He knows our frame...

Our Father in heaven knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He knew our inborn treachery, and for His own sake engaged to save us. His only begotten Son, when He walked among us, felt our pains in their naked intensity of anguish. His knowledge of our afflictions and adversities is more than theoretic; it is personal, warm, and compassionate. Whatever may befall us, God knows and cares as no one else can.

A.W. Tozer

struggling with the world...

In struggling with what is going on in our world today - the lawlessness, the quest for power and control, the evil that seems to abound everywhere, the self-centered focus, the truth ignored and disregarded - it is easy to get caught up in it all and become stuck in a quagmire of anxiousness while slowly losing hope…

But as I ponder upon this I am reminded of Jesus' words "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" and as we walk in this world and continue to struggle with what is happening around us may we set our path on the following:

Help me Father God to keep the focus where it should be - on You and not on this world and its ways.

Help me Lord Jesus to be a light to the lost and a discipler to other believers.

Help me Holy Spirit to be a faithful and loving husband to my wife and a devoted father to my children.

AND lead me to pray in faith at all times…

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. (1 John 5:4)

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

The spirit of deceit

The spirit of deceit has become a powerful spirit in our country today gaining 
much ground over the people of this land. Lies and purposeful deceit have become 
acceptable practice in our daily lives. A darkness of deceit is overtaking a 
land that once had highly esteemed truth and honesty and integrity. We see it in 
the media, we see it in our political leaders, we see it in businesses and 
individuals, we even see it within the church. 'Therefore justice is far from 
us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, 
darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.' (Isaiah 59:9) 
 
The only answer to combating this blight of darkness that grows upon the land is 
the Light which is the Grace and Truth of Jesus…where the True Light shines, the 
darkness is overcome. 

Falling down around us…

It seems that in our day we are just falling apart at the seams in all facets of 
life. The normal has been replaced with the abnormal. Issues and struggles and 
trials and tribulations seem to abound in every component of life. Truth is 
reviled and self glorification is honored. Good is evil and evil is good…every 
man does what is right in his own eyes…we have become complete lovers of 
self…and yet we are unable to truly see how desperately evil is the heart of 
man! 
 
The uncircumcised heart is unable to see the truth of this world and is 
comfortable living in the darkness. Only the heart that has been made new, a 
heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh - a new creation, becomes aware of 
the darkness that pervades our world. And this new creation (lead by the Holy 
Spirit) begins to understand that all the answers to the issues of this life - 
the struggles, trials, tribulations, evil, overcoming the darkness - are found, 
not in man's wisdom, but in the relationship with the Giver of Life. And because 
of this relationship we have become His Light - a city set on a hill to shine a 
light from out of the darkness. 
 
As believers in Christ, the new creations that we have become, we must stand 
firm (through the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us) against the mounting 
darkness of this world and understand that ONLY the Light of Christ working in 
people's hearts will make a difference - and we are called to boldly, 
unashamedly and unreservedly shine His Light in this world of darkness. 
 
May we let His amazing Light shine through us before all people…as we abound in 
His grace and truth.