Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

This weekend we laid my Grandmother’s body to rest. Two days short of 100 years of age, she left this world to be with Jesus and reunite with her loving husband. As I sat there in the funeral home all l could do was recall the countless number of times I sat with her, at her kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking for hours about God. She took time to share her wisdom, gained by a lifetime of bible study, prayer and life’s experiences. What a treasure those hours shared with a Godly and wise woman.

Today’s verse came to mind in the middle of my thoughts. She took time to share God’s word with me. Those times have helped shape and mold my life into the man I am today. Although at times I might fail God, I always seem to find my way back to the middle of God’s will, just where I know it’s safe and full of blessings, all because my Grandmother took time to instruct me in the way of the Lord.

I challenge you today to make time for your children. Encourage them to stay in church, read their bible and share your wisdom with them. God’s ways are always right and will help guide your children safely through some of the most challenging times. Make time for them, God will bless you and protect them as they journey through this thing we call life! God bless!

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 2 Thessalonians 3:6

People follow people. Have you ever noticed? When several people are walking in a line, they tend to follow the person in front of them. If they veer to the right, others follow. I’ve even noticed on the highway, if a car moves over to one side of the lane, the one following does the same. Its human nature to follow someone else.

Question to ask yourself. Are the friends in your circle of influence worth following? Does their life line up with the Lord’s standards of conduct? If not, you are vulnerable to follow down a path of unrighteousness and the results of poor choices can last a lifetime. As you read this, take a few minutes to check your direction in life. If you are headed down the slippery slope of sin through the influence of others, its time to make the decision to turn back towards God and find peace instead of conflict and drama. God bless!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46: 1-3

Jesus Christ said it best….”These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33  No doubt, life can have its ups and downs. The ups are wonderful, but the downs seem to come in tidal waves of adversity. Sometimes those waves never seem to cease, lingering for years and years with small reprieves and mixed blessings, they can weather the strongest of souls.

For the child of God, you must understand that Satan’s number 1 goal is to rob you of your joy, because “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”. If Satan can remove your joy, he also takes away any of your strength to sustain in the battles of life. He wants to lay you flat on the ground so you are totally useless for God’s work.

Where is God? He is right by your side. Do you seek Him in times of difficulty? I can assure you He hears your voice and responds when summoned. Part of Gods willingness to give us “free-will” is the fact that we must seek Him out when we need His help. Satan does a good job of diverting our attention away from what God can do and over-exaggerates our trials and tribulations so we forget to call upon God. Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the solution, Jesus Christ. He is your strong tower, He has the wisdom to help you navigate through the problem and strength to live through each day. God is your refuge, find protection in His loving presence today! God bless!

Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river; and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7 – 8

As a park ranger I get to see a lot of trees, trees of all shapes and sizes. Seeing the same trees, year after year, I watch them grow and become stronger. But the true test of their growth is when a storm passes through. Will the leaves hold on, will the branches stay intact, will this tree still stand afterwards? Some weaken, some break apart, some fall, while others stand, unscathed from what Mother Nature dished out. The strength of the trees are in their roots and how much water and nutrients they bring to the tree.

As Christians, our lives will encounter many storms, life changing storms. How ready are you for the next one? I can tell you that the more rooted you are in the Lord, the stronger your life will be to sustain whatever comes your way. Heartache, sickness, pain, helplessness are just a few things that will either make or break you. Trust in the Lord daily friend and lean on Him. Study His word, for the words in the bible are the nourishment you need to sustain life eternal.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. Trust Him today and follow His lead as your life grows stronger and depends on Him to supply everything you need to be a tall tree, towering above the rest, as you grow closer to His Son! God bless!

And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

Ever ask yourself this question…how could God forgive me for some of my past sins? Let’s face it, as humans no one is perfect, we all make mistakes. Some of those mistakes, or sins, are horrible, down right dirty, and we look back upon them with much shame and regret. We know that God is holy and righteous, no doubt. Isaiah 64:6 says….”And all our righteousness are like filthy rags” Even our good acts aren’t good enough. So, is there hope for we sinners?

Yes, in Jesus Christ. God knew His creation would fall from grace, that’s why He sent Jesus Christ to our rescue. Although holy to the highest, Jesus Christ spent time with sinners and those who needed a life changing event to follow Him. He didn’t just preach and keep Himself separated from the dirty sinners, He spent time with those who needed cleansing of their darkest deeds.

Today, Jesus Christ is just as available to save you as He did those people 2000 years ago. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 Your sins are a thing of the past. You might still be dealing with the consequences of your mistakes, but they can be forgiven by believing in Jesus Christ, that HE took your place for payment of sin, trust your life to Him and accept Him into your life today and for all eternity. Jesus Christ friends sinners and saves them, He will do the same for you. Call upon Him today and be saved! God bless!

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. Proverbs 10:12

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive him” is a statement we hear quite often by someone whose been offended and deeply hurt. Injury to the body heals, but the heart can be permanently scarred. When we are deeply hurt, the memories bring to life what was experienced and the emotions that follow emphasize the pain, anger and even guilt.

