Trying to be Thankful for the Thorns

In addition to thanking the Lord for the blessings this Thanksgiving I am convicted to try and be thankful for the thorns.

I was reading about Paul’s thorn last night, and I was struck by this --Paul said, “…to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh” 2 Corinthians 12:7.

God gave Paul a thorn. We don’t know what it is. Speculations range from an illness to a temptation to persecutions and an abundance of other ideas.  No one really knows, but Paul knew, and he asked the Lord to remove it 3 times.  However, God said, “No.”

But He just didn’t say “No,” (and He doesn’t just say "No" in our lives as well), He went on to say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  God’s answer to Paul’s request was His grace.

I don’t know for sure but I bet you have at least one if not a few thorns in your side. I do. Uninvited trials that inflict, infest and infect our lives with pain and discomfort.  Chronic issues that do not resolve – sorrows, physical pains, relationships with intractable people, disappointments, inner battles, temptations, insecurities and more.

These things that never seem to totally go away, prick and swell and get inflamed, but they are left there for a purpose, and often it is hard to understand. The answers to our hopes and prayers are not always what we hope and pray for.  God has other ideas – but they are good ideas.  Very good, for they are for our good and for His glory.

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for all the blessings that God has given me, but I am also trying to be thankful for the thorns. I’ve stuffed the reality of my thorns for far too long, and over time, they just end up poking through and causing more problems.  I am going to choose to embrace the reality of my thorns, as a gift from God.

They keep me from exalting myself. They keep my humble.  They keep me on my knees. They keep me aware of my need of Him. They keep me sensitive to the needs of others, for as I embrace the reality of my own brokenness and the presence of God’s grace, the more I am willing to extend His grace.  They are one of the instruments that God uses to make us more like Jesus.

Is it hard for you to be thankful for the thorns? It is for me, but I am trying.  May I pray for us?

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving us enough to protect us from ourselves.  Our tendencies are to exalt ourselves and our abilities when we are to only exalt You. We want only happiness when You want so much more for us. Thank You for all that You give us, even the thorns.  Help us to realize the work that they do in our lives, through Your plan, and help us to extend grace to others, not always knowing what thorns they are dealing with.  Thank You for all You do and are.  Amen.

Blessed Thanksgiving, dear reader.

In the Cool of the Shade

As I popped up the umbrella, while sitting at my daughter’s soccer game on a sweltering May night, I thought of my Grandma. I can picture her, perfectly rounded, seated in her woven lawn chair. A thin hat made of netting, rested gently on her hair that was routinely “done” by the lady at the local beauty parlor. She usually wore a solid colored skirt with a matching floral print blouse. She always smiled at me. She called me “Dolly.” She would sit and watch me play from under her umbrella; even at my college graduation she sat under her umbrella, in the shade.

As a little girl, I always thought it was odd that she would use an umbrella to shade herself from the sun. I thought an umbrella was really only practical in the rain. I was little and the thought of needing shade from the sun was not something I ever considered. Who needed shade? The sun was for fun!

But today, the sun was beating down on me. The air was thick with humidity, and my skin was glazed with droplets of perspiration (let’s face it, we women would much rather think of ourselves as glistening, not sweating – although, all said, I am not opposed to a good sweat). My breathing was a bit quicker, along with my heart rate. My eyes were squinted to a slit. It was hot.

However, as soon as the arms of the umbrella fanned out over me, I instantly felt relief. The shade – it brought comfort to me and relieved my body from the affects of the heat. My breathing slowed, my heart rate relaxed, my skin felt cooler and my eyes opened wide again. To use an old phrase – I had it made in the shade.

Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” The imagery of “shadow” here is a Hebrew metaphor for protection against oppression, as shade protects from the oppressive heat of the desert sun. The Lord is the protective “shade” of His people.

What a powerful and practical picture, and what a reminder of God’s presence in our lives. When life becomes overwhelming and too hot to handle, only our relationship with God can calm the soul and bring us relief. It is here in this shadow of the Almighty that we find rest, a rest from our worries and our fears. In His presence we can be assured that no matter what happens, God is in control and covering us with His love, as we rest in the cool of His shade.

