I remember as a child reading scary fairy tales. In one story a child wandered off into the woods alone. As the child realized he couldn't find his way back he would call out for his Mommy and Daddy. Further into the woods he would wander, still calling all the while, not realizing that because he had wandered so far from home his Mother and Father could not hear him. Inevitably the child would wander into some sort of danger, a witch's house, an ogre lair, or any number of things. Eventually somehow there would be a happy ending and the child would be reunited with his family. Dangerous Paths Lead Us Away from God Our lives are very much like this. We wander further and further down dangerous paths, all the while calling out to God in prayer, not understanding why He seemingly doesn't answer, but it is not He who has left, it is us. We live in unrepentant sin, doing things we know that God would not have us do and still we expect Him to give us the desires of our heart. (John 9:31) That dangerous path often leads to a terrible destination - the consequences of our sin. If we die before we find God we go to an awful place. Regardless though, that dangerous path has a price to pay. Perhaps it is wounded relationships, lost health, or any number of other things. (Galatians 6: 7-8) We Need to Want to Return In the story of the Prodigal Son, the son's path took him far from his father. He didn't think he needed him. All he needed was his father's money which he immediately wasted. When the son came to his senses, it was he who returned to his father. His father was waiting for him, confident that he would return, but his father did not go out and hunt him down and drag him back home. He wanted the son to WANT to return. He wanted the son to learn a lesson. (Luke 15: 11-32) Are You Distracted? Does God's voice seem to be far away? Is it hard to hear Him? Do you feel lost and alone? It may be that you have gone wandering. Sometimes it is so easy to do. We get distracted like a child on a woodland path. Children see a pretty flower or glimpse a cottontail and thinking they won't get lost, wander after it. We are the same. We see a pretty flower only to discover it is deadly poison or glimpse a cottontail only to realize it is really the tail of a bear. (Isaiah 59:2) Our Father Directs Us If you as a parent, have ever gone walking in the woods with your child, you know you can't let them wander to explore everything they want to look at. You have to guide them; you have to direct the paths they take. You do this because you love them and don't want them to get hurt. If we stay near our Heavenly Father, He also will direct our paths. He, above all, knows what is truly good for us. (Isaiah 58:11; Psalm 32:8) God Forgives One blessed thing is always true. God forgives. When we come to our senses, when we realize that God can't hear us because we've gotten too far from Him, we can come back. All He desires is our sincere repentance. He waits with His open, loving arms to wrap us up in love, to encourage us and to be there for us. (I John 1: 9) Not My Will Even as our faith grows there are times when it is difficult to hear His voice. Maybe it isn't the things we are doing that is the problem, but the things we aren't doing. As we progress in holiness towards being more like Him, He reveals more and more things to us that He wants us to give to Him. He wants all of us, holding nothing back, truly surrendering every thought and every deed to His will. He wants us to be able to honestly say, "Not my will, but yours.". (Ephesians 4: 20-24) Lord, Have Your Way The writer of the great old hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" was inspired by this simple prayer. "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord–just have your way with our lives." When He has His way with us, we will be so close to Him that when He whispers, we will hear Him. What a blessed life that would be, and a life that we can have, walking next to our beloved Savior. (Colossians 2: 6)

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 How often do we lie down and toss and turn and worry? How often are we unable to sleep because we are surrounded by difficulties, problems, sickness, or death? As a Christian how do we say with David, "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep"? David Sleeps Peacefully When David wrote this Psalm he was being pursued, hunted by his enemies. At every turn it seemed he would be overpowered and killed. And yet, he tells us that it is the Lord himself who allows him to have peace and lie down at night to sleep. David is not tossed and turned by negative emotions. David knows it is God who makes him "dwell in safety." God is in Control It is not God's will for us to lie awake at night, worried and concerned. That doesn't mean that our concerns are not important. What it does mean is that we should be able to sleep peacefully knowing that our Lord is in control: "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever." Psalm 125:2 knowing that our future is in His hands: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 and knowing that He wants to give us good things: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11 Wisdom Brings Sweet Sleep In Proverbs 3 Solomon extolls wisdom and understanding. This chapter in Proverbs gives us a guide for how to gain wisdom and understanding. He tells us: Do not forget God's commandments. (3: 1-2) Be merciful and truthful. (3: 3-4) Do not think you are wise, but fear God and let Him guide you. (3: 5-6) Honor the Lord with what He has blessed you with. (3: 9-10) Happily accept God's corrections. (3: 11-12) By keeping these things close to your heart, he says in verse 21: "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet." These guidelines for living will bring us that sweet sleep that many of us are longing for. Rest is something in short supply for many. Our Lord, in His word, tells us if we are obedient to His word that we will be blessed with rest, something many of us desperately need. He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me Isaiah 26:3 tells us: "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." How wonderful it is to know that we can have "perfect peace" and that to have this we need to keep ourselves focused on God and trust Him with our futures. In this troubling world we live in today that is an important lesson to remember! Sleep peacefully! Enjoy the hymn He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me sung by Ponder, Sykes and Wright.

