SPIRITUAL GPS

...My father, thou art the guide of my youth.
Jeremiah 3:4b

It's never been our fortune or misfortune to have a car with a GPS system. It isn't that I don't know much about one because I've been in the car with friends or family who do have one. I guess they serve their purpose, but have learned that GPS's could use a little more refining. I had one friend who got a new car and had trouble with the voice in her system...she couldn't get it to shut up. I was with another friend when she was told to make a left hand turn onto a one-way street...going the wrong way. We laughed at the time, but it could have really been a problem. For me, despite computer read outs and guidance systems in a car, just give me a good old road map or atlas containing route information in every state. I can remember the day when I could walk into any gas station and pick up a free road map. Those days are definitely a thing of the past.

However, we choose to get from one place to a distant place, we often need help unless we've made the same trip many times. My first trip alone to our Smoky Mountains was almost a nightmare. I was around 23 at the time and was pretty sure of where I was going. When in Tennessee, I decided to take some back roads to the mountains. I thought if I pointed my car east on a two-lane road that seemed to be going straight, that I'd get there. After all, my dad had often told me what a great sense of direction I had. After an hour of wandering, I pulled up to an old beat up gas station that had one pump. The pump looked age-wise like it could have been new in the 1940's, A middle-aged man was in a chair leaning against the front wall. He had his faded overalls on with a beat up straw hat on his head. As he approached my car (that was about out of gas at that point), I noticed he didn't have many teeth. I went through my “lostness” with him and he took pity. I didn't have an abundance of money and told him that. He let me pay half on the gas and let me know that I was a mighty long way from my destination. He got me going the right way.

Whether on a vacation or finding our way through a city to a new job, we need to arrive at our destination with some success. The same is even truer with the spiritual road we are traveling. We need God's guidance more than I think we realize. I like to think of this process as God's Pathway System. Where our car systems are handy and efficient most of the time, God's guidance will never fail. He knows every curve in the road, rural lane, expressway ramp, residential streets of our lives. There are no wrong turns with God. Our problem often is that with our turns and curves in life, we choose to go our own way and then wonder what happened. Jesus made a wonderful promise to His disciples in John 16:13a that is still in effect today. He said;

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth...

We have no excuse if we find ourselves driving into the ditches of life, spiritually speaking. We have truth, straight from God's Word that will guide us into right living, right spiritual direction. When we find ourselves having gone off the road of truth, the blame cannot be put at the feet of Jesus. He's given us all we need from His world.

Not only do we have the assurance of God's guidance in our lives, but this guidance isn't intermittent...come and go. He promises us His guidance on a continual basis. One place this is found in Scripture is in Isaiah 58: 11:

And the Lord shall guide thee continually,
and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones:
and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a
spring of water, whose waters fail not.

When Scripture tells us something God WILL do, we can believe it and stake our lives on it. people pay high prices for special doctors and counselors to give them advice and guidance. Depending on the expert, they may or may not be available for appointments when someone needs their help. God doesn't keep office hours. He is available to us every moment of every day.

One of best of all assurances in this special GPS is found in Psalm 48:14

For this God is our God forever and ever:
He will be our guide even unto death.

In that verse, we have a life-time guarantee of God's guidance. There isn't an automobile manufacturing company in the world that can give us that kind of guarantee on their GPS systems. God, however, is in a position to be with us anytime, anywhere with His guidance available through the Holy Spirit directing us through our Owner's Manual, His Holy Word.

Remember though, when He gives us the way to go and we decide otherwise, we will find ourselves in more ditches of life than can be imagined. “He leadeth me, o blessed thought...by His own hand, He leadeth me.”

Dear Father, help me to be teachable and responsive to every step You want me to take. Thank You for loving me even when I choose to go my own way. I'm so grateful for the direction of Your sweet Holy Spirit. I love You and thank You for loving me....Amen

Open My Eyes

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit
of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him:
The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope
of His calling, and what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints.
Ephesians 1:17,18

One of my girlfriends in junior high school got a pair of glasses. I went with her to pick them up and I suddenly fell in love...with glasses. I had never even had a pair of sun glasses that I can remember, but in that moment in that doctor's office, fell in love with glasses. I talked my Mother into letting me get my eyes examined, but was unhappy to learn my eyes were perfectly fine. That was my seventh grade year.

