God is Restoring Us!

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Psalm 23:3

God’s in the restoration business. Each moment of each day our Father in Heaven is patiently and lovingly restoring us!

God is restoring us, changing us, and remaking us to conform to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Restoring us to righteousness—the righteousness found in Christ our Lord.

God’s not finished with you yet (Philippians 1:6).

God has a plan for you. A good plan, a great plan! He’s your Father and he is watching over and caring for you. You may have plans of your own but God lovingly leads each of us down paths that lead to righteousness.

For your Heavenly Father knows what is best for you. Admit it, we are not the wisest of creations when left to our own motives, own intentions, and own plans. We often get ourselves into trouble…

Our Father uses our troubles to remind us of His great love for us. Trouble makes us stop and reconsider and turn to his ways—His paths of righteousness.

And in righteousness our relationship with our Father in Heaven will grow, will flourish, and will restore us to fellowship with Him. A relationship that God desires and that is the hidden desire of and longing of our hearts and souls!

Lead Beside Quiet Waters

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2

There is something special about rest, about silence. Quiet times have a way of calming us and quieting our troubled minds.

Too often our world is filled with noise. Often times the t.v. is on or the radio or the roar and rush of passing cars and trucks, or those pesky cell-phones are ringing...

Too often it seems we seek out noise so that we don’t contemplate our relationship with the Lord. We always seem to be doing or listening instead of doing what the Lord wants or listening to his still-quiet voice.

Doing is not that important… following Him is. Being in close relationship to our Creator is His greatest longing—it should be ours.

Consider Christ’s example…

When was the last time you walked down a country road… alone?

When was the last time you took the time to sit, in quiet, and consciously listen to the Spirit of God?

When was the last time you rested and read a good book?

Our Heavenly Father knows that we need rest and quiet at times. For in the quiet times we recharge and recoup from the injurious words spoken by someone or the regrets we may have with kind words we left undone.

Consider time with the Lord and rekindle His strength and peace in your heart and in your mind…

Fulfilling our wants and needs

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

There’s a lot of want in this world. People wanting something new, bright, and shiny; reminds me of babes in their cribs… with arms stretched upward…

Yet, any parent will tell you that the bright, the shiny, the jingly, and the new will only pacify for a very short time. The real want… the real comfort only comes in the arms of a loving mother or a loving father.

When our hearts are next to our Heavenly Father then we have no want… we have no need. The new, the bright, and the shiny loose their gloss for they cannot warm the human heart.

It’s when our hearts are apart from our Heavenly Father—that’s when we want/we need the newest and brightest that this world has to offer. They temporarily quell for a moment or two the longing and hollow heart.

True contentment… true comfort… true filling of the longing of our hearts is only found when our hearts are next to His.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:8

Hard Times and The Christian Walk

How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Psalm 13:1-2

There are some who state that the Christian should always be happy, always joyful, and always in good spirits. Yet scripture points out that these are simply not the case—consider the Psalms of David...

For though we are cloaked with the garments of salvation we are still in this world. The gift of salvation is ours but we still carry baggage; we still have our hang-ups. We are not made perfect by the one-time acceptance of Christ the King.

There are days in which we are sad. Days in which depression nags at us. Days in which seemingly everything goes bad; everything goes wrong. There are days in which it seems that God is so far away and that our prayers are of no use.

The Christian walk is not easy. It is not for the weak of heart and mind. This walk takes courage. The pathway before us is often dimly lit. At times all forsake us. Often we struggle with why’s and how… for our walk is of faith.

It seems that our Father takes us to the brink and watches… and considers… ‘To whom will we turn to?’ ‘To whom will we trust?’ He tries our hearts and minds seeking not for our strength but our reliance on him… our total trust only in him.

God loves you enough to allow suffering… do we love him enough to endure and still offer him praise?

Reading the News

The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps. A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless. Proverbs 14:15-16 (NASB)

The world seems to be spinning faster these days. There seems to be a churning in the mix that blends deceit with a measure of truth. For these days who can watch the news on television and believe its report? Those who spout-off the ‘truth’ do so with the ingredients of ‘arrogance and carelessness.’ Gone, it seems are the days of fact-finding and truthfulness…

It is easy to get caught-up in the ‘spin’ of this world. Millions are swimming in its dizzying spiral downward. Reports are circulating everyday of doom and despair…

Yet, Christian there is a way that is stable. There is a pathway that is rock solid. That does not shift with the changing of time, the remake of history, or the reckless and arrogant agendas presently seen.

