THE CLIMB

Have you ever watched a ski film? You know, the ones with the skier gliding down the snow-covered mountains which are etched against a cobalt blue sky.

Have you ever thought about how the skier gets to the TOP of the mountain? Often he or she is delivered to a base camp, spends at least one night in less than ideal conditions. Then the real work begins - climbing with skis and packs on the back - a long laborious climb to reach the top. Once he reaches the pinnacle, however, it all seems worth it - he has reached his goal. He is ready to soar.

In our lives, we are still climbing . . . daily. Now is the work - often the most difficult and sometimes the most tedious part - striving daily to reach our utmost for His Highest. Soon . . . very soon, we will reach the top - God Himself. In the meantime, let’s not forget why we are climbing. Let’s not grow weary but ask God for all we need to get where we are going. God Himself has promised His help - let’s avail ourselves of all He wants to give us every day so we can reach Him - victoriously!

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

Heavenly Father, please give me the strength and courage to keep climbing. Help me to keep my eyes on You, my ultimate goal. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

DISASTER !

The headlines in the newspaper blared out “DISASTER”. And it was - to the Columbia and its crew of seven astronauts. Their families lost a son
. . . a husband . . . a daughter . . . a wife. As a nation, we mourned the losses and wished we could do something to help lessen the pain.

And, near us, every day in our own family . . . in our own neighborhood . . . in our fellowship . . . there are personal “disasters” taking place. A husband loses his job, a daughter is diagnosed with leukemia, a wife dies unexpectedly, a beloved pet is killed. The list of “disasters” is endless. For those near us, however, there are things we CAN do - a phone call to express our love, a card declaring we care, a home-cooked meal, provision of a listening ear, time spent at a bedside.

God, our Father, is an expert at comforting those in need. If we open our hearts, He will show us clearly in each situation how we can make a difference in the world around us, sharing His comfort.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
II Corinthians 1:3-4

Heavenly Father, please express Your love through me to a world which so needs
Your comfort. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

TALKING OVER GOD

We’ve all done it - speaking up when we should have been quiet.

Someone we know is faced with a decision to make. In our opinion, it seems like the wrong decision will be made. So we start to speak up . . . expressing our opinion . . . our LOUD opinion which gets louder by the minute. We barrage our friend with words to try to convince a right decision (according to our views). Days go by. We continue to speak up, never allowing a quiet moment for the other person (or ourselves).

Is it possible that our abundance of words could be blotting out God’s voice? Could it be that we are hindering our friend’s ability to hear a bigger Voice than our own? Can we trust our friend to honestly seek the Lord and to hear His voice for themselves?

Can we trust God to get through to our friend?

The next time a friend is faced with a decision, let’s step back, take a calming breath, then prayerfully proceed - maybe by just being silent.

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever. Isaiah 32:17

Heavenly Father, please help me to hold my tongue instead of spouting off with my opinion. Help me to come to You first. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

BEING A POLLYANNA

Have you ever been accused of being a “Pollyanna” when a difficult situation presented itself and you looked on the bright side of things?

For those of you who don’t know who Pollyanna is - she is a fictional character in a book by the same name. As a child, she was taught by her parents to play the Glad Game. Many difficulties came into Pollyanna’s life but for each one of them, she looked behind the difficulty to see God’s hand at work - something to be glad about and for which to be thankful.

So, the next time someone accuses you of being a Pollyanna, take it as an extreme compliment. Just smile and go on your way with thankfulness ringing in your heart.

Or if you don’t know how to play the Glad Game, ask God to open your eyes to His hand behind any difficulties. There is much to glad about.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Psalm 32:11

Heavenly Father, I thank you....

TRUST IS LEARNED

Babies, we are told by researchers, aren’t born with a sense of trust. They must learn it. Newborn babies have a startle reflex - becoming startled at a touch or a noise, not trusting in the world surrounding them. Notice too how, when a baby is hungry, he or she will cry until the need is met, not trusting that food will automatically be provided. As babies mature and are cared for by loving parents, they begin to trust in their parents’ provision of food, warmth and protection, meeting their needs in a timely fashion.

We, too, as believers who walk daily with Jesus, learn to develop a sense of trust in a kind and loving God as we get to know Him better each day. We see that He offers all of Himself to us, His children. He nourishes us, protects us and is thoroughly trustworthy in all of His care of us. We can trust Him for an eternity.

Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

Trust in the Lord and do good . . . . Psalm 37:3

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are totally trustworthy for all I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Note: Please notice the father and child in the image.

MORNING AND EVENING THOUGHTS

When you wake up in the morning, what do you find yourself thinking about?

- Your impossibly long to-do list for the day?
- The irritation of the neighbor’s barking dog?
- An out of control co-worker?
- Your child’s recurring ear infection and mounting doctor’s bills?
- The need for new tires on the car?

When you fall into bed at night, where are your thoughts?

- Still on that frustrating meeting you attended?
- Brooding over a friend’s neglect?
- Upset over the world situation as seen on evening news?
- Concerned for a special project to be completed the next day?

What does it say in Scripture about where our thoughts should be in the morning and evening?

Psalm 92:2 says: It is good to proclaim Your unfailing love in the morning, Your faithfulness in the evening . . . You thrill me, Lord, with all You have done for me! I sing for joy because of what You have done.

Heavenly Father, beginning today, please fill my mornings with proclamations of Your unfailing love and my evenings with songs of Your faithfulness to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

PROMISES

We all know someone who has a problem fulfilling the promises and commitments he or she makes. When a person doesn’t fulfill a promise once, we can assume he or she forgot. If it happens again and again, however, we soon realize that the person is basically untrustworthy and can’t be relied upon.

How glad we can be for a God who, when He promises us something, faithfully fulfills every promise down to the last detail. We can rely on Him who has been faithful in the past and will be faithful to His promises through all eternity.

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. II Corinthians 7:1

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are faithful, steadfast and always keep your promises to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.