It might not be fair to try to shield him from peril.  A man must run his own risks in life.”
              –William MacLeod Raine  (Six-Gun Feud)

    “Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of evildoers, who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows.”
              –Psalm 64:2-3 (HCSB)
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There is such a thing as over-protection and over-indulgence.  I used to say that the hardest job in life is to be a teenager’s parent.  You have to know when to aid when they take a fall; sometimes you have to let them take a fall.  The main thing is that when you do let them fall, you are there to help them back up.  If you never let them fall, then when they get to college and fall, who is there to pick them up?  
    The times are desperate so do not be deluded.  With postmodernism on the rise there is more and more risk of delusion.  In fact, they delight in chaos, confusion, and deconstruction.  Hmmm, who is the author of confusion?  Our youth today are finding themselves in a quandary.  When times get tough they don’t know what to do or where to turn.  When things don’t go their way they are quick to blame others or simply have a meltdown.
    However, as believers, even in the midst of hard, tough times we have a Savior.  We have a heavenly Father to whom we can turn.  He may not provide a miracle, or perhaps, the miracle is that He walks with us through the situation.

              “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!'”
                        –Galatians 4:6 (HCSB)

    There are several things we can gather from this verse.  First, we have a heavenly Father.  We are to know Him as our Father.  He is, in reality, more real than anything we see.  See, the Christian starts with the ultimate and eternal and then they work back to the present.  God is in charge, now look at the situation.  How is He working?  How is He working in you?  Lloyd-Jones stated, “Those who have not prepared for the ultimate before they face the present are living in a fool’s paradise.”  Jesus Christ must be central.  If He isn’t, the person is living a delusion.
    There was a teaching, not long ago, saying that this verse meant “Daddy, Daddy.”  Not so.  I heard that several times so I had to do some studying into it.  Certainly “Abba” is an endearing word, such as “daddy.”  There are times when we can rest in His arms, when He is certainly our “daddy.”  It is like a kid asking for the keys to the car, and while his “dad” throws him the keys, he gives him a twenty dollar bill as well and says to have fun.  Sometime during the night, he doesn’t see the stop sign, and runs into another car.  He is in a situation where he must call home.  Now he must face his “father.”  
    Even when facing the “Father” we should have no fear.  He is a loving Father.  At times He may have to chastize and discipline, but He always does it with love.  There are those times when He allows us to walk through the issues of life and He doesn’t catch us, but rest assured He is always there to pick you up.

It was] a place I could have stayed forever.  How many times I have found such campsites!  Place so beautiful it gave a man the wistfuls to see or to think back on.  So many times we said, ‘We’ve got to come back some time!’ an’ knowin’ all the while we never would.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Lonely on the Mountain)

    “But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
              –Hebrews 11:16 (NLT)
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I have always liked to travel this land of ours.  No matter where you go there is something to be said about the type of land, whether it is the dry, crusty, rock-strewn deserts with their own peculiar type of beauty, or the grand peaks of the Rockies.  It may be the rolling hills or the open plains with the wind blowing across the grass or acres of wheat.
    Often I have thought of what it would be like to travel some of the old trails.  It would be grand to travel either on horseback or by shanks mare the trail of Lewis and Clark, or up the Natchez Trail, or along the Oregon Trail.  It would be impossible today thanks to modern technology and the encroachment of man.  Fences, roads, rivers, and other obstacles stand in the way.  But, that doesn’t mean in my travels I haven’t thought of doing it.
    There are many places in our travels that we have stopped to gaze on the wondrous beauty of God’s great cathedral.  Annie and I have often remarked that we must come to this place again, and yet, there are still some places in this great country that I still want to see.  I want to see the waves crash along the coast of Maine.  I want to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi.  I want to see the Columbia as it courses toward the sea.  Oh, I could go on and on.
    In my old age, I may not have much money, but I have memories.  I can clearly see Kimberly underneath a table playing in the dirt at Lake San Cristobal.  I can remember Shauna, as we walked through Yellowstone saying that it was “stinky water.”  It is etched of the fishing trip at Brainard Lake where I couldn’t even get a line in the water as the kids were catching fish so fast.  Ahhh, memories, they are precious.
    We have those spiritual memories as well in our journey toward the “Promised Land.”  Have you ever noticed that people, when they go to the altar (if they still have them in their church) tend to go to the same place and do the same “ritual.”  That’s because God blessed them on one occasion and they have to get just in the same position so He can bless them again.  The thing is, He has something else for them.  They just don’t want to accept that He might bless them in a different way.
    Enjoy the campsites of your life, whether they be physical or spiritual.  However, never lose site of the fact that there is a city and a home prepared for those who follow the Lord.  Don’t stray from that journey.

When you jump to conclusions, make sure you don’t land in a manure pile.”
              –Rod Collins  (Bitter’s Run)

    “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”
              –Psalm 15:1,3 (NLT)
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Back from a wonderful time at my daughter’s house and relaxing trip.  On Monday I have been looking at the Psalms and we should be at Psalm 7.  Remember, the Psalms are very good for inspiration, and for helping a person learn and begin to praise.  However, they also show the reality of life and doctrine.

    “Often gigantic problems are created by seemingly small causes.  Sometimes it is precisely because the causes go unnoticed that the problems become so huge.” (William J. Peterson)  Maybe you have been there?  Things seem to go wrong and you begin to question what happened.  What did I do that was wrong?  Why is this happening to me?  Truth be known, there are those out there who would like nothing better than to see a Christian fail.  They want to see that because that person is a Christian, but also because they want to see how strong their testimony is.
    Psalm 7 is written for the believer who has been falsely accused.  As you ponder this Psalm you can sense the hurt of the individual.  Look at the news, especially the comedians, the cartoonists, and the late-night personnel.  See their mockery.  Before the Nazis began their program of extermination they started with scorn and mockery.  They caricatured and dehumanized their targets through ridicule and false accusation. Today, in America, those who are committed to biblical standards of morality are commonly typed as intolerant, hateful, or even dangerous. (George O. Wood)

          1 Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me
          2 or they will tear me like a lion, ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.
          3 Yahweh my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands,
          4 if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause,
          5 may an enemy pursue and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust.   Selah

“Selah” is my way of thinking — “Ponder This.”

    God, who judges the nations, also is concerned about each believer.  He will eventually judge those who slander His children, especially if it is unjust.  As you read this next section, look hard at verse 9.  Remember, this is a prayer of David.
    Do not neglect to take care of small problems.  Do it while they are still small; do not let them grow into big ones.  There is no issue insignificant to the Lord if it concerns you.  “Pain is hard enough to bear when you are mostly or partly responsible; it becomes a heavy cross when you are not at all to blame.” (Wood)

          6 Rise up, Lord, in Your anger; lift Yourself up against the fury of my adversaries; awake for me; You have ordained a judgment.
          7 Let the assembly of peoples gather around You; take Your seat on high over it.
          8 The Lord judges the peoples; vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity.
          9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous.  The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God.

                 “He is a Judge who is fair;
                  He is a Shield that is sure.
                  His mighty power is everywhere,
                  And His Word will e’er endure.”
                       –Old Scottish Psalter

When times seem tough.  When it seems you are losing the battle; that everything is going against you, turn to Psalm 7.  God will see you through to victory.  Keep trusting Him.