Firm Steps. Strong Hands.

Psalm 37:23-24 Reminds us that it is the Lord who makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

In these uncertain times we can be sure that God will make firm our steps even in the midst of a culture that seeks to trip us up. God's hand is there to uphold us!

I am happy to report that several Good News Clubs are meeting again but, we have a long way to go!

The Covid 19 shut-down has produced a hard, rocky, uphill climb for so many and especially for the children. In the midst of all the fear and bad news we must continue to give the next generation Hope the great Good News!

God's Word is true and we can trust it in the good times and in the bad times, even when the only path up looks steep, wobbly and unstable.

We can stay steadfast, focused, committed, and joyful.

God's Word is life giving! When we read it, eat it, meditate upon it, it literally awakens us to life. God's Word makes us see things otherwise hidden to us. The Word helps us hear, smell, touch, and taste life.

My husband and I recently celebrated 33 years of marriage and we took a little trip out west. We did a fair amount of hiking, lots of sightseeing, praying, praising, and listening. I love the way God's Word is living and breathing. God never fails to amalgamate an experience in nature with truths from His Word to teach me a life lesson, answer a question that I have been asking, or enlighten me something that I need to know for the times. That sounds somewhat cliché I know... but hang with me for just a few more lines.

The human ego often thinks of things in nature as useful for self preservation or generally useless.

How unfortunate is conceit?

When we view all God's creation as revealed in His True Word we are able to observe nature and it teaches us that everything under Heaven has a purpose. We should value all creation even if it doesn't aid in our survival.

We observe in nature and glean from God's Word, that some of the best stuff follows bad stuff.

Clouds break, storms pass, winds lay, fog lifts, ice melts, and God provides shade as we need it.

I realize that there is much work to do!!!

We must remember to rest in The LORD and rely fully on His Spirit!

(Zechariah 4:6-7) Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

(Isaiah 61:1-3) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.