Minute Musings...Final Boarding Pass

I'm sure that we've all planned trips.  There's a lot of components to a journey.  Departure
date and arrival times, packing, gathering of all documents needed at borders and airlines
or train terminals.  We put a lot of effort into making sure that all is in order for a great
vacation free of hassles. 

However, I am sorry to say that our greatest journey is one that we take for granted, make
little preparation for, and find ourselves scrambling at the last minute trying to make the arrangements.  Our journey through this wilderness called life to our eternal home is the
longest, hardest trip we will ever find ourselves on.  It is one that we often find ourselves
unprepared for because we failed to prepare for it properly.

Many trips require more than one connecting flight to get to the final destination.  So it is
with our spiritual journey to Glory.  There are many layovers along the way.  Sometimes
the time spent waiting to move on to the next step is long and tiring. 

 

 

In the book of Exodus we find the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt and the

preparation for the journey through the wilderness.  In chapter 13 verse 21 we read, "And

the LORD went before them..."  The Israelites did not know where they were going, but

they followed the LORD God who went before them!  We do not know where our journey

through this sinful wilderness will take us, but we follow the LORD our God who has

gone before us!  We do not tread blindly, we have a faithful guide.  When we are on a

"lay-over" due to unforeseen circumstances (to our eyes), it is for our good.  There are

lessons to be learned, blessings to be received, blessings to pass along to others, or perhaps

our Lord knew we just needed time to rest before the next leg of our journey.

 

Some of these delays are not pleasant.  Perhaps your journey has taken you down the

path of health problems, financial ruin, sorrow and loss, family problems, material loss...

How do you handle these sudden detours in your journey?  Proverbs 3:5 & 6  "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."  God has gone before

you, He knows where He is leading you...TRUST IN THE LORD.  This is the secret to

a successful journey...trusting in the Lord, no matter what befalls you, where He leads

you...just keep trusting in Him!  Stick close to your Lord.  It tells us in Psalms 119:105

that "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  "Word" in this

verse is referring to the Lord Himself!  God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our

paths! 

 

We never know which boarding pass we carry is our last one.  One of these days we

will bring out that final boarding pass...our next stop will be our final destination,

HEAVEN!

 

 

There is a song which says, "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, life's trials will

seem so small, when we see Him."  One of these days our journey will be over, and we

will see our Lord and Savior.  We don't know which trial, which sorrow, which heartache

will be our last one.  I am awaiting a diagnosis, which could be cancer!  The thought

running through my mind in this waiting room is...will cancer be my final boarding pass?

We never know do we.  So whether you are like me, waiting to board the next flight,

or already traveling, or preparing to disembark somewhere along your journey...keep your

eyes on the Lord, trust in the One who has gone before.  He will never fail you. 

 

Isaiah 41:10  "Fear thou not:  for I am with thee:  be not dismayed:  for I am

thy God:  I will strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee:  yea, I will uphold thee

with the right hand of my righteousness."

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Z73XUlONg



Minute Musings...Leave It There

If you're anything like I am, you tend to worry about things.  I honestly try not too, but all
too often I find myself fretting over things, that if the truth be told, I have little to no control
over!  Worrying does something that is very devastating, it robs today of its blessings.  We
cannot be in the throes of worry and be counting our blessings and rejoicing in the Lord
at the same time! 

Some of you might be thinking to yourselves..."You don't know what I'm going through."
Your right, but I know what I'm going through and I can tell you that when we do what
the Lord commands us to do everything falls into place, according to His, not our plans.
Philippians 4:4  "Rejoice in the Lord always:  and again I say, Rejoice."  One of the
fundamental differences between the Christian and the unsaved world is the God given
ability to rejoice no matter what befalls us.  This doesn't mean that we are happy we're
broke, sick or sorrowing the passing of a loved one;  it means that we rejoice in the fact
that our Father God has all things under control and we are resting in His love and care
for us.

God's Word tells us in Isaiah 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned:  neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

How wonderful is this precious promise of God.  He does not say that we will not have
tribulation, sorrow, burdens and cares, but rather He promises His presence in the midst
of these things.  It is this precious presence of God that brings us through the waters and
flames of tribulation.  It is this fruition of promise that testifies to the world that we have
a loving, powerful and faithful God who upholds us.

How many times have we felt alone with our problems?  Our burdens overwhelm, and
we feel that we are alone in our battles.  However the reality is that our Savior walks
beside us. 