Dear Lord, thank you for all that you show us about You in the everyday experiences that you give us. Help us to remember when we are cooled by the shade of a hat or a tree or an umbrella, that You are our protective shade, bringing us relief and comfort from the heat of our circumstances, protecting us with your love and giving us rest. Help us to see it and believe it. Amen.

Sing Songs

My friend handed me a small package wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with a light purple satin ribbon. The envelope read, “A little sumphin’.” Something about small things that are so special. I carefully unwrapped the sweetest little gift – a small two inch by two inch tile of a little blue bird next to the word “sing.”

Written in the card were these words:

“Dear Andrea,

Sing loud, sing strong the song you were always meant to sing, placed in your heart by God.

Love, Sara”

Sara has walked through much of my recent journey. I chuckled to myself, thinking back to the times when my singing was more like wailing, or sobbing, or any other sounds of deep sorrow that would escape past my lips. She had heard me sing these songs, but also songs of strength and joy.

Sing. Simple and yet profound. It is what God calls us to do – sing. We are to sing songs of our heart to Him at all times – in every circumstance. Songs of grief. Songs of joy. Songs of weariness. Songs of peace. Songs of loneliness. Songs of hope. Songs of life. We can sing the cries of our hearts.

We can sing loudly, strongly, weakly, weepingly and thankfully. We can sing His Word or sing no words at all, but only tears. We are to sing in the morning, when all seems crisp and clean and new and sing at night time when all is dark and fears encroach.

Psalm 64:7 says, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” He is our ever present helper and protector. He covers us with His wing, and we are safe, no matter what rages around or within us. He is trustworthy and more than able to care for us.

So, dear reader, sing today, the song you are meant to sing, placed in your heart by God, for you are loved and you are His. Your voice of your heart, sung to Him, is a sweet melody in His ear.

Perfect Peace

She finally fell asleep, holding my hand, snuggled up in a blanket, with an ice pack resting on her forehead – perfectly peaceful. When you are a little person (and a not-so-little person) falling can be traumatic. My daughter trying her hand (errrrr – feet) at ice skating, took a tumble and hit the ice face first. Poor little dear. She is better this morning, but not lacking a “purple eye.”

As I sat with her last night, looking at her as she rested quietly, my heart turned to thoughts of the Lord and how He tenderly cares for us when we are struggling. We fall down (either on our own or from the impact of others) and are hurt. We ache and we cry and we call out for help.

He picks us up with His strong and loving arms, and comforts us with His love. He holds our hand. He cares for us with His Word. He may bring others along side of us to help us, but often, I find that He meets our every need, personally and intimately. And when we fall asleep, we can be confident that He never does. He does not slumber nor sleep. He never takes a break. He never gets tired or worn out. He is always perfectly, loving and in control.

As I held her hand and rubbed her little forehead with my other hand, brushing her hair out of the way, as she dozed off, I whispered, “You’re going to be alright, Honey. Just relax. I am right here. Momma loves you and I will take care of you."

And I heard the words of the Lord whisper in to my heart at the same time, “I have everything under control, dear one. I know you are hurt. Rest here, in My love. I am right here. All day, all night -- even when you sleep. I am watching over you and taking care of you.”

My daughter rested soundly. She knew I was nearby and would take care of everything. Even though she was so tired and needed to sleep, she rested sweetly and confidently in my arms. God’s arms are everlasting arms, and in these arms we can find ultimate rest.

Dear one, keep your mind and heart focused on Him. When you are striving and tired, place your weary head on your bed and trust that He will cover you with His feathers (Psalm 91), watch over you while you sleep and give you perfect peace. Like the Psalmist let us confidently say, even when we are hurting, “At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together,” (Psalm 4:8 MSG) and then commit to believing that it is true.

Like Birds on a Wire

Being naturally curious and prone to thinking about random things (especially while driving the car), I find myself frequently noticing and pondering this, “Why do birds on a wire sit so far apart from each other?”

