Follow In The Way

Psalm 25:1-11 KJV

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

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Forgive us our sins and teach us your ways! So often we desire for the Lord to help us out of a fix that we've gotten ourselves into. Yet, we fail to acknowledge that we have gotten ourselves into the trouble we find ourselves in because we have not listened to him and followed in the way that he would have us go.

Of course, that is not the only reason we find ourselves with trials. But, it is one and one that we can avoid by listening to God; repenting of our sins; and following in the way that He would have us go loving and serving him and the people around us. 

God grant that we trust in you; that we should trust in your word and listen to it with our whole hearts and souls.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Keep Awake - Be Prepared!

"Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”  (Mark 13:35-37 NRSV)

Keep awake! No matter what day or hour it is, be prepared. When I was a child, I remember, certain people I knew use to make fun of people of a certain denomination because they would go out drinking and carousing on one evening and then go to confession the next day. They thought it quite strange that people should think that they can go and do things they knew full well they'd be repenting of the next day. The weird thing about it was that the same people who pointed fingers at those making confession actually were out carousing with them; but, they didn't go to confession. 

Doing things that we know we are going to repenting of probably is not a very good idea. It's just not a good idea to be thinking we can manipulate God. Jesus certainly died for our sins; but, does that make it right that we should continue to do those things we know we should not do with the understanding that we can be forgiven? Was Christ's sacrifice worth so little? 

Besides, how do you know that the hour will not come for you to stand before the throne of God while you are in the midst of purposely doing what you know you ought not be doing? 

Keep awake - be prepared! Do not let our Lord return and find you on a path that you should not be following.

God's Peace - Pr. J