Friend, love has power to heal even the most tattered heart. The only way to overcome a tragic event is to hand it over to God. He defines love and knows just how to inject it into your heart to bring healing and peace back into your life. The devil wants you to relive the pain and suffering so you are paralyzed by it. You were never meant to live in bondage. Time to free yourself so you can share the love of God with your offender. Why not give it to God today?

We are a mirror of Christ. People can see Him through our actions, words and beliefs. Mirror His image of love and forgiveness today so you can bring peace and joy to your little world! God bless!

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21

As a motorcycle rider you pay close attention to other drivers. You watch out for oncoming cars that they haven’t crossed the center line, cars at intersections don’t pull out in front of you and vehicles coming up from behind see you so they won’t run into your backside. When I do see someone driving unsafe, most times they are distracted with their cell phone. The driver of that vehicle has made the decision to put his/her personal communications a priority over the safety of himself and others.

As Christians it can be easy to become distracted with worldly things and people. For a brief moment we take our eyes of the Lord and pursue something that brings us happiness. I can assure you if its from the world, the pleasure will be short lived and could result in long term damages to your relationship with the Lord…which is eternal.  God’s blessings are never attached to worldly things and people. Let me say that again….God’s blessings are never attached to worldly things and people.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3 Straight from God’s mouth, inscribed in the Ten Commandments. God does not want to be second place in your life. If you find yourself distracted by someone or something while navigating the Christian journey, you are very likely going to crash and suffer loss. Take a moment today and evaluate whose driving your life. If it isn’t God, maybe its time to re-arrange your priorities so you are safe and will experience His blessings along the pathway of life! God bless!  

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

So I recently had a health check up with my doctor last week. Well….appears I’ve been enjoying certain unhealthy foods and caramel fraps too often. Somewhere along the way I cut back on living healthy and it showed up in my doctor’s visit. Therefore, time to cut back on those things and get back to walking. One thing I’ve found, when your health isn’t good it can affect every area of your life!

The Christian life is not much different. When you focus on one area outside of your faith, your whole spiritual life can get out of whack. You do things you wouldn’t normally do, you think differently and your spiritual life becomes cold. The best advice I can give you for a blessed life is to stay in the word of God and keep a healthy spiritual life. God created you to do things that honor him. When you exercise your faith, your grow that relationship and your blessings flow freely into every area of your life. Trust me, I see it in mine and you can experience the same! Have a blessed day in the Lord!

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, Fear not, I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

I just read a post on Facebook that read: “Sometimes God holds you back temporarily until the road is safe and clear to continue. Be thankful for the stall.” This reminded me of today’s verse. I envision holding God’s hand, like a parent holds his child’s hand. That child wants to run off, yet the parent firmly grips their hand and keeps them from danger, because their view is taller than the child’s and they have years of wisdom to know when its safe to move forward.

As a child of God, we are so blessed to have the Holy Spirit living inside of us! He provides guidance, wisdom and keeps us safe when we are navigating life. Sometimes though, we become preoccupied with worldly things and will pull away from His hand of safety. That’s when we are vulnerable to Satan and his attacks on our life.

The best ingredient for a safe and secure life is to trust in the hand that holds you. When God holds you back, be patient. He knows what’s up ahead and wants to protect you from disaster. His vision goes much further than you limited view! And believe me, He has your best interest at heart. He loves you and wants to protect you from the whiles of Satan. Grip God’s hand firmly, always keep an ear to His Holy Spirit when He offers wisdom and be patient as you take each step forward thru life! God will get you across that busy intersection when its safe to do so! God bless!

Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

When I take a trip on my motorcycle, I plan in advance of where I’m going. I look on google maps for landmarks where I need to make turns and find neat attractions along the journey. When on the road, I often stop and refer to my map and notes to ensure I’m on the proper route. One time I kept going without checking the map and boy did I find myself in a long and unexpected journey to get back where I needed to be.

For the child of God, checking His roadmap is just as important. So often you think you are doing life right and things go well. Pretty soon your confidence level grows in your own abilities and you stop listening for God’s voice of direction. Before too long you find yourself in unfamiliar territory, realizing you are way off course and ask for God’s help to steer you back on track. Getting back to His will can sometimes take a while and be painfully exhausting. Trust me, I’ve been there.

My best advice I can give you, NEVER develop too much confidence in your own abilities that your voice overshadows the Lords. He has a specific plan for your life and which road to travel. If you don’t check in with Him often, you are prone to take a wrong turn and pursue something outside His will. Stay in constant contact with Him so you’ll never have to circle the wagons and backtrack! Whose got time for missed turns anyhow? Have a blessed day!

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13

You ever look around and find others succeeding in life with little effort? Meanwhile you are doing all you can to support your self and family and its taking a toll on you mentally, physically and emotionally. Did I hit a nerve? I think we all go through periods of time when we give our all to achieve something, yet our neighbor is doing very little and doing quite well for themselves.  

