118 of the most comforting words ever written
Ξ July 30th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ My thoughts on... |
The 23rd Psalm is probably read or recited more often than any other chapter in the Bible, and with good reason. With these 118 simple, yet powerful words, David managed to express in clear and concise terms exactly what it means to be held in the comforting hand of our almighty God. And what a mighty hand it is!
Regardless of what dangers, troubles and trials we’re faced with throughout the course of our earthly lives, if we place our trust in the Lord and hold within our hearts and minds the knowledge that we’re saved by His amazing grace we can more easily weather the storms of life while looking forward to life eternal in a place where sadness and troubles will never again rear their ugly heads. In heaven, all will be peace, joy and love as we bask in the presence of our beloved Saviour forevermore.
Like most people, you have probably been to your share of funerals where the preacher opened up his Bible and began reading those comforting words as you and your family grieved beside the casket of a dear loved one who had passed on to the other side. And if you’re like me, you could almost feel the weight of the world lift from your shoulders as he spoke those 118 words of soothing comfort and hope.
You see, if the person lying in that casket had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Saviour, the last breath they took was immediately followed by the first one they took in heaven. What a comforting thought that is to a grieving Christian! Of course you were still deeply saddened by the loss of your loved one, but for him/her, sadness is now a thing of the past with nothing but peace and joy to take its place!
But the 23rd Psalm isn’t just for funerals - it can also provide the comfort and strength we need to make it through those days when it seems like the world is against us and satan is trying his best to drag us down into the miry clay of worry and self-pity. There is just something about the message contained in those 118 blessed words that can help drive away the problems of the day and send the devil packing “for a season”.
Simply put, the 23rd Psalm is a message of mercy, comfort, hope and grace, and it’s literally there in black and white for all to read and enjoy within the pages of the Holy Bible - the Word of our almighty and merciful God.
- Psalms 23…
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Friendship
Ξ July 17th, 2007 | → 1 Comments | ∇ My thoughts on... |
Friendship is a special bond between two people that lies somewhere on the scale between a casual acquaintance and love. True friendship can neither be bought or sold, only given freely without expecting anything whatsoever in return.
Many children and teenagers have skewed perceptions of what and who a friend really is. I think my dad had it pretty much nailed when he used to tell us kids: “A true friend would never try to talk you into doing something that could get you into trouble or hurt you in some way. A true friend only wants to help you!”. Dad was a pretty wise man, and I have seen the truth of that definition proven over and over throughout the years in my own life and the lives of virtually everyone around me.
Through personal experience and the experiences of the people I love, I have compiled a list of people who should never be considered your friend:
1 - Anyone who encourages you to break the law. For example, smoking pot, stealing gas and going for an 80 mile-per-hour joyride down a narrow country road might sound like a good time, but it’s a recipe for disaster in more ways than one, and anyone who invites you to participate in something like that is definitely NOT your friend.
2 - Your lawyer. Sometimes you just might find yourself needing an attorney, but always bear in mind that your lawyer is NOT your friend, he’s your paid legal representative. As such he has a legal and moral responsibility to represent your interests in a court proceeding, business deal or whatever you are involved in that requires his assistance, but by no means is he your friend. His goals and preferred resolution of the “case” might be a bit different from yours, especially whenever a monetary settlement is at stake.
And always remember this: The same attorney who is representing you in today’s matter could easily be representing your adversary in the next one. Does that mean he is a bad person, or that he is unethical in his dealings with his clients? Not at all. It simply means that his ultimate goal is the same as it would be if he was a plumber or a dentist - to make money. And sometimes a lawyer’s goal of making money can be at odds with the best interests of his client.
3 - Your insurance adjustor. Insurance is a wacky game where a salesman will go to great lengths to explain all the benefits provided by an insurance policy, only to have the adjustor work just as hard at helping the insurance company make good on as few of the promised benefits as they can get away with whenever you need to file a claim.
Insurance companies make their money by managing risk and writing policies accordingly, and their actuaries have the ability to predict within a very small margin of error how many claims they’ll have to pay out over a given period of time. Should you happen to be one of the unlucky folks who end up having to file a claim, you can rest assured that getting a settlement you think is fair is probably not in the cards - and it’s your insurance adjustor’s job to see that you don’t.
Now, let’s take a look at some folks who really are your friends:
1 - Your parents. For the vast majority of us, there is no one on the planet who is more interested in your happiness, your success and your future than your mom and dad, and you can feel pretty confident that the advice they give you is truly in your best interest. There are exceptions to any rule of course, and unfortunately there are some parents out there who don’t love their children as much as they should, but by and large the vast majority of them are looking out for their kids and want to see them turn out happy and successful in life. If you’ll trust the advice and judgment of your parents more than that of your peers, you’ll probably be glad you did somewhere down the road.
2 - Your teachers. Based upon my own personal experience, I know this one might be a bit hard to believe, but most teachers really care about their students and want them to reach their full potential. The teachers that give the most homework usually aren’t being “mean” or “spiteful”, they’re simply doing what they think is best for helping you become prepared to go on to college - and eventually the working world.
3 - The leaders in your church. We have all heard the stories of priests abusing children and pastors fleecing the flock, but those are really the exceptions, not the rule. The odds are great that the people who work in your church are doing it because they feel led of the Lord to help spread His gospel and help people live the kind of lives they need to live. And then of course we have…
4 - Jesus. The greatest friend you will ever have here on planet earth is the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and while there are exceptions to every one of the cases mentioned above, you can ALWAYS count on Jesus to have your best interests, your future, and your salvation as His number one priority! Others may fail you, but Jesus never will. Please feel free to click here to find out how to invite Jesus into your life!
