Category: Obedience

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Road Trip

Each year about this time I begin contemplating what it must have been like for Mary to make the trip from Nazareth, her home, to Bethlehem.

This morning I searched Google maps to remind myself once again just how long of a trip it is. On the road, it’s only 95 miles; a little over two hours in a car but Mary didn’t have the luxury of automobile transportation. She walked part of the way and road on the donkey part of the trip. Google told me that walking the trip would take 26 hours.

26 hours of walking for a normal person but how long did it take for a woman in her last weeks of pregnancy. Even if she rode the donkey the entire way, they still couldn’t go any faster than Joseph could walk. I figure they really couldn’t have gone more than 5 hours a day so the trip would have probably taken 5-6 days. Think about that!

A few weeks back Dave and I were out on some dirt roads in our side-by-side when it just quit. We tried everything we could think of but still couldn’t get it started. There was only one thing to do – walk. It was a beautiful afternoon; we had on good shoes and also had a well-used dirt road to travel on (although it was rutted and rough). It took this healthy older couple over an hour to walk the 5 miles back to the main road. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be pregnant and doing the same trip.

Mary wasn’t traveling with a medical team or even a mid-wife. She, with Joseph her fiancé were on this trip together. I’m sure there were others on the same road, headed to the same destination since they had to report for the census but theirs was a different journey. And when they arrived, they couldn’t find a place to stay…

“So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.) 6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him up well and laid him in a box where cattle are fed. She put him there because the guest room was full.” Luke 2:4-7 ERV

Sometimes the road we are on seems rocky and rough. Conditions are not what we would like them to be – less than favorable. But when God designs the path, we can go forward knowing that He is with us and His plans for us are always good.

“ ‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.'” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

When God takes you on a road trip, go, knowing that His plans are good!

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Getting Ready to Leave

We only have a couple days left on the mountain, the place that has been our home for the last four and a half months. It’s been hard to say good-bye to friends and there are still good-byes to be said.

Yesterday, we spent time in the campground, going from campsite to campsite, making notes of things that need to be improved upon before the next camping season. We visited with the two families of campers that are still here. Only the hardy, with good generators, are here now. We had snow on Tuesday and the night time temperature dropped to 18*.

After that, there was the check-in station to finish packing up; all the bookwork and supplies have to be moved to the administration building. Bulletin boards, signs and windows have to be covered and there was one final load of laundry that needed to be done.

Almost all of the preparations have been made.

We have also taken time to pack away our own things – the bar-b-q, the outdoor canopy, and chairs. The closets have been rearranged, the cupboards straighten, awnings are pulled in, things are stowed away and secured. A little more cleaning and another load of laundry and we’ll be ready to pull out.

I began thinking of all the people in the Bible who had to leave some place they were accustomed too; Abraham and Sarah had to leave, Rebekah left her home to join her husband, Jacob’s whole family left their home to join Joseph in Egypt. Samuel left his mother and father to go to the Temple, Ruth left her home to follow her mother-in-law, Esther left her uncle to go to the King’s palace, Peter left his fishing business to follow Jesus, Paul left his place as an important member of Jewish society to become an itinerate preacher and Jesus left heaven to come to earth.

All of their leavings had a purpose. Esther was placed in the palace as queen by divine providence. She was used to save her people from genocide.

“And who knows, maybe you have been chosen to be the queen for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14b ERV

I believe that God has a purpose and a plan for every life, including yours and mine!

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you. This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.'” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

Maybe your circumstances are changing too. You are making preparation for a new home, a new job, a new life. There can be insecurity and apprehension in this but when we trust the Lord, He will give us peace and direction.

None of us know exactly how the Lord will use us from day to day but we can be certain that His plan for us is good. Each one of us should always “be prepared for leaving” the old and embracing the new as we follow the Lord’s leading.

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Lead On!

In the early days, when settlers were heading West, the people who traveled by wagon train had scouts. These were men who had traveled the trail previously. They knew where there was water, they knew where game was plentiful. They also knew the dangers of rivers that needed to be forded and places where water was scarce, and the terrain was dangerous.

The scouts would lead the wagons on.

You already know that I’m a planner – a list maker. I imagine many of you are like me and looking forward to the end of the year. There’s so much to do, so, we better begin now.

This morning, I was making mental notes of all the things I need to do once we get home. (I had been doing it in my sleep and it robbed me of my rest.) I stopped my mental tracking and said, “Lord, what is it You want me to focus on?”

Lord, lead on!

Jesus is much better than those wagon train scouts. He came to earth to live in a human body so that he would experience all the things we face. He faced every trial and temptation and was victorious in all things.

“ Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham’s descendants. 17 He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.” Hebrews 2:16-18 CEV

The safety of the wagon train was experienced leadership. Listening to the advice of those who had been there before and not striking out “doing it my own way”. The same is true of our Christian walk.

“ We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

When we humble ourselves and trust in His leadership, letting Jesus chart the path before us, He will lead us safely through to our final destination. He will keep us from calamity!

“Show me your paths and teach me to follow; 5 guide me by your truth and instruct me.
You keep me safe, and I always trust you.” Psalms 25:4-5 CEV

Lord Jesus, lead on!

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The Compass Rose

Most everyone of us has felt lost at one time or another – physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. It’s a sinking feeling!

I live with a man who loves maps. In fact for many years of our marriage a map would be the perfect gift for him for Father’s Day, birthday and even Christmas. He will sit for hours, it seems, with a map before him as he plans our next trip. He wants to know where we are going and which roads are the best for our journey.

Isn’t that just like the Lord?

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:1-2

Dave and I have some big decisions to make over the next few weeks and months. We need to know that we are taking the right path; that we are following what the Lord has for us. In our younger years if we followed our own thinking and made a mistake we had years ahead of us to recover. But now, in our late 60’s and early 70’s we want to be sure that we are following the Lord’s leading. No time for mistakes.

“But now you will again see the Lord, your teacher, and he will guide you. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, “This is the road! Now follow it.” Isaiah 30:20b-21 CEV

The compass rose is the center of the compass. “A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose or rose of the winds, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and their intermediate points.”

When I searched for images of compasses this morning I chose this one because the compass rose is brilliant, bold and quite frankly it reminded me of the strength and wisdom that we find in Christ.

We once had a cowboy preacher friend of ours give us this advice, “If God says go North, He will provide. If you go South, you’ll think you died”. That has stuck with us for 40 years now. No more going South – we want to follow God’s leading. The Lord’s compass rose always points to true North.

“Shout praises to the Lord!
    He is good to us,
    and his love never fails.
2 Everyone the Lord has rescued
from trouble
    should praise him,
3 everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
    the north and the south.

4 Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
    far from a town.
5 You were hungry and thirsty
    and about to give up.
6 You were in serious trouble,
    but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
7 Right away he brought you
    to a town.
8 You should praise the Lord
    for his love
    and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us…

19You were in serious trouble,
    but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
20 By the power of his own word,
he healed you
    and saved you
    from destruction.

21 You should praise the Lord
    for his love
    and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.” Psalm 107:1-8, 19-21 CEV

I would encourage you to take time to read the whole chapter of Psalm 107. Then “Praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us”.

The Lord is our rescuer, our deliverer. He is our Compass Rose and He will always lead us on the right path!

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Obedience & Boldness

This morning I will be sharing teachings with the ladies of Desert Christian Fellowship in Phoenix. Through the year I have been studying different women in the Bible who were world-changers because of their boldness.

The Lord has taught me that there is a link between boldness and obedience. The women whose stories I will be telling were not particularly gifted or talented but they were obedient to what God asked of them. Once they knew God had called them to a specific task and they were obedient in accepting that calling, they stepped out boldly.

Obedience and Boldness go hand-in-hand.

“Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.” I Samuel 15:22 CEV

The Lord is more concerned about our heart’s attitude than our religious actions.

Once you do a word search on “obey” it doesn’t take long to find the names of Bible greats who obeyed God; there was Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, David, Samuel, Gideon, Daniel and let’s not leave out ladies like Esther, Ruth, Miriam, Mary, Sarah, Rahab…These were ordinary people who boldly stepped forward in obedience when the Lord called on them.

“Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the Lord is giving you.” Deuteronomy 4:40 CEV

Just like little children, we are to obey our heavenly Father and that obedience empowers us for the tasks we face. When we are obedient we can have boldness that He is leading us and providing for us each step of the way.

“Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. 9 I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 CEV

Obedience and Boldness walk hand-in-hand. We obey and God gives us the strength and the boldness. We are never alone when we walk obedient to His calling!

“God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” Philippians 2:13 CEV

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Order Up!

Have you ever been to one of those coffee shops or diners where the cook in the kitchen sets the food in the window and hollers out “order up”?  We had several places like that in Idaho and Montana. They were some of our favorite places to go!

But I want to talk with you this morning about a different kind of order.

The kind of order I’m going to talk with you about is the absence of confusion, order.  I woke from a dream this morning that was filled with confusion and disorder.  Saturday, I will be speaking at a women’s advance, not a retreat mind you, but an advance. In my dream I was trying to get myself and some others to church.

I wasn’t ready but grabbed what I would need to finish getting ready there. We started for the car and I realized I didn’t have the car keys, sent the others on a head and went back for the keys. Got delayed again to answer a question and so it went through out the dream.  I ended up getting to the church just as I was being introduced – I was late, unkept and harried.

