“However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterwards they will go out with many possessions.” (Genesis 15:14 HCSB)
“They will give an account to the One who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5 HCSB)

A thought popped into my head one morning a couple years ago as I prepared oatmeal for breakfast. Is G-d an impartial judge?

The previous year I served on a jury. I, along with eleven other jurors, determined the guilt of a man accused of several crimes. We listened intently as various pieces of evidence, both for and against the defendant, were carefully put before us. We even watched a video of the arrest. Then deliberated, which means we discussed the evidence to determine the defendant’s guilt or innocence. The man’s guilt or innocence lay in our hands.

In this trial, the judge acted neither for nor against the defendant; he acted impartially. The judge followed legal protocols and standards in the conduct of the trial. If the either prosecuting attorney or defendant’s attorney objected to what the other attorney said, the judge decided if the statement was eligible for our consideration. What the judge did not do was to decide the outcome of the trial. He did not determine guilt or innocence. He arbitrated between the defense and the prosecution, gave instructions to the jury, and followed standards set by our laws. This was a typical trial, as held throughout our United States.

Trials are not conducted in this manner in all countries. And during the time of our Messiah’s bodily Earthly visit and during the times of the first apostles, a judge did, indeed, determine the outcome of a case—even determining if a person accused of a crime would live or die. A citizen of Rome, during those times, could appeal the decision, however, and another might overturn it. An example of this is Paul’s appeal to Caesar, and his subsequent journey to Rome. But generally, the role of judge meant determining guilt or innocence, and appropriate punishment, including death, as penalty for guilt. Judges didn’t simply go on the word of the accuser or the accused, but heard witnesses also. Witnesses then had to be trusted for their accurate testimony. It is clear from our scriptures that false accusation, giving false witness, is a terrible wrong and punishable in itself.

So in today’s scripture in Genesis, G-d is the judge of nations. Of this Matthew Henry wrote: “Though God may suffer persecutors and oppressors to trample upon his people a great while, yet he will certainly reckon with them at last; for his day is coming, Psa_37:12, Psa_37:13.” G-d judges the nations based upon their performance as He observes. G-d is the witness and judge and jury. And in Peter, we are told that individuals will give account to G-d for their actions and acts and the evil they say against G-d’s people­—which is slander. Peter is saying that G-d’s people are being accused of being evil. As Matthew Henry wrote: “they speak evil of their persons, of their way, their religion, and their God.”

Is G-d impartial? As I looked into these things, the answer is no longer particularly important to me. What is important is what I’ve learned by looking into the Word and thinking about judging and judgment. Some points are clear: 1) G-d judges nations; 2) G-d judges people; 3) G-d uses a perfect standard—His Standard; 4) G-d’s people have come out of the world by their faith, and are covered by the blood of Y’shuaJesus in the final judgment–being made righteous with Messiah, through Messiah.

Thank You, Lord Y’shuaJesus, Messiah. Bless us, Keep us, Shine upon us. Amen

“And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.” (Acts 14:13 ESV)

At a pastors conference at which I attended in Lake Tahoe, California, some years ago, a music minister spoke about Christian musicians that, after some years of performing, found themselves well apart from G-d, many falling into trouble. He said that it is the very crowd of followers that surround musician that contribute to this fall. The music minister went on to say that as artists, we are obligated to give all glory to G-d. He said that artists tend to listen to the adulation of the audience, and take a little glory upon them. This they do to their downfall.

Now take a look at how Paul handled things. In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas preached in Lystra, and a miracle occured. The crowd immediately decided Paul and Barnabas were gods. Paul kept his cool, diverting the developing situation, and at the same time shifting the glory to G-d, away from the two of them. Paul’s cry was “We are men also. . .” I think one of Paul’s greatest asset was his ability to keep things in perspective. He played well the balancing act of allowing himself to feel appreciated while also remembering his humanity, his mortality.

