Category: Our Walk

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A September Benediction

The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

May our Lord God bless you this day, and fill your life with His life, so that you might have joy and assurance, overflowing

May He look upon you in favor and grant you peace, through the outpouring of His love and His Spirit

For the Lord is good in all that He does

He blesses us with gifts we seldom measure, and is always gracious unto us, though we could never deserve all he has given

May the Lord give you understanding this day, and bring you wisdom in these times that test us, so that you might be able to stand and not falter

On this day, may His strength be your strength, and give you the endurance to weather every storm of life

For our God is stronger than anything that will come upon us. His power in us is more than enough to see us through

May you draw close to our Lord, Jesus Christ, this day, and speak to Him in faith filled prayers, so that He might pour His life giving Spirit into you, and fill you

May the life of Christ dwell richly within you and begin to revitalize your life. May His love overwhelm you, so that He can be magnified in you, and His love shine forth from your life

I pray that the Lord would give you an appetite for His Word, so that your faith and knowledge would be magnified; that God might equip you through His Word in order that your doubts might vanish and that your faith might be made more sure

May you always have Godly answers for those who ask questions of your faith, not only for your benefit, but also, for the strength and salvation of all those you know

May you realize again this day, that our God is faithful, and that He will never leave you or forsake you. That He watches over His children night and day, protecting us from all evil and the schemes of man

Know this, that we will continue to suffer earthly pains, but He has blessed us with the gift of eternal life in full measure

May the Lord, our God, walk beside you each day, so that you will feel and know His very presence, and understand His boundless love for you

For our God is the source and giver of all life. The one who has blessed us beyond all understanding

May His love so overwhelm your senses, that you have no choice but to rejoice and give Him praise; and that you would offer your life to Him with thanksgiving

For He is the one true God, creator, and illuminating light above all creation. 8/10/2006

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Hold On To God

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Hold fast to the ways of God. Take hold of the wisdom found in His Word, and never let go, for it will be as life to you

Do not stray from His path, so that you may steer clear of harm or disaster. Instead, grab tightly to the ways of God

Maintain a firm grip, so that He might strengthen you all of your days and bear your burdens in times of trouble

When we live within His perfect will, we are blessed. For our God is the well spring of life. He watches over all who love Him and guards those trust in Him by faith

He pours out His Spirit to all His children, so that they may prosper in all that they may do

Though we can never be sure of what tomorrow will bring, when we dwell within the will of Christ, our Savior, He will lead us safely through life.. Not free from trouble or trial, but by safe passage to the eternal

How great are the multitude of false treasures. They can distract us away from the truth of God. But in Christ dwells all that is pure and true

All of creation hangs upon His strength and wisdom. In Him alone, are found the threads that bind together all there is.

Grab ahold of God and never let go. Maintain your footing and keep in contact at all times. If you let go, you will surely fall, and there is no hope for those who lose their grip on Him

When you begin to slip, act quickly to regain your hold, so that He might direct you towards safe passage

Feed upon His Words, that strengthen all those who are tired. Grab hold of God. Don’t give in to a weakness of mind or spirit, for He is the only way that leads to life

No other way of human life is safe, or can, in any way, lead to everlasting life

What fleeting reward could ever be so valuable, or deceptive way of sin, so alluring, that we would give away our immeasurable reward in Christ?

So, hold fast to our God, who saves. Grab tightly to our Lord, who’s love is without end, because all of your days rest upon Him.   10/13/2006

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Our Ever-Present Help

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Psalms 46:1

Lord I trust in You

When the storms of life rage all around me and help seems far away; when any kind of resolution seems distant and out of reach, I place my cares upon You

Some days it does not seem possible that any more trouble could happen, but then things grow worse. Even those who I trust seem to desert me. They lash out at me, when I try to help in one way or another. They push me away, even though I have not left them, and I feel deserted

But my God is always there. His Words comfort me. I can sense the hand of His Spirit resting upon my shoulder.