During my freshman year, I found I was really and truly having a problem seeing the chalk board (boy, is a piece of equipment lost in most of today's classrooms). I couldn't figure out the problem. I had long ago forgotten the eye doctor visit. After several weeks, I again mentioned it to my Mother and went for an eye check. My sight had really deteriorated in that two year period of time. It's just something that happens to folks of any age. From the day of receiving my new glasses to this day, I am a glasses wearer. I could have gone to contact lenses but just never have. I almost feel undressed if I don't have my glasses on.

Glasses serve any number of purposes. There are some occupations that require safety glasses to be worn. I have a pair of sunglasses prescribed by my eye doctor. Over the counter sunglasses are purchased by the thousands of people every day to block damaging sun rays. I have seen people of every age wearing glasses...even a two year old. Why? I don't know of a person living who wants to have problems seeing or who want to go blind.

There are diseases that attack eyes. I have macular degeneration in both eyes. I have monthly injections in my left eye to fend of the damage that can be done by that disease. There are other problems that can attack one's eyes and if it does, we want to do everything possible to to avert any eye damage.

I have to wonder how careful we are about our spiritual eye sight. If we are so careful to protect our physical eyesight, I have to wonder what measures we take in protecting our spiritual vision. Christians at one time or another may have “I” problems. These problems may come on slowly, hardly noticeable while some may come on us in quick fashion. Being a backslidden Christian isn't usually something that becomes a part of us overnight. It usually happens through spiritual negligence. In this condition, one's spiritual sight is dimmed. With this dimming can come a spiritual blindness to God's truth that is dangerous. So what are some things we can do keep our spiritual vision clear.

First and elementary, we have to keep our lenses clean. One thing I hate about glasses is how they can become dim from everyday use...dust, cooking, finger prints, etc. There are common ordinary things that can lessen our ability to see the things of God and they may be every day things...busyness, hobbies, jobs, children, etc. None of these things are necessarily wrong until they dim our spiritual vision.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth You have for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unlock and set me free.
Clara H. Scott

Then we must set our sight deliberately on the things of God. This is something that just happens. In this area, we must set out to have spiritual vision. Spiritual growth isn't just going to happen. These summer months are among the most dangerous for Christians where anything spiritual is concerned. Vacations, uncomfortable weather conditions and anything else that is different in these summer months from the other nine. I hasten to add that for some Christians, some of these spiritual sight problems may be problematic all twelve months of the year

Along with distractions comes a laxity in personal spiritual routine. Bible reading may become almost non-existent along with praying on a regular basis. Church attendance may go by the wayside. It's through these things we keep our spiritual lens clean and clear. A part of this clearing of vision is protecting our sight. There are things we should determine we aren't going to look at or participate in. This is tough in a world full of temptation and evil. God has promised His power to we believers in facing those things Satan throws our way.

My prayer:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

In Jesus precious name...Amen

The Proverbial Heart

Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1

In March I had to go to the Emergency Room because of a reaction to an antibiotic. This happened to me several years ago so knew what was done there in a brief time and was sent home. It just wasn't going to happen that way this time. I had an ER doctor, overly aggressive insisting I had been the victim of a heart attack and he was going to admit me to the hospital. To be honest, I was fit to be tied. I knew I was probably about ten miles away from having a heart attack. It was proved after three days and a heart catheterization that I had beautiful, not damaged heart arteries.

Despite that experience, nothing can diminish my interest in hearts, especially hearts I have found in the book of Proverbs. Much is said in that book about various conditions of our spiritual hearts that might do us well to look at...a kind of heart checkup that won't hurt any of us to review. Let's look at some of the heart conditions, spiritual in nature, that can afflict us if we aren't careful.

Heart That Rejects Reproof (Correction)

And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof. 5:12

We don't like to be corrected. Sometimes it's because of pride or can be because we are on the defensive. However, we learn from correction. It may come in a direct way, by learning from another person's example or through experience of trial and error. The heart of humility will accept reproof as coming from the Holy Spirit through another source.