That way is through Jesus Christ. His news is found within the pages of the Bible. Its reading will give you strength of mind and heart and bring comfort and peace.

Today consider the Word of God for your news, for your peace, and for truth. Has his counsel ever let you down?

Peace of Mind

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Peace of mind. Something in this present world is hard to find.

There’s very little peace in the airports these days. Travel has become dangerous. Politics and the mud-slinging involved are at our doorstep and on the calendar-just around the corner. Wars and disease, high-gasoline and higher food prices, elevated apprehensions, neurosis and anxiety. Seemingly we live in a world spinning and hastening towards ruin.

To continually think on these events will cause us to fear and to be anxious. Yet, there is a better way provided for us.

When was the last time you looked at a flower? I don’t mean the temporary glance but stopping during the rush of your day and observing—touching a pedal?

When was it that we tried to look at life through someone else’s eyes instead of just being critical of them? People have unique perspectives—are we capable of listening and learning before dismissing?

Do we believe every report or do we ask questions? Are we set in our thinking or can we recognize the ugliness of negative thought and the beauty found in encouraging someone else—without reward, without selfish motive?

Can we hear birds chirp over the noise of passing cars, trucks, and emotional turmoil?

Can we look at old family photographs and remember the laughter, recall the innocence, and for a moment relive those precious moments?

We each have a choice on how and on what we think about. The world is a crazy place and to think about it, to dwell there will drive one crazy. Yet in the midst we can enjoy peace of mind, comfort of thought, and calmness in the midst of the storm.

A Longing Heart

My soul is crushed with longing after your ordinances at all times. Psalm 119:20

What a heart the psalmist David had! To so yearn for the ways of the Lord; words like these strike at the heart to urge us all to develop such a longing.

Too often the heart grows wearing; so many are the pressures of this life. For you, for me, there is the continual stress of the workplace. Seemingly we are continual misunderstood—if understood at all! So often in our day we have so little contact with others who think, feel, and hope as we do. In a crowd we often can feel so alone…

Often the Spirit that resides in us cries out for decency, for cleanness, for wholesomeness. Not only in our surroundings but even much more in our own lives, our own hearts.

On one hand we are constantly bombarded with depravity—in our work, on the television, through the airways of the radio and in people’s speech.

On the other hand there is this sweet nagging of the Spirit that whispers… ‘go to the Word for peace—for comfort—for your entertainment’… and ‘spend time with me… in quiet, in solitude’…

The tearing of our hearts between these two is enough to break one’s heart.

Oh, that our hearts would listen… and have a longing for the richness found in the Law of the Lord!

There is peace in God’s Word,
A contended place found there,
A calming spring for the weary soul,
A lasting comfort for our cares!

With Humility comes Honor

Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. Proverbs 29:23 (Message)

To those whom God loves there is a way that is at times difficult, hard to handle, a struggle at best. Our Creator creates for us times and seasons that include floods of sorrow; moments of intense pain; mixed with a longing for eternal relief. Yet, much more than simple relief—for everyone desires relief from pain… yet our hearts, our souls, our lives crave and beg for the return of the King of Kings. Our desire is to see Him in glory, in complete honor, and reigning on high!

Until then we hold onto Christ through faith, hope, and a love that will endure whatever difficulties we much face. For we know that it changes us and creates in us Christ Jesus--and seeing Christ working within us is worth it all… worth any uneasiness of this present time.

Therefore, we’ve grown accustomed to uneasiness. We know the feeling of loss. We understand certain dimensions of humility—we’ve all lived in and with pride. Pride that ever softly or ever boldly our Father in Heaven is working out of us…

Our Heavenly Father is faithful—ever faithful to change our environment all to change our hearts. God knows that we cannot change on our own and His mercy calls for certain ‘elements’ to rise and come against/prepare us to be ever more faithful—ever more humble.

A change not taken on by ourselves or through our own strength but as we are the work of Christ it is Him who works—it is Christ at work in our hearts.

Outwardly we may grimace, even groan beneath the trials and tribulations that we face. Tears may wet our face and lasting comfort in this body may not come. Yet inwardly much more is taking place. Inwardly our hearts are joyful for we have in us the hope of eternity, the return of the King, and the lasting comfort of a loving Father.

