God’s Blessings – Ephesians 1:3

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,…

John never helped around the house in spite of his mother’s insistence. He came home from school, played video games, ate supper with the family, and watched TV until he was tired and ready for bed. Whenever his mother or father began to talk to him about things he ought to be doing, like cleaning his room, taking out the trash, or helping wash dishes, he would roll his eyes and shut them out.

One day he came down to eat supper only to find that there was nothing for him to eat. When he got up in the morning there were no clean clothes to wear. When he missed the bus to school his father told him he would have to walk. When he wanted to buy a new video game his mother suggested he “get a job”.

John was angry at first. How could his parents do this to him? What had he done to deserve such treatment? After all, it is their responsibility as parents to take care of him, isn’t it?

But after a few days, his mother and father lovingly told him that they need his cooperation. That if he did his part they would continue to do all the things that they had done before and other nice things as well. John didn’t like it at first but as he began to do the things that his parents asked and he began to receive special benefits from them in return.

In this story, you may think that I am telling you that if you follow God you will be blessed and that if you don’t you will be “cut-off” from his blessings. I am not really saying that. Jesus said, “God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

But as I have talked and counseled with people I see a theme developing that I don’t like. They have these “woe is me” stories to tell. Everything is going wrong in their life. When I talk to them I find that they are living outside of God’s will and his word. And they want me to pray for them, encourage them, and sometimes even give them assistance. I try hard not to judge them. I try to help. But I don’t think my advise is always accepted.

God loves to bless people. He loves to give them their “daily bread”. He loves to show him his everlasting love. God is really cool that way. Isaiah 55:1-3 is an invitation for people to come receive God’s blessings without cost or labor. But it does require self-sacrifice, you have to be willing to come.

So why is it that we want all of God’s blessings without even trying to follow his way? Why do we want God to make everything right in our lives when we are busy trying to make things wrong. We want the milk and the water without being willing to come to him.

I talked to someone once who was caught driving under the influence of alcohol for the third time. He asked me to pray for God to keep him from doing jail time. He literally wanted a “Get Out of Jail Free” card from God. I prayed that God would be with him and help him endure the consequences of his actions no matter what they were. He ended up spending some time in jail.

It’s kind of like my weight loss efforts. I step on the scales hoping that the scales not only look past my self-indulgences and lack of effort to exercise but to also bless me with with a loss of weight. It just doesn’t work that way.

Sometimes the blessing is in the reality too. If the scales didn’t tell the truth I would probably not put the effort in to lose weight. I would not be motivated to do better. I would just continue to try to subject the scales to doing things my way in spite of eating what I want and not exercising.

For John, the real blessing is that he has parents who care and want him to be a better person. They stepped out of the roll of provider long enough to show John that he has responsibilities too. That took guts, because many people would criticize them for what they see as neglect. John could have became one more spoiled and entitled child who never grows up. But instead, his parents showed him how to be responsible.

I pray that God will bless you today. But I also pray that you will submit to his will and his word in your life. Then you will see real “showers of blessings” from above.

Dear God, I am sorry for the times I have expected blessings without submitting to you. Help me to follow your will and your way. Help me to see the blessings in all the circumstances in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Flooding My Soul With Glory Divine -1 John 1:5

1 John 1:5 – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

I had a rough night and didn’t sleep well all night. I didn’t feel well when I woke this morning. I didn’t want to get out of bed let alone even think about walking or exercising.

I felt the need for prayer but the words were illusive and I didn’t even know where to begin. I drug myself to the coffee pot and hastily made a cup of Joe. My mind wasn’t in it when I shaved and I paid the price with a little nick below my chin. It was almost time to go to the preacher’s meeting.

God has a way of putting things in perspective. While I was at the meeting, the sun started coming in the window. At first, I was a little annoyed that the sun was in my eyes and I moved over a bit. But the sunlight seemed to follow me and was again in my eyes. So I looked up and the stain glass window was aglow. The image seemed to reach out to me. The colors were so vivid and alive. It was a picture of Jesus holding a lamb. And it was awesome.

Suddenly, things were in perspective. Jesus, the Great Shepherd, was carrying a lamb. His other sheep were gathered around him. The lamb, who was to young and weak to follow on his own, was being carried. I knew then who was really carrying my load. Jesus doesn’t just have my back. He is willing to carry me.

Do you know how often we let little things become stressful and hinder our walk and our testimony. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, The Great Physician, and Mighty Counselor. What more do we need?