He reassures me by His presence, and uplifts me, as a father would, who comforts his child

Trust in God when all seems lost. Rely upon Him, when everyone on earth seems to have forsaken you. For His eyes see you, and His gaze rests upon your life

He sees your condition and what has come upon your days. He brings healing and rest for your soul.

He can calm the weary and stressed, and delivers us, so that we might be able to walk in strength again. He can begin to fix that which was broken, and help unravel the hopeless tangles that come upon us

Praise God for His comforting Spirit. Give thanks, for the relief that He brings that restores our perspective of life

Rejoice, as you begin to see the beauty of His love at work in you again. Trust in Him, so that your life becomes renewed of purpose, and that your work and His will, follow the same course

It is a part of the human experience become lost, and to have the support of your family and friends disrupted, dislodged, and scrambled.

But our Lord never changes, His love for us is as strong today as it was when you first believed in Him. He can restore things that have become impossibly broken

Our ways are not like Our God’s. We stray into all kinds of trouble, and are subject to the fallout from the problems of others.

Always seek the Lord, our God and Savior. Pray to Him each day, believing. Trust in Him, for His love is always strong enough support and uphold us. 7/5/2020

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A Path That Leads To Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.      Hebrews 11:1

Have you ever spent time observing; Looking out far and wide across this wondrous creation?

Have you ever taken a casual glance at some far off vista, and then spent the next ten minutes watching in rapt wonder?

Is it even possible to comprehend this world, so vast and mysterious?

Did you ever attempt to find your own place amidst such a great and far flung universe? Was it just an accident that you arrived here in this place, in this time? Or, is there something much deeper at work?

Your life is truly a gift of incalculable worth. What a wonder it is that you can see and know, and give and love

Even as all of creation, in it’s timeless way, somehow exists, you are precious in the eyes of God

What He has formed in you, He lovingly treasures. God has a desire for your life that is not bound by the span of time, or by the breadth of all that He has made

And His desire is for your good, so that the joy of life would fill you to overflowing

How sad it is then, that God has often been obscured . That in these times times, He is discounted and discredited. So that we, who need to be connected with our creator, are wilting from a lack of His presence in our lives

We face the starvation of our very souls, because our lives are desperately dependent upon His Spirit

God calls us to live a holy life. To flee from the sin and evil, that so easily afflicts us. For it places a drag on our lives that separates us from Him and leads us to empty places, even despair

He places great importance on this, because it becomes a matter of life and death for those He loves.

God is angered and saddened by all those who do evil, and all those who are compelled to continually sin against Him. By their own actions, they prove that they do not know or regard Him in any way.

How misguided are we, yet God continues to call out to us through His love and through His Word, so that we might come to realize the error of our ways, and then turn, and be forgiven.

It is incredible how blind we can truly be. That we cannot take the time to look and wonder, or acknowledge the great love of God, our creator

But for those who conduct their lives in self control; who place their faith in the God of the universe, and live their lives before Him; These will be blessed, because God’s only intentions are for our good

To all those who love our God, who follow after His ways, these will dwell close to His presence and be fed. Their lives will be blessed through understanding.

The full measure of His loving kindness will overflow upon them in the richness of all that is good and true; and they will live safely in His presence for all of time.   11/10/2006

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Visit a Great Garden

And many believed on Him there. John 10:42
Philbrook Museum: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Nothing can inspire a gardener more that a visit to a great garden. It is like looking at a work of art painted by one of the Masters, or hearing one of the famous symphonies being performed by a top orchestra. Gardens tended by top professionals that showcase beauty and artistry, give us a whole new standard to borrow from and use in our own gardens. I always come away from a visit to one of these places with a whole new set of ideas and inspiration. I particularly enjoy observing the interplay of selected plants that convey beauty and interest in a whole new way.

Inspiration is a wonderful thing. It calls us to reach for a little more out of our lives, and to do what we normally do, a little better. It can allow for our message and work to have a greater and far reaching impact. As Christians, a visit to an uplifting concert, or listening to a message from a skilled speaker can often do the same thing. From time to time we absolutely need to be impressed at what God is doing in someone else’s life. Sometimes it’s just seeing a new angle or way of looking at the Gospel message, or, to simply be uplifted and energized by someone who knows how to share the great gifts God has given them.

