Thursday Thankfulness...Psalm 91 at work

 I hadn't really planned on writing again today, but then I received something special via text late last night and I wanted to share it with you, as it is again, another "sign" of God's protection and care for our loved ones.

I've mentioned before that our grandson is on a cross country camping adventure.  Occasionally he texts us some pictures of where they are as they continue their journey across country, and are currently still in the southwest.  Last night, just as we were getting ready for bed I heard my phone make the familiar texting jingle, and my first thought was, "Oh No! Who's sending texts this late? I hope there isn't a problem!"  So I quickly went to my phone and checked, and here was the message I found from our grandson:

"Made it to the Grand Canyon. Got stuck in it for a night but I was able to hike out.

It was very hard. It was a 4 mile hike out up 4500 feet. My legs are super sore. 

Hope all is going well with y'all. 

Much Love."

Well, you can imagine my joy in hearing from him, but like any grandmother, you can also imagine the feelings and thoughts running rampant about what he must have endured being "stuck in it (the Grand Canyon) for a night but was able to hike out..."   To my knowledge, until this particular cross-country trip, our grandson has not had much experience in hiking and climbing or even camping, for that matter. Yes, he is 22 years old, and he isn't really alone. There's three other people with him, two girls and another guy. Again, I am not aware that any of them had any great experience in hiking/climbing, etc.  But they do have youth and resilience on their side, and hopefully they are learning important survival skills along the way.  Nevertheless, my first thought was, "Thank God they are out safely!"  Here's a few pictures he sent today to show where they have been:

Yikes! That's not my grandson, but one of their group. Making my palms sweaty, that's for sure!

And since he's taking these pictures, well, yeah...I am a bit nervous...

Pretty amazing, huh???

We had not heard from him for a couple of weeks and I was beginning to get concerned because he had been trying to communicate at least once a week. My husband and I have consistently prayed for them every single night, especially praying for their safety as they travel, camp in deserted places, and try to support themselves financially by doing whatever odd jobs they can find along the way.  This past week in particular I felt very strongly to pray for their safety even more deliberately. And now I understand why.  Being "stuck" in the Grand Canyon for a night sounds rather frightful to me. But they were never alone. God was always with them, and I praise God that He helped them get back out again with nothing worse than sore legs!  

Today he said that he will have to call when he can because they are "in the Navajo Nation and service has been spotty ever since the canyon."  I had to look up the Navajo Nation to see exactly what that was.

HERE is a link to their website.  I guess I didn't realize they had their own government, etc.  Very interesting stuff to read there!  

This led me to thinking about something I remembered that our grandson's father (our son Matthew) had done when he was a young boy in about 4th grade.  Like most young boys at that time he seemed to have an interest in "Cowboys and Indians".  He was taking art lessons and painted this picture of this Native American warrior:

It now hangs in our guest room.  I believe he entered it in the county fair back then and may have won a ribbon, but for some reason I do not have the ribbon. Anyway, it's a blue ribbon prize winner in my mind for sure!

And then his 4th grade teacher taught them how to make "Fry Bread", which is also known as Navajo Fry Bread.  Here is the recipe he had, written in his own hand:

HERE is a link to an online recipe for Navajo Fry Bread, in case you want to try it.  I see it calls for warm milk instead of warm water, so I don't know how different it would taste.  I do remember Matthew making this at home for us after he learned about it in school. Precious memories from days long gone by.  I wonder if there's "Navajo Fry Bread" in heaven?  If so, Matthew is probably enjoying some.

Okay, that's what I got for today... I am VERY thankful for God's protection over our grandson and his friends while they travel and explore God's beautiful country. 

Psalm 91 pretty well describes the prayer and comfort that I have for our grandson:

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

"1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

Amen.

"Watch, Stand Fast in the Faith, Be Brave, Be Strong."

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 

Let ALL that you do be done with love."

I Corinthians 16:13-14

(I am trying, Lord. Help me here. Thank you.)

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves.

Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ...

Unless indeed you are disqualified..."

2 Corinthians 13:5

"And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him,

though He bears long with them?

I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,

will He really find faith on the earth?"

Luke 18:7-8

These past few days have really put me into a bit of a quandary.  I am perplexed at the total shift in our society. Although the media would have us believe that it IS a total shift to the left, I believe that if the whole nation were brave enough to speak their true hearts, we would find that it is not as "total" of a shift as they would lead us to believe.  What I don't understand is how so many people are actually celebrating something that is such an unbelievable heresy...and even deliberately teaching their children that this is a good thing. 

In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus' disciples are asking Him about the end of the age...specifically in the following verses:

Verse 3: 

"And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Verse 4-5:  

And Jesus answered and said to them:

"Take heed that no one deceives you.

For many will come in My name, saying 

'I am the Christ, and will deceive many."

Verse 24:

"For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive,

if possible, even the elect."

Verse 33-39:

"So you also, when you see all these things,

know that it is near--at the doors!

Assuredly, I say to you, 

this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, 

but MY words will by NO MEANS PASS AWAY."

But of that day and hour no one knows,

not even the angels of heaven,

by My Father only.

BUT AS THE DAYS OF NOAH WERE,*

SO ALSO WILL THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE.

For as in the days before the flood,

they were eating and drinking,

MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE,

until the day that Noah entered the ark,

and did not know until the flood came and took them all away,

so also will be coming of the Son of Man be."

