Choose You This Day

I just posted this on my facebook page, and wanted to put it here so it won't get "lost in the shuffle".  I am certain it will illicit some negative responses...but perhaps it will also inspire some positive thoughts as well. That is my prayer.  Please pray for our nation and our President and leaders. I feel greatly burdened to do this today.

I can't help but think that while people in our country are going around tearing down monuments that are over 100 years old, and fighting with each other over their right to destroy artifacts from the history of our nation and express their freedom of speech regardless of how crazy and unfounded it may be...while we are destroying each other from within, and forgetting that we are supposed to be "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all..." there is a much bigger and more ominous enemy sitting on the outside of our country, watching, waiting, and preparing to strike when we least expect it. The enemies of our free way of life are sharpening their swords, testing their missiles, building their weapons of destruction, and they laugh at us as we fight each other over old, moldy, tarnished, statues and monuments...and as we rehash old battles long over and done with that we should have learned something from...those enemies are watching us as a lion stalks her prey...and while we are much distracted with our fights over rights and speeches and crazy ideologies...the Lion will cease to just watch and will pounce with fury and terror upon us and devour us...and we won't even know what hit us until it is too late.

Remember 9-11? I know I won't forget it... and I pray that our nation will wake up and realize that there is a much bigger picture going on that we can't see...but our President, our military, and many others who are awake and aware of this mortal enemy are trying their best to be prepared and protect us...and we are kicking against them like a furious two year old child having a temper tantrum...we can't see the danger we are in because we are too focused on our own little petty struggles and fights for our rights...all I can say is, wake up, America! Stop your infighting and crazy squabbles and realize the real danger we are in before it is too late.

We need to stand together against terrorists, evil, and hatred from every side. Our enemy is NOT our President or those elected to serve and protect us. Our enemy should not be our neighbors and family members and people across the aisle politically. Our enemy is much bigger...and it hates our freedom to live in such a marvelous country...and it wants to destroy us.

Of course, there is an even bigger enemy...Satan himself...who is behind all of this terror and hatred...and that is where the real battle is. I am reminded of Joshua, as he reviewed the history of Israel from the time of Moses when God rescued the Israelites from their enemies and captors in Egypt...and then the people wanted to go back to Egypt and wanted to turn against Jehovah God who had saved them...and Joshua said to them in the book of Joshua 24:14-15

"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

People, if we are going to survive as a nation, we have to stand united. Recognize who/what the true enemy is...and put away all your little 'gods' and idols and battles over past history...and stand strong to fight the real enemies of our land...and to give our children and grandchildren the chance to live an even better life than we've had.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the DEVIL walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
I Peter 5:6-9

Thankful for the Rumble Strips of Life

Have you ever been driving down the road and found yourself drifting off to the sidelines...or perhaps accidentally crossed the center line...and thankfully there were rumble strips or bumpers there to "wake you up" and help you get back on course?

Today we were traveling on a recently repaired highway in our neck of the woods, which takes us north to the next city...and the closest Walmart.  On the way home my husband sort of drifted off to the side a little, and there were rumble strips built into the white sidelines of the road, which quickly made us aware that we were drifting off the road.  We also realized that there were the same rumble strips down the center line of the road, which will alert you to the fact that you are drifting into the oncoming lane.

Now, make no mistake, my husband is a very careful and skilled driver.  He actually used to be a state trooper many moons ago, and has always been an excellent and safe driver.  But even the very best drivers sometimes drift off to the side or across the center line if they become distracted, or to avoid debris in the road or perhaps another not so careful driver.  On this particular road, it is very straight and somewhat boring if you are not totally "awake"...not much out there to keep you alert as there are only woods and more woods to look at for many miles.  So it is much too easy for drivers to begin to "drift" with the monotony of the trip.

I, for one, am very thankful for these rumble strips.  They helped us to stay on the straight and narrow path and not accidentally run off the road or into the path of an oncoming car.  As a matter of fact, I was so thankful, I pulled out my camera and took these pictures above, because I immediately thanked the Lord for the rumble strips, and also began to think about other kinds of "rumble strips" in life....you know, things that keep us on the straight and narrow path and protect us from veering off course.  I mentioned this to my hubby as we continued our journey homeward, and we both tried to think about other kinds of "rumble strips" in life.  Here's some of what we came up with...and perhaps you might think of a few more:

• The laws of government and highway safety
• Parents, Grandparents,  and other guardians
• Teachers and school leaders, coaches, administrators
• Employers
• The Bible and the Ten Commandments
• Preachers and Evangelists, Youth leaders, Sunday School teachers
• Police, Military

For me, as a Christian, the most important one is the Bible...God's Holy Word.  Without His Word to guide and teach us, we would have no true "rumble strips" to keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven.  

Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:13-14 about the narrow gate...

13.  "Enter by the narrow gate; 

for wide is the gate and broad is the way 

that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which

leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Psalm 1 tells us about two ways and two destinies in life:

1.  "Blessed is the man 

who walks not in the counsel

of the ungodly,

nor stands in the path of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day and night.

3.  He shall be like a tree

planted by the rivers of water,

that brings forth its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also shall not wither;

and whatever he does shall prosper.

4.  The ungodly are not so,

but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand

in the congregation of the righteous.

6.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Yes, I am so thankful for those "rumble strips" that lead us in by the "narrow gate", and helps us to prosper in our lives...spiritually, emotionally,  and physically.  I want to be like that tree by the river of water ...and not like the "chaff which the wind drives away."    

Thank You, Lord, for placing these marvelous "rumble strips" into our pathway to keep us on the right path that leads to life everlasting.

Amen.

Oh Clap Your Hands, All You People!

"Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!

Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

For the Lord Most High is awesome;

He IS a great King over all the earth.

He will subdue the peoples under us,

and the nations under our feet.

He will choose our inheritance for us,

the excellence of Jacob whom He loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

The LORD with the 

sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing praises with understanding.

GOD reigns over the nations;

GOD sits on HIS holy throne.

The princes of the people have gathered together,

The people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth

belong to GOD;

He is greatly exalted."

Psalm 47

Our God, the Creator of the whole earth, rules and reigns over all the earth.  Psalm 33:12 tells us 

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

Verse 18 says:

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy..."

Verse 20-22:

"Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in 

HIS HOLY NAME.

Let YOUR mercy, O LORD,

be upon us,

Just as we hope in YOU."

Amen

My plea and prayer for our nation is that we will truly trust in the Lord our God, in His Holy Name...and that we will acknowledge His Presence and Power in our lives and in our nation.  Just as we heard God's Holy Name invoked in many prayers during the inauguration of our new President yesterday, as godly men prayed for our country, our new President, his cabinet and our government...prayers in the Name of the Father, and The Son, and the Holy Spirit, may it be so, Lord God.  May YOU truly reign over our nation, and bless us just as the rain fell upon our new President as a sign of Your Blessing...

May we truly acknowledge and know that You are our God,

"Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide 

Even to death."

Psalm 48:14

Amen.

"GOD BLESS AMERICA,

LAND THAT I LOVE!

STAND BESIDE HER, 

AND GUIDE HER,

THROUGH THE NIGHT

WITH THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE!"