I researched the question and various “non-experts” seem to agree that the electricity in the wire keeps them warm, so that is why they sit on the wire. No one comments on why they do not sit close together. I’ve done some observational research, while driving from pillar to post, attempting to answer this question and others that crop up. Isn’t it cold and windy up there in the winter, even if their little feet are warm? Why don’t they choose to sit in a tree where they are protected? Why are they not sitting closer together? Do they not like one another? Are they afraid that if they get too close they may catch some bird disease? Did they have a bad experience with another bird almost knocking them off the wire and thus are hesitant to trust other birds? How do they keep their balance? Do they sleep up there or are they awake? Are they afraid?

Regrettably, I have no answers for any of the above questions.

However, it led me to thinking about how we sometimes (may I be so bold to say, often times) are like birds on a wire. Instead of seeking safe shelter, we put ourselves out in the elements without protection. We find precarious places to sit or stand that feel warmer, clinging on for dear life, when really there are safer places for us to rest and a safer One to cling to. We sit alone. We have been hurt by others. We are afraid of getting too close. We don’t trust others, because – well, because experience shows us that getting too friendly means that we’ll get hurt, somehow, someway, someday.

And yet the irony is that we, in an attempt to “play it safe” and not huddle together, we run the risk of being more prone to predators – doubts, fears, temptations.

As lovers of the Lord Jesus, we are to gather together. We are to warm each other with His Words and His truths. We are all going to go through “chilly” seasons when we may feel as if we are alone and we lose sight of what is right and true. We need each other. We need to care for one another, hold one another accountable and love one another with a Christ-like love. We need to seek safe shelter in the Lord, together, encouraging one another day in and day out (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Dear reader, are you feeling like a lone bird on the wire? I do sometimes. First of all, draw near to the Lord (Hebrews 10:22). Spend time with Him, resting in the shadow of His protective wing (Psalm 91:4). And then ask Him to show you who “safe” people are – people you can trust, people who love the Lord and people who will not allow you to wander or grow faint. People who will stand by you.

Or perhaps today you are not the bird on the wire, but you see little lone birds around you. Ask the Lord to show you people whom you can minister to. Listen to their heart. Reach out to them and allow them to share their pain. Keep it confidential. Speak truth in love. Share your life with them and help bring balance to their lives. Pray for them and lead them to the place of perfect shelter, Jesus.

The Peace of God On Guard

There are times in our lives when we feel much more vulnerable than others do. We may be hurting, either acutely or chronically, and feel as if even the slightest brush up against another difficulty or difficult person, sends a chill down our spine and in to our hearts. We want to be out and about, and yet we may feel insecure, sorrowful and weary.

When an animal is in the wild and injured, it becomes vulnerable to further harm. When a wounded soldier is on the battle field, they are more vulnerable to attack. And so it is with us. When our hearts have been broken or our emotions are raw or fears beset us or life's circumstances seem too much to bear, we feel susceptible to being wounded and hurt, again.

I was reading through my bible tonite, seeing what God had to speak to my heart and I came across Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The word "guard" jumped off the page. What did God mean by "the peace of God" guarding our hearts and minds?

In the Greek, the word guard means to protect by military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion or to keep the inhabitants of an attacked city from flight. We can envision the peace of God like military sentries or soldiers standing guard around our hearts and minds. This peace that is beyond our ability to understand and explain, the peace that comes to us only through the power of Jesus, protects us from attacks from the outside and inside. It is God's protective care to the very core of those who are in Jesus.

The verses that precede talk of rejoicing in the Lord, being gentle to all men, avoiding anxious cares and presenting our requests to God. Then it says, "And the peace of God ..." As we try to do the preceding things, God is giving us peace.

As I go about my day, sometimes feeling vulnerable, I am going to remember that the peace of God that He has given me is a protective force around me. It is guarding me. I need not fear vulnerability or be insecure. A garrison of the peace of God is wide and high and thick around my heart and mind, and is helping me Dear reader, as you trust in Jesus in all the happenings of life, remember this for you, too. His peace, possible only by the perfect power of Jesus, is on guard.

