Worthy Words

Isaiah spoke these words to the people of Zion a long, long time ago. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, this is the way; walk in it” —Isaiah 30:21. This was a time long before the world could even dream about Global Positioning Systems. I have a GPS it is incorporated into the radio so it fits seamlessly into the dash of my pickup. The first time I used it and heard some female’s voice telling me to get ready to turn right, then left and then telling me I had arrived at my destination, I thought this is way too cool. If my grandfather could have slipped out of heaven and joined me in that truck, he would have said, “God is telling us where to go!” God the Holy Spirit is your spiritual GPS. He is the voice behind you that says, “This is the way, walk in it.”   The Living Bible says it this way… “And if you leave God’s paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, No, this is the way; walk here.” ...

I conducted a funeral this week for a 38-year-old man who suddenly died.  Spending time with the family and listening to his sister talk about their life as kids, it caused me to reflect back on some of the many unique situations my sister and I shared growing up. Here is one that came to mind. As children, Carrie and I were required to finish everything on our plate including all the vegetables before we could have any dessert.  I recall one night when she looked at Mom and, in a very matter-of-fact manner, stated that she would throw up (always the drama queen) if she had to have one bite of that spinach on her plate. Mother insisted she have at least one bite and keep it down or no dessert. Knowing ice cream was within reach, my sister held her nose and tried to force down a tiny bite of spinach. The moment she swallowed, true to her word, her entire meal ended up back on the table—not a pleasant moment at our dinner table! Proverbs 15:19 reads, “the...

When given the opportunity, it seems to be in our nature to push the limits to the very farthest degree. Perhaps you’ve asked this question before: how far is too far? How much noise can I make until I push my spouse over the edge? How fast over the speed limit can I drive before the police will pull me over? How much can I cheat before getting caught? We like walking on the edge. The problem is that when you live life near the edge, you can go too far before you realize it. It’s like being on interstate 35. As you near the edge, you’ll hit a series of warning grooves, cut into the edge of the pavement, that cause your tires to emit an awful alarming sound. They are there to remind you to get back on the right track. Driving on the edge of a road is dangerous, because it can be easy to lose control and end up in the ditch. The Christian life is much the same. You may think some of the rules in the Bible are cumbersome. However, you must come to realize that it is these very guidelines...