Don’t mistake “God” for “strength”. Sometimes the strongest people are simply the weak ones that say, “God, I can’t handle this. Will you do it for me?”

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7

We were driving around the other day and saw four deer next to a tree line. They immediately ran into the woods and out of sight. Nearly every time I see deer, they are hanging close to a tree line so that the least little sound or the first sign of trouble, they can dart under cover. But there are other animals that stay in plain sight. Our horses for example. They hang out in plain sight all day long. In fact, when they see us or hear us, they might run, but it’s to us instead of away from us. They know us, they trust us, and they know we can give them what they need. When I made the choice to walk with Christ, I spent a lot of years hanging close to the tree line. But the thing is, there’s more danger in the darkness than there is out in the open. I don’t want to be a deer, darting into the cover of darkness. In fact, the only running I want to do, is toward God and the only cover I want is under His wing of protection because I know Him, I trust Him, and He is the ONLY one who can give me what I need.

The word ‘to’ and the word ‘in’ have a lot in common. It’s been awhile but if memory serves me correctly, they are both prepositions, they’re both used frequently, they both consist of two letters, and I’m sure they have many other similarities. But they are also very different. If you were wandering aimlessly and you were dying of thirst, you could go ‘to’ the water or you could go ‘in’ they water. ‘To’ gets you close. You may even be close enough that you can describe the water to others. Tell them how good it is for them. Maybe even show them the way to the water….but unless you’re willing to make that last little bit of effort, you won’t be ‘in’ the water. And unless your lips are actually ‘in’ the water, you can be right next to it and still die of thirst. I said all that to say this…you can go ‘to’ Christ and remain there until you breathe your last breath but unless you are ‘in’ Christ and He is ‘in’ you, you will die of thirst. The dead ‘in’ Christ shall rise! But the dead ‘to’ Christ….He never knew. So I guess my question is, will you drink?

Have you ever blown on a dandelion?  I used to love to.  It was so cool how the little fuzzy pieces would float away.  It seemed like they would float forever.  Then one day my mom told me to stop doing it because those cool fuzzy things were seeds and everywhere they landed another dandelion would pop up.  I didn’t see a problem with that since it would mean many more days spent picking and blowing on them but she explained that they are weeds and that we don’t want weeds in our lawn and garden because they’re bad for the good plants.  Blowing on dandelions is not much different from spreading rumors.  We may convince ourselves that it’s fun…or maybe for someone’s protection…or maybe because we feel like it’s our duty to set the record straight…or maybe we think we just can’t help ourselves.  But the thing is…once we blow on the dandelion, we have no control over where the pieces go.  And everywhere a piece lands, more dandelions pop up.  Before it’s over, we have done more harm than good.  So maybe, when we find a dandelion, it would be better to spray round-up on it instead of blowing it.  Because you never know whose garden or yard is going to be hurt by it next.  And regardless if the rumor is true…regardless of how reliable your source is…you are the one that has to answer to God and if what flies from your lips does anything but give Him glory, then it should probably be kept to yourself.

I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
Psalm 39:1 NKJV

This is actually a thought that I wrote awhile back but it’s as if it was meant for now….

If you watch or read any news at all, you know how easy it is to get frustrated and irritated at the state of the world. As hard as I try…I find myself getting worked up if I even think about it too much. But why does it surprise us that the world is in turmoil? In Job 1:7, the Lord asks Satan from where he came & he responded, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” Satan’s handiwork is all over this earth and in the people. And while I believe you should most definitely be aware of what is going on the world, I do not believe we should dwell on it because to dwell on it and worry about it takes away from the glory of God. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If you are a true child of God, desiring and aspiring to do His will for His glory, then you are already part of the solution. But don’t allow the things of this earth to overshadow your relationship with God. There is nothing on this earth more powerful.