This is the Way; Walk in It
Hurray! It’s officially summer! Don’t you love getting back to nature in the summer months? In the spring our senses are tantalized with the emergence of green grass, birds chirping, and flowers budding. But in summer, we can enjoy all those things and more in warmer temperatures. It’s a wonderful thing.
In the outdoors we cannot only connect with nature, but with our living God as well who shares his creation for all to enjoy. Spending time outdoors allows us to reconnect with our Creator using our senses of smell, sight, hearing, sound, and touch. However, to engage these senses, it helps to step away from all distractions and be still and silence the things that distract us from communicating with God. Silence those who intrude, calm ourselves in the sacred stillness of the divine, study his Word for guidance, and with true devotion focus our attention on him.
There is tremendous value in spending quiet fellowship with God. Are you uncertain about God’s will for your life? Spend quiet time with God out in nature and engage your senses in the light and warmth the sun. Feel God in the cool breeze and bask in the sights and sounds his creation. It’s essential to be alone with God, away from the distractions of daily life where the world cannot interfere and where the opinions of others cannot reach you. Have the courage to wait in silent expectation, even when everyone around you is insisting on your immediate action. If you do these things, the will of God will become clear to you. You will have a deeper concept of who God is, having more insight into his nature and his heart of love.
Look for God’s guidance in the unrivaled gift of nature. It will be a unique spiritual experience, a precious eternal privilege, and the rich reward for the long hours of waiting for God to speak in your life.
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
A Joyous Heart
Psalm 69:30-32 How do I praise God? God doesn't want an animal sacrifice he wants a sacrifice of the heart. He wants a joyous heart, a heart that bursts into song because it can't help itself. A heart so full of gratitude that song is the only way a body can express it. I love music; I love to sing the songs of praise in church. I might not have the best voice, but it's the one God gave me so he must think it's good enough. There is something about music that lifts the soul. It's no...
Bear One Another’s Burdens
from A Daybook of Grace "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) "Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord." (John Baillie) We are not responsible to carry certain burdens of others. In Galatians 6:5, Paul says that “each one should carry his own load.” Another translation for the word in that verse would be a...
Great is His Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22-23The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. A couple of weeks ago, I had the joy of assisting with Vacation Bible School … it was MONUMENTAL! At the closing each evening, all the children and adults would gather to reflect and sing. One of the songs the children learned was “Great Is Your Faithfulness.” What a true blessing it was to hear these children lift their voices, with some dance moves, to proclaim glory...
Enjoying God
Jeremiah 15:16“Your words came to me, and I listened carefully to them. Your words make me very happy, because I am called by your name, Lord God All-Powerful.” We are convinced that enjoyment is the ultimate stage of knowledge. When we set out to learn the basic truths of an intellectual discipline, we are confounded by all we don’t know. Little by little, we become more secure in ideas and theories. Then one day, we suddenly realize that we have captured the subject and know how to use our...
A Thought for the Day…
"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others." (Matthew 7:1-2) Jesus teaches us to treat all others as children of God, as individuals deserving of our unqualified love--a command that echoes throughout the New Testament. In a world so often rent by political and cultural divisions, just as His world was, let us follow the example Jesus set forth as He walked this earth, and embrace the "other" as our own. Loving God, today and and every day,...
“Emily Lynn Days”
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” – Psalm 34:18 My beautiful, strong mom, Emily Collins, absolutely loved the hottest days of summer when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. In fact, her aunt and uncle named those times “Emily Lynn days.” At Mom’s graveside service in December of 2020, the temperature refused to climb out of the twenties, the wind was relentlessly blowing, and the sky was bleak and gray. In my grief, I was immune to the cold and...
The Road of Life
Matthew 11:18-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Life can be hard! Whether you are young, middle aged or a senior, sometimes...
The Shepherd Boy
This week's reflection provided by Teresa Jewell: 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. I know this passage is very familiar to most of us. In this passage, God spoke to the prophet Samuel telling him to go to Bethlehem to find a man named Jesse, for God had chosen one of his son’s to be king. Jesse...
A Fresh New Start
For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies. Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise. In the spring of 1863, Folliott S. Pierpoint sat on a hilltop outside his native city of Bath, England, admiring the country view and the winding Avon River. Inspired by the view to think about God's gifts in creation and in the church, Pierpont wrote this text. This hymn is a favorite of mine especially during...
Who are your heroes?
Acts 9: 36-43 In Acts 9:36-43, Peter is summoned to Joppa to tend to a much-loved disciple named Tabitha who was always doing good and helping the poor. Tabitha had suddenly died and the church mourned for this wonderful servant. Peter was asked to come to Joppa to see what he could do. Peter was taken to the house where Tabitha was being prepared for burial. He sent everyone out of the room and commanded Tabitha to rise. Tabitha rose and Peter presented her to the others. Two themes occurred...