Recently, I visited the home of the late Luther Burbank. He was one of the most famous gardeners and plant breeders in the history of our country. He developed hundreds of new varieties of flowers and crop plants, many of which are still the standard varieties used today. I was not so much struck by the beauty of this parklike garden, but more by the incredible vision and drive this man possessed. During his lifetime, he was constantly devoted to his work of developing plants that would produce greater tonnage and greater quality. He also, did not neglect to produce many new and improved varieties of ornamental flowers, some of which grow in my gardens today. He was a man who made a great impact with the life he was given, and though he was not a Christian, I believe God used his life to benefit us all.

God can use our lives to lift the lives of many all around us. It doesn’t matter who we are or to what level of stature we have attained, He can take the least of His saints and use them for purposes that are both marvelous and far reaching. Think about the many accounts in the Bible where the weak and unnoticed are inspired to do important history changing acts. One of the most exciting things in living life, is to live out God’s love throughout the days you have been given. What gifts has God blessed you with that He might use and share for the blessing of others?

It is our responsibility to go out and get inspired. Attend a concert or listen to an interesting speaker; visit a beautiful garden where its peace and inspiration can seep into your pores and start you thinking in a new way. There are a million places to go where you can be uplifted.  Of course, in these times be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks. Visit a place where you might come back with more than you had when you left. Isn’t that what sharing gifts is all about?

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The Wondrous Love of God

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:4

The love of God is a fearful thing. It is a force so great and so wide that we fall short to comprehend it

It is found in the fabric of our lives and exists in every part of creation. So powerful is the love of God, that it changed the course of history and rerouted the destiny of man.

By it, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Yet, we often forget what He has done. We neglect to praise Him who has given us our very breath and who brought us in to all the dimensions of this wondrous life.

Blessed is the one who remembers their God. Who treasures all of the gifts that He has bestowed upon them. They who give sincere praise to Him, will inherit the blessings of His love for them

How can we take our lives for granted? And think of them as an effort of futility. When did we forget that life is magical? A gift of infinite value; An opportunity for joy and adventure at every turn

Give thanks to your God for the gift of your life. Lift up praises for the wonder and beauty of His creation. For He has made you and fashioned you in incredible ways

Sing a song of love to Him. Call out to the maker of all there is; the one who loves you as His child

Is there not a thing that you have that He has not given you?

Are you not rich, because of Him?

Even if you do not have the things this world values, you are rich, exceedingly rich, because of His Spirit and love

Castaway, my friend, those things that trouble you. Let go of everything that takes away from God’s life in you. For they are only lies, distractions, even dangerous traps, that sap the Spirit of His life from working inside you

Instead, lift up praise unto Him who loves you. Stir up a spirit of thanksgiving toward your God

Bless our God, and He will energize your life, and then fill you with the joy that living was made to know

For our God is good. His love is for His children

He loved us so much, that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon the cross, so that we might live a life so full and complete; And for all of eternity in His presence

Open your mind and your heart towards Him in love. For this is the reason that you were made and the purpose of your blessed existence 5/27/2020

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The Value of Our Faith

What good is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can a person exchange for their soul? Mark 8: 36-37

All of the earth seeks after riches and possessions. We toil night and day to secure them. But God looks out upon the earth’s people to observe who’s faith shines brightly and is guided by His love.

He looks not at what mankind believes is valuable, but to those who’s hearts are inclined towards Him

We seek after money and power; precious materials; and how we might gain from them.

We labor to become skillful in the ways of our economy, but God’s ways are more valuable than this

Our material ways can only bring us so far. That which we can gain on earth, can only bless us for a time. For unless God is part of our effort, all our striving for wealth will become a trap that will leave us empty and misguided

Riches and possessions alone cannot help us. They might even tear us apart, or destroy us. At best, they are a tool that helps us survive in this world, but too often we become lost in the pursuit of them.

