Path of Life

"You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand"- Psalm 16:11 (NIV).

Our Heavenly Father holds eternal pleasures in His right hand. He has given us the needed wisdom to discover the path to get there, to be in His presence, when He gave us the Holy Bible. You've seen people who don't read the directions before assembling something complicated; or the person who won't ask for help when they are unsure of their internal compass. Did your mind immediately think of someone who fit this description? Well, my friend, go look in the mirror to see another, for we have all come up short (Romans 3:23). We have all gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). So how do we find the path of life to eternal pleasures awaiting us in heaven? There is only one way: Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the only way to get to the Father (John 14:6). You can't go around Him, over Him or under Him. You must go through Him. Jesus is the Path of Life.

Guidance

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it"- Isaiah 30:21 (NIV).

I love Siri on my iPhone. She tells me how far to go, how long before I'll get there and tells me to turn around if I get off course. We may not audibly hear God's voice like Isaiah, Elijah, Samuel and other prophets did, but God makes His message known to us through the written word. The Bible is our road map, inspired by God, to guide us along life's journey. Refusal to read it or obey gets us off the right path and into trouble: briers, pitfalls, quicksand and puts us in harm's way. Every traveler knows, to get where you're going, you need to check your map frequently. I wouldn't travel today without Siri's guidance, and I certainly wouldn't want to live this life without God's. 

Overwhelming Joy

"So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy"- John 16:22 (NIV).

The joy we will experience when we see Jesus is indescribable. MERCYME sings I Can Only Imagine: "Surrounded by Your glory, what will My heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah; will I be able to speak at all?"" That's overwhelming joy! When have you ever felt that kind of joy? Is it even attainable in this life? Well it is promised in the next, and no one can take that joy away from you. Let that thought stay in the forefront of your mind whenever you go through the valleys of grief, loneliness,sadness, sickness and injustice in this world. Fear not, Christ has overcome this world (John 16:33).   

Dueling Words

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone"- Colossians 4:6 (NIV).

Our words should be like salt, used to preserve, not tear down. Solomon said reckless words were like a thrusting sword: cutting, wounding, destroying. Instead, our words should bring healing (Proverbs 12:18). What's our excuse for brandishing a razor tongue: "I've been under a lot of stress," "Someone was unjust towards me," "They drew first blood." Brothers and Sisters, there will be a day, in which we will be held accountable for every careless word we have spoken...some will justify us, but some will condemn us (Matthew 12:36-37). What's even more destructive, James said our unbridled tongue makes our religion worthless (James 1:26). If you find yourself in a dueling match of words today, remember the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). 

GoOD Hands

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline"- 1 Timothy 1:7 (NIV).

Each of these gifts are intertwined, needing two to manifest the third. It takes both power and love to be self-disciplined, power and self-discipline to love...and with love and self-discipline comes power. These are gifts from God through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to fight off the temptation to feel powerless, unloved and unwilling to continue. Feeling powerless and unloved makes us unwilling to continue, feeling powerless and unwilling to continue compels us feel unloved...and with feelings of being unloved and unwilling to continue we become powerless. The one who strips us of our gifts whispers lies of condemnation and unworthiness. Do not be intimidated. Remember Christ's response, after His exhausting 40 days of temptation, to His tempter: "Away from Me, Satan!" (Matthew 4:10). We are not alone. We are gifted with the Holy Spirit, who is faithful. He will strengthen and protect us from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3). God, the Father, sees us as both righteous and worthy. We are in GoOD hands.  

Never Ordinary

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters"- Psalm 23:2 (NIV).

The Good Shepherd provides our every need. The thought of green pastures was out of the ordinary for King David. Our mind thinks of lush green, carpet-like, pastures allowing sheep to eat all they want, while their lambs dance around them in merriment. Pastures in Israel are clumps of grass in various places, mostly on hillsides, and shepherds constantly moving their flocks to find more greenery. David's expression of green pastures was meant to convey abundance, out of the ordinary abundance, which God provides to those of His flock. We find all we need under the watchful eye of our Good Shepherd. His blessings are never ordinary; He is God. God goes before us; leading, supplying and protecting us. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Being Mary

""Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her"- Luke 10:41-42 (NIV).

Both Martha and Mary were friends and disciples of Jesus. Prior to today's Scripture Mary had been working alongside Martha in the kitchen, but once Jesus began teaching Mary left Martha to hear what the Lord had to say. Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice. Our busyness becomes an obstacle in our relationship with the Lord. Even if your life is a blessing to you and to others, our blessings should never give us an excuse to ignore an opportunity to sit at Christ's feet. We find Martha again, in John 12:2, busy preparing food, while Mary was anointing Jesus feet with costly perfume, six days before his crucifixion. Oh to be a Mary in a Martha world.