The first thing I did when I woke was thank the Father that He is a God of order, not disorder; the Father who brings peace and not confusion.

“ God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order.” I Corinthians 14:33 CEV

Take a look at the Earth, it is in an orbit that is structured and methodical. Rotating around the sun, tilted on its axis so that just the right amount of sunlight hits its surface at the correct time. If we were any closer to the sun we would burn, any further away and we would freeze.

Animals live an orderly life. Right now, the animals in the mountains are preparing for hibernation or the cold of winter. Finding more food to eat or to store, coats are growing heavier and colors changing for better camouflage .

“You lazy people can learn by watching an anthill. 7 Ants don’t have leaders, 8  but they store up food during harvest season.” Proverbs 6: 6-8 CEV

I was just reading about the Israelites and their journey through the wilderness this morning. The Lord ordered the way the camp would be set up. Three tribes each set up on the north, south, east and west of the Tabernacle. They were to protect the holy place of God. They marched out in the same order.

Then the members of the tribe of Levi, the priests, all had particular duties when it came to moving and setting up the tabernacle. Each family group had different responsibilities for the items in the Tabernacle. Some carried the curtains, while others carried the lamp oil and incense. Still others were given the responsibility for the candle stands, the tables and the Ark of God’s covenant.

By no means, am I implying that we can’t be spontaneous or act in an impromptu way. The Bible teaches us to be prepared for the unexpected. Jesus was always being interrupted. He ministered to people and never made them feel as if they were ruining His plans or roadblocking His day.

Nicodemus came to him at night, Zacchaeus waited in a tree. He went to a wedding feast and ended up providing the wine.

“The Lord shows us how we should live,
    and he is pleased when he sees people living that way.
24 If they stumble, they will not fall,
    because the Lord reaches out to steady them.” Psalm 37:23-24 ERV

Start your day asking the Lord to guide your steps, to direct your way. It may surprise you to see how He takes your plans and make them “order up”.

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What Does It Take?

At the campground, we get asked lots of questions. What kind of clouds are those, what’s kind of fern is that? What’s that bird or mushroom? What…what…what.

For the last few days I have been asking myself a “what” question. What does it take to be a good Christian?

There are so many Christians who seem to have it all together. There are better teachers, more educated Bible scholars, those who have been blessed with the finances to go and do great things for the Lord. Some are younger, stronger, more articulate.

So, what does it take to be used by the Lord?

  • Adam was disobedient
  • Noah drank too much wine
  • Abraham was old
  • Moses killed a man and he stuttered
  • Miriam was a woman
  • David was young
  • Daniel was a slave
  • Peter was impetuous and crude
  • Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector
  • Mary was a bossy, work-a-holic
  • Nicodemus was a closet Christian
  • Rahab was a harlot
  • The woman at the well was a social outcast
  • Paul was a religious zealot who persecuted Christians

So, what does it take to be a good Christian and to be used by God?

There two things that all these people have in common. They accepted God’s forgiveness for their failings and they made themselves available. The Lord isn’t looking for people who will “wow” the world, He wants people who are willing to be used.

“Brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his. Think about that! Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence, and not many of you came from important families. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 And God chose what the world thinks is not important—what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29 God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything.” I Corinthians 1:26-29 ERV

He provides us with the strength, the talent, the wherewithal that’s necessary to reach the world but He won’t force anyone to serve Him. The ability that He is looking for in all of us is availability.

“They saw him and worshiped him, but some of them doubted.

18 Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:17-20 CEV

Jesus spoke to those who doubted and those who worshiped and gave them the same instruction. Go. You all go and tell the world everything you have learned from me. You won’t be going alone, I will be with you always. Be available and go.

So, here’s the question we all have to answer. Am I willing to be available?

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Protected By The Light

As I look out the window this morning, I see strands of blue and white lights throughout the campground. It seems so strange in the forest setting but it is an absolute necessity.

We hadn’t been here very long when we had a more experienced camp host tell Dave that he should have a light under the hood of his truck at night and that we should have lights under our RV to protect the wiring of our vehicles from the pack rats.

Really?!

Those little critters love to chew on the wires, and they can do hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage to the vehicles. They are small little varmints, but they are sneaky and destructive. They wait until after dark to do their dirty work; having the area lighted discourages them.

Isn’t that how it is in life?

Little varmints causing havoc.

“But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. 9 And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.

10 Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.” Colossians 3:8-10 CEV

They are cute little creatures and fun to watch as they dash here and there but their work is destructive. Much like the work of selfishness, anger, dishonesty and greed.

A little child starts early with one of their favorite words, “Mine” and we ignore it or laugh. As the years go back, left uncorrected, their selfishness becomes explosive and out-of-control. 

