We need you Lord, NOW!

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. (Psalms 114:7-8 NLT)

It is fun reading about the "Exodus". I love the absolute power of the Lord on display for all to see. To think of the multiple wonders seen by Moses and the Israelites is amazing. 

My God is the god of miracles and he performs those same wonders for me. We don't give God much of the credit for the miracles in our lives today and we doubt his ability to do miraculous deeds. That might be to strong a statement, but at the very least we doubt he still does those miracles today. When was the last time you saw Lake Michigan part like the Red Sea? 

God is just as active today in our lives as he was with the Israelites. We just need to turn our problems , our stresses, and our pain over to him. REALLY release our trials to him, rely on him, expect the miracles, and he will show you his power. There is no problem he can't fix. 

Dear Lord, I pray a special prayer today for my family and the stresses we face. I know the hearts of my family, they love you dearly. We need special intervention. Give us your wisdom and your guidance as we turn over our troubles to you. Open our eyes to your path, to your plan when we do not know what to do. Many times we don't even know what to pray for. You know us better than we know ourselves. We need you, Lord! We need you! We need you! Fill us with your love. Fill us with your mercy, and fill us with your grace. May we rely on you in every moment of our life! Amen!

Just along for the ride!

Psalm 108

¹² Give us aid against the enemy,
   for human help is worthless.
¹³ With God we will gain the victory,
   and he will trample down our enemies.

When Stephanie and I go on motorcycle rides. I do all the driving. She does not Pilot the motorcycle. It appears to all who see us, that I am doing all the work. But, do you realize she is an integral part of the ride. She is not just along for the ride. When we go through turns, she has to lean precisely with me in order for us to smoothly negotiate the curve. She acts as another pair of eyes to watch other drivers and potential road hazards. We work together for an enjoyable and safe ride. There have been so many times we have been saved because of her vision when I wasn't paying attention. It might look like she's not doing anything, but I am so much safer when she is with me.

In my life, it looks like I am doing everything. It looks like I am the Pilot of my own destiny. But, I can tell you that is not true.  My help comes from the Lord, not humans and certainly not from within me. God really directs my life and is the key to making things smooth and safe. As Christians we take a lot of the credit for aiding the poor and the sick. You would think as followers of Christ we would realize it's not us. When we offer financial aid, or give our time, or talents, it is not us but God who works through us. We should Praise him not praise ourselves. God  puts us in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources to help others. He is the victor! It looks like it's us but we know that God is the one behind us and directing us. 

Why is it we are so quick to praise ourselves and reluctant to praise God! We face a lot of hardship and sickness in this world. Many times we get to the point we feel helpless to overcome those things. Yet, when we do it is not of our hand but the hand of the Lord that deserves the credit. 

Praise God as he is the source of all help and is the only real victor. Really, We are just along for the ride!

Ahhhhh, Refreshed!

Psalm 23 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 ³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake. 


I am always amazed at what God speaks to me as I look closer at his word.  This verse is a good example.I have always thought about this in relationship to verse 2. I have taken it to read "He refreshes by BODY", but it really says "He refreshes my soul." Why would my soul need refreshed? The answer is simple. When I sin, and I do often, my soul needs refreshed. The next line goes along with it also. He "guides" me down the right paths.

It should be clear that we are going to sin. We are going to make poor choices. We are going to "veer" off the right path. But, the grace of God is there to guide us back to where we need to be and he will refresh our soul. He will help us to get rid of the guilt and get rid of the after affects of the sin. He is there for us. Their is no time limit in these verses. He is ALWAYS there when we want to be refreshed. He is always there to offer his wisdom and guidance. We just have to accept it and it is done.

Ask him. You will be refreshed.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being there for me. I know I am a sinner and yet you still wait to bail me out. You wait to refresh my soul and you are there to get me back on the right path. You are an amazing God. Amen!