God's Rutter for us

READ: Psalm 119:129-136

Direct my steps by Your Word. —Psalm 119:133

"During the era of great sea exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, sailing ships traversed vast, hazardous oceans and navigated dangerous coastlines. Pilots used various navigation techniques—including a book called a “rutter” (not the “rudder,” the ship’s steering device). This was a log of events kept by earlier voyagers who chronicled their encounters with previously unknown and difficult waters. By reading the sailing details in a rutter, captains could avoid hazards and make it through difficult waters.

In many ways, the Christian life is like a voyage, and the believer needs help in navigating life’s perilous seas. We have that help because God has given us His Word as a “spiritual rutter.” Often when we reflect on a meaningful passage, we can recall God’s faithfulness through trying circumstances. As the psalmist suggests, perils are found not only in life situations but also in our inner tendency toward sin. Because of these dual concerns, he wrote, “Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me” (119:133).

As you reflect on the teaching in the Bible, you’ll be reminded of God’s past care, assured of the Lord’s guidance in trying circumstances, and warned against sinfulness. That’s the advantage of having a “spiritual rutter.” —Dennis Fisher

My Bible is a guidebook true
That points for me the way,
That gives me courage, hope, and cheer
And guidance for each day. —Anon.

With God’s Word as your map and His Spirit as your compass, you’re sure to stay on course."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have our own personal rutter to guide us through this battling and trying voyage of life.

It's perfectly human to worry

If you don't have worries or don't worry then consider yourself for sainthood because you are something a little beyond human. Honestly I don't think there is a person alive who does not worry. It's human and we can't help it. Some people say they do not worry but I find that extremely hard to believe. My worries are not yours and yours are not mine basically.

"Matthew 6:25-34


Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. —Matthew 6:34

In a radio interview, a basketball superstar was asked about his knack for making the game-winning shot in crucial situations. The reporter asked how he was able to be so calm in such pressure-packed moments. His answer was that he tried to simplify the situation. “You only have to make one shot,” the player replied. One shot. That is the essence of simplifying a difficult situation. Focus only on what is in front of you right now. Don’t worry about the expectations of your coach or teammates. Simplify.

Recognizing that the challenges of life can be both overwhelming and suffocating, Jesus urged us to take matters in hand by simplifying. He said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34). This was His wise conclusion to His teaching on the debilitating power of worry. Worry doesn’t accomplish anything positive; it just adds to the sense that we are drowning in the troubles we are facing. We must take things as they come­—one day at a time­—and trust Him for the wisdom to respond properly.

If you feel overwhelmed by life, do what you can today and then entrust the rest to Him. As Jesus said, “Each day has enough trouble of its own” (niv). —Bill Crowder

Don’t worry for your future needs,
It will only bring you sorrow;
But give them to the Lord instead—
He’ll take care of your tomorrow. —Sper

We lose the joy of living in the present when we worry about the future."

The Lord's Protection

I just came across this prayer on Facebook that my
cousin wrote. It's nice and I'm going to steal it--
God won't mind ;-)

"Dear Lord, fill me with your Spirit so that there is no mistake to those around me….they will know that I am under your influence! Everyone I come in contact with even strangers will know just by an encounter with me that I daily walk with you. Your power and your glory will be reflected in me to the world. Your presence upon me will shine like a light in the darkness."

"Dear Lord, I am going to encounter some things today that I just cannot handle by myself. I expect to be faced with pressures, people, and situations beyond my control. But you are the same no matter what so keep me focused and calm, relying on your strength. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

Thanks S.A.

Dependence

I understand that I need to totally depend on God and no one else.
I look to God for every understanding, for every need, for every bit of comfort and
solace. I depend on God for peace and understanding, guidance, clarity and protection.
This reading from ODB yesterday was a good read. Thank you God.

1 John 2:24–3:3

"In Him we live and move and have our being. —Acts 17:28

While enjoying the arrival of a new great-niece, I was reminded of how much work it is to take care of a newborn baby. They are needy little creations who want feeding, changing, holding, feeding, changing, holding, feeding, changing, holding. Totally unable to care for themselves, they depend on those older and wiser people surrounding them.

We’re dependent children too—reliant on our Father in heaven. What do we need from Him that we can’t provide for ourselves? “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He supplies our very breath. He also meets our needs “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

We need our Father for peace in our troubles (John 16:33), love (1 John 3:1), and help in time of need (Ps. 46:1; Heb. 4:16). He gives victory in temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), forgiveness (1 John 1:9), purpose (Jer. 29:11), and eternal life (John 10:28). Without Him, we “can do nothing” (John 15:5). And from Him, “we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16 NIV).

Let’s not think of ourselves as totally independent—because we’re not. The Lord sustains us day by day. In many ways, we’re as needy as a newborn baby. —Anne Cetas

We are dependent on the Lord
Who showers us with blessing;
He gives us everything we need—
Without Him we are nothing. —Sper

Depending on God isn’t weakness; it’s acknowledging His strength."

Fresh Fruit

Received this one after my birthday which I always find a bit down on.

"The righteous . . . shall still bear fruit in old age. —Psalm 92:12,14

I love the old photographs that are often printed on the obituary page of our local newspaper. A grinning young man in a military uniform and words such as: 92 years old, fought for his country in WWII. Or the young woman with sparkling eyes: 89 years young, grew up on a farm in Kansas during the Depression. The unspoken message is: “I wasn’t always old, you know.”

Too often, those who have had a long life feel sidelined when they reach their later years. Psalm 92, however, reminds us that no matter how old we are, we can have a fresh and fruitful life. Men and women who have been “planted” in the rich soil of God’s vineyard will continue to “bear fruit” and be “fresh and flourishing” (v.14). Jesus promised that “he who abides in Me, and I in him,” will continue to bear “much fruit” (John 15:5).

Yes, muscles may ache and joints may hurt, and life may slow down a bit. But inwardly we can be “renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

I recently saw a T-shirt on a beautiful white-haired woman that said: “I’m not 80. I’m 18 with 62 years experience.” No matter how old we get, we can still be young at heart—but with the benefit of a well-lived lifetime of knowledge and wisdom. —Cindy Hess Kasper

We can be young in heart and mind,
To others we can yet be kind,
Sing songs of praise to God through tears,
And grow in grace through all our years. —Zimmerman

Faithfulness is God’s requirement; fruitfulness is His reward."

Patience

Patience is a virtue and not an attribute of mine in any way. "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I do hope. —Psalm 130:5

Children want things now: “But I want dessert now!” “Are we there yet?” “Now can we open our presents?” In contrast, as we get older we learn to wait. Medical students wait through training. Parents wait in hopes that the prodigal will return. We wait for what is worth waiting for, and in the process we learn patience.

God, who is timeless, requires of us a mature faith that may involve delays that seem like trials. Patience is one sign of that maturity, a quality that can develop only through the passing of time.

Many prayers in the Bible come out of the act of waiting. Jacob waited 7 years for a wife and then worked 7 more after being tricked by her father (Gen. 29:15-20). The Israelites waited 4 centuries for deliverance; Moses waited 4 decades for the call to lead them, then 4 more decades for a Promised Land he would not enter.

“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,” wrote the psalmist (Ps. 130:6 NIV). The picture comes to mind of a watchman counting the minutes for his shift to be over.

I pray for the patience to endure times of trial, to keep anticipating, keep hoping, keep believing. I pray for patience to be patient. —Philip Yancey

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. —Isaiah 40:31

God seldom does great things in a hurry."