Which Way to Turn

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1 NKJV

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. 

Psalm 34:1-9 NLT

Trust In God When you don't know which way to turn, turn to God. He will never fail you.

Prayer:

Father, 

           Forgive us when we try to do life on our own. Bring us quickly to Your Truth - it's only in Christ that we find the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Strip the scales from our eyes so we can see the plan of satan to separate us from Your plan. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Through the Bible in a Year
Reading for February 13th
Exodus 35:10-36:38
Matthew 27:32-66
Psalm 34:1-10
Proverbs 9:7-8

Your Way YHWH

Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.   
John 14:6 NLT

Even the most novice of Christ-followers can quote this verse, but do we understand it completely? Most think it's only about finding salvation, but it's so much more than that! 

Think about some of the Names of God:

Jehovah Shalom - The Lord is peace
Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide
Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is my banner
Jehovah Rapha - The Lord my healer
Jehovah Sabbaoth - The Lord of Hosts - Commander of the Angel Armies!

And that's just to name a few.

Do you think God changes into each of these names individually on an as-needed basis? Or is He the God who never changes and the Great I AM?  According to Scripture, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So if He doesn't change, then He is ALL of these (and more). Think about THAT for a moment!

So then, if God is all these things, we definitely want to get to Him. We NEED to get to Him. We need salvation. We need to be healed. We need provision. We need PEACE! When we get into His presence, do you think He has one place for peace, another place for healing, a different place for salvation? There's not one door marked 'healing', and one marked 'provision' or one marked 'peace' - at least, not by God. Do you know and understand that when we get into the presence of God, we have it all? 

So, how DO we get to Him? Jesus said, I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [emphasis mine]  He's not one door for salvation and then playing tag for the rest of them. It is ALL available to us when we accept Christ as our Savior. When we spend time in His presence - whatever we require - we will find it ALL in Him.

Prayer:

Father,

          Open our eyes to see You and our hearts to know You in Your fullness. Help us to walk in YOUR way - the only way - in Your Truth and Your light as we live our lives before You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Looking for...

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

John 4:23 NKJV

It used to be that in order to work for the company, you had to know someone who was already an employee in good standing, and that person had to vouch for your character and your ability. Not so much anymore - we do background checks and drug and alcohol screening like most companies, but we've laid aside the prerequisite of sponsorship. Weekly, I get lots of calls and dozens of emails from people who are looking for work. Some are so desperate, it seems as though they are just going down the phone list of every and any company in the area. They don't know anything about what we do - they don't know any of the requirements or prerequisites - and some of them don't care. They don't care what the position is or what it requires. They want to be hired because they just want in. Well, it doesn't work that way in the business world.

It doesn't work that way in Heaven, either, and yet people are trying the same tactics to get in there, too. They tell you they're a good person, they haven't killed anyone, they pay their taxes. They make donations to reputable charities and they want in. They don't know anything about anything, but "How hard can it be?"

Well, actually, there is an element of truth in that question. It's not that hard because Jesus has already made the way for us. But if we think we can come in on our own, we're sadly mistaken. We must have our backgrounds cleared by the Cross, and we must learn what the position requires in order to be able to stay. No lip service, no faking it, no pretending. We can only enter through Christ's sponsorship. And that's not subject to change - no matter if the ACLU likes it or not. It's Christ's way or the highway! There is NO other way in. John 14:6, NKJV, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

And if we avail ourselves of His sponsorship, then we'd better dig into His Book and learn about the Holy Spirit who will bring us into all Truth. And that's the position God wants to be filled. True worshipers - those who will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

That's who the Father is looking for. Will He be able to find You?

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to delve deeper into Your Word and be stronger in Your ways. Send the Light of Your Truth to rightly divide between soul and spirit, as it is written. We're not looking for unemployment handouts. We want to rightly fill the positions You are seeking to fill. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Which Way?

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
Psalm 25:8-10 NLT

Sometimes in life, it feels like we're going nowhere fast. Sometimes, it seems all we're doing is spinning our wheels. We're in a hurry and we're trying OUR hardest to do life, but the Truth is it's never supposed to be about what we can do in our own strength. 

If we take the time to be still, to get in God's presence and wait upon Him, He promises to not only show us the way but to be with us every step of it. Which way are YOU going?

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for the times we run on ahead and get off track. Thank You for showing us the proper path and for walking with us every step of the way. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

If He Wills...

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
James 4:13-15 The Message

Where were you when the world shut down for CoVID? My brain was in vacation mode. I was one day away from vacation with my sister... which didn't happen. Even though it had been planned. Even though it had been paid for. Even though we both had arranged for time off from work. It didn't happen. Why? Because at that time, we didn't know the first thing about tomorrow... And we still don't. None of us do. And not just because of CoVID...

One of my favorite old songs is one written by Ira Stanphill. The chorus lyrics are "Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; but I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand." And that's where we need to be in our walk - holding to the Master's hand, following His lead... and ONLY His lead. Remember, He not only knows the way, He IS the Way. The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Thankfully, today, we are still alive. Another one of my friends is not. What will we do? Let's embrace the Truth of God's Word and make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”  And if He wills, then let's do it.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for each and every day You give us. Help us to stay focused on Your footsteps in front of us so we can follow You. Keep our ears tuned to hear Your voice. Help us to embrace Your total Truths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Shortcuts

"No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
John 14:5-6 NLT

I like shortcuts - not only on the road but also in word processing. I think Ctrl C and Ctrl V (copy and paste) and Ctrl Z (undo) are strokes of genius. (Pun intended.) I hated long division math problems in elementary school for the same reason. If I can get the same answer in 2 steps instead of 12, how is that wrong? I like any way that will get me there in less time, with less hassle, and the fewest stops.

I'm always looking for another way to get there or do it. I even make up and define my own shortcuts...which are great until the computer dies or gets upgraded and all the shortcuts are gone, or I find myself at a dead end street with no ability to turn around. Many are the tales of my grand and not-so-grand adventures brought about by being one of the most directionally-challenged people you'll ever meet.

That's why I'm SO glad Jesus proclaimed himself "The Way. " He's not A way - He is THE way. By His Grace, no getting off at the wrong exit. No tolls or trolls. There is a price, but HE paid it. No by-passes, no loop arounds, no shortcuts. The only way to the Father is through Christ - The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Prayer:

Father,
         Your Word tells us in Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. We don't want to walk in a way that seems right. We want to follow only Christ so we can come straight to You. Shine the Light of Your Truth on our paths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen