Navigating the Forks of Life

Every day we are faced with new challenges and some of these involve decisions and choices that have the potential of altering our lives forever. We make minor decisions constantly, which route to take to work or the store. What to buy when we get to the store. What to see when we get to the movie theater.

Choices, decisions, forks in the road of life—all providing an alteration to the path we are currently following. We learn over time how important it is to put some thought into how we choose to navigate each of these forks to make the most of every decision.

But unfortunately, we don’t always choose the right path and regret or failure soon befall us. If we continue to follow paths of wrong choices, our lives become a web of troubles and failures often leading to difficulty and hardships. Maybe I am talking about your life right now? Maybe your life has been plagued by bad choices that have landed you in ruin?

It probably didn’t just happen overnight. It started out with a bad choice every now and then. But before long it became a lifestyle for you and now it encompasses and controls your whole life. Despair and defeat seem to be your reward at every intersection of life?

God rescued the nation of Israel from the hand of the Egyptians—400 years of slavery! After a time of struggling in the wilderness, they found themselves in the Promised Land. Life was going great, God was blessing them tremendously but they struggled with navigating the forks of life. More often than not, they chose the wrong path and ended up in peril and away from God.

King David led the nation to a pinnacle of greatness through his rule though he made some bad choices along the way. Still, God blessed the nation. King Solomon built the most glorious temple the world had ever known and the nation gained world-wide notoriety. But Solomon made many bad choices along the way. His seven hundred wives introduced the pagan gods of the world into the nation of Israel and it wasn’t long before the nation was split in two.

Over the years, the nation continued its path of bad decisions, eventually landing both parts back in captivity. But, God didn’t write them off! God continued to love them through it all. Certainly He hated their choices but He loved His people just as He continues to love you today. Regardless of the wrong forks you’ve taken and the bad choices you’ve made, God still loves you and desires to draw you back into His arms of love.

As the enemy stood ready to take the Jewish people into captivity for their ungodly choices, God issued a promise to them through His prophet, Jeremiah. He declared: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place” (Jeremiah 29:10 HCSB). The people had shaken their fist in the face of God through their actions, choices and lifestyles; yet, God promised to make it all right.

He went on and described what He would do for them not only in their near future but throughout all eternity. He promised: “For I know the plans I have for you—plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you. I will restore you to the place I deported you from” (vv. 11-14).

That is His promise to you today as well! God has a plan for you and for your life. It is a plan of wellness, happiness and eternal life, if you simply place your trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. God wants to restore you today. It doesn’t matter how far you have ventured away, His arms of love are long enough to reach you right where you are and draw you back to Him. But, you must surrender yourself fully over to Him.

As you navigate the forks of life, it is important to remember there are always at least two choices you can make. One of those choices is always the right choice, the others not nearly so much. The only right choice is through Jesus. Only you can make that decision to navigate your life down the right path.

King David committed a terrible sin against God and as he was finding his way back, He wrote this Psalm of repentance. Maybe, it needs to be your Psalm today:

Scripture Reading: “Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Wash away my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against You-You alone-I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge. Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.” (Psalm 51 HCSB)

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I have lived my life making bad choices, making wrong choices, and living out the consequences for those. I pray You forgive me; cleanse my heart and life. Remove the desire in me to follow after my own ways and help me to focus directly upon You. I commit my life to following the path that leads to You. I commit to walking beside You and being led by You when life becomes rough. Father, I pray You take control of me and mold me into the person You desire me to be. I love You and thank You for not giving up on me—for always being there for me! I praise You with my whole heart. In Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Struggling Under a Heavy Load

As I deal with people on a regular basis, I find many who think everything is just going great. The attitude that life is great so everything is great prevails—at least until you begin to dig a little deeper. Soon, you discover many have clothed themselves with this façade of “everything’s okay,” when in reality, they are struggling under a very heavy load in life.

On the outside people are smiling and appear content, while on the inside, hurts and pains from life’s ongoing struggles are choking the life right out of their being. Every day we all come into contact with people who are hurting—struggling just get by, but we just pass them by. That person could even be you today? Maybe you can relate very well to what I am talking about?

I was thinking about the life of the little guy named Zacchaeus. His life appeared to be going okay—at least for him. He was doing well financially although others disliked him because he was the tax-man. However, he apparently wasn’t content with his life—he was seeking after something more.

The Scripture tells us that Jesus was headed in his direction but his short stature prevented him from being able to see over the crowds, so “he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus” (Luke 19:4 HCSB). Now, why would he care so much about seeing Jesus? Wasn’t life as great on the inside as he portrayed it to be on the outside? Apparently not! And Jesus knew it!

Jesus “looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house.’ So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully” (vv. 5-6). Of course the crowds saw nothing good in Zacchaeus as they accused Jesus of lodging “with a sinful man” but Jesus looked beyond the façade of contentment and saw a life struggling under a heavy load.

The love, mercy and grace expended to this man by Jesus loosed the shackles that bound him up and transformed his rock-hard heart into a supple heart, loving, giving heart. Zacchaeus responded to the Lord’s interaction into his life by saying: “I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much!” (v. 8).

Certainly we see a great work of salvation in this man’s life but we also see a great release from all the inner-struggles he had been dealing with for many years. The freedom offered by Jesus is a freedom that is complete as He said in John 8:36: “Therefore if the Son sets you free, you really will be free” (John 8:36 HCSB).

Zacchaeus discovered freedom from his sins as well as the heavy load he had been carrying along through his life. He discovered the freedom of Jesus. He discovered what Jesus was referring to when He said: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Peter encourages us to: “cast all your care upon Him, because He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). Whatever you are struggling with today, Jesus wants to lift that burden from you and set you free to enjoy His presence and to have life in great abundance (John 10:10).

Don’t struggle along any longer under your heavy load; rather, give it over to Jesus!

Scripture Reading: How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How happy is the man the Lord does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit! When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You took away the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel. Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle, or else it will not come near you. Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart. (Psalm 32 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I thank You for always being near and always helping me. Your abundant love, mercy and grace are forever strongholds that uphold me and strengthen me. I pray that You would lift away my inner struggles today. Set me free from their weight so I may live in the abundance of freedom that You offer to all who will trust in You. I love You and praise You today, O Lord…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Searching You Out from Among the Multitudes!

The holiday season tends to be a time of raised depression levels among a lot of people. Sadly, rather than bringing joy and happiness, many find themselves sinking deep in thought and longing, and feeling as though nobody cares. Maybe that is you today? Or, someone you know? Maybe thoughts of harm have entered your mind as a means of escape—simply getting away from the string of problems that have enveloped you?

I am here to offer you hope in your time of crisis today. There is hope. There is Someone who cares for you more than you will ever know and I am certain there are others who care a great deal for you as well in the midst of your struggles.

Luke tells about the religious folks who had been hanging around keeping an eye on Jesus—waiting for any opportunity to accuse Him or condemn Him. Their complaint against Him was: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” (Luke 15:2 HCSB). Why? Because He cared for them—He cared for their souls and their lives as indicated by His time spent reaching out to them and putting His own life into theirs.

To their accusation, Jesus responded: “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?” (v. 4). Jesus pointed out the great importance He placed upon all humans—His willingness to step out of His place of comfort to go out and search for the lost one regardless of the situation or circumstances. The lost one had to be found! And, that is how Jesus feels about you today!

Jesus cares about your struggles, problems, and situations. He is not content to allow you to drown in your sea of difficulties; rather, He comes to your rescue and draws you up out of the mess, cleans you up and walks with you. While others may condemn Him for wasting His precious time, He never sees you as a waste of time.

Jesus sees you as precious as we see in verse 5-6 where He says: “When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’” You are precious to Jesus and He, as well as all the host of heaven, rejoices when you are rescued and delivered from your struggles and problems.  

Jesus calls you precious today! Jesus calls you worthy today—worthy of His life’s blood shed on the cross to rescue you. Jesus searches for all of us among the multitudes, set upon rescuing us from our pasts, our problems and an eternity without hope.

I don’t know where you are in your life-walk today, but I do know that Jesus cares and He wants to walk that walk beside you—all the way! Trust Him! Do not be overcome by despair, fear or dread. Rather, turn it all over to Jesus and enjoy what this season of Thanksgiving and a remembrance of the birth of the Savior into this world have to offer you for all eternity.

May you be blessed with the riches of the fullness of His grace and glory in this blessed season and every day of your walk in this life (Ephesians 2:7). Find someone today who you can reach out to and touch their life with the joy and happiness of Jesus!

Scripture Reading: “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and faithfulness. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. On the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me. All the kings on earth will give You thanks, Lord, when they hear what You have promised. They will sing of the Lord’s ways, for the Lord’s glory is great. Though the Lord is exalted, He takes note of the humble; but He knows the haughty from afar. If I walk in the thick of danger, You will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend Your hand; Your right hand will save me. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Lord, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands” (Psalm 138 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I praise You for caring enough for me to come searching me out and helping me to discover I do have worth and value—that You saw enough in me to not only send Jesus to die for me but also to draw me unto Yourself. Lord, I pray You would give me the strength to overcome and the power to face my troubles and problems and know that You have already taken care of them for me. Help me, Lord, to stay focused upon You and Your goodness and mercy always. I love You and praise You, Lord…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Restoration Belongs to You!

Where are you in your walk with Jesus today? Do you feel the intimacy and closeness that He desires for the both of you? Or, is there something that has grown up between you—maybe unconfessed sin or habitual sin or too much worldly influence in your life? Maybe you have simply drifted away? Your prayer life has dwindled and you rarely, if ever, spend time in fellowship and communion with Him? Maybe you have lost all sense of intimacy with Him and you are not even sure if you can ever get it back?

A great many Christians are walking around through life today simply surviving. The fellowship they once had with Jesus has waned and faded from their daily existence. Their own personal failures have led them to see themselves as failures before God leading to these feelings. Maybe I am talking to you today? Maybe you long to be back in relationship with Jesus? Maybe you feel there is no hope?

Following their release from Egyptian captivity, the Israelites wondered to and from their relationship with God. As you read the adventures of these people, you wonder how and why God would even continue to give them another chance. It seemed every time they ventured away from God, their trip took them a bit further than before.

By the time Jeremiah came on the scene, their rebellion and sin had become so offensive to God that His judgment was imminent. Why did God let them go so far? Why didn’t He just cut them off completely earlier on? Why did He continue to put up with their antics and forgive them when they pleaded for mercy?

Jeremiah 30 closes with the gavel being dropped as the Lord proclaims: “Look, a storm from the Lord! Wrath has gone forth. A churning storm, it will whirl about the head of the wicked. The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart” (vv. 23-24 HCSB).

But even before He pronounces judgment, He promises restoration. God proclaims: “I will bring you health and will heal you of your wounds… I will certainly restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents…You will be My people, and I will be your God” (vv. 17,18,22).

Following the pronouncement, the Lord promises: “Look, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…I will place My law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Jeremiah 31:31,33).

How can such a thing be? How can God restore a nation back to Himself that has shaken its fist in His face, cursed His name and chased after every other god the world had to offer? What kind of love, mercy and grace is it that flows from the heart of God to allow Him to act in such a marvelous way?

The same grace and mercy that saves us, that redeems us from the penalty of our sins and that reconciles us back to Him. That same mercy that restores us when we venture away from Him and chase after the ways of the world. Notice His words and feel His heart in verse 3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.”

God’s love and mercy are beyond our human ability to comprehend but evident throughout Scripture and in our own lives. As we look at the condition of our own lives, our churches and our nation, we wonder why God continues to shed His grace upon us; but, we come to understand that it is His heart of love that motivates Him to do so.

I don’t know where you are today or what you need in your life, but God knows and God cares. His love is everlasting and ever-enduring and faithful unto You—regardless. God desires to restore you back into fellowship with Himself. He loves You with an everlasting love. He is not interested in your past; He is interested in your future. He is interested not only in your future here on this earth but your eternal future with Him in heaven.

Turn back to Him today. Allow His Spirit to overwhelm you with His love and to draw you from your life of failures back to a life of victory in and through His Son, Jesus Christ. Discover God’s restoration today! His restoration belongs to you!

