anitasanecdotes

Leviticus 26:12-13   ¹² And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. ¹³ I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more; I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Oftentimes we find our weighed down by the consequences of our poor decisions. We carry them around with us like a yoke. Maybe our yoke is poor health because of unhealthy choices or a bad habit we have trouble breaking or an unhealthy family or work situation that keeps us from moving forward.

The decision to make a change in our lives that lifts the yoke off our backs can be difficult. It may mean leaving behind the familiar or the comfortable. It requires a realization that the way we have become enslaved to a toxic habit or relationship will only hold us back and hurt us.

God promises to be with us as we move out of the unhealthy lifestyle into health and wholeness. God breaks the bonds of our slavery to the past and relieves us from the yokes that weigh us down and bend our backs. God transforms our thinking so that we can embrace the new life of freedom and health that will restore and renew us. Though the journey may be long, God promises to walk with us the entire way.

Lord, break the yokes that hold us down. Let us walk erect and free in your love. Amen.

Hebrews 12:11-13   ¹¹ Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  ¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Anytime we start a new discipline, it challenges us. We are changing our habits, our behaviors and it confuses our routine. It might strain our minds, our muscles, our bodies until we want to quit. Our resolve weakens and we feel like helpless, hopeless failures.

But if we stick with it eventually the new discipline becomes a habit. Our routines are readjusted to the new reality we set for ourselves. We are comfortable in our new skin and with our new mindset.

Our faith journey is much the same way. As we deal with those behaviors that God wants to change we become disoriented. We struggle to find the familiar in the unfamiliar. But as we put the new disciplines into practice our minds and hearts are changed…transformed. Eventually we no longer desire the old ways and are ready to walk along the new path with God.

Lord, give us the discipline to stick to our new behaviors and practices so that we can become the people you want us to be. Amen.

Psalm 121:2-3   ² My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  ³ He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Too often we make decisions as though we are alone in the process. We weigh all of the options and choose what seems to be the logical course of action. If the circumstances change we re-weigh the options and decide accordingly. The problem with this process is that we can find ourselves being blown here and there by the winds of change and uncertainty.

We need to remember that we are not alone. The Lord is always with us. And God never sleeps. God is aware of all the directions we might go. He knows whether a decision will lead to success or peril. He knows when we should move or when we should stand firm.

As we consider the courses we might take, we need to ask God for the insight and discernment necessary to make the right choices. We need to remember that God has our best interests at heart and the ability to control our futures if we but surrender our wills to His care.

Lord, you are ever vigilant. Keep us steady and lead us in the way we should go. Amen.

Ephesians 6:14-15   ¹⁴ Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  ¹⁵ As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

When we get ready to start a walking program, we need to make sure that we are clothed appropriately. At the very least we need good shoes for our feet.

Without the right shoes we might get blisters. We can pull muscles or strain ligaments. Our feet, legs, and even back can begin to hurt causing us to quit the program. It can take weeks, months or even years to start up again. Our memories of the pain associated with walking can keep us from reaching our goals.

We need to be prepared to walk the journey of faith as well. We clothe ourselves with the truth we find in the scriptures. We do right things based upon the faith we have learned. We share our experience of faith with others and invite them to walk with us. We lead them to the scriptures so they will be prepared for the walk themselves.

Lord, help us put on the right things that we might walk the journey of faith without pain or struggle. Amen.

Proverbs 9:6   Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

So often when we hold on to bad habits we do so out of selfish and childish motives. We want to have our way and stubbornly hold on to our old way of living life even if it is harmful to us. We find ourselves stomping our feet and whining, “But, I don’t want to change. I want what I want!”

As God transforms our thinking we are able to have insight into our selfishness. We realize that if we want to see the right results we must change our attitude and behavior.

We must ask God to change our thoughts, our feelings, and our attitudes. Only then will we be able to give up our childish ways and embrace the new ways and habits that will lead us to life.

Lord, help us to have a mature attitude about our habits and lifestyle that we may be faithful to you. Amen.

