I slept better last night and was able to even rest well this morning after being up for a while. I was able to get myself going and made a trip to Lakewood to assist in the celebration of the life of Louise Robb. It was a special “family” service. Son-in-law Dave lead the service and the music and reflections on her life included a variety of family members. It was a special time of sharing about the life of a much-loved  lady, whose legacy was a life of faith and faithfulness. My connection with Louise and her late husband Gene and their family goes back to my childhood years when we attended the same church. It was an honor to be able to participate.  (picture of me with Louise’s son, David and daughter Judy and her husband Dave)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”  Mark 4:20 (NCV)

My garden is struggling. I’m not sure if it is the abundance of rain, the soil or the gardener. After our heavy spring rains, I did notice when I tried to work the soil that it didn’t break up as much as I had anticipated. So, I just buried the seed beneath the clods of dirt. It’s pretty bad when you can’t get squash to grow! Good soil is the foundation of a good garden that grows and produces.

This parable of Jesus, sometimes called “The Parable of the Sower” talks about four types of soil. The seed that is sown falls on “the path”  some falls on “stony ground” other seed falls among “weeds” and some seed falls on “good ground.”

When Jesus explains the parable to His disciples he tells them the “seed” is the “Word of God” The seed on the path represents that which is “stolen by Satan.” The seed on “rocky soil” is that which never develops because there is no opportunity for roots to grow. Jesus said, “they don’t allow the Word to go deep into their lives.” The seed sown among “thorns” is choked by “the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires…”

As I was thinking about the varying yield, “some 30, some 60 some 100 fold” I began to consider that all “good” ground is not always the same. A patch of ground may have its hard soil, rocks and weeds as well as good ground. In order for the Word of God to grow a richer harvest in our lives we need to make sure we are “conditioning the soil” of our hearts.

We need to be aware when truth is just rejected because it is hard to hear or we are in a challenging place in our life, and so we allow it to pass us by. We need to be aware of God’s Word that is being choked because we lose our focus and our minds and hearts are drawn away to the priorities of the “world” and we give in to worry. We need to be aware when we only allow God’s Word to remain on the “surface of our life.” We are admonished to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.” (James 1:23)

When we hear or are confronted with God’s Word, we must listen and receive it into our lives and to allow it to be applied to our life so it begins its work in our life. Then we need to resist allowing our hearts and minds from being distracted from living by that truth. That is when we will see the greatest “harvest” of God’s Word in our life.

The “fruit” that comes from God’s Word is what allows us to experience God’s best for our lives and to be ready to share with others what the Lord can do for them.

After a not so good night of rest, I did check in with my primary care physician. Fortunately, nothing of significance or concern from the lab work, which is good. She did prescribe some cough medicine to help me sleep at night. I believe that will help as I stay on my anti-biotic regimen.

Today, has been an unusual cooler and rainy day. We don’t get these too often in the summer in Colorado. But it makes for a nice day to get some rest.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord. Every good thing I have comes from you.” Psalm 16:2 (NCV)

This verse reminds me of Jesus words in Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.“

David recognized the Lord as his source of all good things. We are encouraged to trust in the Lord, more than earthly sources of wisdom and provision and to simply “ask Him” for those good things to come into our life.

What are some of the “good things” the Lord provides? In Psalm 16 we see the Lord provides us the relationship with others who will encourage us in the ways of the Lord.

“As for the godly people in the world, they are the wonderful ones I enjoy.” (Psalm 16:3) In the Book of Hebrews we read, “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Heb. 10:25 NKJV) We need the company and encouragement of one another to learn, support and help each other stay true to God’s Word.

The Lord provides Himself to us. “…the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me.” (Psalm 16:5) This statement is made in contrast to the emptiness of those who turn to idols. We don’t need other “spiritual guidance” or insight other than that which comes from the Lord.

The Lord provides for us counsel and direction. “I praise the Lord because he advises me. Even at night, I feel his leading.” (Psalm 16:7) I like this verse because there are times that I have experienced the Lord speaking to me in my sleep or thoughts or counsel coming to me in the night.

One of the greatest “good” things the Lord provides us is assurance of our future destiny. “So I rejoice and am glad.
 Even my body has hope, because you will not leave me in the grave.” (Psalm 16:9,10) Paul said, Jesus resurrection was the “firstfruits” of the resurrection and those who place their faith in Christ can look forward to their own resurrection and life in the Lord’s presence.