Many times our problem lies in the fact that we do not leave our burdens and cares in
the Saviors hand...we take them back!  Then we have the nerve to blame God when we
start drowning in the turmoil of fear, doubt and unbelief.  When we place something in
our God's hand...leave it there. 

Remember nothing that happens in our lives takes God by surprise.  He knows the
beginning and end of our days.  He who created the worlds can be trusted with our
problems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFuG8C3yGx0

Minute Musings...Coming!

I am excitedly waiting today for company!  Friends from Nova Scotia, whom I haven't seen
for over a year are coming for a visit.  I have spent the last month making up different menu
plans, cleaning and getting ready for their arrival!  My little grandson kept running around
yesterday yelling, "Coming, Gramma...coming!"  Yes, they're coming, and I can hardly wait
for that knock at the door!



I got to thinking about it this morning as I was polishing the bathroom mirror...we spend so
much energy getting ready for someone to come.  We plan (or in my case, change plans and
menus so much I finally get confused as to what I've decided! lol), we clean, polish, make
sure everything is just right.  However we have another visitor who is coming, and I'm
ashamed to say that we don't expend as much energy, time and thought preparing for His
arrival as we should.

Revelation 1:7 & 8  "Behold, He cometh with clouds:  and every eye shall see Him,
and they also which pierced Him:  and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of Him.  Even so, Amen.  I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

Our wonderful Lord, Almighty God and Savior, Jesus Christ is coming!  Are you
ready?  Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior?  John 3:16 & 17  "For God
so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."

If you are a child of God, are you preparing for your Lord's return?  Are you living
for Him?  Do you have a vibrant, living testimony before the world of God's saving
grace, sustaining and life giving love?  Are you exhibiting for all to see, God's power
in your life?  If not, then you have some major "housecleaning" to do right away!  Once
we are a blood bought child of Almighty God, we have a responsibility to live with
His eminent return in mind.  Titus 2:13 & 14  "Looking for that blessed hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ:  Who gave
Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Him
self a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Angels told the disciples following the Lords ascension to Heaven in Acts 1:11, "This
same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen Him go into heaven."  Jesus IS coming again!  He told us in Revelation
11:20, "Surely, I come quickly."  There will be no phone call, text, or email announcing
that He is close...He's coming!  Are you ready?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWToJ6ioKQg



Minute Musings...Crying Out

I was with my son and his wife and 22 month old grandson at a restaurant tonight.  I was
watching my grandson and inwardly chuckling as he cried for a certain food then would
not want it when it was given to him.  His patient mother only put up with that attitude for
so long, then stopped giving him what he was crying for.   I got to thinking about it later
and realized that we are just like that.  We cry to God for things that we think we want, and
when given to us, we push it away wanting something different by that time.  God will only
put up with that self-absorbed attitude for so long.

However, not all crying is bad.  The Bible has a lot to say about crying, starting with this
found in Ecclesiastes 3:1a & 4a  "To every thing there is a season...A time to weep..."
There is crying that is sweet to the ears of our Heavenly Fathers.

1.  Our cry to Him in the midst of trouble. 
     Psalms 107:19  "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saveth 
     them out of their distresses."

2.  Our cry to Him in faith and trust.
     Philippians 4:6 & 7  "Be careful for nothing:  but in every thing by prayer and
     supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.  And
     the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
     minds through Christ Jesus."

3.  Our cry of repentance.
     2 Corinthians 7:10  "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to
     be repented of:  but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

4.  Our cry of praise.
     Psalms 66:17  "I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my
     tongue."

What are you crying for today?  Are you throwing a spiritual temper tantrum, kicking
and screaming because God has not given you what you think you need?  Just as we, as
parents know what is best for our children, we need to trust in the Lord's wisdom;  He
knows what we need in our lives.  He knows our hearts, our desires, our frailties, our
short comings...and He sees our tears.  Psalms 56:8  "...put Thou my tears into Thy
bottle:  are they not in Thy book?" 

Let your tears be those of submission and surrender to your loving Savior.





Minute Musings...Squeezed

Have you ever taken a orange, squeezed it and got apple juice?  I think you'd be pretty
surprised to take a drink of freshly squeezed carrot juice and find that you are really
drinking pineapple juice!  When we squeeze something we expect what's inside to be
what is represented on the outside don't we! 