God Does Not Slumber Or Sleep -- What a Relief

It usually starts around ten or eleven at night. Finally, the house is quiet. I slip under the covers, set the alarm for the morning, squish my pillow in to just the right shape and turn off the light. Then I, unfortunately, often reach for my imaginary magnifying glass. and begin to have an enlarged look at my difficulties. Perhaps you know the feeling. I have an overwhelming sense of exhaustion all day, but seem to be never more awake than when I get in to bed, and then I begin to think, well, ok, worry.

Whether it is acute or chronic trials, they take their toll on one's physical and emotional well-being. Pain of any sort seems to be magnified at night, when the distractions of the day come to a halt. Now, however, we are tired and the uncertainties look bigger, the fears are greater and the sorrow is deeper. Troubles of the day, concerns for tomorrow, questions unanswered, although real, seem even more sensitive and fragile at night. Maybe it's the darkness that leaves us feeling alone and vulnerable. It is hard to see accurately in the darkness.

Laying in bed at night and thinking is causing me to not get enough sleep, I'm physically tired and I'm getting alittle tired of it, no pun intended. So, what do we do? How can we take captive our emotions and our thoughts and get some sleep?

I believe that it goes back to remembering who God is. We can choose to let our words of worry be few, and for God's Words to overflow, seep in and soak our weary souls. By reading and meditating on His Word we can remember it at night, and let it bath over us. We can listen to God's Word on a tape or CD and we can listen to music that glorifies Him and brings comfort to our troubled hearts. Instead of dwelling on our troubles, we can choose to dwell in Him.

With the Psalmist we can say, with confidence, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8). We can rest secure in Him, for He shields us all day long (and night!) and we can rest between His shoulders, for we are His beloved (Deuteronomy 33:12). What safer place is there?

Keeping God in clear view is always the solution. He brings peace, even in the darkness, because even the darkness is light to Him (Psalm 139:12). So, dear reader, when at night, you are finding it difficult to sleep as your mind is meandering and magnifying, and you are feeling vulnerable and fragile, look to the Lord, your help comes from Him. He is the Maker of Heaven and earth and the One who loves you very much. He will not let your foot slip, even when the way is treacherous, and He who does not slumber or sleep, watches over you (Psalm 121:1-4).

A Hedge of Protection

There are times in our lives when life is not as we had dreamed of or hoped for. Pain, fears, rejection, disappointments and uncertainty whirl around us like the blowing winds of Spring. We desire and cry out for safety and certainty, and they seem far out of reach. We yearn for a hedge of protection.

I have been thinking about Job today. Talk about drama and loss! In very brief summary of the first two chapters of Job, we hear of a man named Job who God describes as being blameless and upright, a man of prayer who shunned evil. The despicable Satan visits the throne of God and a conversation takes place.

Although the text does not explain why Satan has come, God cuts right to business and asks Satan if he has considered His servant Job. Satan sarcastically implies that the only reason that Job fears God is because of all that God has given him, and at this point, he had been blessed in abundance.

Job's hedge of protection, or so Satan thought, was at the root of Job's peace with God. God knew otherwise. God allowed Satan to strip it all away, except Job's body. It was to remain untouched.

Satan destroyed almost everything - sons, daughters, livestock, servants, households and houses - but when Job heard the news, he fell to the ground and worshipped God. Satan's plan was foiled. In fact Job's first response was to worship God. Double blow to Satan.

So, Satan tried again. God remains confident in Job. Satan wants Job's own physical self this time. Surely, he must of thought, the pain in a man's own body will destroy His spirit.

Satan inflicts Job with painful sores. Job mourns. His wife does not stand by him and his friends are not really friends at all. Job is left alone, trusting God.

As I reflect on this hedge of protection, I wonder how many years Job had asked God for this? The story of Job challenges me to think of the "hedges" that I ask God for and the "hedges" that I depend on. Job had prosperity, but I believe that this was not Job's hedge of protection. Job's hedge was something entirely more precious and wonderful.

What strikes me is that Satan tried to take away the hedge he thought was Job's, when all along Job's hedge was God, and Satan can't touch God.