Conclusion: One of the most important skills you will ever develop in life is the ability to determine whether someone is truly your friend or not, and hopefully these guidelines will help you in that regard. In no way are the lists above all-inclusive - and there are exceptions to every rule (except for the one about Jesus). Just remember that people aren’t always as they seem and you’ll be able to look through the fog and determine how someone really feels about you and what his true goal is in his dealings with you.
Burning Bridges
Ξ July 8th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ My thoughts on... |
As we go through life, we sometimes get our feelings hurt or say something that ends up hurting someone else’s, and all too often just a little foolish pride prevents either party from saying “I was wrong” or ”I’m sorry” - and before we know it another “bridge” has gone up in flames. There is an old saying that goes something like “Be careful which bridges you burn because you never know when you’ll need to cross over them”. Well, I have burned my share of bridges over the years, a few of which I have longed to cross once again on many occasions. But there are some bridges that simply cannot be burned…
There was a time when “I knew it all” and I thought my dad was a pretty dumb fellow, leading me to say and do some things that should have burned our bridge until there was nothing left but a smoldering heap of ashes. But little did I know that he was actually a pretty smart guy - and I wasn’t quite the genius I thought I was!
Dad had “been there and done that” himself when he was younger so he knew what was going on, and he simply refused to allow our bridge to catch on fire. Every time I messed up, he would be standing there, fire extinguisher in hand, ready and willing to do whatever it took to knock down the flames and help me out of yet another jam. He wasn’t perfect and he had his share of faults just like the rest of us, but he loved his children as much as any man could and he was bound and determined that there would be no bridges burned between himself and any of his “kids” - and to the best of my knowledge there never were.
There is another bridge that can never be burned as well: the one that Jesus Christ our Saviour built when He laid down His life and shed His precious blood for us on the cross at Calvary over 2,000 years ago. That magnificent bridge allows us to cross over from certain death to eternal life, and the only ”fare” we have to pay to use it is to acknowledge the fact that we’re sinners and accept Jesus as our personal Saviour.
Christ not only built the bridge to heaven, He also paid the fare with His own blood - and He happily hands over a one-way ticket to anyone and everyone who is willing to accept it. And the best part of all is that beautiful bridge can never be burned! Once a person is saved, he/she is saved forever.
All the fire in hell is incapable of causing even one fiber of the salvation bridge to be destroyed. When the Lord calls His children home, one by one they find that magnificent bridge standing tall, waiting for us to cross over to the other side and begin life anew in a place where pain and sorrow simply do not exist. And when it comes time for me to make that wonderful journey myself, I believe I’ll find my dad standing on the other side, arms open wide, ready to welcome me into the presence of our loving and holy God.
Happy Birthday America
Ξ July 4th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ My thoughts on... |
Today is July 4, 2007 - the 231st birthday of the United States of America. It has been an amazing 2 1/3 centuries, with many ups and downs along the way, but the principles upon which America was founded are still held in high regard and cherished by the vast majority of the population.
But sadly, many of our elected officials have forgotten those principles, and until just a few days ago they seemed bound and determined to pass legislation which would have diminished our nation’s sovereignty, integrity and security. Sometimes I think they could use a refresher class in American history.
Way back on July 4, 1776, our founding fathers released one of the most important and beloved documents ever written: the Declaration of Independence. Having grown tired of the British king’s unfair treatment (primarily in the area of taxation), the colonists decided they had had enough, and through the publication of that solemn document they declared that God had granted all human beings certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They also declared that the king had systematically trampled upon those God-given rights, and that as of July 4, 1776 the thirteen American colonies were a new sovereign nation independent of mother England: The United States of America. On that auspicious day the most prosperous, generous and powerful nation the world has ever known was born from the ashes of tyranny and despair.
The U.S. Constitution is the document in which our nation and its leaders find their authority, responsibilities and limitations, and although it has been amended a number of times, the Constitution is still just as relevant and important today as it ever was. Unfortunately, today we find activist judges “making law” on their own instead of simply determining the constitutionality of the laws passed by Congress as demanded by the Constitution.
And just as bad, we have a Congress and a President who have apparently decided that the Constitution should be used simply as a guide in doing the nation’s business, not as the definitive “law of the land” that our forefathers so wisely and effectively established. How else can one explain the idiotic immigration bill that they were determined to ram down the throats of the 90% of American citizens who recognized the damage it would have done to America’s sovereignty, security and culture?
I scratched my head in amazement every time I heard one of our Senators talk about how much better off we would be after we rewarded some 14 million criminals with a “path to citizenship” and opened up our borders to free and unfettered access to anyone who wishes to enter our country. Is that what Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and the rest of those wise founding fathers had in mind 231 years ago? Somehow I doubt it.
Thankfully, the Republicans in the Senate came to their senses and realized what dangerous ground they were treading on with this “amnesty bill”. Let’s just hope they continue to do the right thing and refuse to allow it to raise its ugly head above the Senate floor once again. For now at least, the Constitution has won out over idiocy. I thank God each and every day for allowing me to be born right here in the good ole USA. Happy Birthday America!
