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This is the Life for Me!

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A shorter article on the same topic can be found  in The Baptist Standard article titled, “Voices: Choose to follow God’s path of life.”

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Do you feel that you are on the right path of life, following the Lord as closely as you know how? Or are you slowly slipping down the wrong path? 

God has a path for believers in Jesus Christ. The Bible calls it the Path of Life.

As a child, I used to grab 10 to 15 Little Golden Books at a time and read one after another. But one which always attracted me, and still draws me to this day, is Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton.

Amazon’s book description mentions that Scuffy was an adventurous little tugboat who believed he was meant for bigger things. He leaves his home, the man with the polka-dot tie, and the little boy who cared for him and sets off to explore the world. After his daring and treacherous adventure down a brook and then a raging river, Scuffy realizes that home is where he’d rather be.

After traveling through dangerous situations, his life became more complicated. Eventually, Scuffy arrives home to the man with the polka-dot tie and his little boy, and he proclaims, “This is the life for me.”

Our goal should be to reach the point where we say, “This is the life for me,” right where we are on the path God has provided us. Scuffy used the quoted phrase twice: once in leaving the reasonable, sensible path of his prior life to seek adventure, and again when he realized he had already been right where he needed to be all along—at home, safe in the arms of the man and boy who love him.

God wants us to understand that we can know our path. And hopefully, it is the one He has set apart for us, but we must choose it.

Life Choices

In Psalm 16, King David declares that he wants refuge in the Lord. In his communion with the Lord, he writes:

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  (Ps. 16:11 ESV).

What path does God want us to be on for Him?

The late British Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner defined a person on the right path of life as “someone who takes refuge in God and knows life and joy.” This person finds satisfaction in God’s ways and does not pursue other gods. God’s protection and instruction bless him.

As believers, we have two major choices  to make in life:

  1. We must decide whether to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and then

2. We must follow God’s path, which leads us to joy in His presence.

We know we have eternal life, but sometimes we experience struggles. Jesus is the light of the world, but He always uses our struggles and sufferings for His good. There is a purpose for all He does. Suffering causes us to depend on Him in ways we never have done before. David trusted that the Lord would show him the righteous path of life.

Some call the path of life a journey or route. David knew that he would find total joy by following God’s directions. His suffering led him to heed God’s instruction. 

God’s Instructions for Us

  1. Stay in communication with our heavenly Father,
  2. Read His word daily and let His principles and examples saturate our minds,
  3. Be obedient to what you read in the Bible,
  4. Confess sins and ask the Lord to help you in both your thoughts and actions so that those sins will not have a stronghold in your life,
  5. Decide not to visit places that lead you into temptation,
  6. Believe the Lord will guide us to Biblical principles and Scripture so we can know the right things to do, and
  7. Seek His kingdom above all others.

Following the instructions above is easier said than done. I have been there, working through each and every instruction listed above. I also know it takes longer to heed God’s instructions than He or I would like sometimes. However, God has always been available to hear my concerns, thoughts, struggles, and desires. I have also learned it is best to converse with God about our plans before depending on or requesting guidance from others. It is in Him we must confide our deepest longings.

He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray (Prov. 10:17 NASB95).

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2 Tim. 3:16).

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41).

If you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach (Deut. 30:10-11 NIV).

Righteousness and Unrighteousness

“Wrong”, “Right” and question marks, Canva.

We will encounter testing and temptation on our path, but when we saturate our lives with God’s word and principles, we can be satisfied that we are following the right track. Even as believers, though, we must continually choose between righteousness and unrighteousness.

We want to walk in victory, but sometimes, we desire things God has proclaimed unsuitable for us. We have that struggle between our flesh and the spirit, so we must ponder the path our feet are on.

We cannot experience God’s true purpose for life when we travel the destructive path. We may find ourselves in a continuous cycle of sinning and confessing. To break that cycle, we must deny ourselves, take up Jesus’ cross, and follow Him.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 9:23).

The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes (Prov.10:28).

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Results of Living Right—Joy and Heaven

Woman in poppy field, Canva.

Psalm 16:11 concludes by saying if we follow God’s path, we will have complete joy and pleasures forever.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps.16:11 ESV).

When the temple restoration began in Jerusalem during the time of the prophet Ezra, we can understand the joy and what kind of joy God has in store for us. The builders had laid the foundation of the temple.