Dear reader, we can learn and be encouraged and strengthened by this. Perhaps you are struggling with a great number of losses right now. Maybe very little seems like gain. I know that feeling, too. It is very hard. Whether our suffering is part of a greater battle between good and evil, I can't even pretend to know, but I do know that when we make our hedge God, we are safe. When we pray for a "hedge of protection" we can be confident that God, Himself, will be our Protector.

In the end of Job, God blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. I do not know what God has in store for any of us, but I do know that if we walk with Him, trusting Him for all things, that He will be all that we need and He will provide for us in abundance.

I am thankful that God is my Hedge, and tonite, I rest confidently in the safety of that.

Hemmed In By God

Throughout the afternoon today, I could not escape the picture of God hemming me in. It came to me while I was driving in the car, alone, praying out loud to God, asking Him (ok, pleading with Him) to continue to reveal to me what is true and guide me in the way that I should walk. I was seeking God for wisdom.

I recalled Psalm 139:5. "You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." Other versions say "you squeeze me in from behind and in front" (NET), "you have enclosed me behind and before" (NASB), and "I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too" (MSG). I love that imagery of God totally surrounding me with His presence, His love and His protection.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, my little girls will crawl in to bed with me to snuggle. They fall sound asleep, and I find myself sandwiched between two little lambs. I can't even roll over without bumping in to them and being totally aware of their being right there.

That is how it is with God. He is always present, and we can't go anywhere or do anything without bumping in to Him. Even more so, He has His hand on us. His hand is laid upon us, directing us, loving us, showing us the way. Squeezed tight by God, we are unable to move without a keen awareness of His reassuring presence.

Later in Psalm 139 it says, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (vs. 8-10). This brings me a great amount of comfort as I walk through each day, each one full of actions and decisions. I know that I can count on Him to reveal wisdom to me and to mold my heart so that I do what is right in and glorify Him in the process.

I am so thankful that He hems me in, squeezes around me and no matter where I look, is right there. It humbles me that His love is so close and so intimately for me. I pray, dear reader, that you have a keen awareness of being tangibly hemmed in by God today, amidst the trial that you may be walking through.

God is Within Her

Scratched on a bright green sticky note, hanging above my computer is Psalm 46:5 --

"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."

Other versions read "God is in the midst of her," and "God has taken his place in her." I am so thankful for the reality of that. God dwells within us and IS present!

"At the break of day" is the morning. This is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble. How I do need to hear this!

Earlier in the Psalm, we are reminded of Who God is and what He does. Take comfort in this, dear reader, as you settle in to this day and look with hope to the "morning" that comes, breaking forth from the dark night of trouble and despair.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall

into the heart of the sea, through its waters roar and foam and the mountains

quake with their surging" Psalm 46:1-3.

The world may seem to be surging around you, and you may be quaking in your circumstances. Walls may be crumbling; the water may feel like it is rising and we are going to drown. Our pain is real and our suffering not a vain imagining. But God is our refuge and our strength. We need not fear because we can rest assured that God is with us, in the midst of us, and has taken His place within us and we will not fall. God will help us.

Hearing His Heart Beat

When we lean against a wall, weary and worn down from physical exhaustion, we trust that the wall will hold us up. We relax our bodies and shift our weight so that our own legs are not holding us up alone; the wall is helping.

When a child leans in to its mother's chest, it rests. Is is vulnerable and safe. It lays its head upon her chest and is soothed by her breathing and her heart beat.

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields them all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders" Deuteronomy 33:12.

The truth is that there may be alot to be concerned about in our lives. There may be alot to be anxious about, but my continual desire is that I would learn how to relax and rest in the arms of the Lord. He calls to us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

The bible tells us that we can cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). I don't know about you, but often times I do not feel like I have the energy to cast or hurl or throw my cares, and if I did, they seem too heavy to do so.

But God has other options when we do not even have the strength to cast ... we can just rest, and be still. So I try and just lean in to Him, resting my heart between His shoulders, where I can hear Him breath and be assured that his heart beats for me. Does it take away the reality of my cares? Not necessarily, but it does help me to remember who God is how much He really does love me.

He loves you, too, dear reader, with an everlasting and abounding love. My prayer for you today is that you would embrace that love, and rest in it.

Dwelling in the Shelter -- Resting in the Shadow

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1.

I have been pondering and praying Psalm 91 for some time now and wanted to explore today, what does it mean to "dwell in the shelter of the Most High" and "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?"

To "dwell" means to live in. To take up residence. To set up camp and hang out there, with God the Most High. We can do this through reading the bible, praying and keeping an awareness of who God is. To dwell with God means to spend time with God; to try to live and breath the reality of Who He is in our lives. We are to dwell in the "shelter" of God. A shelter is a place of refuge from the storms of chaos and uncertainty that may be blowing around us.

Psalm 27:4-5 gives us a picture of what that may look like. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple for the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling ..." Live. Gaze. Seek. And as we do, we will know that in our troubles, He will keep us safe.

And what about to "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?" As I work on dwelling, how do I rest? In the Hebrew language "shadow" is often used as a metaphor for protection against oppression. As the shade of a tree protects from the oppressive heat of the sun, so does the shadow of God Almighty protect us. This is sometimes hard to believe, isn't it? Especially when there seems to be so much difficulty and heartache, and yet, we can not understand the ways of the Lord. We can trust that nothing slips through the hand of God, the very hand that provides the shadow, that is not for our good and for His glory.

Isaiah 49:2 says, "In the shadow of his hand he hid me," and Isaiah 25:4 says "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat."

Dear reader, a storm may be raging around you right now, and I want to encourage you that God is your shelter. Run to Him and dwell in Him. He will protect you from whatever threatens to harm you. And He is the shade that comforts you. He will cool you with His love and provide rest for you from the oppression and weariness and pain.

Treasures of Darkness Yet Unknown

Oh, dear reader, life sometimes really does seem insurmountable, doesn't it? So many details, strong and formidable road blocks at every turn, and the way up looks steep, treacherous, and plain old, impossible. How my heart aches for better days. It is late. I have been up working on paperwork for 2008, and more paperwork for 2009. I am tired, worn out, and feeling as if this life in the valley is too much.

So, I turned to God's Word, before turning in for the night (or the morning.) It is a stream of living, fresh nourishment that I am in great need of, especially at this late hour. And this is what I found in Isaiah 45:2-3:

"I will go before you and will level the mountains, I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

I will rest, now, remembering that the mountain of uncertainties that lay before me are His to level, and He will break down gates that I feel are too big and strong to get through. Not only that, He has good things for me -- treasures that are stored in only these secret places. Treasures that could not be found any where else. Treasures unknown to me right now, but promised to me by the Lord Himself.

Lastly, this is all for me to truly know that He is the Lord who summons me by name. What an incredible reality for me right now, as I grieve and fear and weep; and now I shall sleep.

Trying to Walk Upright (when it feels hard to walk at all!)

In my devotions this morning I realized that I am experiencing alot of anxiety. It seems like every day there are new developments.

My prayer was, is," Lord, please help me to know how to handle today. Bring me wisdom and insight, along with understanding. Help me to understand who You are."

I found in the book of Amos (5:14), "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is."

I know that I need to actively guard my heart against bitterness or vindictiveness. I desire to seek how to love others well, in truth; to seek good, not evil. I need to search my heart and ask the Lord to help me walk upright.

That brought me to thinking, what exactly does it mean to walk upright? I went to www.bible.org. It is a great resource to investigate different translations of the bible and to get insight in to what the original languages meant when using certain words. I would encourage you, dear reader, to use it as God works in your heart.

I learned that in Psalm 94:15 God says, "For justice will prevail, and all the morally upright will be vindicated." (NET bible) In Hebrew, the word "upright" means "all the pure of heart." The heart is viewed as the place of one's motives and moral character. The "pure of heart" are God's faithful followers who trust in Him and love Him, and as a result, will experience his deliverance. "Upright" does not imply sinlessness, but rather a pure desire to seek Him.

So, as I try to walk upright, even though I am sometimes finding it hard to walk at all, I continue to trust that God will actively work in my life to reveal truth and the right way in which to walk.

Proverbs 2:7 says "He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the ways of this faithful ones."

Walk uprightly as one who is unfailingly loved by the Lord who is your Shield.