Psalm 94:18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

Sometimes when we walk, we encounter patches of ice or loose gravel and we feel ourselves slipping. How comforting it is to have someone close by to reach out and steady our steps! That reassuring grasp or offer of a hand or arm is greatly appreciated. Soon we are walking steadily and confidently again.

Our walk of faith is much the same. From time to time we encounter rough patches that threaten our faith walk. It might be a slick temptation to return to past unfaithfulness to the Lord. It might be the slippery slope of building excuses not to read the Bible, go to worship or daily prayer. We sense that something is wrong but we seem to not be able to control ourselves.

It is in those times that we need to remember that God is there with hands outstretched in love. God’s presence in our lives can keep us steady in the midst of the temptation. We can gain control and walk confidently knowing that God will never leave our side.

O Lord, thank you for always being present with us especially when we begin to slip. Help us to reach out to you and to feel your strong embrace. Amen.

Habakkuk 3:19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.

As we put our trust in God we are given strength. We are able to handle what comes our way. We are able to accomplish much more than we can accomplish on our own.

This strength does not come from our own resources or abilities. It is not ours to claim. It is only ours to receive from our all-powerful God.

On our own we will tire. Our feet will drag and we will stumble and fall. With God as our strength our footsteps are sure. We can bound over stones and leap over valleys. Nothing need stop us.

Our strength in God is infinite, our power is endless, our will is strong. Put trust in the God who loves us and wants to give us strength.

Lord, we may be weak, but you are strong. You are our strength. Help us put our trust in you. Amen.

Genesis 13:17 Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

Are we willing to go the distance to see our goals being met? We need to put in the effort.

Yes, God answers our prayers. Yes, God gives us our heart’s desires. But the answers rarely come like magic, out of the blue.

We need to take the steps necessary to make our desires become realities. This is a matter of faith. If we proceed, believing that we are moving in the direction that God intends for us, we will see good results.

If we are afraid to take the steps necessary, we may never see the desired results. Lack of action because of fear, leads to doubt, and doubt eventually leads to disappointment.

God equips us to realize our desires. God puts the opportunities ever before us. As we take the first steps in faith we see the fulfillment of our desires become more real. Soon we walk in faith and expect to see God’s gift laid out before us. We will not be disappointed. God’s promises are sure.

Lord, help us walk forward in faith to see the gifts you promise to us. May we believe instead of doubt, step out in faith rather than stand still in fear. Help us put our trust in you. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31  …but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

 We are not meant to go it alone. When we try to accomplish things on our own, we find ourselves losing steam. We run out of energy and start making excuses for why we aren’t meeting our goals. Without encouragement we may give up altogether.

When we have the support of others we go further, stick with it longer, and accomplish more. We are accountable to someone other than ourselves. They provide encouragement and keep us going.

The life of faith is much the same. If we try to go it alone without keeping in touch with God we will fizzle out. We will move farther away from the right path and may find ourselves lost and alone.

We need to keep connected with God through study, prayer, and worship. These regular encounters with the living Lord will renew and refresh us. We will have the strength and energy to meet the struggles of life head on and move through them in grace. We will not falter and fail, instead we will soar to new heights and find ourselves in God’s loving presence.

Lord, you do not mean for us to go it alone. You are always with us, guiding and encouraging us on the right paths. May we put our trust in you and receive your strength. Amen.

Psalm 119:133 Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me.

The walk of faith is not always smooth. We make mistakes, poor decisions and take wrong turns.

The secret to moving forward is to remember that God is with us on the journey. We do not have to let our mistakes, poor decisions, and wrong turns rule our lives. They do not have to determine our future.

We have the power to make the changes necessary to walk the path set for us by our loving God. God give us the ability to turn around and take the right steps under God’s direction.

Our task is to place our journey into God’s hands, trust God’s promises and keep our eyes on Him. God will keep our steps steady and firm as we walk in His love.

Lord, lead us on the right path. Keep us from making wrong choices and guide our steps. Amen.