They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid! Ezra 3:11 AMP).

When we lay a Godly foundation in our lives, we can experience joy in the presence of the LORD. God cares about the path of life we choose. And when we strive to be on his team, we can live joyfully in his presence. We can also experience everlasting pleasures in this life and the next as we lift our eyes to Jesus. 

It is a beautiful gift from the Lord that we can experience pleasures forever when our lives are over here. Living with our Lord and Savior in heaven is a deep gratification and satisfaction we can look forward to.

In this earthly life, we fail often, but God is always willing to pick us up and reroute and redirect our path.

Reroute and Redirect

307 Redirect, Canva

What is the purpose of a navigation system? A navigation system is an instrument that determines the position of a vehicle and the route to a particular place. The car’s navigation system tells the driver to turn left or right at a specific junction. The navigation system uses GPS signals to determine the vehicle’s location and direction.

It is a valuable tool with many benefits, such as helping people reach their destination, tracking packages, locating vehicles, and more. It guides the cars by directing the drivers through congested areas.

It is similar to the way God directs us in our lives.

  1. He shows us which way to turn—to the right or the left.
  2. He signals us on which way to proceed or not proceed.
  3. He helps us to reach the destination and call of our lives, and
  4. God guides us continually through the rough times in our lives.

However, our navigation system must take its orders from the Lord. He will reroute and redirect our thoughts or actions if we genuinely want to follow His path.

I love the story about how God rerouted one young boy. In sharing with another, one older man said:

__________

It’s true. I have had some terrible disappointments in my day, but none stands out like the one that came to me as a boy.

And what was that?

That was the night I crawled under a tent to see a circus—and found myself at a revival meeting!

__________

God continually tries to woo us back to him.  Relief may be found in a Bible verse that comes alive to us. It may be a friend directing us back to a godly life. It may come about after agonizing prayers to remove wishes or desires that are not beneficial to our spiritual health. But, no matter how God chooses to get our attention, it is up to us to choose His path.

We need to listen and obey Him. Live in His righteousness. Get on the path he has prepared for us. And if surrendering areas of our lives to His will seems complicated, remember to talk to the Lord about everything. We can ask for His help and protection to rid ourselves of untimely thoughts or actions.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,  and He will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6 NASB95).

A person’s mind plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps (Prov. 16:9).

This is the Life for Me!

After Scuffy’s journey away from his home, he says, “I wish I could find the man with the polka dot tie and little boy.” And soon, the man with the polka-dot tie reached out, picked him up, and brought him safely home. Scuffy learned that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side of the fence.

Scuffy’s path in life allowed him to experience adventures he initially enjoyed but became dangerous. He enjoyed some of life’s simple pleasures, but as he kept traveling along the river, he was jammed with logs and became scared of the river moving faster and faster. Then, the flood waters came until the little tugboat desired the warmth and safety of home.

And just like the man with the polka-dot tie who scooped Scuffy out of the water after his journey away and brought him home, God does the same for us when we choose to live for Him, decide against following unrighteous living, and allow him to reroute us when we stumble or get ahead of His will.

Let us live victoriously in his presence, along the paths He has prepared for us, because “this is the life for us!”

God bless you.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that I can be confident that You have a plan for my life. Thank you that I can trust that You will show me that plan in Your timing and in a way that honors You. Please give me the wisdom to acknowledge and follow Your plan quickly, without hesitation, so You can use me for Your glory before I meet You face-to-face. Why? Because Your way is the only life for me. Amen.

Bible Verses are located within this article.

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Notes:

Bible verses come from the New American Standard Bible 95, The English Standard Version, The New International Version, and The Amplified Bible.

Barry, John D., et al., Faithful Study Bible, Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

Chinemerem, Barabas Iwuala. “How to Stop Navigation Using Google Assistant,  Feb. 3, 2023. https://techqlik.com/how-stop-navigation-using-google-assistant.

Crampton, Gertrude. Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River. New York: A Golden Book, 1946, 1983.

The Speaker’s Desk Book, ed. Lawrence Hembree and the staff of Quote. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1967.

All photos: Canva.com

Edited by E. Johnson

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Do You Fear Death?

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Do You Fear Death? [From Email notifications, click the title for best web viewing]

Why do so many people fear death? If you are one of them, you are not alone. Even the most sincere Bible-believing Christian fears death at some point. We might be fearful about diseases, aging, caretaking concerns, pain, disabilities, our earthly possessions, separation from our loved ones, and more. No matter whom we are, we can are assured of one thing — we will all die. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” Do you fear death?