Prayer Thought: Dear God, Everlasting Father, Creator of all things. I am really sorry for the times I have let distractions, stress, and frustrations get in the way of doing what I should. I thank you for carrying me and caring for me. Thank you for the message written very clearly and delivered in brilliant color. Help me to trust you in all things. I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Heavenly Sunshine
Lyrics: H. J. Zelley
Music: George H. Cook

Walking in sunlight all of my journey
Over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
Promise divine that never can fail.

Heavenly sunlight, Heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine;
Hallelujah! I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the light, in Him is no darkness;
Ever I’m walking close to His side.

Heavenly sunlight, Heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine;
Hallelujah! I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing,
Pressing my way to mansions above;
Singing His praises, gladly I’m walking,
Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.

Heavenly sunlight, Heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine;
Hallelujah! I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

(NOW IT’S TIME TO GO WALKING IN SUNSHINE!!! Get out there and exercise!)

At The Church Buffet – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

1 Thessalonians 5:19 – Do not quench the Spirit.

One of my weaknesses is the buffet. I have to admit that when I go to a place that is all you can eat I lose control. I justify my behavior and overstuffed tummy with the idea that I had to get my money’s worth. Sometimes buffet food isn’t that good either. But the worse part about the buffet is that I don’t eat a balanced meal. I will fill my plate with all kinds of meats and then go to desert bar when I’m nearly full.

And I’m not the only one. Look and see how few people there are at the salad bar. Few people are going out of there way to get to some carrot or celery sticks. Those that do often time drown it in a sea of ranch dressing. We don’t eat well at buffets.

So I try to avoid going to the buffet.

Sometimes we look at church as being a big buffet. We come to church with our plates and we heap on the things we like and avoid the things we don’t like. The problem is we get so much of the fun things and and neglect the areas of our life that really need attention and require a bit of work. We become spiritually malnourished. We only allow Jesus to be Lord of some areas of our life and keep others back from him.

Some of us even come to the buffet with our plates already full. There is little room left for Jesus on our plate anyway. The remaining space is filled with the gravy of church: the fattening stuff that gives flavor to our lives but doesn’t promote spiritual growth or obligation to God. Our lives are filled with so much activity. There are school events, job related activities, friends, hobbies, and even yard work that takes precedence over our involvement at church.

Francis Chan wrote in his book, “The Forgotten God”, that entertainment has become the model for church. “…and while it alleviated some of our boredom for a couple of hours of a week, it filled our churches with self-focused consumers rather than self-sacrificing servants attuned to the Holy Spirit.” In essence, we have neglected Paul’s admonishment not to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit.

I am one of those persons who sees God’s hand in just about everything. I can not go to the buffet and pick and choose. I want a nutritious, well-rounded meal of God in my diet. I want to see what God can do with every aspect of my life.

Don’t get me wrong. This can be very painful at times. There are areas that we all have that we hide from God. We don’t do things “the Jesus Way” in every aspect of our lives. But I want to open all my life up to him. I want to allow him to meddle in every thing I do.

The hardest prayer I have ever prayed was “God, please feel free to interrupt my day.” The reason is that when God gets involved in your day you will find your whole schedule change. You will see areas of your life exposed. You will experience more needy people. You will be so busy your head spins… and there is not “me time” when you ask God to interrupt your day. No it’s “us time” from now on. But this is the prayer I need to pray daily.

One of the things that I have had to do since being on my weight loss journey is to avoid buffets. I have little control, no matter how hard I mentally prepare. I eat too much and I make poor choices. It doesn’t do well for me to go to such a place.

The church is not a buffet. Yes, there are a lot of activities, study opportunities, fellowship events, and missions and service opportunities. They are provided for you to get involved with so that you can get a well-rounded diet of God’s spirit so that you will grow to be the man or woman that God has called you to be.

I believe that a person who genuinely wants to grow spiritually should start with a prayer asking God to lead them to the right activities and studies to get involved in. Not just the stuff they are interested in.

I once talked with a man who was so interested in Revelation and the end times that was all that he wanted to study. After a lengthy discussion I asked him what the point of Revelation really was. He gave me a lot of interesting answers. I told him that Eschatology, the study of last things, can be summarized into two words; Be Ready. I looked him in the eye and and ask him if he was ready, really ready. John concluded the book of Revelation with the word, “maranatha”, which means “come quickly”. John was ready on the spot for the end times to come. This man was not.