One of the complaints of the people of the prophet Malachi's time was that they felt it was useless to serve God. They did not see blessings on their lives. They saw evil doers prospering and wondered what good did it do them to be obedient to God (Malachi 3:14-15). Preachers of the so called "prosperity gospel" claim if we are Christians, we will be wealthy. They claim everything good will come our way. But what if it doesn't? Does that mean that God has forgotten us? No! It means that God's blessings are ultimately fulfilled in living with Him eternally in Heaven. There is no instant gratification in the Christian life. Forgotten by God? The Jewish people had a history of feeling as though God had abandoned them. In Psalm 94:7 they accuse God of not seeing or perceiving their problems. In Ezekiel 8:12 they accused God of abandoning them. Today we may feel that God has forgotten us in our sorrow and trouble. The Psalmist knew God remembered him. In Psalm 139:16 David says this, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." God has never abandoned His faithful. God knows everything about our lives from beginning to end. He sees the good things we do; He sees the bad. He knows where our heart lies - either with Him or against Him. He knows if we truly love. A Book of Remembrance In Malachi 3:16 the prophet tells the people that God has written a "book of remembrance" for those who fear Him and meditate on His name. The people of Malachi's day would have been familiar with the concept of a book of remembrance. Kings kept such books to remember service that had been rendered to them by various people so they would not be forgotten and would be rewarded. God tells Malachi in the next verse that "On the day that I act" He will spare those who fear and meditate on Him and that is when the distinction will be made between those who served Him and those who did not. God remembers His faithful ones. In Psalm 105:45 we are told that even after the Israelites had rebelled and forgotten God that "He remembered his covenant" that He had made with them. They are His people as are we who love Him. The King Remembers Mordecai We can read about a king and his "book of remembrance" in Esther 6: 1-3. The King was unable to sleep and called for his "records of the chronicles" to be brought to him. In this was recorded that Mordecai had revealed a plot against the king's life and yet he had not been rewarded. The king declared that great honors be bestowed on him. Heaven is Our Reward In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus is recorded as saying our reward is in Heaven. In Luke 10:20 Jesus tells the disciples that their joy should be found in the fact that their names were "written in Heaven". Many times when we are faithful to God we will see heartaches, disappointments and sorrow but when we persevere in doing good, we will see our reward (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Book of Life Our names are written in Heaven in the book of life if we are a Christian. Throughout the Bible (Exodus, Psalm, Daniel and Revelation) we read about this book of life. In Revelation 20:12 John says that our names were written in it "before the foundation of the world". The Lord sees us and knows us. He does not forget His children. Revelation 3:5 explains that for those who overcome their names will never be removed from the book of life. Jesus in John 16:33 says that it is He that has overcome the world. In Revelation 22:12 the Lord says this, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done." God's "book of remembrance" guarantees that when we follow God, even when those around us may not, that our names and our actions are written there. As I Samuel 26:23 tells us God rewards those who are righteous. He rewards the faithful. I

Parable of the Vineyard Workers The parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20: 1-16 has many lessons to teach us. One thing we know, the kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom compared to the world. In this parable a landowner hires workers for his vineyard at the beginning of the day for a specified wage (a denarius). He then continues to hire workers all through the day until nearly quitting time. When wages are paid, he pays the ones hired last first and surprisingly pays them a denarius even though they only worked a short time. The ones hired first get a little excited, anticipating more money, but to their surprise they too receive a denarius. When they complain, the landowner tells them it is his money to do with as he pleases. Then he repeats a phrase we have heard before in verse 16, "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen" Fairness v Grace In our world fairness would demand that the workers who worked fewer hours should have been paid less. In God's world payment isn't based on fairness but on generosity, on grace. If God is the landowner and the payment, the reward is Heaven, then thanks be to God that we don't receive what we deserve. God rewards us with His grace. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we have been saved by grace and that it is God's gift. Thankfully God deals with us according to His nature and not ours. All Parts Are Needed But what does the reaction of the workers hired first tell us? It tells us that they were jealous, envious of the workers hired last. When we see God bless others in a way that we think they don't deserve how do we react? Do we think, "But God why them and not me? God don't you know what they did?" Shouldn't we rejoice that a member of God's kingdom was used for His glory? Since we are all part of the body of Christ and all parts are necessary for the proper functioning of that body, we should share their honor. As I Corinthians 12:21 reminds us, no part of the body can say to the other that they are not needed. All are needed. Laborers are Few It is interesting that the landowner had so much work for these laborers that he continued hiring them, even into the later part of the day. In fact, he asks these workers why were they standing idle. This reminds me of Matthew 9:37 where the Lord tells his disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Are we guilty of "standing idle" in the service of God? The laborers replied that they were idle " because no man had hired them ." As Christians, we can't say that we haven't been hired. 2 Timothy 2:15 says that we should be a worker without shame , approved by God. Our God is the Lord of the harvest (Matthew 9:38). An Upside-Down Kingdom This parable shows that God's value system is the opposite of the worlds. In God's Kingdom the first are last; strength is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10); the proud are opposed by Him but the humble are blessed with grace (James 4:6); the foolish shame the wise (I Corinthians 1:28); and in Matthew 21:31-32 Jesus tells the Pharisees, those great rule followers, that tax collectors and prostitutes would live in God's kingdom before them. In the Beatitudes, in Matthew chapter 5, our Lord lists those who are blessed and it is not who the world would consider blessed; the meek, the mourners, the persecuted. God's values are not the worlds. Stewards of Grace When we work in God's kingdom what should we expect? Our labor may cause us to experience suffering and death. This is what it cost our Savior . When we serve in the Kingdom of God, we may not be very happy about where that service may lead us. God does not call us all to such extreme sacrifice but each in his own way is expected to use their gifts to serve others. Why? Because we are stewards of God's grace . (I Peter 4:10) A steward is someone placed in charge of something that is not their own. We are workers in the service of our King and this labor is not in vain (I Corinthians 15:58). Gift of God Our King has a heavenly reward for us all. We thank Him that the length of our service or even the extent of it, is not what determines this reward. All of us must labor in the vineyard (James 2:26) but grace, and not what we deserve, is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

In a world filled with despair, gone crazy as many people say today, our hope is in Christ. Paul tells us to be filled with joy and peace. How does this happen? By the power of the Holy Spirit, hope can fill us (Romans 15:13). Rejoice In Hope When I was in my 20's I was told that I would not be able to have children. I simply would not accept that. I had hope that God would give me the desires of my heart and that was to have a family, to have children. For me the Bible verse that I repeated nearly every day was Hebrews 11:1 which says this, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In His time the Lord answered my prayers. My husband and I's first child was born when I was 39, our second at 42 and we adopted a third child at 45. I thank God for the precious gifts of my children. There really IS always hope. The Bible is filled with hope. In Romans 12: 10-13 Paul reminds us to rejoice in hope. Paul was imprisoned, beaten, and eventually killed for telling the world about Christ. His hope didn't just lie in his present life, his hope was in his future life with Christ in Heaven. Hope In The Word In Romans 15:4 Paul reminds us that we find our hope in the word of God. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Paul says that the Scriptures provide patience and comfort and that that will give us hope. Through God's word we find hope in knowing that God has provided us a way to be with Him eternally through the gift of His Son. Through God's word we learn more about God, that He can be trusted, that He is faithful and that He loves us unconditionally. The Lord takes pleasure in those who have hope in His mercy (Psalm 147:11). We know the Lord is merciful because "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8b). The Holy Spirit who lives in us, if we are Christians, testifies to His mercy in our lives. We know we can never deserve His blessings that we receive every day. Hope Renews Us In Isaiah 40:31 we read this: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." The word "wait" is often translated "hope". Our hope in the Lord renews us and gives us strength to go on no matter what challenges or trials we may face. We won't be tired when we hope. We won't faint when we hope. Often, we feel like the world is waying us down and that it is impossible to go on and this is exactly how the Devil wants us to