Heavy Heart

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. 12:25

This is the person who is depressed or filled with anxiety. Very often it can be noticed that when one is “down” even their posture can be different. The answer is twofold. Dn't worry about something you CAN do something about...just do it. Then don't worry about anything you CAN'T do anything about. See Philippians 4:6

Indiscriminate Heart

The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. 15:2

Even the word “heart” isn't mentioned in this verse, we know that our words come from the heart. This is the person who usually knows the latest gossip and might not hesitate to spread it around. This person is one of betrayal and hasn't learned the importance of discretion and knowing what and what not to say. All of us must remember that everyone has a “best friend.” Even an innocent slip of the tongue can cause great damage.

Proud Heart

An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. 21:4

Most people struggle in this area and it often is recognized for what it is. The proud person is one who is unteachable. Many times, the prideful attitude can be seen in one's face or even in some bodily movements. Pride is that wall that is erected that keeps us from sweet fellowship with God. It's a wall we have to take down. It's not a wall God will tear down for us. Pride was evident in the children of Israel who murmured and complained against God. God brought judgment on them for such behavior. God hates pride. It will keep us from being all God wants us to be.

However, all is not lost. In Proverbs, we also receive some great encouragement

Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life.
4:23

For as he thinketh in his heart,
so is he....
23:7a

The Bible is our EKG. It will reveal to us all areas of spiritual heart trouble. It also gives us good “how to” information in remedying any spiritual heart problems we may have. For our main solution in this area, Psalm 119:11 gives us some great advice:

Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
That I might now sin against thee.

God will never leave us without answers. He loves us down into the very heart of each of us. He desires us to be clean and pure of heart as we see in Psalm 24:3,4

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who shall stand in His holy place?
He that hath clean hands. And a pure heart;
who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully.

Dear Jesus, only because of what You did in dying for each of us can we ever hope to be pure of heart as you were. Holy Spirit, keep convicting and teaching us from Your Word, helping us stay on track. In the precious name of Jesus....Amen

MIRRORS

“Mirror, mirror on the wall...who is fairest of them all.” 
 

I believe this came from a fairy tale, but never did I see that in full bloom like I did on one particular day. It was the first day of junior high school. Former sixth grade girls came together from four and an out of town school came together for their first day of seventh grade. When I got there prior to the first class, I was shocked. It seemed that all of those girls had congregated in the bathroom that was a good size room. Over several sinks was one long mirror on the wall. Girls were pushing here and there to look in the mirror in order to put their last curl in place or to put makeup on they hadn't worn much of until that day. That mirror was of vital importance on that day and other days as well. That mirror became a real security item for vulnerable girls away from grade school for the first time who felt they were suddenly someone different than they had been at the end of sixth grade.

When trying on my wedding gown at the store for a final fitting, I stood for a time in front of a three way mirror. Then a lady took me to a door and told me to go inside. There I found myself in a very small area surrounded by mirrors. In that small area, no matter where I looked, I could see a different view of myself in my gown. If there had been any problem with that gown from the front, back or sides, it wouldn't have been hard to see it.

Mirrors are important to women and men alike. Mirrors show what we look like and what improvements we need to make in our appearances. There's nothing wrong with mirrors if they don't become an obsession. Mirrors come in all sizes and shapes. Some can be carried in a purse while some hang on a wall. There are mirrors that are floor length while others may hang in a home for decoration only. However, just about everyone who passes by a mirror will do a quick check of what they look like.

Along with the various kind of mirrors we can purchase and use for whatever purposes, we can find in Scripture something about a mirror. Even though Scripture may refer to mirrors as being a “glass” the purpose is still the same. Our spiritual mirror isn't meant to be a wall decoration. Our spiritual mirror also comes in various sizes and shapes. It is the entirety of the Word of God, our Bibles...that mirror can show us on any given day what we look like to our Father and what smudges of sin and self need to be removed.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearer
only, deceiving your own selves
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not
a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural
face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
James 1:22-24

Here we see the word “glass” that in Scripture refers to something that reflects. If it's a glass we look into, we will see our spiritual reflection. In the above verses we see a command to be doers of the word of God. We see if we are only hearers of the Word and not doers, we walk in disobedience. The Word of God is our mirror that gives us instruction in living for and serving God. The Word becomes our spiritual mirror that will reveal not just the things we are doing right but also convicts of those things we are doing wrong...sin. Some will see sin and just walk away from that precious mirror with no corrections. I can just about guarantee that not one of those junior high girls standing before that long mirror in that bathroom walked away with a hair out of place. We must be just as meticulous in looking into God's Word seeing what we look like spiritually. We must not walk away without responding to what our wonderful mirror shows us.