It seems to me the type of failure the music minister spoke of can and does happen to pastors, evangelists, teachers, any one who serves G-d in any capacity, even those closet prayer warriors. Any time we begin to think we are doing some good, we are subject to an inflated ego, to pride, to ruin. Yes, G-d works through us and does really amazing things. But let us always remember that G-d can speak through a donkey. He is the potter, we are the clay. With all those great rewards, like little pins in our hats, let’s remember Who enabled us to attain them. And when we meet the Lord Y’shuaJesus face to face, let us remember to knell and lay at His feet the rewards He won for us. Let us remember our Lord Y’shuaJesus is G-d, and we are humans after all.

And I pray the Love of Messiah be in your heart and seen in your eyes, and that your remember it is, after all, His love in you. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . . until we next meet.

“He said to him, ‘Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it.’” (Zechariah 2:4 HCSB)

A few years ago, my uncle accepted a temporary work assignment to Washington, D.C., the capitol of the United States. He rented a small apartment in which to live while working, not wanting to move his family from California. When the United States’ President was to be inaugurated, the nation’s capitol swelled in numbers. My uncle flew into Washington the day of the inauguration. He was able to get a subway ticket that allowed him access to the city, but was too late to be allowed to get off at the Capitol Mall for the inauguration; there were already enough people, and it was closed. Even having a residence in Washington didn’t get him to the inauguration.

We’ve all heard about Joseph and Mary being turned away from countless hotels in Bethlehem prior to the birth of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. There was “no room in the inn” that night. Some day soon Y’shuaJesus will return to Earth and there will be a great feast, to which we’ve all been invited. How many can come and sit at the table with our Lord? How many will fit in the room. How many will fit in the city of Jerusalem on that occasion?

Haven’t you at least once wondered about getting to Heaven’s gate, only to have it close right in front of you, with someone saying, “Sorry, all filled up.”

There are people who might not even try to get to the gate, not want to wait in line. We’ve all heard the expression “there’s no room for sinners in Heaven.” Occasionally in movies, characters will say something like, “Heaven wouldn’t want me!” You know Y’shuaJesus loves sinners, just hates the sin; they obviously don’t.

Another way to look at it is from the perspective of a person convinced he or she must do something to gain access to the Lord. Isn’t there a bit of legalism left in all of us? How disappointed one becomes when the reality of the situation sets in: no matter how hard we try on our own, we can’t do enough to earn the right to enter through the gates, to sit at the table with our Lord at The Feast.

Zechariah spoke to a people rebuilding the temple, rebuilding Jerusalem, restoring worship of G-d. It was long, hard work, and often might have seemed futile to continue. Things didn’t appear to be going well. So Zechariah, a priest and prophet, relays some encouragement to the people. His encouragement is for us, too. There is no limit of the number of people that Jerusalem can hold. It is to be without walls. G-d, Himself, will surround His people, offering the protection and containment they need, and always able to expand so that another Believer may enter.

We Gotta Be There! And we will. We will overcome the odds, by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, that we believe the Lord Y’shuaJesus.

Lord Bless, Keep, and Shine, in and through us today and throughout.

“The servant said to him, ‘Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I have your son go back to the land you came from?’ ” (Genesis 24:5 HCSB)

Daniel Britt and Friends is a radio show in which Daniel interviews Southern Gospel singers and groups, and plays their songs. In one show, Daniel played a song about being willing to follow. The artist commented about getting various ideas from comments he hears people make. Certain words or phrases grabbed the artist, and a song is born. One story told illustrated a variation this process. The artist heard a group rehearsing what he heard as the phrase, “Let Him rain!” He commented to the other singer that he liked that thought. He was then informed that the song was “Let Him Reign!” At that point, in this artists mind, a song idea was born, leading him to sing of G-d’s Spirit raining upon us during various times of our lives.

It is similar for me, in that I hear a song or a phrase from a song, and I am led to study or write about it. One of the songs featured that day by Daniel Britt made mention of following our Lord. I tossed around ideas of willingness to follow Y’shuaJesus. I thought about times when I’d yield my will, accepted what I believe is the will of the Lord, and prepared myself to follow, finding later I was not actually be required to go in that direction. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, though wasn’t required to actually follow through—not that I’ve faced choices like Abraham’s, for sure.

