God is the Light

I am looking at my words for the year as illumination that God wants to help light my way on this path called life.  Without the Light from God, the path can be tricky and dangerous.  I stumble and fall without the Light to guide me.  Without the Light, I am blind. God is my Light, showing me the way He has for me.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; who shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; who shall I be afraid.” Psalm 27:1

To be perfectly honest, I sometimes take my eyes off the Light.  That is when I stumble through life, and get angry or upset that my life is not going how I think it should go.  It is when I can’t see the Light that I question where I am supposed to be, or cry that I am not where I want to be in life.   I become very selfish in my thinking, me, me, me.

All I can think about is myself, and my “sad” life.  I have had those in the last couple of weeks. Life is tough sometimes, especially when you are just looking at yourself.  You don’t see what God is doing all around you.

When I focus back to the Light, I have confidence in God.  I have confidence that God is guiding me in His journey that He wants for me.  It won’t be smooth going, because I am in the equation. Our road has been bumpy and broken, but God is always there.

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose water does not fail.” Isaiah 58:11

My road has not been a smooth one, and some of that is my own fault.  Yet, some of those bumps have been because of sin in this world.   I have been broken and abused because there is sin in the world. Yet with God as my Light and my Salvation, He has made me new. I am a new creation.

Each day I rejoice that I am a new creation and everything in my past is just that. Everything old has been passed away.  I could live my life as the victim of a traumatic childhood event, but I don’t want to live like that anymore. I am made new by God, and He is molding me into the person He designed me to be.

We all have a story, and baggage from our past.  The thief, the devil, comes only to steal my joy, kill my spirit, and destroy my life. God came that I may have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)  I paraphrased that verse, but hopefully you get the picture.

God’s Word for our life is a Light for us.  It is God’s love letter to us.  It is our first aid kit. It is God telling us He is our rock, our fortress.  We just have to open our eyes and see.

“For You are my rock and my fortress; and for Your name’s sake You lead and guide me;” Psalm 31:3-4

Dear Lord

Blessed be your name.  I thank you for being my rock and my fortress.  I thank you for making all things new.  Sometimes I don’t always live my life like that, but you are always there.  You will never leave me nor forsake me.  You are the light, and I want to follow you.  Keep lighting my path.

Amen

Laura Maxson

March Prayer Topic: After putting God first, then what?

Life More Abundant

John 10:10 …I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

My day, get up, have devotions, exercise, breakfast, get ready for work, at the office for nine or more hours, fight traffic, maybe get groceries, fix supper, on Wednesday nights, I have bible study with three other people at my place, after they are gone, I get lunch ready for next day, and clean up, and finally before falling asleep, I like to take hot shower, then I get to do it all again the next day.

I look at the list above, and I am exhausted just looking at it.  How many of us look at that list, and can actually add things to it?  We have filled our lives so full.  Is that a good thing?  Do we have life more abundantly? 

Here is another question, are you so glad that the weekend is here, instead of enjoying every day as God intending?  We have filled our lives with so much stuff.  Is it worthy stuff?  Absolutely, and don’t get me wrong, these things are important.  However, have we filled our lives so full that we have lost prospective of why we were made?

For me, I realize that I have filled my days so full.  Maybe, I can have a new outlook on my day to day.  Instead of a checklist of what I need to do, I can see if I can do them praising the Lord.  Will that change anything?

So, let’s see if I can change my outlook.

·      When I get up, I have worship.  That it is an easy one.  I start my day praising the Lord. 

·      Next, exercise, there are days that I don’t feel like it.  However, I try and go for a least a walk for about a half an hour or so.  While walking, I can put my I-pod on and listen to Christian music.  Or, if I go to the gym, then I can do the same things, and listen to Christian music instead of the loud music playing in the gym.

·      Eat breakfast & get ready for the day.  Praise the Lord that I have food in my refrigerator, and a job to go to.

·      Work – take the opportunity to be a witness to those that I work with and come in contact with at the office.   So, instead of growling over the list of things to do, I will praise and be joyful for the job that I have.

·      Driving home in traffic – Sometimes I wonder where people learned to drive, or if they even took Driver’s Ed.  How do I tackle that one?  Yes, I can change my outlook on that one too.  I can turn my radio to positive Christian music, and sing along.  I have been known to sing other songs at the top of my lungs.  Why not Christian songs?

So, you see there are several things that I can do to change my outlook.  Maybe you can think of your own ways.   Another idea is what we want to pray and see if the Lord will reveal in you what ways we can change our outlook.

Dear Lord, please show me a life more abundant.  I don’t want my life to be a checklist that I look at, at the end of the day to make sure I got everything done that needed to be done.  I want my life to be a praise to you, and no matter what I do, let me do it to your praise. Amen

Written By - Laura Maxson