The same can be said for the “little white lie”. Really, it’s no big deal, right? Wrong. Lying, big or little, destroys the credibility of the one speaking it. It becomes impossible to trust someone who lies.

I think we all need to have strings of spiritual blue and white lights that help deter those destructive actions that would undermine our character.

“Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.” Psalm 119:105 CEV

The Father has promised that His word will light our path and it will keep us from stumbling. That’s a protection I, personally, want to have.

Let the Lord show you some of the little critters who have been sneaking in to chew away at your heart. Shine the light of His word on those actions and be free from the destruction they cause.

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Busy, Busy, Busy

Good Morning!

I hope that you are looking forward to your day.  I’ve noticed the last couple months as things return to normal that I am hearing from friends and acquaintances that life is getting more hectic.

There are more things to occupy their time and schedules. Family get togethers, ball practice, weddings, showers, business trips, projects that had been put aside – life is certainly getting busier.

If we’re not careful we will find ourselves rapidly picking up speed on the old way of doing things and leave behind the slower lifestyle that was forced upon us but was good for us.

I have heard of studies that indicate mechanical equipment lasts longer with fewer repairs when it is allowed to be at rest at least one day a week. Employees are more productive when they have down time; one of the most positive comments during this nationwide work-from-home effort was that production and creativity increased.

Doctors attest to the fact that bodies are healthier when we have less stress and more rest. Even farmers know that taking their fields out of production every seven years is good for the soil and will cause the following year’s yield to increase.

I do believe that God knew what He was doing when He issued the commandment to rest on the Sabbath day.

“Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. 9 You have six days when you can do your work, 10 but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. 11 In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.” Exodus 20:8-11 CEV

“You will plant seeds in your land for six years, and gather the grain. 11 But in the seventh year you will let the land rest without planting. So your people who are in need may eat. Whatever they leave, the animals may eat. You are to do the same with your grape-fields and olive trees. 12 You will work six days and rest on the seventh day. So your bull and your donkey may rest. And the son of your female servant, and the stranger, may get their strength again.” Exodus 23:10-12 NLV

In Exodus 20, God gives what we call the Ten Commandments to Moses. He then gave them to Israelites. These were to be the laws that directed everyday living. Isn’t it interesting to see that resting was just as important to the Lord as not killing, lying, or stealing?

I think we should all take another look at our appointment books and schedules. Block off time to rest. Let your body, mind and spirit have time to recover.

For those of us who are always on the go this will be hard to initially implement but remember it’s God’s commandment for our well-being.

Enjoy the day!

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Bubbling Over

When we lived in Montana we had a pond on our property which was fed by an underground spring. The water was clear and any overflow would run down a small ravine watering the plants in the lower pasture.

But one day the pond began to dry up. No longer was the spring feeding the pond. There was nothing wrong with the spring, it was still flowing underground. However, something had blocked its path and it no longer filled the pond.

To the best of our knowledge that something was two young fillies who decided the pond was the perfect place to romp and play. On a hot summer’s day we would even find them rolling in the shallows. What was fun for them, blocked the flow of the very thing they enjoyed.

One of our friends told us we should get a backhoe to dig out the bottom of the pond and get the spring flowing again. Remove the blockage and the pond would fill, probably more than before. It would bubble over.

Our lives are a lot like that spring.

“The words of good people are like a spring of fresh water, but the words of the wicked only hide their violent plans. 12 Hatred causes arguments, but love overlooks all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:11-12 ERV

The words of good people, honest people, loving people are like a freshing spring on a hot summer’s day. They bring life, strength, health. I’m not referring to words of flattery – those words aren’t true. Words of encouragement, words of godly advice and instruction are healthy and beneficial.

But those words can be overlooked, ignored and stomped on causing the flow of fresh water to become stagnant or even worse to dry up completely.

When we fail to give credence to what the Father has had written for our benefit and ignore or denounce the sound teaching of the Bible we run the risk of blocking the flow of life giving water to our lives.

Some say the Bible is old fashioned, out of date, irrelevant to our lives today. That blocks the flow of the refreshing spring.

Love thy neighbor isn’t a nice thought to be contemplated, it is a command of God to be obeyed and embraced. Love is the refreshing flow that springs up in the life of those who are followers of Christ.

“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! 38 Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.” 39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory.” John 7:37-39 CEV

One of the Old Testament prophets, Jeremiah, tells of the nation of Israel walking away from the well or fountain of living waters, meaning the Lord. Let me assure you, a desert people know the importance of life-sustaining water.

Jesus promises living water to all who have faith in Him.

Let’s determine to have our words be a spring of life-giving water. The Holy Spirit desires to flow out of us to bring refreshing to those who are dry. Don’t let anything block the flow!

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