I did a word search in my Bible on “follow.” I thought I might find some instances of Y’shuaJesus telling us about following, and perhaps who or what not to follow. I came first to Genesis and Abraham’s sending off a servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. A passage grabbed me, and I read the story of the servant finding Rebekah, and leading her to Isaac. The story intrigues me; it is filled with inspiration, hope, and life. I marveled at the dialogue between Abraham and his servant. His servant needs to clarify what he is to do if the woman won’t come back with him. Abraham answers simply, confidently, that G-d has given this land to him and his descendents, so Isaac is not to leave it. Furthermore, Abraham declares that the Lord will send an angel before. I marvel that Abraham just knew what was to happen, and exercised his faith with out wavering.

G-d is mighty in His ways, though they are mysterious to me. Yet G-d’s servants can know His will and have confidence in His ability to affect the outcome that He desires, that He wills.

Oh, Lord, not our will, but Your will be done on Earth! Enable us to follow where You lead, and exercise faith and confidence in the doing.

Lord Bless, Keep, and Shine upon you and through you. AMEN!

“Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your advancement and joy in the faith. . .” (Philippians 1:25 HCSB)

Paul wrote to the Philippine Church. He longed to be with the Lord and wanted to share that longing with them. I imagine Paul looked around at the world and wanted to run, not walk, to be with Y’shuaJesus. Paul had good company in this longing. King David knew the longing, he tasted it and acknowledged that being a doorkeeper in the Heavenly Temple of the LORD is better than being a king on Earth. It is a constant yearning to be with our LORD. David also wrote:

“I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the LORD and seeking Him in His temple.” (Psalms 27:4 HCSB)

This dwelling in house of the LORD of which David here speaks is both a spiritual dwelling and a future physical dwelling with G-d. David wanted to build a grand temple for G-d here on Earth. G-d said no. It didn’t stop David from planning and preparing for it. And all the while he remained on Earth, I believe David considered the spiritual dwelling with G-d only a shadow of the physical dwelling, and certainly he yearned to dwell with the LORD physically.

The longing, the yearning, of which both David and Paul and many others felt is a desperate thirst and hunger for righteousness, truth, justice, and peace. They know it comes only from G-d through a Messiah. The Messiah is Y’shuaJesus. The intensity of this yearning is satisfied in one of two ways. First, we can leave our mortal shell and rise to be with the LORD. Second, we may be here to see the Lord Y’shuaJesus return to Earth to reign as King.

We live in a tumultuous time. First, we are offered substitutes for Messiah’s Peace. The job of advertising is to make us believe that products produced will satisfy the deep longings within us. We are inundated with short, catchy slogans that make us think we will be better people, more satisfied, more at peace, if we just become someone different, either through products or services. Second, there are people who are misleading us into believing that they will help us achieve the peace and harmony for which we yearn, with out waiting for our Messiah. Y’shuaJesus warned that many would come trying to deceive us. Matthew quotes Y’shuaJesus:

“False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance.” Matthew 24:24.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘Peace and security. . .” (1Thes 5:3)

Look, I’d love to see peace and prosperity on this Earth. G-d made a beautiful world for us to enjoy. But regardless of what you or I may want, or even what so false teachers are saying, we are not going to have peace and harmony on this Earth until Y’shuaJesus returns to create it for us. We have a corrupt world. I think both King David and Apostle Paul understood that through sin, the world is corrupt. We just aren’t going to fix it. That doesn’t mean we stop trying to live righteous and just lives. Like Paul, we can make a choice to work with others for their advancement and joy in the faith:

“Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your advancement and joy in the faith. . .” (Philippians 1:25 HCSB)

And though evil continues to appear to reign, we patiently wait, enduring the yearning, until we leave this Earth or Y’shuaJesus returns. And when Y’shuaJesus returns to Earth, He’s not coming as a small baby wearing a diaper. He won’t ride a donkey again, either. He comes with sword, rides a white horse. He comes not to be a suffering servant, but to be our King. He alone will bring true peace, the Shalom of the LORD.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7 HCSB)

