Today is the first day of the rest of your life! That sounds pretty profound doesn’t it but it’s true. Whatever has happened a week ago or even yesterday is over and gone. You can’t change it nor can you keep it going for ever and ever. Sometimes we want so much to stay on that mountain top and continue to experience the highs of our life and it just doesn’t work. It may seem that we stay in the valleys forever! I heard one time that it is in the valleys that we grow. Oh yes we do! But it sure is a painful time in the valley. Not necessarily that it is always the valley of despair and death but it is in those valleys that we realize that Jesus is all that we need. Fame, fortune, health and happiness are sought but they do not fulfill the longing in our hearts and souls. Only Jesus will fill that longing! We are experiencing one of those valley times in our lives. We all have them. We see by the natural eye problems and situations that could be overwhelming and defeating but in Jesus they are opportunities to see the Glory of the Lord manifested. In Psalm 121:1-2 it says:
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
That statement when taken as truth, which after all it is the Word of God, is a great comfort. Where do I look for help to deal with the daily issues of life? Where do I look for help with my children? Where do I look for help with my marriage? Where do I look for help with my job? I am supposed to look to the Lord for His wisdom, His provision, His favor, His mercy, grace and peace. But where do I look for help? I will look to every person in my realm of influence except the Lord. Man’s wisdom will not help you. It must be from the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!
In Proverbs 4:20-27 we are told:
“My son (or daughter), attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.”
Matthew 6:33 says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
How do we walk through the valleys of life and come out victorious? We do it God’s way. We follow His pathway. We walk in His footsteps. We do not camp in the valleys forever!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Can it be any clearer to you this day dear child of God? Trust (rest in His promises and His Word as the absolute truth), lean not unto our own understanding (we can’t figure this out on our own), and we must acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and that the Holy Spirit lives within us to lead and guide into all truth. Then it tells us in the Word that He (Our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit of God) will direct our paths, not maybe or hope to be but SHALL or WILL direct our paths. We live that life every day! He directs our steps so that we do not stumble and fall. He directs our path so we can keep His appointments.
Only last week we took a drive by Father’s direction into the country. We had no agenda except to enjoy the afternoon together and know that Father had a plan for our time. We drove northwest enjoying the scenery. We visited with a precious friend in a town northwest of Fort Worth and then drove east towards Denton. We had a gift certificate for lunch at a restaurant north of Fort Worth so we thought we would use it. We walked into the restaurant at about 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon and there were only a few people present. In a moment we heard a voice next to us say “Have you ordered yet?” We turned around into the smiling faces of a couple whom we had not seen in 8-10 years. After many hugs and much love shared, we found out that we were both out of our area of residence. Father brought us together in that restaurant for His purposes to be accomplished. As we ate lunch together and caught up on many years apart, they shared what the Lord had done in their lives in ministry and family. It was an exciting time to “look what God has done”. Our meeting opened doors of opportunity for ministry through Christ’s Kingdom Ministries. Dear child of God seek to walk in obedience to the Lord daily following His footsteps and walking through doors of opportunity that He opens for you. God bless and keep you as you walk this life one day at a time with Jesus.
Charley & Karen
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
That statement when taken as truth, which after all it is the Word of God, is a great comfort. Where do I look for help to deal with the daily issues of life? Where do I look for help with my children? Where do I look for help with my marriage? Where do I look for help with my job? I am supposed to look to the Lord for His wisdom, His provision, His favor, His mercy, grace and peace. But where do I look for help? I will look to every person in my realm of influence except the Lord. Man’s wisdom will not help you. It must be from the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!
In Proverbs 4:20-27 we are told:
“My son (or daughter), attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.”
Matthew 6:33 says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
How do we walk through the valleys of life and come out victorious? We do it God’s way. We follow His pathway. We walk in His footsteps. We do not camp in the valleys forever!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Can it be any clearer to you this day dear child of God? Trust (rest in His promises and His Word as the absolute truth), lean not unto our own understanding (we can’t figure this out on our own), and we must acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and that the Holy Spirit lives within us to lead and guide into all truth. Then it tells us in the Word that He (Our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit of God) will direct our paths, not maybe or hope to be but SHALL or WILL direct our paths. We live that life every day! He directs our steps so that we do not stumble and fall. He directs our path so we can keep His appointments.
Only last week we took a drive by Father’s direction into the country. We had no agenda except to enjoy the afternoon together and know that Father had a plan for our time. We drove northwest enjoying the scenery. We visited with a precious friend in a town northwest of Fort Worth and then drove east towards Denton. We had a gift certificate for lunch at a restaurant north of Fort Worth so we thought we would use it. We walked into the restaurant at about 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon and there were only a few people present. In a moment we heard a voice next to us say “Have you ordered yet?” We turned around into the smiling faces of a couple whom we had not seen in 8-10 years. After many hugs and much love shared, we found out that we were both out of our area of residence. Father brought us together in that restaurant for His purposes to be accomplished. As we ate lunch together and caught up on many years apart, they shared what the Lord had done in their lives in ministry and family. It was an exciting time to “look what God has done”. Our meeting opened doors of opportunity for ministry through Christ’s Kingdom Ministries. Dear child of God seek to walk in obedience to the Lord daily following His footsteps and walking through doors of opportunity that He opens for you. God bless and keep you as you walk this life one day at a time with Jesus.
Charley & Karen