feel. Christ, however, offers hope. Hope of a blessed future with Him. Faith and Hope Once more in Romans 8:18 Paul calls us to hope. Our hope is truly, as Paul says, "in the glory which shall be revealed." Our faith itself is "the substance of things hoped for". Our faith is the "evidence of things not seen." The Bible has so much to say about hope. When you feel like giving up, go to the Word, find your Hope. Not in yourself, but in the One who sees you and loves you, our Savior. In Him we rejoice in hope. Jesus, Lover of My Soul - Charles Wesley Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Moses Sings In Deuteronomy 32 Moses sings a song to the people of Israel. This song of Moses was to remind the people of who their great God was. He sang to remind them of how without God they would still be in Egypt as slaves. He sang to warn them of becoming too 'fat' with all the blessings that God had provided for them (Deuteronomy 32:15). How easy it was for them, and for us, to forget where our blessings have come from. How easy to lose our way if we don't pay attention to what is truly important. Worshipping Other Gods The Israelites would forget their God and run after new gods. They would worship idols. Who do we worship? Who do we give reverence, respect and awe to? Is it to God or to celebrities, to politicians, to the rich and powerful, or perhaps just to ourselves. Is it to an ideology, to science, to academics? We may not bow down in front of a statue but people can still worship other 'gods'. God Hides His Face What comes from forgetting God? Moses says in verses 19-25 that initially God would "hide His face" from the people. The people would not so easily sense His presence. They would not feel the burden of their sins so greatly. When that does not bring them to their senses, He says He will bring famine, pestilence, plague, wild beasts, venomous snakes and the sword to the land. It is then that the people will see their sin, then they will realize what they took for granted and then that they will call upon God to save them. Words of Life All of this is to remind the people of what can happen to them when they forget God. Moses tells the people to take his words to heart and he goes on to say in Deuteronomy 32: 47 (a) NIV, "They are not just idle words for you--they are your life." Moses emphasizes the importance of obedience. What happens when we become so satisfied with our easy lives that we forget God. That is when disaster strikes. Wouldn't the Devil like us to believe that the word of God is "just idle words"? Wouldn't he like for us to believe that whether we obey God or not is not important? Wouldn't he like for us to replace God with idols, or better yet, put ourselves on the throne of our heart? But Moses tells us that these words are so important that they "are your life." These thoughts are reiterated in Proverbs 4: 20-23. Here Solomon tells us to pay attention to these words because in them is life. In John 6: 63 (b) Jesus (who is the Word made flesh) says, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Wandering Ways In our nation today we see the problems that come as successive generations drift farther and farther away from these words of life. G.K. Chesterton once said, "When people stop believing in God, they do not believe in nothing. They believe in anything." Today too many people have replaced God with other gods. They have replaced Him with other belief systems. They don't understand who He really is. We need to pray for ourselves that we don't wander from these words of life. As Proverbs 21: 16 says, "A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead." Return We must pray also for our nation that it will return to the God who has blessed us so greatly and seek His face while we still can. We will pray to never forget that, "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV)

It is easy to give in to the feeling that we have been abandoned by God. Our circumstances may be bleak, our health gone, our loved ones no longer with us or our path uncertain. In Isaiah the Israelites felt the same way. They had been in captivity in Babylon for many decades. They felt abandoned by God. A Just Punishment But this abandonment they were experiencing was the punishment of a just and righteous God. A God who loved them more than a woman loves her infant (Isaiah 49:15). God informed the Israelites that even though a woman might, though rarely, forget her love for her child He would never forget. Their captivity in Babylon was a punishment that would certainly end in due time. Engraved On His Palms In Isaiah 49:16 God says that He had "engraved them on the palms of His hands." Of course God does not have real, physical hands. This was a metaphor for His relationship with His people. In this time, pagan worshippers often would place marks on their palms to signify who it was they worshipped. In this verse we learn that it is God, the One we worship, who has placed us on the palms of His hands. Engraved With Nails This engraving points to something deeper. In the past it was man who sacrificed to their gods, but in the person of Christ, it was Jesus who made the supreme sacrifice for us. This sacrifice was visible in the nail scars in His hands. How