A song played on the radio, catching my attention: “While I’m Waiting,” by John Waller. I didn’t catch all the words, and I didn’t write out the ones I did. One segment dealt with service, another with joy. That’s all I recall of the song, and I haven’t heard it since. I’ve thought quite a bit about this topic, though, which seems to present itself to me occasionally. I can get anxious, thinking that I’m doing too little here on Earth. In such times I take solace from James’s encouragement to “be patient until the Lord’s coming.” Take it easy on myself, let the Spirit enliven me, prompt me, into the action He desires.T

There are also times I’m overwhelmed, feeling assaulted, even abused. “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed,” wrote Paul (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 HCSB). In verse 16, we read: “Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” I suppose that isn’t encouraging, but at least Paul is saying there are greater things at work within me, things that count eternally: The Spirit works within me to renew me, prepare me. Thank G-d for His Word, a lamp and a light. Through His Word I see my feet to avoid stumbling; I see ahead as the path winds away toward our Heavenly goal.

One morning, I read in a devotional reading by Charles Spurgeon, “It is no marvel, then, if I who live the life of Jesus, should be unknown and a stranger here below. Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an alien.” It’s like we are all visitors in a foreign country and for the moment are not able to get home. To relate it practically to my analytical brain side, I think of the time I traveled from my home in the U.S. to Siberia. There were two languages spoken in Ulan-Ude, one for the indigenous people, the Buriyates, and the Russian, for those descendents of exiled Russians. I spoke neither. I did have an English-speaking person that helped me around. And I had a return flight booked in advance. But what if I’d landed there and found I was stuck there until called to go home? What would I do?

Perhaps I’d find a guide book that would tell me of places to visit. There would be concrete examples of things I could do while waiting for “The Call.” I could hang out with the local people, learn the language, see what I might do as I fit in to their life. Being a foreign citizen, certainly I’d want to follow the prohibitions of my own culture, while respecting those of the local peoples. The activities in which I’d become involved would be a product of my own tastes, personality, and the interaction of the Spirit of G-d within me. For me, who loves to explore, loves to meet people, to interact, there would be plenty to do. I probably wouldn’t read all that much in a guide book; rather, I’d do a lot of wandering around on my own, see what I can see, discovering things for myself without the preconceived notions of what someone else saw and wrote about. But that’s me.

Not all of us have the same built-in temperament, the same personality. What we do, individually, while we wait to go home to Heaven, is a product of who we are, who we are willing to be with the Spirit’s work, and who our Creator wants us to be. There are some general guide lines, to be sure. For instance, Paul exhorts us to excel in everything: faith; speech; knowledge; diligence; love; and in all things be generous. (2 Cor 8:7) James tells us he’ll show us his faith through his action. We are to do all things for the glory and praise of G-d. Y’shuaJesus tells us to make disciples of all people. How we display our faith, how we make disciples, how we love, is a product of our spirit in cooperation with the Spirit of the Living G-d.

Even as individual personalities, we who have accepted the Lordship of Y’shuaJesus, are family. We are the people of the Messiah. We are The Church. While individually we differ, corporately, as a people, we are one in the Lord. We can come together, as family, in worship and adoration of our Lord. We come together to encourage one another in our individual ways, in our unique lives and paths. We who have been sealed, have our names written in the Book of Live, are one people in Messiah Y’shuaJesus.