Prayer Thought: Dear Heavenly Father, God who sits on the throne of heaven. You are worthy to receive glory, honor, power, praise, and all of my love. I am ashamed that I have set at the buffet of your table and only taken those things that which made me a fat baby in the faith. Teach me YOUR ways, my God. Help me to learn so that I too will be ready for whatever comes my way. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for your love. Thank you for providing for me daily. Hep me to live what I learn from your word and your spirit. In Christ’s name, Amen.

My Butt Hurts – 1 Corinthians 9:25

1 Corinthians 9:25 – Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

I am proud to say that I have lost 4 pounds recently. That is my temporary crown of glory. I know that the scales can move both ways depending on whether I follow my training or whether I indulge in the victory celebration.

Yesterday, I rode my bike with the youth in my church from Fleetwood to Todd. That’s about 10 miles of fairly flat lands. Although it was not what I would call strenuous it was not easy on my 54 year old body. With both a weak bladder and prostate problems it would have been easy to find a reason to quit. But, even though I came in last, I made it. I had so much fun that I want to go back and do it again soon.

But this morning I woke up with a sore toe and surprise, surprise, my butt hurts. I had some cramps last night and went to bed early cause I was tired. That same ride doesn’t seem as appealing today no matter how much fun I had. But as soon as my butt feels up to it I will be back out there.

I need to be out there doing. The only two ways to lose weight is to eat less and move more. I want to lose weight. I want to be comfortable in my clothes. I want to buy my clothes at the store and not the tent company (old joke between my wife and I). I want to go to the doctor and not have them make “that noise” when I stand on the scale. I want to walk into an ice cream shop with my grandson and not have them look at me with dollar signs in their eyes. So I will be out there.

Training is good for the physical body. But training is also good for our spiritual walk with the Lord. We have to stretch ourselves, get out of our comfort zone, learn new routines, practice, practice, practice. We need a good healthy diet of God’s word which is “sweeter than honey” and “satisfies my soul”. We need to talk with the master trainer in prayer. We need to be apart of the group who will hold us accountable and share in the victories and help in the trials.

There will be times in our spiritual training when we don’t want to do anything else. We will get sore and we will hurt.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard people tell me that they don’t go to church because they got hurt or because they “had a bad experience”. Although I am sympathetic to them I also want to tell them what my gym teacher used to tell me, “shake it off and get back out there”. We will have hurts in the church because we are all humans who sometimes make poor choices and make bad decisions. But we are also supposed to follow God and not people. I am sorry for you hurt, truly, but get your sore butt back in there and follow God’s training.

Prayer Thought: Dear Lord, You, Almighty God, wrote the play book. You know what it takes to make us strong in your will and your ways. Help us to follow your training and stretch our spiritual muscles. God, I am sorry for the times that I may have hurt my brothers and sisters by careless words or deeds. Help them today to get back into the game. Lord, help us keep our eyes on the prize. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray these things. Amen.

“I attend to my fitness. I go the gym every day and try to maintain my physical fitness; without that, it is tough to take challenges on the chess board.”
-Viswanathan Anand

“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Helping Each Other Grow – Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

I have to admit something to you. I have gained 25 pounds since moving to the mountains a little more than a year and a half ago. I have lots of excuses why: I didn’t like my weight loss group. It’s harder to run up mountains than on flat land. There are some really good cooks up here. Do you want fries with that? You betchya!

The truth of the matter is that I made too many concessions. I started to eat a lot more meat in my diet. I cheated and pigged out on fattening deserts. I started eating out a lot more, I stopped exercising.

My 81 year old father-in-law lives with us. He never said a word but every morning he would get up and go walking. Then he would get on the exercise bike. It was kinda a reminder of what I should be doing.

I was talking to a friend of mine about the situation and he said we should hold each other accountable. Ugh, I hate that word. It means giving someone permission to get in your face when you don’t do what is right. But it also means encouragement to do the right thing.

So I agreed. We text message each other several times a day asking each other if we are eating right and exercising. We tell each other what we are doing and not doing. We pray for each other as well.

I have been getting up early each day and walking or exercising. I am more conscious of what I am putting in my mouth. And I am praying and praising God more.

I was talking about this in our Bible Study group yesterday and someone asked me if I had ever thought of starting a group of people to walk and exercise with it. Out of the discussion more and more people are interested. We actually decided to use it as an outreach to our community. I am looking forward to developing this idea and seeing what comes of it.