Scripture Reading: “Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who guides Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned on the cherubim, rise up…Rally Your power and come to save us. Restore us, God; look on us with favor, and we will be saved…Return, God of Hosts. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine, the root Your right hand has planted, the shoot that You made strong for Yourself. It was cut down and burned up; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand, with the son of man You have made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name. Restore us, Lord God of Hosts; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved” (Psalm 80 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I have wandered from You. I feel so lost without Your strength and power, without Your guidance and direction. Please restore me to the place I once was in You. Forgive me for my failures; forgive me for my past ways and bring about a complete restoration that I may once again find myself cradled safely and securely in Your arms of love and protection. I love You and praise You for Your unfailing love, for never giving up on me, for always being there just for me. I praise You in all things…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

But I’m Just a Nothing

Do you ever feel unequipped? Unprepared? A nothing in the face of the mounting problems around about you? It seems the enormous amount of conflict encircling you is far more than you can handle? The weight and the severity of the problems are more than you feel you can ever overcome?

Sometimes you find yourself throwing up your hands in defeat, in essence, revealing your most hidden fears that you’re a nothing? That’s okay. There is nothing inherently wrong with those feelings! I don’t believe that most ever truly discover victory until they have first discovered a sense of defeat.

Let me bring some clarity to this as it may be shaking some of you up a bit. Think about David for a moment. He was a small shepherd boy. He was untrained militarily. He had never been forced to encounter a human enemy in battle. He had no knowledge of military weaponry and tactics. As far as being a warrior was concerned, David was a nothing.

When he heard the giant, Goliath, taunting the Israelites and cursing His God, what he did have sprang to life. This boy of nothing was not about to allow the evil one to have the victory. His heart for God and for his people was gigantic. Regardless of how loud he could shout or how big he appeared, David refused to allow this enemy of God and of his people to continue to carry on with this wicked behavior.

As David approached the battlefield armed with a slingshot and a few stones, the giant stepped out and stared him up and down. The Scripture tells us: “the Philistine despised him…and said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?’ Then he cursed David by his gods. ‘Come here,’ the Philistine called to David, ‘and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!’” ( 1 Samuel 17:42-44 HCSB). In the eyes of the giant and all the spectators standing around gloating over the situation, David was a defeated nothing!

The problem with what others may be thinking is their thoughts can be dead wrong. David entered the battlefield with defeat written all over him. His size, his capabilities, his lack of training and experience—all signs of defeat.

The naysayers failed to realize what David did have. He was not dependent upon his weaponry, skills or abilities. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies- you have defied Him’” (v. 45). David recognized he was a nothing within himself; but, he also recognized what it was that made him a something! It was the power of God residing in him and working through him that gave him confidence to face off with the giant.

He didn’t falter or fret as he approached the behemoth; rather, he declared with complete confidence: “Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us” (vv. 46-47).

It is God’s power that turns our nothingness into something mighty and powerful. It is God’s power that enables you and I to stand against whatever mountainous problem looms in our path. It is God’s power that defeats the giants that life throws at us day after day after day. And, it is for His glory and for His name’s sake that we are victorious!

Quit looking at yourself the way the world views you. Maybe you have been criticized, ridiculed, beat-down and overwhelmed by the giants of this world? Maybe you see yourself as a nothing? The truth is: GOD sees you as a something—something worth His Son, Jesus Christ, dying for. As you learn to turn your problems, difficulties, hurts, trials and tribulations over to Him, He will enable you to walk away in total victory. While the world views you as defeated, GOD has already declared you a victor. And that, my friend, is all that matters!

Scripture Reading: “Be gracious to me, God, for man tramples me; he fights and oppresses me all day long. My adversaries trample me all day, for many arrogantly fight against me. When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me? They twist my words all day long; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps while they wait to take my life. Will they escape in spite of such sin? God, bring down the nations in wrath. You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records? Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me? I am obligated by vows to You, God; I will make my thank offerings to You. For You delivered me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father, today I find myself overwhelmed by a mountain of troubles. Problems are everywhere. I need Your help bad right now. The giants are roaring and my soul is in dire need of some relief. I feel like a nothing and I know this is not how You desire for me to be. In You is victory! In You is the power to overcome! Lord, please grant me Your relief as You step into my problems and alleviate them. Lord, I call upon You. I trust in You and I believe in Your victory over all my issues today. Grant me Your strength, Your wisdom, your help in my time of desperation. I lay it all down before You and walk away knowing that I am walking away in victory right now…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!