I pray for patience as I wait on Earth­: patience toward myself for I’m a work in progress; patience in you, for you’re a work in progress too. If you want to stroll through the market in AnyCity of the this Earth, that’s okay. Maybe I’ll ride a bus south, to a place on a beach just to see who is there, and what’s there for me. But when we come together, even if I pray in English and you in Igbo or Spanish or Hindi, we praise, we worship, the One, the Only, Father of all, Father of our Lord Y’shuaJesus, in the power and unity of the Holy Spirit.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1 ESV)

On morning, while preparing my son’s breakfast, he signed a form he needed to take with him to school. He said, “I don’t like cursive.” This prompted me to talk about signatures being in cursive, or script, as simply convention. I told him that forms often have a line for printed name and a line for signature. I went on to say that I supposed a signature could be a printed name. Why not? Convention or law? I related the case of e.e.cumming, a poet who chose to use an unconventional way to display his name, without using capitol letters. I went on to tell my son, “I suppose some clerk somewhere could say to you, if you printed your name on the signature block, that it is not a signature. Is it really necessary to sign your name in cursive? I wonder if it is some law somewhere. Perhaps it’s not just convention as I’d said.”

“It’s a bit like the Gospel,” I went on to say. I told my son that the Gospel has been interpreted by people throughout our Christian history, and then made into some religious law that seemingly must be observed. At this point, I knew what I was doing. I was connecting the dots to make mental a picture I wanted my son to see. We’d begun discussing signatures, but now were on to things that Y’shuaJesus taught, and how traditions and conventions flowed from them. I concluded the lesson quickly, for sometimes with teenagers it’s better to plant a seed than a whole garden, giving some guidance about looking at the whole of what Y’shuaJesus taught, along with the circumstances in which His teaching occurred.

I suppose this was all on my mind while reading Acts 15. Here we are with Paul and Barnabas when “some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!’ ” (Acts 15:1) This chapter deals with Paul and Barnabas engaging in serious argument and debate, traveling to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders and consider the matter, and finally reaching a conclusion that would prompt a letter to Gentiles explaining the views of the apostles on the matter.

One thing that struck me as I read this chapter is that the letter begins with “Because we have heard that some to whom we gave no authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts. . .” It was important for the apostles to clarify their position on these matters. It was important for the believing Gentiles to understand this position.

One conclusion that I arrived at, one lesson I desire to impart to my son, is that regardless of who comes to teach us, to demand of us adherence to some law that applies conditions to our salvation, we are to seek the guidance of the true authority on the matter. Since the Apostles are no longer here in this world, we must follow the led of the Spirit of G-d, looking into the Word of G-d, drawing conclusions for ourselves. We must work out our own salvation! And no doubt we do so with great reverential fear and trembling.

Let us seek the Lord, while He may be found. Let us gather together in one voice, in harmony, in the Spirit, rejoicing, praising, awaiting the second coming of our King. He comes with sword! He brings true peace! Hallelujah!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“. . .they were looking intently into the heaven. . .” (Acts 1:10 MKJV)

We looked, last time, briefly into victory. We are eternally victorious. Also, we are mandated to live victoriously today. On a daily basis, we must remember our home is in heaven and that we are bound there. Likewise, we must daily gaze intently, into Heaven. For as Luke writes in Acts, the angels told the disciples Y’shuaJesus will come in the same manner in which they watched Him depart.

This gazing into Heaven with intent is intentional living, intentional victory. As we rise in the morning, we have an opportunity to think though all we desire to accomplish during the day. We can choose to submit this in prayer to our Lord, and accept His will, His way, throughout our day. As we step through our plan with our Lord, we prepare ourselves to meet obstacles too. As we go about our day, we choose to be one who will not be defeated, to be one who overcomes. In a way, we are like the child’s inflatable toy that is round on the bottom, and weighted, and can’t be knocked down. It rolls over nearly touching the ground as a child hits it, but it pops right back up. It occurs to me that like that toy, victorious living is flexible living. We are intent upon Messiah throughout our day.

While driving throughout America, meeting people, talking to people, I meet many who seemed to rise above the inevitable difficulties thrust upon them. I also met many who seemed to live in constant defeat. There’s a slogan among truckers who pull flatbed trailers that says “Get ‘er done!” It is an attitude. It is a way of life. Sore muscles from hard work the previous day don’t stop a driver with this attitude. The driver gets up in the morning and gets going. Some days it feels like it just isn’t worth it at all. Traffic, weather, police checkpoints, all contribute to a sense of hopelessness that easily creeps into a driver’s mind. But a driver with a victorious attitude simply moves onward, one step at a time.