Solomon, in all his wisdom, wrote in Proverbs 27 that as iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. I want to encourage you to find someone today who can help hold you accountable to the word of God and to getting yourself on track.

Prayer Thought: Dear Father, You are holy, awesome, and worthy of all my praise. I ask that you will send people into my life that will encourage me in my faith and in my weight loss efforts. I also asked that you will keep me humble enough to accept it when I need a swift kick in the seat of my pants. In the name of Christ I pray, Amen.

“If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.”
― Steve Maraboli

“You will only hold yourself accountable for goals you let others know about. Tell someone what your up to.”
– Sign in a gym.

I Believe in the Church – Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 –They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

I have to admit that I get a bit upset when I see an old church building converted into a fitness club, a brewpub, or restaurant. It’s not that there is anything holy or sacred about the building. It’s just a building… a piece of real estate where people used to gather to worship God.

I think about the songs of praise and worship that were raised to God in those buildings. I think about the people who sang them and the preachers who preached in the pulpit long since removed to make way for a salad bar or beer tap.

These building had a purpose that they fulfilled and have now been re-purposed for some other  use. I may not always care for how they are now being used but that is not my concern.

I am seeing a lot of churches that were once thriving and full now struggling to keep the doors open. My aunt was talking about how few there are attending their church. They barely raise enough money to pay the preacher and the light bill. The sad news is that they announced that if things keep going they will only survive another two years. I’m sure that sucked the joy out of any ambition that they had left in them.

Some people think that churches are dying because of the changing times. Some say that it is because people don’t have time for church. There are those who think there is no value in church. Some say that the church has outlived it’s purpose and needs to die.

I don’t believe any of that. I believe that the church is as relevant today as it was in the beginning when it started on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). I just believe that the message and the purpose has been lost and convoluted. We are good at coming together for an hour a week to worship. But we are missing the rest of the mission. The church has lost it’s value because it focused on the building and not the mission.

No, the building isn’t special. It is the people. They are Christ’s Ekklesia. They are the ones who are called out. They were called out by Jesus for a mission. The mission is to worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelize, and outreach. We were not called out to build buildings or care for property. We were called to take care of people.

There are churches that are thriving. There are churches that are growing. And there are churches that are doing incredible things in the name of the Lord. They don’t always meet in the traditional building. Sometimes they meet in outdoor pavilions, store-fronts, or even barns. Some of these churches build buildings that suit their purpose that don’t even look like the traditional church building.

My sister commented that my parent’s church doesn’t look like a church. It looks more like a movie theater or office complex. To their credit, they don’t act much like a traditional church either. Their bulletin is full of ministry opportunities. They meet in homes for growth groups. There are so many activities and opportunities during the week that the worship team actually has to have a special practice room just to get ready for Sunday because the auditorium is constantly being used.

But it’s not just about being busy and active and full. The people have opportunities to become disciples and grow in their faith, opportunities to get involved, opportunities to minister to the needs of others, and even opportunities to take missions trips to foreign countries. They freely share their faith with others. They don’t try to win them to the church but to help them build a loving relationship with Jesus Christ that inspires them to keep growing spiritually.

I believe in the church. I believe in God’s people. I believe it is time that we get serious and get back to the mission that we were given.

Prayer Thought: Oh Holy God, We praise you for who you. We thank you for your goodness. We worship you. Father, you have called us out and given us a purpose to our lives. We ask you to stir the spirit within us so that we may be united as we work together in love to fulfill this mission. Thank you, Lord. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fall Fell – Ecclesiastes 11:4

Ecclesiastes 11:4 – Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Fall weather came in quickly this week. Br-r-r-r! Just when I was getting back into the routine of daily exercise the temperature has to drop and the sky has to be so overcast.

But that, for me, is just an excuse. I have exercised in the cold, in the rain, in the snow, and even in the gloom. Not only that but I have exercise equipment in my basement. I also have a series of videos on DVD that I could use to workout. Isn’t it funny how we sometimes look for an excuse not to do the things we don’t really want to do!

The writer of Ecclesiastes sees right through our excuses. He tells us not to hesitate and not to let our hand be idle. Keep at it and you will work through it.

Sometimes we make excuses when it comes to God. It may be in our attendance at church or Bible study. It might even be in putting to work that which we have learned. It might be that we hesitate in telling someone about Jesus and make an excuse about “the timing wasn’t right.” We even make excuses when it comes to reading the Bible and praying.

In Luke 14, Jesus tells the parable about the great banquet and the invitation. People who were invited began making excuses. And Jesus concluded the story by saying “not one of those invited will taste of my banquet.”