We have wonderful opportunities of beholding God in ways the world will never understand. It is a process by which we are miraculously changed to be like Him through the Holy Spirit.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18

James again tells us that our mirror is the perfect law of liberty. If we are doers and continue in God's will, we will be a blessed people.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed.
James 1:25

I don't know about you but I want God's blessing on my life. I have no excuse because I know the answer is my response to my spiritual mirror...the precious Word of God.

Father, I thank You for Your Word brought to us by Your Spirit. It's all about Your son Jesus and our being more like Him. As we look into Your mirror, may we be quick to comb away the sin and repent of those smudges of sin we see in our lives. In Jesus precious name...Amen

ALL OVER THE PLACE

Thou compassest my path and my
lying down, and art acquainted
with all my ways.
Thou has beset me behind and
before, and
laid thine hand upon me.
Psalm 139: 3,5

It was in college I read a book entitled “Your God is Too Small.” I can't tell you what an eye- opener that book was for me. I probably grew as much spiritually in college as I did in my previous years after my salvation at the age of 10. It was a very small book, but packed full of pointing out how big our God is and how we tend to keep Him in our own small boxes. I realized at that time I had a Sunday school view of God and His presence in my life. We'll never understand it all, but we are slack in putting into every day practice what we do know about Him and His all-encompassing presence.

As I write, Brian and I have been on the road visiting family. I find it isn't that often I think about the wonderful fact that God can be with me no matter where I am or where I go. It seems like such a simple concept in the theological view of things, but I am wondering if we know how blessed we are to have the watch care of our Heavenly Father every single place we go. Oh, we know as believers that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, but how often do we even give that fact a thought? It seems almost trivial to think God is with me when I go to the grocery store, run an errand, go out to lunch with a friend or when I go to get my hair fixed, but facts are facts.

I'm so grateful for God's continual presence when:

• visiting a friend in the hospital
• going to the doctor for my monthly eye injection
• comforting a friend going through a difficult time
• speaking with a young friend who is going through a difficult pregnancy
• our country seems to be bottoming out at times
• just sitting in my chair reading
• having a sandwich for lunch
• sitting in my favorite spot in the mountains
• concerned for my children and grandchildren.

It's hard to fathom how no matter where I go, God is not only with me, but already there at my destination. As I have left from where I was, He was there and remained there as well. He's above me and beneath me.

However, really thinking on those particular things also remind me of some things I might not want to think about. I love thinking about God's direction and protection in my life, but can it always be a good thing? Yes and no! What about when I:

• have a rotten attitude
• speak harshly to someone
• neglect spiritual responsibility
• share in spreading gossip
• fail to keep a promise
• show little respect for authority

You see, God is always present during those times as well. Such is just a fraction of the sin we commit toward our Heavenly Father often without even giving such a thought. If such things and others negative in nature are against God's wishes for us, then we call those things sin and He's as aware of those things as any good we do in His name.

Not long ago, our ladies Bible study worked on the topic of practicing the presence of God in our every day living. This doesn't mean just being aware of any good or sin God sees in us wherever we are. We have opportunities to not only be aware of His constant presence, but to put into practice doing everything for God's glory no matter how big or how menial.

I'm encouraging myself to be more aware that He is with me with His love and concern, and yes, with his guidance and direction. I also want to be more appreciative for how He views me in such a personal way....just as He does you. No matter the joy or heartache...the safety of life or peril, nothing can touch us without it first passing through the fingers of God. That's something I'm really trying to continue to learn, even if it takes some difficult times to teach me.

Thank You, Father, for Your loving care over us when we don't even realize You are present in every day life and events. May the thought encourage us to love and serve You with the greatest of love on our part and dedication to please You in every aspect of our lives. In Jesus' precious name....Amen