One thing I noticed that separated successful drivers from those that were defeated was in the way they would talk. The more a driver seemed to complain about circumstances and events, the more negative and defeated the driver’s life seemed to be. The more positive a driver’s attitude, the more the driver was able to “Get ‘er done,” the more prepared to succeed.

As people who follow Y’shuaJesus, we are in this world, and must face the same opportunities and difficulties as those who choose not to follow Y’shuaJesus. What we see in any circumstance, any event, is like the cliché of looking at a half-full cup of water as either half full or half empty. It’s all in attitude. It’s all in the way we look at things. How will you face your day? Will you see a glass half empty, like it’s nearly empty of water? Will you see it half full, like it’s nearly full? It’s your choice. Chose to live victorious, chose to live intently gazing toward Heaven for the coming of our Lord while always stepping forth, overcoming.

As Paul wrote, “Finally, brothers [and sisters], rejoice. Perfect yourselves; encourage yourselves; mind the same thing; be at peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 MKJV)

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“Who is this who speaks, and it occurs, when the Lord does not command it?”
(Lamentations 3:37 MKJV)

The following, written a few years ago, seems an appropriate reminder that G-d is in control, though not always sensed:

By command of the Lord things happen. If it wasn’t commanded, it wouldn’t have happened—it can’t happen.

Several weeks before Easter I submitted a “Home Time” request to the company for which I drive truck. I intended to be home a week before Easter and through that Easter weekend. It didn’t happen that way, however.

I delivered early on Friday, the week before, hoping to be routed home at least by Monday. Monday came and nearly went before my load came over the communications system; I was to load pipe on Tuesday bound for Oklahoma City. Not only was it 500 miles short, it was in the wrong direction!

“Okay, LORD, let’s see what Your going to do.” But things weren’t looking too good. Fifteen trucks from my company were headed to the same place, at the same time. All of us would be hoping for load assignments after we delivered.

I loaded the pipe, had a short conversation with another driver, and headed out. I slept in the truck parking area at the pipe yard, arriving a few hours before the fellow I’d spoken to in Houston. In the morning, we were unload first, being first to arrive. Once unload, he suggested breakfast at a truck stop near by while we waited for loads.

We had a nice breakfast, and both of us were contacted to come to Tulsa, to the company terminal for dispatch from there. I dreaded going to Tulsa; it can take quite a while to get a load from there and it was already mid-day Wednesday.

Once in Tulsa, the other driver and I started talking again. This time I told him that I had some “Road Home” Truckers’ New Testiments, and said I’d like to give him one. His eyes teared a bit and he said “I knew you were a Christian!” I was a pastor, once. He told me his story of being ousted from the church for reasons I shant go, but beyond his control, and for nothing he, himself, did. Now he knew that God was prompting him to return to his relationship with Him.

I sat in Tulsa another day while loads went out to places near my home area, wondering if I’d been lost in the shuffle. Finally, late Thursday, I received a dispatch to a town 200 miles short of my home, for delivery after Easter. I couldn’t believe it. “LORD! What Now?”

I hooked up the pre-loaded trailer and headed out. As I prayed I began to believe I could arrive at the delivery site before it opened in the morning. I prayed that God would ensure that it would have the staff to unload me on Friday. I prayed I’d be able to drive all night safely, without incident.
I arrived around four in the morning, climbed into my sleeper bunk, and fell asleep. At eight o’clock, when the plant opened, I went to the office. “Thank You, LORD, I can unload today.”

Once unloaded, I went to a nearby truck stop, ate a nice breakfast, then slept for several hours before leaving empty for home. I mulled over the whole affair. I realized, more than I’d like to admit, I fretted quite a bit about getting home for Easter. What went wrong? Why were things so difficult sometimes?
The answer came quickly in the form of a remembrance of something written to a dear friend. I’d said that I was out here experiencing the things that truckers go through to better be able to empathize with them. It is one part of my assignment to be directed to the very place that I “run into someone” and present a Bible; it is another to experience the lifestyle of the trucker.