The Psalmist concludes by affirming that the Lord directs our life in the right way and grants us the joy of His presence. “You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.” (Psalm 16:11)

In a world that can be off track, we don’t need to be. The Lord will bring to us the “good things” we need, as we trust in Him. If you need to know what to ask the Lord for, some of these provisions of the Lord found in Psalm 16 are a good place to start.

I slept better last night and have been resting most of the day. But I believe I am feeling better. My rest, allowed Debbie to get some much needed rest from her busy schedule and taking care of me. We have experienced a nice rain and the clouds have dispelled the higher temps from earlier this afternoon. Hopefully with another good night of rest and the affect of some of the medication, I will be ready for the week ahead.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. They [Joesph’s brothers] said to each other, “We are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his trouble, and he begged us to save him, but we refused to listen. That is why we are in this trouble now.” Then Reuben said to them, “I told you not to harm the boy, but you refused to listen to me. So now we are being punished for what we did to him.”  Genesis 42:21,22 (NCV)

There are many scenes in the Bible that I would have loved to have been present to witness. This is one of those. It had been some seventeen years prior to this that Joesph’s brothers decided to take action and silence the annoying little brother that was favored by dad and had these grandiose dreams and possessed this cocky attitude.

At the time they thought their actions in sparing Joesph’s life and just selling him into slavery was noble on their part and kept them murder. But they had to go home and face “dad” and see the reaction of grief and the toll the presumed death of Joesph caused. They wanted to “get even” with Joesph, but didn’t understand the extent of the “collateral” damage on a father, as well as themselves.

The Lord used slavery and prison to humble and prepare Joesph for the fulfillment of the dreams that he had as a youth. Now his brothers (unknown to them) are standing before him begging to buy food during a famine. The questions Joesph asks and their own short stay in prison finds them relating their own hardship to how they treated their younger brother.

So we see even though many years had passed the memories were fresh. During the ensuing years adjustments to life without Joesph would have come, but there was still in the back of their minds the knowledge of the truth and they would carry the rest of their lives. In getting rid of Joesph, they acquired a new set of problems they never would have anticipated. Scripture makes it clear they all shared the guilt and made the connection between their past actions and their present sufferings.

As we move through the story we see the brothers returning to Egypt for more food and Joesph finally revealing himself to his brothers. He graciously provides a place for his father, his brothers and their families to live during the rest of the famine, so the family is saved.

However, after Jacob dies we see Joesph’s brothers still live with guilt and fear. “After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph is still angry with us? We did many wrong things to him. What if he plans to pay us back?” (Genesis 50:15) His brothers ask Joesph to forgive them…and Joesph does. As Joesph forgives his brothers, he shares this powerful insight, “Don’t be afraid. Can I do what only God can do?  You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done.  So don’t be afraid. (Genesis 50:19-21)

As Joesph experienced all that happened to him, it seem that Lord had allow him to forget and move beyond the pain and suffering his brothers had caused. But his brothers still carried their guilt until the time their father died.

There are some important lessons and cautions for  us in this story. Joesph’s brothers took revenge, but found themselves haunted with guilt. Joesph refused to remain embittered and take revenge and found what Paul would write to the Romans to be true…

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. (Romans 12:19)

I saw a quote that said, “The best revenge is to live well. Remember, you can’t get ahead if you are trying to get even.” Revenge may feel “sweet” at the time, but it often has lingering consequences. Forgiveness is the better alternative.

We have had a different July 4^th. I had another tough night. I began feeling better after being up for a while; however, we thought it best to head to the urgent care center. It was good to see Nurse Practioner, Lisa Myers who I had seen almost two years when I began to experience symptoms related to my West Nile Virus. We found out that Lisa also attends Timberline Church and had been praying for me. She told me she stopped seeing my name on the prayer list, but it wasn’t in the obituaries, so I must be okay!

With my history, she did prescribe an anti-biotic and had me get a chest X-ray to rule out any lung issues that might be developing. This was another reminder that the symptoms that I used to have that were easily addressed with minimal care, require more diligence than what would seem necessary.

 BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “You will groan at the end of your life when your health is gone. Then you will say, “I hated being told what to do! I would not listen to correction! I would not listen to my teachers or pay attention to my instructors….” Proverbs 5:11-14

Does anybody have a challenge in taking time to read instructions; or do you trust your “instincts” to get somewhere, only to find you are on the wrong road and in the wrong place? The Book of Proverbs is filled with “wisdom sayings” and instructions for navigating the road of life. It also sounds a clear warning about the consequences of ignoring the call and instruction of wisdom. Some of the most profound verses around found in Proverbs 5. They reveal a life of regrets and a clear understanding that “if they only” I had listen and paid attention, life would have been different, the pain they experienced could have been avoided.