Last week I visited an upscale retirement community seminar with my mother. As I sat there listening to the presentation, the thought that came to my mind was, “How often do we plan for our retirement and our eldercare years, but give little or no thought to our eternity?” On a material note, our concerns include our IRA’s, our taxes, our stocks, and our possessions. We make wills and wonder how can we pass our money and possessions on to our heirs? If we are financially able, we may decide to live in a senior care community. In planning that stage of aging, we might be concerned if the facility has social activities, housekeeping, meals, pools, beauty shops, clubhouses, medical care, security, or step-up care when we might need nursing or full-time care.

In Japan, there is a new trend where people prepare for their death before it actually occurs. They have their funeral portraits made; they decide on a coffin and are fit for their burial outfit. There is even a funeral business fair called SKUKATSU FESTA to help with the entire process before you die.¹

It is important to make earthly decisions. However, planning for our eternal life is equally important. [Actually, it is 100% MORE important!] When we die, we cannot take our money or possessions with us. Things of the world will give us happiness on earth, but they cannot buy our eternal life. The Bible say, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-22. Our spirits will not die. Ecclesiastes 8:8 says, “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death.”  Our spirits are forever, so we should show an interest in where our spirits will go after we die. We will go either to heaven or to hell. That is a hard concept to understand. It can only be understood in the light of the word of God – The Bible.

How often do we plan for our retirement and our eldercare years, but give little or no thought to our eternity?
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What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

When the fear of the afterlife hits us, let us seize the opportunity to learn what the Bible tells us about death. Jesus wants to help us alleviate those fears. He died on the cross for our sins. We must confess our sins and go to Him in faith. Christ’s answer to the man who came running to him uttering, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” comes in John 6:47 (NKJV) when He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. When we have confessed our sins and trusted Jesus Christ, assurance of an eternal life in heaven is granted. In addition, the best part of heaven will be the presence of the Lord. We will see him face to face and enjoy all the blessings of heaven.

There is a website that helps people prepare for the afterlife. They help people rent or buy a tomb, schedule mummifications, guide people in a purchase of mummy care. People can purchase statuettes and canopic jars (containers for storing vital organs). This organization will allow you to pick out a basket of food and wine to be placed in your tomb for eternity. They will even hire mourners who will weep and cry as your mummy is brought to the tomb.²

Believe me, that is NOT how to prepare for eternity. We will always be distracted from eternity. That is how Satan wants it. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our hearts and minds can be drawn to our Lord and Savior. Moreover, through confession, faith, and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, our eternity can be secure.

Today, why not make a decision regarding your eternal life? In addition, if you have already made that decision to follow Christ, I challenge you to share this post with someone else – maybe a relative, someone who you have been praying for, or just a random post.

One day, my mother and I were driving in South Houston. There were three vehicles in a row. There was a city truck, a car, and then my car — all in a row all and all in the same lane. Within seconds, the middle car crashed into the city truck which stopped abruptly. Hanging on to the back of the truck was a government employee ready to jump off the truck to pick up tree clippings. Unfortunately, when the truck stopped, the middle vehicle kept going. The city employee’s body flew over a lane and his body ended up face down on a hard cement sidewalk. It was an awful site to witness. I wish I had never seen it. He died instantly.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, no matter whom we are, we can are assured of one thing — we will all die. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.”

We never know when our last moment on this earth will be. Decide for Christ now.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1

Bible Verses:

And being made perfect, he [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Hebrews 5:9

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:2

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, with fear and trembling, I come to you. Fearing death is not fun. I admit I am too concerned with things of this world. Grant me the grace to approach eternity knowing that I will meet you in Heaven someday. Give me the courage to accept your free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. I confess my sins and mistakes and I desire you to come to me. Let me hold your hand Jesus as I move forward every day just a little bit closer to you and eternity. Amen.

¹ Moodley, Kiran. Japanese Prepare for the Afterlife by Testing Out Coffins.26 Nov. 2014. Web. 7 July 2016.

² Book Your Afterlife Now. Museum of Science, Boston. Web. 7 July 2016 Eternitytravel.com.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version containing the Old and New Testament. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. [All verses come from the English Standard Bible unless noted otherwise]

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