It’s time to stop making excuses. I’m going to go exercise.

Prayer Thought: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for all the opportunities that you have given me. Help me to make the most of them and to stop making excuses. Who am I fooling anyway. You are the God who sees my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don’t Bring Me Down! – Romans 15:2

Romans 15:2 – Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) used to sing a song entitled, “Don’t Bring Me Down”. I must admit that I used to think they were singing, “Don’t bring me down, Bruce.” And I wondered what Bruce had done to get them so frustrated, especially since the song is about a girl who is acting all uppity. The real word is “Grroosss”.

Isn’t it funny how easy it is for people to bring other people down. The other day, I asked someone how they were feeling and then commented that they didn’t look to good. I meant it out of concern since the fellow has been having some health problems. Although I didn’t mean to do it I brought him down and made him feel even worse (Sorry, friend). “Don’t bring me down, Grroosss!”

Then the other day someone did something to me. I was feeling really good about a song I sang in church a few weeks back because it had a great message. I will be the first to admit that my singing and guitar playing are not the best. But someone told me that I should stick to what I do best. Now I am afraid to do anything because I am not really sure what I do best. “Don’t bring me down, Grroosss!”

We went through a beautiful revival with a speaker who challenged us to get off the pews and get out in the streets. Unfortuantely, as I high as I was feeling about the power of that revival there are some who have chosen to fuss and complain about it. “Don’t bring me down, Grroosss!”

Sometimes we do mean it to hurt. We say something hasty or out of sorts and then it’s too late to take it back. Feelings are hurt and that can cause bitterness and mistrust. “Don’t bring me down, Grroosss!”

It only takes a few quick words to knock someone off their weight loss journey. Some people think they are being supportive by saying things like, “You can go back on your diet tomorrow” or “One little piece won’t hurt”. Both statements are true but you don’t know how hard it was to get to that point in weight loss. It takes a strong mind set on doing right to keep on focus. But once you slip it is often hard to get your mind set back again.

We are supposed to be working together in the kingdom to bring others to Christ and His glory. But often we are distracted by petty bickering and ill feelings towards others. Some times it’s just sharing our opinion about something we should keep to ourselves. “Don’t bring me down, Grroosss!”

This should not be so. The Bible tells us over and over again to be humble and to build others up. Don’t let your pride get in the way and bring someone down.

Let’s work to build each other up!

Prayer Thought: Dear Heavenly Father, Please fill my mouth with worthy stuff and nudge me when I’ve said enough. I want to honor you with my words. I pray that you will help me to build others up instead of tearing them down. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

At The Church Buffet – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

1 Thessalonians 5:19 – Do not quench the Spirit.

Sometimes we look at church as being a big buffet. We come to church with our plates and we heap on the things we like and avoid the things we don’t like. The problem is we get so much of the fun things and and neglect the areas of our life that really need attention and require a bit of work. We become spiritually malnourished. We only allow Jesus to be Lord of some areas of our life and keep others back from him.

Some of us even come to the buffet with our plates already full. There is little room left for Jesus on our plate anyway. The remaining space is filled with the gravy of church: the fattening stuff that gives flavor to our lives but doesn’t promote spiritual growth or obligation to God. Our lives are filled with so much activity. There are school events, job related activities, friends, hobbies, and even yard work that takes precedence over our involvement at church.

Francis Chan wrote in his book, “The Forgotten God”, that entertainment has become the model for church. “…and while it alleviated some of our boredom for a couple of hours of a week, it filled our churches with self-focused consumers rather than self-sacrificing servants attuned to the Holy Spirit.” In essence, we have neglected Paul’s admonishment not to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit.

I am one of those persons who sees God’s hand in just about everything. I can not go to the buffet and pick and choose. I want a nutritious, well-rounded meal of God in my diet. I want to see what God can do with every aspect of my life.

Don’t get me wrong. This can be very painful at times. There are areas that we all have where that we hide from God. We don’t do things “the Jesus Way” in every aspect of our lives. But I want to open all my life up to him. I want to allow him to meddle in every thing I do.

I have invited God’s spirit to be a part of my weight loss journey. And I have been surprised by the times that the spirit has convicted me of bad habits and areas of hidden sin that have propagated my weight problem. It isn’t easy to listen when God convicts you but it does help you to grow to be the person God has called you to be.