Friend, never give up your desire to succeed in life and do right, no matter what it cost you. God portions out blessings according to His children’s strength and willingness to remain obedient to Him. Don’t compare yourself to your neighbors, friends, co-workers and people on the other side of town. Its like comparing apples to oranges…they aren’t the same, and neither are you in comparison to others. You are unique, special and God has a specific plan for your life that doesn’t compare to anyone else.

Keep up the good job of living life and doing right. You’ll never go wrong when you set your focus on God, so you can see His blessings coming your way and not what someone else has in their possession or successes. God bless!  

Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! Psalm 43:1

 

Injustice. It seems to be all around us these days, and when we are the victim of someone’s injustice it’s like rubbing salt into an open wound. It’s painful, causes us grief and sadly comes from those who are in our circle of close friends. We ask why, but the real question is, “God what are you doing in this moment?”

 

God often uses the bad things in life to channel us in a new direction. “Closed doors” are what I call them as we continue down the hallway of life seeking an opening. Some of the injustices we face in life can seem overwhelming, but those are the stepping stones to something better, leaving behind those injustices to allow God to deal with them according to His judgment…not ours.

 

Feeling the pains of injustice? Trust God is doing something special in your life and embrace the ride as He takes you in a new direction. It’s all good, trust me friend…God has this! Have a blessed day!

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until going down of the sun. Exodus 17:11-12

Today’s passage is an excerpt from a battle between the Amlek army and God’s children, the Israelites. As long as Moses kept his arms stretched out, the Israelites would prevail, but as his arms grew tired and dropped, the Amlek army prevailed. Thankfully Aaron and Hur were there to support him and the Israelites were victorious.

During my prayer time this morning God laid upon my heart to share this message….”don’t give up the fight”. Life is work. There are good days and bad days. After years of fighting those battles to keep it together, your strength to keep going can waiver and you want to drop your arms and give up. DON’T! God did not mean for you to go at it alone. He promised to be with you, to sustain you, protect you and guide you as the days keep coming. “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14

Maybe your battle is holding your marriage together, helping a child whose ways are off course and you are giving up hope, the struggle to sustain when your health is failing….its an endless list. We all face battles in life and need to rely on God and others to help support us. Lean on a friend for help, seek after God to strengthen you and sustain your faith. The battle was never meant to be fought alone, seek help today and keep the victory in sight! God bless!

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

A strong relationship is dependent upon communication. Look over your friends list…I’m sure you communicate with them throughout the day via phone calls, text messages or social media messaging. When you stop communicating, that person loses touch with what’s going on in your life and pretty soon you disappear of their radar. Communication is the key to develop strong bonds of love and beneficial friendships.

 

Our communication with God is no different. Sometimes I think the word “prayer” limits our conversations with God. With prayer, we think we have to set aside times to talk to God. Here is a thought…why not simply converse with Him throughout the day, just like you would someone who you are close to? If you are a Christian, His Spirit lives inside of you, so He is with you 24/7. It might sound strange, but I talk to Him all day, asking for wisdom when a problem arises, thanking Him when I see His blessing befall me, and asking for strength when tasked with something bigger than I can bear.

 

Your prayer life is only as good as you make God part of your day, your entire day. Pray continually and find blessings, wisdom and strength make your day better! I promise you can never go wrong when you make God your partner for life! God bless!

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

As Christians, we are faced with a daily test, the test of our faith and strength to avoid falling prey to Satan’s temptations. Something I was reminded of in my morning devotion time is God only permits us exposure to temptations that are within our limits, so we can choose to turn away and remain obedient to Him. God does not allow any temptation to overwhelm you to the point you can’t resist. Re-read today’s verse.

How we overcome temptation is to keep our focus on God and draw upon His strength to help us turn our backs on those tempting moments. If you are like me, the battle to stay true to God challenges the strength of my faith at times, thus, I have to seek after God. And every time I do, He comes through and helps me avoid disaster. Don’t get me wrong, there are many times I fail, but God is gracious and merciful and forgives in my moments of weaknesses. Those are times of lessons learned and help me when the next test of my faith comes into play.

Have you passed the test? Trust in God to provide the strength and focus to navigate around those moments of temptation so you can continue to receive God’s blessings.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

I love receiving gifts. Its not necessarily what it is, but who the person is giving it and their time to select something special for me. It means a lot. And what really makes a gift special is the unexpected. That thing I never asked for, but they knew exactly what to get, because they know me so well.

If you are a child of God, you have a special gift, the Holy Spirit. God chose you to be a part of His family..”just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Ephesians 1:4 Wow, just think about it, God knew you before He created this world in which we live. He planned your life and its purpose and with that came His gift of His Spirit. What an awesome gift!

So and next question is, are you using His Spirit to the fullest? One of the greatest things Christians battle in life is sin. Because we are aware of sin, we know between right and wrong. We can clearly see the landmines of disaster up ahead and God gives us His Spirit to help navigate around them. When we draw upon the wisdom, power and strength of His Spirit, we can do life with confidence in knowing God has our best interest in mind. He might lead you down a path that seems impossible, but to Him it’s a cake-walk.

Trust Him as you journey through life. You’ve got the best gift you could ever ask for and He gave it to you in love. Use it to the fullest and life will be more rewarding and blessed!