Do you realize that we are squeezed on a daily basis by the trials and tribulations of
this life?  What comes out shows what we are really made of.  If our roots are planted
in this old sinful world then what will come out will be frustration, bitterness, anger
and discontent.  If we are rooted in Christ Jesus then that which will show forth will
be the fruits of the Spirit of God.  Galatians 5:22  & 23 "But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" 

The heart cannot hold the flesh and the Spirit at the same time.  When things are going
good, we might be able to fool those around us, but it is in the dark, troublesome times
of life, that what is in our hearts becomes visible to others.  Don't expect the love of God
to come forth during difficult moments when your heart contains the garbage of this world. 
Only those who are walking in the Spirit, surrendering daily to the Master, will exhibit the
heart of Christ under pressure.  So don't expect to see something good and pure flow from
your heart during those hard times when you haven't planted the good seed in your heart in
the first place!

We are exhorted in Proverbs 4:23 to "Keep (guard) thy heart with all diligence:  for
out of it are the issues of life."  It is of utmost importance that we guard our hearts against
this sinful worlds influence.  We need to keep our bodies, minds and hearts under  the control
of the Holy Spirit of God.  Remember, when you are put into the "winepress" of tribulation,
what is in your heart will be poured out for all to see.

Psalms 51:10  "Create in me a clean heart, O God:  and renew a right spirit within
me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ZNR9g3fFQ





Minute Musings...God Of The Valley

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to feel close to the Lord when you are on the
mountain top?  You are feeling great, things are going your way...you're on the top of
the world.  However, what happens when you are trudging along in the Valley of despair,
hurt, sorrow, discouragement?  The Lord seems to be a million miles away doesn't He!
May I tell you something, it is when we are at our weakest that the power of God can be
seen the most clearly in our lives...if we are surrendered and seeking His guidance and
will!  So why do we feel so separated from our Lord when we are going through the
tribulations of this life?  It's because we are allowing our troubles to create a wedge
between us and God instead of letting them be the glue that bonds us tightly to our
Savior!

We are not meant to dwell in the valleys, we are to walk through them.  We read this
in Psalms 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil:  for Thou art with me:  Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me."
Have you put down roots and are dwelling in the valley?  We are to WALK THROUGH
them!  We are not alone in our troubles, pain and sorrows, He walks with us!  The
same God that we commune with on the mountain tops is our comfort and guide in
the valleys. 

I encourage you to thank God for these valleys in your life.  They are meant to draw us
nearer to our Savior, to purge us of the sins of this world, and to set our gaze upon our
eternal home.  Remember that the God of the valley is the same God of the mountain, let
Him restore your soul today!

 

 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg

Minute Musings...Walking On Water

How often do we blame our "bad" day on the weather, work problems, family problems,
financial worries, physical ailments or...(the list could be endless!)  It's really easy to shift
the blame to someone or something else isn't it!  However the reality is, that we CHOOSE
the kind of day we have!  I can already hear the arguments forming in your mind about
that statement, but if you're honest with yourself, you will have to admit that I'm telling
the truth. 

The secret to having a joyful life lies not in the circumstances around us, but in the
peace of the Lord within us!  We choose whether to be joyful or unhappy, whether
to have an attitude of contention or peace; whether to be angry or peaceful...it's up to
us!  There will always be storms in our lives, times of distress, pain, sorrow and
uncertainty;  but the one thing constant, that we can always count on, is the Lord our
God!

Psalms 94:22  "But the LORD is my defence;  and my God is the rock of my
refuge."

Defeat, despair, discouragement and hopelessness can easily overwhelm the child
of God when we focus on the difficulties we face instead of the loving Savior Whom
is Master over all.  The Apostle Peter learned this valuable lesson when the Master
bid him to take His hand and step out of the safety of the boat into the wild waves
of the storm.  Matthew 14:28 - 31  "And Peter answered Him and said, Lord,
if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.  And He said, Come.  And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to
Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid:  and beginning to
sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately, Jesus stretched forth
His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore
didst thou doubt?"

Peter was able to do the impossible when he kept his eyes on Jesus and had faith
that the Lord would hold him up.  However, when his eyes strayed to the storm, his
faith wavered and he began to sink.  Notice the word, "immediately", Jesus was
there!  Do you realize that when we trust Jesus, when we keep our eyes on Him
instead of the storm swirling about us, that we are walking on water!  We can
experience the same victory as Peter did in the storms of our lives!

How is your day going?  Are you rejoicing in the middle of tribulation and pain?
Keep your eyes on the blessed Savior, and walk on water today!

Matthew 14:32 & 33  "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased,
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth
Thou art the Son of God."



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjmxiF0CkVs&list=PLUVRsVBd3tUzvtgcAUnV4KWkx05yMB6GV