The hardest prayer I have ever prayed was “God, please feel free to interrupt my day.” The reason is that when God gets involved in your day you will find your whole schedule change. You will see areas of your life exposed. You will experience more needy people. You will be so busy your head spins… and there is not “me time” when you ask God to interrupt your day. No it’s “us time” from now on. But this is the prayer I need to pray daily.

One of the things that I have had to do since being on my weight loss journey is to avoid buffets. I have little control, no matter how hard I mentally prepare. I eat too much and I make poor choices. It doesn’t do well for me to go to such a place.

The church is not a buffet. Yes, there are a lot of activities, study opportunities, fellowship events, and missions and service opportunities. They are provide for you to get involved with so that you can get a well-rounded diet of God’s spirit so that you will grow to be the man or woman that God has called you to be.

I believe that a person who genuinely wants to grow spiritually should start with a prayer asking God to lead them to the right activities and to people who can encourage them to grow.

Dear Lord Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, I praise you for your infinite wisdom and for the gift of your Holy Spirit. God, I want to be a self-sacrificing servant and not just a self-focused consumer. Help me to grow in my spiritual walk with you. Thank you for Jesus in whose name I pray, Amen.

Spirit of the Living God
Author: Daniel Iverson (1926) and Michael Baughen (1982)

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, move among us all;
make us one in heart and mind, make us one in love:
humble, caring, selfless, sharing.
Spirit of the living God, fill our lives with love.

The first step – Joshua 1:7

Joshua 1:7 -“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” This is an old proverb that has a deep implication. We often look at overwhelming task and dismiss them rather quickly because we don’t believe we can accomplish them. That first step is too hard because we can’t envision being able to take the last step. Doubts fill our mind because we don’t believe we have the will, the strength, the knowledge, the wisdom, or ability to complete the task.

I image that is what the people of Israel may have thought when they crossed the Jordon into Canaan. This was the land that God had promised. It was vast. It had beautiful hills and mountains. There were streams and plenty of water. There was land ideal for raising crops and animals. It had a coastline so that they could fish and trade. It was indeed “a land flowing with milk and honey.” And God gave it to them.

But it was occupied. The people there were strong and huge. It was even reported that “giants” had occupied the land. They had strongholds and fortified cities. And they had pagan gods. They couldn’t simply go in and settle. They had to drive the people out first. And that seems like an overwhelming and impossible task.

These were God’s people. They had seen God work in the wilderness. He lead them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. He gave them manna to eat in the wilderness. He protected them from enemies. On two occasions he brought water from a stone. He had made the bitter waters drinkable with just an old piece of wood. God had brought them through some really tough task just getting from Egypt to Canaan. Now he was going to show them his power again.

But they had to be willing to take the first step. God told Joshua not to be afraid but keep walking in the same law and commands you’ve been walking. Obedience is one of the key’s to God’s blessing. Yes, there are times he blesses us in spite of ourselves. But most of the time he ties obedience in to the positive affirmation of his blessings. Obey God and the blessings will follow.

It’s hard not to step off the path he has laid before us. We might think we see a better way so we step to the left. We might be afraid of what lies ahead so we step to the right. But God has asked us to obey and to stay on the path. We we do we will be amazed at the results.

In my weight loss journey I have to say my first step was to realize that I could not do it alone and that I needed God. The second step was that I also needed help. I was afraid of failure. I was afraid of facing my own demons. I was afraid but I followed the plan.

In my life I have found that following God’s way always leads to incredible blessings. Following my own path often leads to disappointment, heart-break, and needless suffering.

My spiritual walk with Jesus often leads me to task that seem big and impossible. But God doesn’t ask us to evaluate and calculate the probabilities of success or failure. He asks us obey and follow.

That first step of the journey starts with prayer.

Dear Lord God Almighty, Why do I spend so much time calculating the odds and filling myself with worry or doubt. You can accomplish all things. Help me to trust and obey. I want to follow your path whether it may be in my weight loss or in my daily life. I want you to guide me and show me the way to accomplish the impossible. I praise you for your power, wisdom, and your mercy. Forgive me for stepping to the right or left and lead me in the path of your righteousness. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray, Amen.

Trust and Obey
as sung by Big Daddy Weave

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will
He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay
For the favor He shows
For the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey

Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

Lord, I love You
Please help me to trust and obey
Lord, I love You
Please help me to trust and obey

Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey

Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

Lord, I love You
Please help me to trust and obey
Lord, I love You
Please help me to trust and obey

Lord, I love You
Please help me to trust and obey