This is true for individuals, businesses and countries. When we ignore the clear teachings of God’s Word, we do so at our own peril. In our “post-modern” world, there is a rejection of absolute truth and many resist being challenged in their actions, attitudes or conduct and don’t want to be told they might be wrong.

As a result, many take their own path and want to live life on “their own terms.” They need to be confronted with the famous question of Dr. Phil’s, “so, how’s that work’n for you?” Scripture is clear, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

The good news is the scripture not only tells us how to live a life of wisdom, it tells us how to get back on track when we don’t.  Consider the following:

 ^“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right”. (2 Timothy 3:16)

 “…if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.” (1 John 1:9)

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.“ (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The key is to have an open heart and a willing spirit and to make timely and needed correction. It is one thing to “hate being told what to do.” It is another to, “refuse correction.” Scripture says,

“Blessed is the one who is always fearful of sin, but whoever is hard-hearted falls into disaster.” (Proverbs 28:14)

“He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” (Proverbs 29:1)

The road of life is filled with many opportunities to take a wrong turn, or go the wrong direction. It is less painful and the ultimate consequences can be reversed when we stop, humble ourselves and heed the instructions that are needed to get back on track.

I’m glad I had a better night of rest and continue to heal from my mole surgery. Debbie was off today, so I’m pleased that she will have a long weekend.

I was able to get out and get a little yard work done before some needed rest and an afternoon massage appointment. It seems that some of the neuropathy in my right foot is dissipating which is good.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “I want God to be with me and to protect me on this journey. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear…This stone which I have set up on its end will be the house of God. And I will give God one-tenth of all he gives me.” Genesis 28:20-222

As Jacob set out for Haran to find a wife among his mother’s relatives, he has a vision of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. The Lord speaks this promise, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are now sleeping.  Your descendants will be as many as the dust of the earth. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.  I am with you and will protect you everywhere you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)

Jacob was in awe of what he saw and claimed the Lord as his God and in recognition of that he promised to give him a tenth of what the the Lord would give him. We see that by the time Jacob returned to this site, that he had two wives, twelve sons and was rich with livestock and possessions. The Lord had kept His promise to Jacob.

This concept of giving a tenth or a “tithe” is something that we see hundreds of years later incorporated into the law God gave to His people through Moses. But it is clear that this idea did not originate with the giving of the “Law of Moses.”

The first reference to a “tenth” is in the early life of Abraham. After Abraham and Lot separated, Lot and his family was taken captive in a war between an alliance of  several kings. After his victory Abraham meets an unusual character known as “Melchizedek.” He is referred to as a “king” and “priest.” The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament would say of Christ, “He is a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:17)

This was Abraham’s response when he met Melchizedek. “Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest for God Most High….Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had brought back from the battle.“  (Genesis 14:18-20)

What we can observe in these passages and what I believe is an important spiritual principle is, “the giving of tithe is a recognition of lordship.” This is certainly clear in Jacob’s response. It becomes clear as the Lord gives the Law to His people. “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.“ (Leviticus 27:30)

As such it recognizes that the Lord is our provider, protector and “ever-present” help. Jacob said, “I want the Lord to be with me and protect me and provide for me….”  When we see how the Lord appeared to Jacob and what He promised, it would have been foolish for Jacob to say, “That’s okay, I will take care of myself, I don’t need help”  or “I think I will check out other “gods” and see what they offer.”

As the Lord fulfilled His promise, Jacob offered the Lord a tenth of what the Lord provided in recognition of God as His source and the one who who fulfills His promise and goes before Him.

Is God with you? Does He go before you when you trust in and follow Him? Does He provide for you and keep you safe? If you recognize God instead of yourself as the security for your life, offering to Him a small token as an act of worship and recognition of His Lordship is reasonable.

I had a rough night of sleep last night with a lot of coughing and restlessness. When I took my bandage off my incision I did notice some discoloration on my eyelid that the doctor had warned me about. This morning, I made a visiting to my Chiropractor and he counted about 18-20 small stitches that were needed to my head closed up.