much plainer could God have made it, that His love was so great that He sent His Son to die for us? Engraved Permanently The choice of the word, engraved, which is khakak in Hebrew, means to carve or etch deeply. This was not a superficial mark. This would be similar to what one would see on a tombstone. This was not a mark that would fade with time or wash away. This mark would be permanent. Always Loved We are ever mindful to our God and Father. We are the sheep that our Shepherd tends. Each of us so important, so loved, that He would leave the ninety-nine to search for the one lost (Matthew 18: 10-14). Israel, the Church, and each of us individually, are engraved on His palms and in this we find our great hope. Bound On Our Heart In similar terms the Lord told the Israelites that His words should be in their heart and bound as a sign on their hand (Deuteronomy 6: 6-8; 11:18). The one to whom we are devoted is the one whose name is on our hands and in our heart. In Revelation, the Antichrist places his mark on the hand or forehead of his worshippers (Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4). Never Abandoned We may even believe, collectively, that the church has been abandoned by God as the people of Israel were. Writing almost 200 years ago a famous Bible commentator, John Gill had this to say about the church in the days he was living in, "...because of the low and declining state of the interest of Christ, as it now is; few being converted by the ministry of the word; great opposition made to the truths of the Gospel with success; the ordinances of it perverted or neglected; the presence of God in them very little enjoyed; great indifference and lukewarmness among professors of religion, and discord and dissensions in churches..." The temptation was to believe the church had been forsaken by God. But it has not, nor will it ever be! Never Forsaken We are promised in Deuteronomy 4:31 and in Deuteronomy 31: 6-8 that God will never leave us or forsake us. These words are repeated in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:5. As Christians we may have periods in our life where we don't feel God's presence as strongly as in past times or perhaps we have waited a long time for a promise from God. This doesn't mean God has abandoned us. We are still engraved on the palms of His hands. Remember these words from Psalm 103: 17, "But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children" Enjoy the beautiful song, Never Alone, by Jason Upton, here.

Living in a youth centered culture today it is interesting to look at the Bible and what it has to say about being old. Old people today are usually considered unnecessary. Older people's opinions or advice is often ignored or thought to be uninformed. It is the young who have the knowledge and wisdom to guide us and inform our important decisions. The Bible has a totally opposite view of things. With The Aged Is Wisdom In Leviticus 19:32 we are told to honor the elderly and fear the Lord. Job 12:12 tells us that wisdom and understanding are with the old. In the New Testament, Peter tells us in I Peter 5:1-5 that the young in the church should be subject to the elders. I Timothy 5:17 explains that the ruling elders should be doubly honored. The Wise Heed Advice Perhaps more important even than age is the ability of someone to take advice. Proverbs 19:20 says that to grow wise we should listen to advice and accept instruction. Proverbs 12:15 says that the wise listen to advice but the fool thinks he is always right. Proverbs has much more to say about the difference between the wise and the foolish. Rehoboam Asks For Advice There is a story in the Bible about King Rehoboam who asked for advice (I Kings 12: 1-24). First a little about King Rehoboam. He was the son of Solomon and the first King of Judah (King of the South) after Israel split into two kingdoms. His reign lasted seventeen years. The King was approached by Jeroboam who asked that the heavy load of labor and taxes be lightened on the people of Israel. They had been heavily burdened by Rehoboam's father, Solomon, for the building of the temple in Jerusalem. It was at this point that the King asked for advice. It was a good thing that he sought advice. This is what wise people do. But it is important to be aware of who is giving the advice and why. His older advisers counseled the king to listen to the people and lighten their burden. If he did this the people would be loyal to him. His younger advisers who he had grown up with, perhaps wanting to feed his ego, told him to threaten the people with even harsher burdens. He took the younger adviser's counsel and the result was that the people of Israel rebelled and made Jeroboam their king (King of the North). Rehoboam's story is a good example of why it is a bad choice to surround yourself with what is referred to as "yes men". These are people who, for whatever reason, only tell you what you want to hear. Often times our companions and friends, our peers, will be more likely to agree with our decisions and less likely to challenge us when they think we are making a mistake. God Is The Ultimate Source For Wisdom Is older always wiser? Certainly not! Every old person we meet is not necessarily