Today; tomorrow; and in the coming spans of time we will face humility. For like our example Christ we have our cross to bear and it’s a burden that we see in the mirror of our nature daily.

Today we may suffer but come eternity’s tomorrow we will have honor as we rule and reign with Christ forevermore!

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb"

Proverbs 16:24Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Words are powerful. They have the ability to encourage or discourage another.

Bound in their syllables are the minute history of us all. The glancing passing pain, longing, joy, and ordeal of living in a fallen world. Our words speak a lot about ourselves for they often unmask the heart and once unmasked and identified they are forever irretrievable.

Words are a symptom. The full diagnose is left to the giver of words. For our Heavenly Father fully hears your words and mine, he fully understands the heart and mind behind them, the heartache, the loss, as well as the unmentionable joys of life.

Christ desires to hear our words. He desires that we open our hearts to him. That we send out out to him our life—in words.

The Bible calls this prayer and that word, ‘prayer’, frightens a lot of folks these days. Yet simply talking to your Favorite Friend, your Brother, your God is prayer—powerful prayer.

Christ will often answer your words—your prayer with gentleness, with meekness, with “words that are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Yet it is left for us to first approach him with our words… unmasking our life and sharing with him, giving to him, worshipping him.

The more time spent talking to Him we will discover a change in ourselves. For our words will not be so harsh, so rash, and not so consumed with ourselves. Our words, our hearts, and our lives will be transformed and we will seek to heal, to comfort, and to sweeten the lives around us through the use of words of encouragement.

These words of encouragement and these words to our Savior are the best gifts we can offer one to another as together we daily strive to learn to love Him as we learn to love one another.

Father, thank you for the gift of words. May our words encourage and uplift and share the hope that is within our hearts. That hope is you.

The Valley Experience

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor. Proverbs 18:12

Have you ever gone through a ‘valley experience’? A valley experience usually is a time of great self-doubt, self-discouragement, and self-awareness. There’s usually a lot of ‘self’ in the valley—but not always… it does not need to be about self.

Growth occurs in the valley. Growth not of self, as in one’s own confidence but in a confidence in God. A confidence in God that comes through and during the valley experience. An experience that demonstrates the frailty of self, the cruelness, and the deception.

The human heart is deceptive and only the valley experience can break deception, break haughtiness, and bring humility and then honor.

God allows the valley experience because our ‘hearts are haughty.’ No one likes arrogance, not you, not I, and certainly not God. It is needful then for us to face the valley.

Yet in the valley God is there. We may not feel him. We may think that he’s abandoned us. We may from moment to moment believe some of the fluttering lies that cross our minds of God’s desertion. Yet they are lies—they prove the deception of our own hearts—yet God seems so silent, so far away…

It’s not God that’s moved away but our hearts. It’s not that God’s left us but He does desire us to seek him, to search for him, and to learn that life revolves around him and not around ‘self’.

God loves us and therefore he meets us in the valley and shows us that in the valley we grow and grow-up enough to recognize our full dependency not on self but on a loving and faithful God.

God's Faithfulness

David continued to address Solomon: "Take charge! Take heart! Don't be anxious or get discouraged. God, my God, is with you in this; he won't walk off and leave you in the lurch... 1 Chronicles 28:20

David, the ailing King imparted these words to his son, the new King, Solomon. David understood fear and discouragement. Throughout much of his life he lived with one or the other. Yet with David these natural emotions did not consume him—they did not overtake him.

Discouragement and anxiety did not overtake David’s heart because of his deep love of God. David‘s love for God that germinated in his youth while in the desert tending his father’s sheep. Often alone surrounded by defenseless sheep David came to realize his own need for protection, his own need for comfort, and his need for someone to talk to or sing to. David talked with God; David lighted his imagination in songs of praise and wonder of his God.

Over time David came to recognize God’s love and faithfulness in his life. That God was with him and God would see him through the difficulties in life.

God’s with you just as he was with David. When discouragement or anxiety comes your way turn to God, he’s there in your prayer and faithful in your time of need. God will not abandon you, he watches over you as the Good Shepherd that he is.

Often it is us who turn away from following the paths of God. They seem too hard or too demanding. If or when this occurs turn your heart back to God quickly. His love and mercy will cover you, shelter you, and ever comfort you.

Father, thank you for watching over and caring for your sheep with such love and attention; you are ever faithful and your love is without end. We thank you and praise you this fine morning!