This morning, I attended the memorial service for Bob Odell. The Odell’s and Kercher’s attended church together for a number of years and my father-in-law and brother-in-law served on the Church Board with Bob in the past. It was a great tribute to a faithful follower of the Lord, who made an impact on many. Bob’s daughter Dawn did an excellent job not only sharing about her dad’s life but sharing the spiritual challenge for the day. Our prayers continue to be with Mary and the family as they make this adjustment to the loss of a loved one.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…   ^“The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.  Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel and set up his tent there.…There Abram built another altar to the Lord and worshiped him.”  Genesis 12:6-8 (NCV)

“Altars” become important places and symbols in scripture. They are places of worship, places that establish and mark a covenant or a point of consecration.

When the Lord called Abraham and gave him His promise regarding his future and his descendants, Abraham responds by building an altar. It is here, he worships the Lord who has given him a promise that is beyond his comprehension. As he worships Abraham makes himself available and expresses his trust in the Lord. Scripture simply says of Abraham,  “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.“ (Genesis 15:6)

We see Abraham traveling to Shechem and there he builds another altar. We don’t have insight as to the reason or motivation for this place, but it represented another point remembrance, consistent trust and worship as the Lord was directing and providing for Abraham on this faith-walk, this journey to a place “the Lord would show him.”

The other significant altar in Abraham’s life takes place many years later. Isaac is born and the Lord calls Abraham and Isaac to take a hike to the top of Mount Moriah. There an altar is built and as Abraham prepares to offer his own son as a sacrifice the Lord steps in and provides a substitute. Abraham is preparing to sacrifice, the representation of a promise fulfilled and a future, but God steps in and provides. We read, “The angel said, “Don’t kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me.”… So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides. Even today people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:13,14)

We find at some altars, when we are willing to lay down that which we want to hold on, God provides. The provision of a substitute is the message of the gospel in a picture. Christ the Lamb of God as our substitute before the Lord.

Altars are places of sacrifice. They are places of surrender. They are places of submission, worship and trust. After Abraham returned from his “fateful” sojourn to Egypt he returned to the first altar he built. Sometimes we need to return to those places to refocus and reclaim God’s promise for our life and set our lives aright once again.

As the “Father of Faith” Abraham was a builder of altars. In our lives of faith, there are those “altar building” moments when there is change, consecration, dedication and laying hold of God’s promises for our life.

I have continued to take it somewhat easy today following yesterday’s procedure.  I focused on some work in my home office and did get some rest. I got out to run some errands and to take the dog for a walk. It was cloudy this afternoon and we get a brief rain shower. I will probably get out an mow the grass later this evening.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY….  “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and he will give you success.” Proverbs 3:5,6 (NCV)

There are a multitude of promises of the Lord and provision for His people. The key to receiving those provisions often requires actions on our part. For example, “If we confess our sin, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive…” (1 John 1:9) A familiar verse from the Old Testament is 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then I will hear…and heal their land.”

In Proverbs 3, we find a series of these, “if then” relationships. The first and most well known is in verses 5 and 6. It lets us know that the key to “success” is “trusting the Lord with all of our heart, not relying on our understanding and remembering the Lord in all we do…”

The next is in the following verses. Proverbs 3:7,8 tell us the key to “health.” “Don’t depend on your own wisdom. Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong. Then your body will be healthy, and your bones will be strong.” Solomon tells us the a healthy lifestyle has a much to do with our moral conduct and placing the Lord first in our lives as it does with our exercise and diet.

Next we find the key to “wealth” in Proverbs 3:9,10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and the firstfruits from all your crops. Then your barns will be full, and your wine barrels will overflow with new wine.” Once again the key to this important area of life is putting the Lord “first.”

What we see in these verses and others is that following the Lord’s “wisdom” is the path to achieving that which we seek in life. At times it is not the easy or natural response for us. It doesn’t always align with “our understanding.” For example, it is difficult to believe that success comes from distrusting ourselves and how we understand a situation and seeking the Lord’s perspective, and simply trusting in Him.

It doesn’t always make sense that health, comes from honoring the Lord with the way we live our lives. But then again, I am reminded of my many trips to doctor’s offices and the questions related to health history that focus on alcohol use and smoking and other lifestyle issues. Invariably a health assessment is a “lifestyle” assessment. So perhaps Solomon’s wisdom from thousands of years ago, still applies.

In our world of “wealth accumulation” and “making ends meet” it seems odd to put God first, instead of seeing what we have left over after we take care ourselves first. But we see that God’s wisdom in finances is to recognize Him as our source and to honor Him.

We can have confidence that as we align our lives to God’s ways and His wisdom that we find ourselves blessed with the provision of His promises.