anitasanecdotes

Deuteronomy 1:36   ³⁶ except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his descendants I will give the land on which he set foot, because of his complete fidelity to the LORD.”

We set goals for ourselves, but the only way we will realize those goals is if we stick faithfully to the plan. The more we stray from the path the longer it takes to reach the final outcome. We slide back, we lose focus, and sometimes we even give up. While it may be difficult to keep the goal in mind and consistently discipline ourselves to follow the right path, it is essential if we wish to achieve the best results.

God promises to bless our faithfulness. The more completely we can put our trust in him and follow his ways, the more likely we are to see God’s promises become reality. God gives us a vision for our future. The path may be difficult. There may be many hurdles to overcome. It will require discipline and faith, but if we can put our faith completely in God, God promises that we will see our vision become reality.

Hold fast to God’s promise, stick to the path, trust God to lead the way. We will reach the promised goal.

Lord, we put our trust in you. Guide us on the path so that we might reach your goal for our lives. Amen.

Psalm 84:11  ¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Suns and shields seem to be opposite things. The sun shines into dark places. It provides life- giving light and heat. It can also burn away things that are too weak to survive. Shields protect against those things that could harm us like weapons, and ultraviolet rays.

God is both a sun and a shield. God is able to light up the dark corners of our lives. God reveals those beliefs and activities that would harm us. While God’s light is only meant for good, when it shines onto our sin we can feel the burn of shame and guilt. Then God’s love shines down on us and gives us life. God also shields us from those things that would hurt us. God gives us protection from temptation. We are able to fight against the evil that would cause us to sin.

God provides a way for us to deal with our negative behavior. He shines light on that behavior so that we can realize its effect on ourselves and others. When we strive to make positive changes in our lives God shields us from the temptations that would lead us back to sin. God wants good for us and gives us abundant blessings.

Lord, shine your light upon us to reveal those places we need to change. Shield us from the temptations that would lead us astray. Amen.

Jeremiah 7:23  ²³ But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.”

“Do what I tell you to do!” How many parents have said this to their children?  As parents we know what our children need to do to become responsible adults. Even when children fuss and complain, good parents stick to their message. It may be difficult to obey, but learning to do the right thing is important for successful living.

Obeying God is not easy, but it is necessary in order to live the kind of life that God wants us to live. It means giving up thinking of ourselves and our desires first. It means sacrificing our wants to do God’s will. It may mean changing the way we think about other people and considering their needs. It may mean getting up, getting out and serving others.

We may complain and fuss, but God insists that we obey him. God knows best. We must walk in the way he commands.

Lord, you want us to obey. Help us not only to listen to your voice, but to do your will. Amen.

Psalm 37:29-31   ²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.  ³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.  ³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.

What difference does our faith make in our lives? Do we say we believe and then live our life just like everyone else? Do we listen to the words of Jesus who speaks of love and then continue on in a life of judgment, prejudice, and hatred?

If we truly live as those who have the law of God in our hearts, our lives must show it. People need to see our faith in action. A life of faithful action means taking the steps necessary to be Christ’s hands and feet. It means we walk the walk and not simply talk the talk. We will not be slipped up by being a poor witness.

God leads us onto the path of faithful living. As we are faithful in our living, our steps will not slip and we will inherit all that God promises to us.

Lord, help us not only speak about faith in you, but also, live out our faith in you. May our lives be a true witness to your love, mercy, and grace. Amen.

Isaiah 2:3  ³ Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

All of us need mountaintop experiences. We need to take time away from the hustle bustle of everyday life; we need to take time away from the everyday worries and concerns and come into God’s presence. It is there that we feel God’s love. It is there we can think about God’s will for our lives. It is there that we can open our ears, our hearts, our minds and our souls to learn God’s ways and walk in God’s paths.

After we have been refreshed on the mountain of the Lord, we can come down and share God’s love and peace with those whose lives are filled with worries and concerns. We can lead those who feel lost in the hustle and bustle onto God’s path so they can walk in God’s ways.

Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and be refreshed, restored, and renewed.

Lord, we need to be in your presence. Make the way clear for us to spend time with you. Amen.

Psalm 56:13  ¹³ For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Do we die? Yes, our bodies slowly cease to function, our minds may falter, and all of us will eventually breathe our last breath on earth. Do we die? No, we have been given the promise of eternal life, our spirits have been given the breath of life from the Holy Spirit, and, while our bodies fail, our spirits continue to thrive into eternity.

As we walk in the light of God’s love, we are carried through this temporary life into God’s eternal one. We are given hope that this is not the end of it all. We are given the promise that we will not fall, death will not win the battle.

We must embrace the hope of the resurrection. Our souls are secure and we will walk forever with our Lord.

Lord, give us the hope of the resurrection so that we may walk in your light forever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 26:17   ¹⁷ Today you have obtained the LORD’s agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him.

When we make an agreement, both sides make promises. These promises provide a way to fulfill the conditions of the agreement. As each side keeps their promises the agreement is complete and both sides are satisfied.

God has made an agreement with us. His promise is to be our God. Our promise is that we will keep his commandments. He knows that it is hard for us to keep our side of the agreement. So God helps us. God gives us the ability to walk in his ways and to obey him.

We need only to trust God to walk with us and to help us. We need to remember how dependent we are on God and that we need God’s help. If we can do this, God will make us faithful followers.

Lord, thank you for keeping your promises to us. Help us keep our promise to be dependent on you. Amen.

Isaiah 33:15-16   ¹⁵ Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly, who despise the gain of oppression, who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it, who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed and shut their eyes from looking on evil,  ¹⁶ they will live on the heights; their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks; their food will be supplied, their water assured.

As Christians we are told that we live in the world and not of the world. Does that mean that we live in some sort of bubble, staying away from the “real” world?

Well, we should try to stay away from the world’s influence. We should not become so involved in lifestyles that are contrary to our faith that we start wanting to do those things. If we stop being a positive influence on others and instead are tempted to do those negative things, we should walk away.

On the other hand, we should be willing to fight for those who are being hurt by the effects of evil in this world. We must stand up and speak out. We should be a positive influence on the world.

Lord, keep us from evil, but strengthen us to fight for righteousness. Amen.

Isaiah 26:7-8  ⁷ The way of the righteous is level; O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous.  ⁸ In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and your renown are the soul’s desire.

We often find bumps in the road. Plans we make change. We face difficulties. We find ourselves struggling to keep going.

As we walk in the righteousness of God, he smooths out our path. We are able to face the bumps along the way with courage and grace. We struggle less and less with life by trusting more and more that God will see us through. As we wait for God to show us the way we find the path that He has laid out before us. Doors open, obstacles fade. We find ourselves being able to move forward.

Trust in the Lord and he will guide our paths. Trust in the Lord and he will make your way smooth. Trust in the Lord and we will walk in righteousness.

O Lord, we put our trust in you. Make our way smooth as we follow you. Amen.

Deuteronomy 11:24   ²⁴ Every place on which you set foot shall be yours; your territory shall extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the Western Sea.

Where is your territory? What places do you frequent? Where do you want to go? What is your sphere of influence?

God promises that if we are faithful, every place on which we set our foot will be ours. If we are doing God’s will, God will allow our efforts to succeed. We will be able to influence others to have the kind of lives that God commands.

We must remain faithful and seek God’s will not only for our lives but for the lives of those we influence. Our consistency will be seen and imitated, and our territory will be claimed by the Lord.

Dear Lord, help us to follow your ways into our territory that we might influence others to follow you. Amen.