My Thoughts and Reflections

"I always put the LORD in front of me; I will not stumble because he is on my right side."  - Psalm  16:8 (CEB) A popular memory verse in my church growing up was Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (NIV1984).  Our verse for the week is a similar recognition of the truth of God's guidance in our lives.  As long as we put God first in our lives, we cannot fail and we will not stumble and fall because he will be right there at our side to keep us on the "straight and narrow."   How good is it to know that it is impossible to fail in life when we place God at the front of our lives?  I believe that it is great news!  However, d o not be deceived into thinking that this is a promise for an easy life or for a life absent of roadblocks, failures, and sin, but it is a promise that we can take hold of when we take the daily initiative to place Christ at the forefront of our lives.  This is why it is so import...

‎"Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD GOD you have an everlasting rock." —Isaiah 26:4 (NRSV) What have you put your trust in recently? Have you placed your trust in your job? Your home? Your money? Your family? Your friends? Your things? What one of these things provides the assurance, the blessing, and the peace of mind that trusting in God does? Isaiah tells us where we need to place our trust; in the LORD GOD who is an everlasting rock! Earlier in Israel's history, Samuel placed a stone in a field following a military victory in order to remind Israel that it was the LORD who helped us to this very point! That stone was named "Ebenezer," the "stone of help." Later, Jesus refers to himself as the rejected stone that became the cornerstone. "As God's household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20, CEB).  How good it is to know t...

“Instead, we are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.”  - Ephesians 2:10 (CEB) Our salvation is not a result of anything we have accomplished. Our salvation is God's accomplishment. It was accomplished because of God's love and by Jesus' willingness to die on the cross for our sins. Because we have accepted the free gift of salvation, we also accepted the change in our lives that salvation brings. Jeremiah reminded his listeners that God has a good plan for our lives and Paul reemphasizes this reminder. God has planned good things for our lives and good things for us to accomplish in our new lives as Christians. This new way of life, though not always easy, is the surefire way of living a life of joy. Our joy comes from knowing that we are honoring our father in heaven and showing him gratitude for the great mercy that he has bestowed on us, the fact that we ...

The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever. - Psalm 119:160 (NRSV) In today's world, we are used to lies and falsehoods on a daily basis. We hear those on the radio, TV, and even in our own correspondences each day! Even close friends and family members do not tell the truth one hundred percent of the time! How sad is that? Even though others may fail, we have a God whose word is truth and whose word lasts forever! Isn't it good to know that we have a God whose word never contains a falsehood? The full sum of God's word is truth. That means that there is nothing in any part of his word that is false. God's Word, the Bible, is God's number one way of communicating his thoughts to us. It is his way of showing his will and his truth! It is so good to know that we do have a reliable and unwavering source for truth in a day and age when truth is defined on an individual basis. Praise God for his Word and d...