wise. Any advice we take should be from someone who loves and serves God. Who we ask is as important as how old they are. Even then God is our ultimate source for what is right for our lives. Prayer and Bible study should go with every decision we make. We also have to remain open minded when we receive advice. If we have already made up our mind what we are going to do and only pray or seek advice basically "for show" then it is pointless. Older and Wiser Proverbs 11:12 says that the humble person is a wise person. In the New Testament James says that if we ask for wisdom from God, He will give it to us (James 1:5). It is not so much that a person is old and that is what makes them wise, no, it is that they have learned to listen to God. They have learned humility. Our elders, practically, have learned to take advice from the One who is the Wisdom of the Ages. This is contrasted against the "wisdom of this age" that Paul refers to in I Corinthians 2:6. This is the world's wisdom. This is what Proverbs 14:12 is talking about when it says that there is a way that seems right to a man but it leads to death. Is Pride Stopping You? Pride, ultimately, is what often keeps us from seeking advice from older and wiser people. Pride keeps us from also seeking God's counsel on decisions we make in our lives. Too often we think we can make good decisions alone, with help from no one. We often think we are smarter, perhaps more sophisticated in worldly things, than our elders. Older, godly people have much to offer us. They have learned from God, in their mistakes and in their good decisions. Seek God first and then seek wise counsel because this is God's word to His people. Don't let pride be the reason for bad decisions. Proverbs 16:18 reminds us of what happens to a prideful person, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."

Touching Others I heard an anonymous quote recently that really touched me, "Someone is standing on the other side of obedience" I don't know about you but for me I often only think of obedience in terms of myself, but that is wrong. We are obedient for a purpose. Our obedience reaches out and touches others in ways we can only imagine. I remember an incident years ago. I was in a diner in a downtown area and saw an older man, rather shabbily dressed alone at a table as I was leaving. I had the overwhelming feeling that I should speak to him. Nothing more than hello, but that I should acknowledge him. I shrugged it off thinking why would I speak to this total stranger, a man I didn't know no less. When I walked out without speaking I never forgot him. Who would imagine that all these years later I would still remember a time, seemingly unimportant, but one where I was disobedient to the call of God. I look back and wonder what difference that small 'hello' could have possibly made to this man but something inside of me, to this day, knows that it would have. How often do we shrug off that quiet voice of God. God asks us to do things that often we would consider to be quite strange. Things that make us feel uncomfortable. Trust and Obey I think the reason for this is that God wants to know if we really trust Him. The old hymn went like this: "Trust and obey For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey." Think about the times God has asked you to leave your comfort zone and step out for Him. Has he asked you to visit a nursing home or to talk to your dear friend who doesn't know God about your relationship with the Lord or to start a Bible study or to be friends with someone who has none? Sometimes God asks us to build a boat on dry land or speak to people far off about Him even though they are His enemies or walk on water or face a giant. The only way Noah or Jonah or Peter or David did these things was by totally trusting God. Obedience Can Be Small Maybe we obey with seemingly no results, but how do we know what seed has been planted in people? The smallest word can mean so much. Many years ago when I was pregnant with my first child (I was 39) I spoke to a friend about my concerns about my pregnancy and fears for my child. My dear friend said this, "It's a gift and not a test." Seven little words that calmed my soul. I know God spoke through her that day. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1: 22-25 Created for Good Works Many times our obedience calls us to change our behavior. God seeks for us to be better Christians. Our behavior towards others most definitely matters. When we show more love, more patience, more forgiveness the affects on our family and those around us are incalculable. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Blessed My prayer for you, and for myself, is that when God speaks I will listen and I will obey. He may speak through a pastor, through His word or through our prayers or however he chooses, but obedience will be blessed. "Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4: 39-40 Hope In I Peter 1: 13-16 we read: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." " Our hope is always in God's grace and we as His obedient children must make every effort to be holy. The holiness of our obedience is how someone sees Christ. Those people are on the other side of our obedience.