Through this experience I truly understand how little my faith is, how little my trust in God’s care and faithfulness. Even in the unpleasant experiences, God’s there. In Jesus, nothing that I “suffer” He hasn’t’ in much greater measure.

I also came to understand that things progress in small steps. I’m not superman; I don’t leap tall buildings. I can climb the stairs one step at a time. I learn to trust. I learn to have faith. I learn. One Step At A Time! Thank You, Lord Y’shuaJesus for understanding me and how I learn and grown. Thank You for drawing me to You even when I seem to resist. Thank You, My Teacher—Lord Y’shuaJesus Messiah.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“These were the potters and those who lived among plants and hedges. They lived there with the king for his work.” (1 Chronicles 4:23 MKJV)

Spurgeon once wrote: “Dwell ye with the King for his work, and when he writes his chronicles your name shall be recorded.”

Occasionally, I question what I’m doing, where I am in the Lord’s service. I wonder about direction. I question. G-d blesses me in so many ways. I see His work, and yet continue to wonder at my value. There I said it! Yes, that is the issue. Well, perhaps it is an issue, not just the issue.

I am blessed in my work, my life, but begin to wonder about my value in G-d’s service. There are triggers that push me into this sort of thinking, setting me to thinking about what I’m doing, where I’m going with that doing. Am I suppose to change my doing, change directions. Sometimes the triggers occur before a trial. Trials are experiencing the peaks and valleys in one’s walk with the Lord. They exist. For every valley and low point there is a green pasture with its high points on the other side.

Even in this ‘knowing,’ I seek to find if I’m where I am suppose to be, as if were the first low experienced. Now this isn’t such a bad thing to do, occasionally. It isn’t the questioning that is dangerous; it’s getting overly anxious, despairing, seeking other than G-d for guidance and approval.
Yes, approval. If I don’t feel of value, am I going to seek approval from people or activities that give me the illusion of value? If I do, I’m doomed to a swamp filled with alligators and lots of bugs. I don’t like bugs, especially the kind that bite and leave me with swollen spots that burn and itch.

Paul, in Athens, said, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is served with man’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life and breath and all things to all. And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling, to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:24-27 MKJV)

Questioning where I am, if I do right in what I’m doing, is not wrong. It is a normal response to an event or series of events. How I respond makes all the difference in my relationship with our Lord.
It is written, it is ordained, we are to “seek the Lord.” It will do no good to ignore the promptings to question, as if in some way this means we aren’t as spiritual as we would like to appear.

Once, some years ago, I attended a church that had an attitude of continuous rejoicing. But in the eyes of many people I saw something that contradicted their smiles, hand-waving worship, their rejoicing. It seemed to me they were pretending to have the Joy of the Lord, ignored there feelings. Perhaps they feared that they might be less spiritual if they admitted they were having a hard time, a bad day. The Psalms cry out praises of G-d’s work and faithfulness. But also they tell of troublesome times, times like our own. “You make us a strife for our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves.” (Psalms 80:6 MKJV) And this, as with all the Psalms, ends with promise and hope: “Turn us again, O LORD, the G-d of Hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved.”(Psalms 80:19 MKJV)

Just as ignoring issues, questions, isn’t the answer, seeking guidance before seeking the Lord is also quite destructive. Remember King Saul’s searching: “And Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium, at Endor.”(1 Samuel 28:7 MKJV)

Our situation isn’t the issue; our response is the point. Ignore the issue and create an emptiness that we try to fill in some way, opening us for addictions. Seek guidance not approved by G-d, and we will suffer the discontent like King Saul. Our response is to admit to the Lord our feelings, our thoughts. Are we not encouraged to take our thoughts captive to G-d? We seek the Lord.

I question my value. I understand I desire approval. I seek the Lord. And I wait upon the Lord for His way of showing me, telling me, holding me, approving of me.

Thank You, LORD! You, O LORD, our savior and redeemer, Who walks with us in our valleys and leads us to green pastures, fresh water, calming peace—Your Peace.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .