“A person’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.”

Proverbs 19:11 HCSB

Years ago when speaking with a friend I’d phoned, she paused and said, “You know, I thought our friendship had run its course.” Wow! I was dumbfounded, to say the least. Sure, we no longer went to the same church and definitely talked less frequently, but something else was up here. Our conversation ended a few minutes later, and, feeling like I was hung out to dry, I prayed for her. She had told me about some of her own family issues that cut much deeper than the pain her words inflicted; her plate was more than full, but I only found that out after I had told her about what I thought was a neat journalistic opportunity for the part-time writer.

Over the next nine to ten months I continued to pray for her and her family, for healing from the tragic difficulty they were going through. Then one day a note came in the mail with a return address from this friend. Odd. She apologized for her hurtful words, confirming they had nothing to do with me and everything to do with her circumstances. She requested forgiveness. I’m not going to say we are best friends now; we only talk on rare occasion, but when we recently were unwittingly paired together due to unusual circumstances, we were able to talk without awkwardness, having completely put aside old issues.

Is there someone you need to forgive? Do you need to ask forgiveness? 🚦

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#forgiveness #proverbs #patience

“The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.”

Psalms 19:7-8 HCSB

You’ve just purchased a bicycle which you have to put together. You open the box only to find there are no instructions. Chaos ensues as you feebly attempt to assemble the thing until you realize there is an online manual. Alas, relief is in sight!

How much more important is the Word of God in our lives for instruction for our daily lives than a manual for putting together a bicycle? We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6 that when we trust in God and lean on His wisdom, He will make our directions clear. Along the same lines, limits give us a sense of definition and safety; “the boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places…”[Psalm 16:6] When we are in God’s Word, trusting Him for direction and clarity in our lives, we will find the rest and peace our hearts and minds seek.🚦

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“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.”

Psalm 18:30-32 ESV

As a new school year starts up, I remember grade school teachers asking us to write about someone who we considered to be our hero. I always felt a bit stumped by these questions but loved hearing what others had to say. There were so many interesting answers as kids shared their stories, ranging from fictitious characters to father figures and presidents.

When considering this question of heroes now, we need look no further than our God and Savior whose love is perfect and is our refuge and help. He is our defender, and when we come to Him, He not only provides us with shelter, but he purifies us and fortifies us, preparing us for the way ahead. God partners with us in moving forward through even the most difficult of challenges and remains even when the battle is over. We can’t ask for a better hero than God! 🚦

“I call on You, God, because You will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.”

Psalms 17:6 HCSB

In 1975, popular vocal group The Manhattan Transfer belted out their hit “Operator,” calling to the telephone operator to put Jesus on the line. While we don’t need to use our phones, we certainly do have God on speed dial through prayer. He is always available, always answers, and always listens attentively. When there was no sleep to be found this morning, it was good to know my Savior was just a dial away, and the hour would not bother Him. Psalm 17:10 calls us the apple of His eye, and He delights to hear our concerns.

Are you hesitating to reach out to Him? What’s holding you back? He’s waiting. 🚦

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:5-8 ESV

The book of Numbers informs us that priests were not to inherit land, that instead God Himself was their inheritance. In our materialistic society we think of money and property when it comes to estates, but the Psalmist is overjoyed with his rich portion. He chooses God over possessions any day of the week because he knows the Lord is His provision. It is his Heavenly Father, not wealth, which gives wisdom and calms his anxious heart.

Like David, you and I have that same assurance of knowing God is at our sides, and with Him we will remain steady through whatever comes our way if we choose hold on to Him. God is enough. 🚦

“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

Psalm 15:1-5 ESV

Sojourn: to live temporarily. This psalm appears to describe the ultimate houseguest for God’s dwelling place. When we are going to worship God, we are entering His house and need to prepare our hearts for presence before a Holy God. This means recognizing our own need for forgiveness and atonement for our sin. Having our hearts right before entering into His house is critical to not only our own worship but for others’ worship, as well.

Satan will do everything in his power to put up barriers to your worship time with God so that you do not venture into His tent. Bow your head and lift high your hands to receive the gift of forgiveness, and enter into praise and thanksgiving to the Holy One! 🚦

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

Psalm 14:1-3 ESV

The fool in this narrative may not be coming out and blatantly calling themselves an atheist, but they are living as a practical atheist. That is, they are living a lifestyle consistent with their believing there is no God to whom they are accountable.

“Janelle” is the life of the party and is one shrewd businesswoman, and she answers to no one but her own limited conscience when she’s signing off on those shady deals. “Marcus” is a player, both in love and in trade. They seem to have it all together and have a lot of fun, don’t they?

So why can’t I turn off this religion thing and be more like them?

Why can’t you run around unabashedly doing whatever sensuality calls you to do in the name of pleasure and personal gain without regard for how it affects others around you? You are not Nabal, the fool who says there is no God. You are a child chosen of God and are chasing after HIm. You may be tired, weary from fighting with the enemy who lies constantly to pull you away, but you are a child of the King. Now straighten that crown, and get going! 🚦

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.”

Psalm 12:6 ESV

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 18:30 ESV

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Proverbs 30:5 ESV

We live in a world that has seemingly endless media outlets, yet we often are left wondering if we can trust any of them for honest news. It is good to know God’s Word is pure and refined, tested by fire. You can trust He is true to what He says, and unlike a newspaper in the rain, His promises are a sturdy covering from the storms.

Has something triggered you? You can run to God’s Word in good times and bad for respite, for refreshment, for refuge. 🚦

“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.”

Psalms 10:17-18 NIV

Raw, intense, over-mastering fear or anxiety. This is the kind of emotion striking to the core of our being, threatening to consume us when terror is on the prowl, seeking to devour one who would succumb to its tactics. As part of the snare, the enemy screams lies at us saying, “You are alone! You are not good enough! No one even cares about you!”

But God hears you, me. He runs to our side when we call out to Him and says “I am here. You are not alone. Don’t give up. You matter.” He is the shoulder to cry on, the defender who is closer than a brother and the encourager who walks with you through the darkest valley. He stares down terror and says, “Not today, Satan.”

Don’t let fear overtake you. Reach out to Him. And if you feel you may do something drastic, please reach out to the suicide hot line at 988. 🚦

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalms 9:9-10 NIV

One night when my kids were young we heard the sound of sirens warning of a tornado in the area, telling us to seek shelter immediately. Being a ranch-style house, our home had little to offer in the way of interior rooms for the shelter we were seeking, but there was one small closet myself and the two small boys could fit in to bunker for a few hours. We put pillows all around to protect us from flying or falling debris, and we waited. And waited. And waited.

God does that for us, too. He is our safe room in a world that leaves us feeling unprotected from the vicious assaults on our minds from upsetting news reports, work demands, peer pressures and the like. When there is no place to go, we need only say, “Jesus”. There is power in His name.

You may find that, like my youngest son who fell asleep in the closet that stormy night, the rest is so peaceful in His presence you will be drawn back again and again. His Spirit is good place to quiet your heart even on a clear day. 🚦