eye and patient hand of Kaylea's. We brought him home on October 9, 2008. He has touched our lives already, and is already part of the family! Ironically, he came to us on what would have been my dad's 84th birthday. Dad passed away 8 1/2 yrs ago.

Life's cycle. We are here today, and gone tomorrow. We better make our life count............and the only way to do that is through the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord! Some may say, it's just a dog.................and that's true, but they are God's creation, they bring joy and love into your life. I thank God that our life cycle, only truly begins when we kneel at the foot of that Old Rugged Cross and give our lives to Him, because then we receive ETERNAL life!