Better then, is to learn the ways of God, who is the source of all true riches and the power that guides the entire Universe.

Of more value then, is to trust in His Word and seek after His good council, so that we might gain true riches

For our relationship with God is of infinite value. Worth more than the sum of all earthly riches

His wisdom and love, lived out through our lives will purify us and make us rich, no matter what our sum of earthly possessions might be

For our time here is fleeting and our security only an illusion. Yet our faith in Jesus Christ protects and upholds us and links us with the eternal

Christ will change us. He will reassess our value, and proclaim us as priceless  by His summation

Our Lord overcame this world. He died upon the cross, and was raised to life again, victorious. He can raise up all those that He knows as friends and give them eternal life. By His power He can save our souls.

How infinitely great is our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. How wonderful and beautiful is He. For our lives are not meant to be spent in futility, but to be fully enriched through Him.    1/31/2011

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Press On

Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 3:13-14

I am not perfect. No, I am far from being that. Nor have I attained greatness in any way.

But in spite of my lack, I press on that I may reach that which was given me to reach. So that I may lay hold of the things for which Jesus Christ has also laid hold of me.

For there is a purpose I my life. There is a reason that I am here; That I may glorify my Father in heaven with all that I have and with all of my life.

I have not reached yet what He has placed before me. I feel like I have not come close. But, one thing I do is to forget the things that are behind me and reach for those that lie ahead.

For there are many things from my past that I wish had never happened; And if I let them, they would weigh heavily upon my soul. They would place a drag on my life and keep me from being all I could be.

I thank God then that He has forgiven me, and taken away the sentence of sin that hung heavy upon me. That through His Son, Jesus Christ, I have a new life, where I can live in freedom to be my best for Him

I no longer look back on my life in regret, but look forward to all the exciting things which God has in store for me. In eager anticipation, I reach forward towards all that lies ahead.

No, I am am far from attaining any measure of success. But, I continue on nonetheless. I let God worry about how much of an impact I am making for Him, knowing that there is really no way for me to measure that, anyway.

I simply press on, following His lead, excited to be a part of something so grand.

I remember that God has set aside a prize that awaits all those who pursue the upward call; and a reward to all those who seek His will.

Even though I may stumble and fall many times a day, I pick myself up and brush off the dust that clings to me, and set out again upon the pathway He has laid.

Though I may tire along the way, I rest and take nourishment from His Words; And when my strength has returned, I press on again, knowing that His way is the only way to life

For I have come to the conclusion, that any other way that I could go is just a counterfeit path, for only in Christ, does my life achieve any meaning or purpose.    1997

 

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Bolting When The Heat is On

 

Kale that has bolted

 

I often plant Cole crops early each Spring in my vegetable garden. These plants prefer cool weather to grow and mature, and include Broccoli, Mustard, Kale, and Cabbage. Some seasons I have problems with these plants, because they are sensitive to early hot spells. When the heat comes on too soon, these plants can become stressed and are quickly activated to begin flowering. Sometimes this can happen when the plants are quite small, but most often, just as they start to become productive. This phenomenon is called bolting, and it is a serious problem, since the plant rapidly jumps to flowering mode and bypasses the best stages of harvesting a good crop.  The only thing a gardener can do if this happens is pull up the plants and plant something else.

How many of us Christians decide to bolt and go to seed when things get difficult or when the heat suddenly sets its focus upon us? There is a passage in the Gospel of John chapter 6, where Jesus spoke about having faith in Him by using some particularly difficult metaphors. He said, ” I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall never hunger and they who believe in me shall never thirst”.  He went on to say ” I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, they will live forever; and the bread I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world”.  He said this speaking figuratively, of how He must die, and of His resurrection, so that He might be able to save all those who trust and believe in Him. But these words were hard to understand by many who had followed Him, and upon hearing this, they decided to leave Him and go back to their former lives.

