Dependence

Psalm 62:5 is a commandment that David makes to himself. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." I find there is nothing better I can do for myself than this same thing, absolute dependency and surrender to God, believing that His way is best.



Verse 4 of the same Psalm has new meaning for me. "They only consult to cast him down from his excellency; they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly." If the "him" in this verse is applied to God, it presents a clear picture of what we in this country are doing to God--seeking to eliminate Him from all public places while continuing to give lip service.

 
Verse 11 says, "God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God." Keith and I, now in our later years, have learned that everything we have comes from God. We own only our 5th wheel, our BigTruk and our little Focus as we travel to various campgrounds, working for minimum wage. This simple way of life is of our choosing. The beauty we see in each area, the people we meet, and our explorations make our choice completely worthwhile. We are poor by earthly standards, but rich in joy and contentment and peace as we depend totally upon His provision, especially during Keith's major illness. If we are tempted to trust in man and make our plans apart from God, while blessing with our mouths , we are delighting in lies, for without God we can do nothing. We cannot even choose where we pull our "house" next. He decides!

 
For me, Psalm 62 flows into Psalm 63. As I acknowledge my dependence and God's power, I begin to hunger and thirst to know more of God. "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is"...v. 1. "My soul follows hard after thee: thy right hand upholds me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes." v.8-10. 



 Those things seeking to destroy my soul are unbelief, worry, temptation to other sins, the battle for my mind, etc. But as I stay in the Word, the sword of the Spirit defeats the enemy. As we make God's word our primary focus and seek to live  according to His precepts, wherever we may roam, He keeps us by His mighty right hand.



 Thank you, Jesus, for your Word, your power, your love for your children. Help us to be completely yours in every moment, every action of our lives, that your name will be honored.  Amen.

Road of Life

Each of our lives is a journey—we're on the road to somewhere! The road in these pictures, the Iron Mt. Road in the Black Hills, looks a little like my life. Being alive is good, incredibly beautiful, winding, fun, perplexing, rewarding, dark, light. On this pictured road there are 3 tunnels hollowed out of the rock. Through each one, if you are headed north, you can see Mt. Rushmore framed in the exiting end of the tunnel. The architect of this road, former Senator Peter Norbeck, planned it that way. In my life I've entered some dark tunnels, not knowing where I was headed or how long it would take me to get to the other end. For me, the "light at the end of the tunnel" is not Mt. Rushmore, but it is Jesus, and His will for me. I've seen that light often enough to know it will always be there. I will come out on the other side!

Another fascinating section of this road goes in a complete circle. It does that a couple of times for no apparent reason. It looks intriguing and requires a complex, artful arrangement of logs to support it. Again, the architect of the road planned it that way. It's as though he tried to tie the road in a knot and then thought better of it. It straightens right out and goes on its way. I have often felt that my life was going 'round and 'round and for no apparent reason. But my great Architect always has a plan and He will make the crooked places straight in His good time.

I will continue on my life's road, knowing that it will always be a combination of beautiful, fresh, twisting, exciting, puzzling, fulfilling, loving, giving, exceeding abundantly all I could imagine in Jesus.