Verse 42-44:

"WATCH THEREFORE, FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT 

HOUR YOUR LORD IS COMING.

But know THIS:

that if the master of the house had known what hour

the thief would come,

he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore, you also be ready,

for the SON OF MAN IS COMING AT AN HOUR YOU DO NOT EXPECT!"

I find it very interesting that the iconic symbol of the current wave of deception in our country is a rainbow. The rainbow first came into existence in the time of Noah*, which can be found in the book of Genesis, chapters 6-9.  In Genesis 6:5-8 it says:

"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,

and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth,

both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air,

for I am sorry that I have made them.

But NOAH found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

I think we all know the story of Noah and the Ark...how God instructed him exactly how to build the Ark, and who would be allowed to enter the ark with him...only his family and two of every kind of animals on the earth.  (see Genesis chapter 7 for specific details).   And then came the flood...and every living thing that was left on the earth was destroyed, except for Noah and his family and those animals that were with them on the Ark.

And when the floods receded and Noah and his family were able to leave the Ark, God spoke to Noah and promised that He would never again destroy all of the earth with a flood (Genesis 9:8-17), and in verse 13 in particular He said:

"I set My rainbow in the cloud, 

and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth..."

The rainbow was meant to be a symbol of God's covenant never to destroy all of the earth again with a flood.  It doesn't mean that God will never judge the earth again, but rather that He will not destroy it with a flood.

To use a rainbow as a symbol of something that is anathema to God is a real sacrilege, and a type of "in your face, God" expression of rebellion. I think I would think twice about that before using God's rainbow as a symbol of something we know that God hates.

I know that I am rambling here...I have so many thoughts on this subject that I can't begin to express them all in this short venue.  

Please let me state one thing here: 

 God does not hate sinners. But God DOES hate sin.  

Jesus came to forgive sinners and save them, giving them eternal life.
But there is one condition...REPENTANCE.  Repentance means to turn away from sin...to change one's mind and heart and behavior.  Jesus told about the woman taken in adultery in John 8:1-11.  According to the law, she should have been stoned for her sin of adultery.  Jesus said to her accusers, (verse 7)

"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

When the accusers each left one by one, Jesus asked the woman where were all of her accusers...and asked "Has no one condemned you?"

She replied in verse 11, "No one, Lord."

And Jesus said to her,

"Neither do I condemn you; 

GO AND SIN NO MORE!."

Note that Jesus did NOT say, "Neither do I condemn you, now go on and have a good life.  Go on and keep living in sin because you have been forgiven, go on and keep doing what you want to do!"

NO, that would be totally opposite everything that Jesus stood for...if it was okay for us to continue living in sin after Christ gave His life for us and forgave us for our sins, His whole purpose would be ineffectual.  He came to give us new and abundant life...

"I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, 

but have the light of life."

(John 8:12)

And again He says in John 10:9-10

"I am the door.  

If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more abundantly."

I know I have to wrap this up somehow.  Please understand that I am not trying to stand in judgment of any person or group of people. I am merely stating the truth of God's Word.  

I Corinthians 6:9-20 talks about the Sanctity of the Body...the holiness of the body that is washed and justified by Christ, and the holiness of the body as the temple of God's Holy Spirit who is in you if you are born again...

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, 

whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

For you were bought at a price; 

therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit,

which are God's." (verses 19-20)

Verses 9-11 says:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived.

Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers,

nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,

nor thieves, nor covetous,

nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU.

BUT YOU WERE WASHED, BUT YOU WERE SANCTIFIED, 

BUT YOU WERE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD."

And also in 2 Corinthians 5:17~

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new."

Ephesians 4:17-27 says to the believer as a new man in Christ:

"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, 

that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, 

in the futility of their mind,

having their understanding darkened,

being alienated from the the life of God,

because of the ignorance that is in them,

because of the blindness of their heart;

who, being past feeling,

have given themselves over to lewdness,

to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ,

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, 

as the truth is in Jesus:

that you put off, concerning your former conduct, 

the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and that you put on the 

new man which was created according to God, 

in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, putting away lying,

'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," 

for we are members of one another.

Be angry, and do not sin:

Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 

nor give place to the devil."

As believers in Christ we are to:

"Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,

but RATHER EXPOSE THEM.

For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light,

for whatever makes manifest is light.

Therefore He (the Lord) says:

"Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light."

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

redeeming the time, 

because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be unwise,

but understand what the will of the Lord is."

Ephesians 5:11-17

I know there are many people, yes, even Christians, who think that the latest Supreme Court decision is a good one. We are each entitled to our own opinions, and so far as I know, we still have the right to freedom of speech. 

 I have disconnected the comment form for this particular post.  Why?  Well, because I would rather not leave it open for discussion or dissension.  This is my opinion based on what I believe is found in the Word of God, the Bible. There has been much said in opposition to what I believe already in the media, social media, and even among family and friends. If you wish to make a statement of your own beliefs, you may do so wherever you wish.  But this is my post. This is what I believe.

 I certainly believe in love and forgiveness...but we as Christians must stand for THE TRUTH.  We must "WATCH, STAND FAST IN THE FAITH, BE BRAVE, AND BE STRONG".  We need to "REDEEM THE TIME...BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL."

"Finally, my brethren,

BE STRONG IN THE LORD 

AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD,

THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL.

For we do not wrestle against

flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this age,

against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God,

that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, 

TO STAND."

Ephesians 6:10-13

Amen and Goodnight.