Don't Budge

Psalm 119:51 (MSG)
The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from Your revelation.



Covered foot bridge in Pennsylvania.

I'm on a "bridge" obsession right now.  I love them!  They fascinate me.  Pretty much everything about them.  This one to the right is in Pennsylvania.  It's actually a foot bridge we crossed over while hiking there last summer.  I can almost feel the cool water as it ripples down stream.  If I concentrate hard enough, I can hear the gentle water as it rushes over the rocks and slides through the overhanging brush.  Listen.  Did you hear it?

Listening is hard isn't?  Especially when all you can hear is silence.  For instance, when you have prayed and prayed for something that you are sure is in God's will to deliver and yet He remains quiet.  What do you do with that?

Give up asking?  Turn to something else for answers?  Become bitter and angry?  Nope!  As a child of the King, that is not an option!  It is at this very point of silence that we do exactly what this verse says tonight.  We stand firm in Him and  we "...don't budge from His revelation!"  If you need encouragement tonight, hold tight to the Words that He has given You in His Word.  They are true morsels of the goodness of His love for you. 

My favorite woman of faith, Corrie Ten Boom, was quoted as saying,
 "In darkness God's truth shines most clear.” 

Most High God,

Thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the revelations You provide in Your Word. Help us to cling to those truths and allow them to light our path while we walk in dark places. 

In Christ's Name,
Amen  

 

A Bridge To Life

Psalm 119:50(MSG)
These words hold me up in bad times;  yes, Your promises rejuvenate me.

Awe...this is an incredible verse!  God's word serves as a bridge from death to life for me.  Without the words from the Bible to give me strength and direction, I simply would be an aimless wanderer down here on planet earth.  In situations where I have experienced overwhelming fear, simply repeating memorized scripture and speaking the name of Christ bring a sense of peace, calm, and complete rejuvenation.  What a gift the Word of God is!

Lord,
Thank you for the gift of Your Word.  Please help me to hide it in my heart, so that I can glorify Your name in even the most difficult times of my life.
In the protective name of Christ,
Amen

Hang On

Psalm 119:49(MSG)
Remember what You said to me, your servant--
I hang on to these words for dear life!

I may have influenced my daughter.  I think she is a
"country girl" like me.  In this pic she is taking a
break from reading her book in one of her
favorite reading spots...the tree.

A funny thing happened on the way to find an Ice Cream place the other day.  First, I should tell you that we are out of our "town" and smack dab in the middle of the "city".  The Wiser dictionary defines "city" as:  An inability to see the sky due to the intrusion of large concrete and brick expanses towering high over our heads.  Did you know that with the crowding together of many buildings, it becomes quite difficult to get a perspective on where you are and where you want to go?  This is especially true when you are unfamiliar with the territory. 

Now, I continue the story of the quest for a flavorful sweet treat after a long day of travel.  Not knowing the neighborhood, I quickly turned to my "smart" phone.  Googling the nearest creamery seemed in order, so I intelligently proceeded with my plan.  Eureka!  I found a quaint little cold treat store only a few blocks from our current location.  I quickly plugged in the address to my handy~dandy little "maps" application.  If you're not familiar with this phone app., you should know that upon command, it succinctly pulls up a map and drops a blue pin where you are currently located, followed by another pin for where you want to go.  Quite literally as you move closer to your target, the dots on the map close in on one another.  It's pretty cool and I have a huge appreciation for this fancy new gadget, because I am from the complicated folding map generation from days gone by. 

So, off we go in the direction of the blue glowing target.  One block, two blocks, three blocks, and finally four blocks.  The pins are very close now.  We begin looking at the signs on the various businesses.  Nothing.  Hmm...but the map is showing that we are there?  What's up with this?  We back up and the dots separate.  We move forward and the dots are on top of each other.  We circle around the block and watch as the dots go apart and then return together at the location we were just at.  There is no ice-cream place.  Did they move?  Was the "smart" phone wrong?  It can't be wrong...right?  After all, it is a "smart" phone.  We continue our little circling for probably another ten minutes before we give up our destination and adjust our target for some fresh fruit at a local market.  (I know...it was the healthier choice anyway.)

The next day, as we continued to explore our surroundings, we were astonished to make an incredible discovery!  Underneath the street lies an entire "Underground World".   In this world there are tunnels and breezeways connecting buildings.  There are also shops and eateries....and yes...even an ice cream store!  Yep, you read that correctly!  The establishment we were searching for was right under our feet the whole time!  We were in the right place and didn't even know it.  It's OK, you can laugh at our perilous journey.  We got a good chuckle out of it too!

Reading today's verse reminded me of this mishap, because I can apply it to my spiritual life.  The entire writings of Psalm 119 focus on the significance of God's Word to His people.  The verses within it are praising God for the "map" that He has gifted them with.  The directions that He generously supplied to them would allow them to navigate the waters of life in a manner fitting to be called a servant of the King. 

God has given me a clear route to take today.  Thankfully, He directs me around walls, over obstacles, and through tunnels, as long as I am hanging onto His words for dear life!

Lord,
I am so grateful to You for the words that You supply me with each day to direct and guide me into a place of love and commitment to You.  Give me the strength to walk in the route that You have set out before me.
In Christ's Name,
Amen