To put our faith in Jesus Christ is the single most important choice a human can make. It is all encompassing, there are great blessings that result, but also distinct trials. Through faith we are allowed to have access into the kingdom of God, but we are also asked to give up the right to ourselves. Most of us are eager to gain the things given, but grudgingly submit to God’s requirement to lose our self for Him. Jesus will never force us to go with Him, He prefaces every invitation with an if; “if any one wishes to follow me, then He must leave all and…” That is when difficulty comes and the great battle of will is waged inside us.

The wonderful part of giving up your life to Jesus Christ, is that His life and Spirit becomes joined to ours, and we begin to gain His strength and wisdom in so many ways. We find character that was never within us before, and a capacity to love that is supernatural beyond anything we understood prior. We soon see His purposes working out through our lives against every odd and in ways that sometimes seem impossible, but true. It is amazing to sense the power of our very Creator at work in our life. He upholds us through trials, and gives us strength to weather affliction, so as we begin to see this at work in our life, we experience a deeper more meaningful joy and purpose.

So when difficulties arise and the urge come to bolt and retreat, hang on to your faith in the life of Jesus Christ. Don’t go to seed, but remain in His presence, for He has a tremendous purpose and incredible blessing to work out through your life.

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Buy the Field

‘And you have said to me, Oh Lord God, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses! -yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans”   Jeremiah 32:25

I once managed a community garden that was truly a wonderful place. It was blessed with many talented people, who each contributed to making it one of the most productive and beautiful volunteer gardens I ever worked at. One cold winter day, when the north wind blew strong through its quiet rows, we received some devastating news. The nearby community center was going to be expanded and the footprint for the new building was to be located directly upon the garden. The city was going to break ground on the project in Spring, and we were told to clear the site within the next month. I can still remember how shocked and devastated everyone was. For many, it was a place to be with their friends, others used it to conduct field trips and educational work for local schools and community classes. After twelve years of existence, we were deeply going to miss our shared place of community.

Everyone was too upset to do anything for a few weeks, so the garden just laid dormant. Then in March we came together to meet and decide what was needed to dismantle and decommission the garden. After many minutes of complaint and anguish filled comments, a man stood up and said a very surprising thing. He told us, ” Let’s go ahead and do our normal Spring planting.  We should act like nothing is going to happen to this wonderful place. Be optimistic, these city projects often get tied up at City Hall for years and I happen to know that this project has some opposition that will likely force some long delays”. At first, nobody could believe that this might happen, but after much discussion a feeling of optimism began to grow. Within a week we had begun cleaning up the garden and planting the most ambitious effort in all our history.  We wanted to show the community and the council just how important and valuable the garden was for our town. To this day, the community garden lives on and remains a blessing to the community.

The prophet Jeremiah once gave a speech similar to the one this man gave to our community garden. He was spending time in the Jerusalem jail for speaking God’s Word to the King of Judah, Zedekiah. Even though the enemy was about to take and destroy the entire city, then lead many of its people into captivity, He told them he was going to do something very odd, but optimistic. He was going to purchase a piece of property, a field to grow crops.. a place to grow a garden. He wanted to make it clear, that even in that dark hour, God was at work. Our Lord God wanted to tell His people that this was not the final chapter of the Jewish nation. He said, ‘be optimistic even when destruction and doom lie at the very door’, because I have a plan and a heart of love for my people. I will someday bring them back to this place and they will live in abundance once again.

Spring 2020 has brought illness and loss that have caused many to lose hope in their future. Some of us have lost loved ones, others have lost their way to make a living. How this all ends up is still quite unclear. But there is one thing that we should never lose, and that is our trust  in the love and saving work of Jesus Christ. Remember His promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you”.  He is there with us through every trouble and trial that befalls us. Look up to Him and pray, even when there seems to be no hope. Grab ahold of Him with all your strength, and He will give you reason to rejoice, even in times of despair. Jesus will encourage you to carry on with life  and to be optimistic, even when it seems everything is going in the wrong direction. Praise be, to our God!