The Lord has a lot to say about humility and meekness. In the Bible we are given role models for humility and meekness. In Numbers 12:3 the Bible says that Moses was the meekest person on the earth. It is hard to imagine Moses parting the Red Sea and yet still being meek. Moses recognized where the power really came from. The power came not from himself, but from God. In Philippians 2: 6-8, Paul tells us that Jesus, in total humility, chose the cross - for us! The World Doesn't Value Humility And Meekness In the world, humility and meekness are not valued. In fact we are constantly told how we should elevate ourselves above others. We are told we should shout our accomplishments to the world. In Romans 12:3 Paul says, " For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." God provides for us, it is He who gives us the ability to perform those accomplishments. He allows us to be successful, He is our hope and when we fail He helps us to learn to rely more on Him. Humility Is... What is humility? It is putting others interests ahead of ourselves. It is an absence of pride. A humble person doesn't have to announce their good deeds. A humble person doesn't have to say "I did this and I did that" to feel good. The greatest blessing is to do a kind act for someone and never tell anyone. In Matthew 6:2 Jesus tells us to do our good deeds quietly and without fanfare. We are not supposed to seek earthly honor. If we do He says we have already received our full reward. I often think of the famous industrialist Andrew Carnegie (as in Carnegie Hall in New York City). Carnegie in his latter years was a famous philanthropist. He gave away the majority of his fortune before he died. But each library he built, each concert hall, each endeavor had his name prominently displayed. Mr. Carnegie wanted people to know who gave the money. He had his reward. Meekness Is... What is meekness? It is a gentleness of spirit. It is a person who endures offenses patiently, who has a controlled strength. Meekness isn't weakness. When we're weak we can't do anything. When we are meek we have chosen not to do something. Meekness doesn't mean that you allow yourselves to be run over. That's the definition of the world. Meekness acknowledges that we don't know everything. We don't know someone else's heart. Only God knows. Peter tells us in I Peter 3:15 that we should share the gospel with "meekness and respect". We Are Not Like The World In Philippians 2:3 Paul says that we should esteem others as better than ourselves. That doesn't sound much like what the world is telling us does it? Our Lord expects us have humility and meekness on our journey with hope. He expects us to be different.

The dictionary definition of holy is dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred. The word translated holy in the Bible in Hebrew actually means separated or set apart. We are commanded to be holy. Literally told to be set apart for God. It is easy to say that we are Christians but not so easy to live as one. Are You Sober? Where is our holiness? Often, I see people ask for prayer, which is always a good thing, but as I scroll through their social media I will see links to obscene music, pictures of inappropriate behavior, jokes that are off color, exclamations using the Lord's name in a careless way, etc. Where is our consistency? Where is our soberness as Peter tells us? "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”" I Peter 1: 13-16 (NIV) In this verse, sober, means not to be overly influenced by things that can make us stray from good judgement. Sober minded means to have self-control. Grow In Holiness Many of us have had experiences with Jesus, but then we just stop. We remember that one time when we knew we needed to be saved; when we called on Him and we became a Christian. The expectation for a Christian however, is that they will continue to grow in holiness. Paul says to the Corinthians that since we have these promises, we should cleanse ourselves from "the filthiness of the flesh and spirit" and we should perfect holiness while we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1). In I Thessalonians 4:7 we are told that we are called to holiness, not uncleanness. Set Apart For God We should be separate, noticeably so, from the culture around us. We should be different in every facet of our life. as obedient children we should strive to truly repent and turn from sin, we should avoid placing ourselves in situations that we know will cause us to be tempted to sin, we should pray, we should study the Word "to show ourselves approved" as Paul says in 2 Timothy 2: 15, we should love others, especially those who seem so unlovable to us, we should strive to live a humble life, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Philippians 2: 3, we should show self-control. This is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22-23. We Are Given Power A holy person according to the 2 Timothy 1: 7 has not been given a spirit of fear or timidness but the Spirit "gives us power, love and self-discipline." (NIV) The disciples showed this. They went from hiding in an upper room to preaching to thousands with great power and authority after they received the Holy Spirit. Works Of The Flesh v Works Of The Spirit In Galatians 5 Paul contrasts a life led that only has works of the flesh. He lists these in verses 19-21: "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries". Then he compares a Christian life, a holy life, in verses 22-23. This list is far different from the one above: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. " Do we live a life set apart for God? Paul says in Galatians 5: 21 that those who practice works of the flesh, "...will not inherit the kingdom of God." The Holy Spirit changes us. We should not be the person we were before we became a Christian. We should be transformed. These verses don't say that we will lead a perfect life, but that we will lead a life that strives for holiness. A life that strives to be set apart for God. Our Goal Is Holiness Our goal is to be a light to the nations, a city on a hill, wheat among the tares (Matthew 13: 24-30) that shows the world a better way to live. In fact, the only way to live, if a person desires to know truth. Do we choose love? Do we choose the characteristics of a Spirit filled life that shows the fruits of the Spirit? Do others see Christ in us? This is a choice we make daily in our encounters with others, from the smallest interactions with strangers, to the daily walk we live in our home with our family. "The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him." ~ C. S. Lewis

Have you ever had the experience of being somewhere very different, very strange. Someplace where you just simply didn't fit in? Maybe their culture was different or maybe their language, maybe they were "northerners" and you were a "southerner", maybe you grew up in the big city and they grew up on a farm. Maybe you felt almost like a stranger in the earth. Most of us have some experience with not fitting in. Peter has something to tell us about this. In I Peter 2: 11-12 he says, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." Depending on the translations the word may be aliens, strangers, exiles or foreigners. The idea is identical. You (Christians) don't belong here. You are travelers, strangers that are passing through this world. Your home isn't here. You feel almost uncomfortable here. This place is so different from what is "normal" for you that you can sense you don't belong. Our True Home - Heaven Hebrews 11: 8-10 reminds us that Abraham, full of faith, journeyed to a foreign land, to the Promised Land. There he was a stranger, but what was he really looking forward to? He was really looking forward to a city built by God - a Heavenly city. When we look back at the Old Testament, we see in Exodus 2:22 the birth of Moses first born son. The name he is given, Gershom, literally means "a stranger in a strange land". He was born in Midian, not his true home. His home was the Promised Land. Our home also is not here, it is in Heaven with our Lord and Savior. If there ever is a time in your life when you begin to feel at ease here, when you start to feel as if you belong - beware. Peter begs you to not to give into sinful desires because these desires, these lusts, wage war against your very soul. This is a war we must win. Transformed by the Holy Spirit At one time, before the Lord transformed you by His Holy Spirit you did belong. But since you have been changed, since you have become a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5: 17), we can no longer fit in. We should not even try to be part of that old world. But this is hard. We may find ourselves still wanting to sin, but now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to resist. Peter is encouraging us in our battle against sin. Filled with Good Works The world will view us as odd, perhaps even bad people, for not participating in what is considered normal behavior, but even while these unbelievers are saying this they should be seeing the lives we lead. Our lives should be filled with good works. Our loving kindness towards people who persecute us has an effect on the world. When unbelievers see these good works, some will ultimately glorify God. Be An Example Paul tells Timothy much the same thing in I Timothy 4: 12-13. He tells Timothy to be a an example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. There is an old expression I am sure you have heard, "Your life is the only Bible many people will ever read." Everything we do is being watched, especially if those around us know we call ourselves Christian. Honorable Conduct Just as the Jewish people exiled in Babylon were "strangers in a strange land" and yet returned to Israel and rebuilt the temple, so today, a small people, of little account and worth, are the ones God chooses to do incredible things. God sees the extraordinary in the insignificant things of the world. He sees the difference we can make when we have, as Peter says, honorable conduct. Overcome Evil with Good In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul calls us "ambassadors for Christ". We are sent out into a world that is no longer ours to accomplish the purpose of the One who we represent. In Romans 12:21 Paul tells us to "overcome evil with good". We don't overcome evil by violence, we don't overcome evil by marching in the streets, we don't even overcome evil by going to church; but we do overcome evil by being the opposite of it, by being good. A Stranger in the Earth When someone travels to a foreign land they usually miss their family they have left behind. They write letters, send emails, or FaceTime so they don't lose the connection to the one's they love. In this strange land we Christians live in how do we keep our connection to our true home. Psalm 119:19 explains how. The psalmist says, "I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me." To stay connected to our true home, the will of God and His word need to be present to us. We need to understand how God would use us in this strange land we live in because we know that where He is is our true home. To overcome evil we have to stay connected to our source of love. In this way we can truly love others and do good to them. Our connection to our Father helps us to win this war for our soul that Peter talks about. Enjoy, This World is Not Home, by the great Jim Reeves.