The first article of the creed of the frontier is to be game.  Good or bad, the last test of a man is the way he takes his medicine.”
              –William MacLeod Raine  (Crooked Trails and Straight)

    “There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them.”    
              –Proverbs 22:5 (HCSB)
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         “Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom; Lead thou me on.
          The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead thou me on.
          Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
          The distant scene–one step enough for me.”
                   –John H. Newman

Have you ever been walking along a path, looking down the trail or maybe along the scenery to the side, and all of a sudden you catch your toe on a rock or root and begin a headlong tumble?  Perhaps you have done something similar at work or at home and put something on your calendar looking forward to it and forgot to do the duties of the day.  I have known teachers who so looked forward to summer vacation that they didn’t fulfill their responsibilities the last month of the school year.  Shame!  Nowadays, most folks are looking down, but not at the trail, but at the phone in their hand.  Do you think your soul could be in the shame situation?  Let’s look at the first part of Psalm 25 (HCSB).

    1 – LORD, I turn my hope to You.
    2 – My God, I trust in You.  Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.
    3 – Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
    4 – Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths.
    5 – Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.
    6 – Remember, LORD, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity.

Right now, if one looks at the media, it would seem that those who mock God and the truth of His Word are sitting there gloating with a sneer on their faces.  The question is!”, if you find yourself in that situation where you enemy seems to be gloating are you looking up to the Lord?  Are you trusting in Him?  
    It is in times like these that we truly need the direction of the Lord.  I really like the way verse 4 is stated, “Make!”  Sometimes in life we must be made to do things.  We need for the Lord to “make His ways known to us.  We want to know the right direction, yet sometimes we refuse to walk there.  It is in the fog or battle that we cannot see the way, the path becomes unclear and we need for the Lord to make us take the next step.  
    One other aspect I see in this verse is that of a trainer.  Sometimes we need to be made to do something and then there are those times that we need to be trained to do it ourselves.  I am personally brought back to basic training.  Train me how to use my weapon, train me how to follow commands, train me how to make use of my equipment, train me how to be alert.  How do we use our weapons?  We are told to put on the armor and hold the sword.  But then what?
    Our responsibility here is to take the next step; to call out to the Lord and put our trust in Him.  Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing–today?  Are you obedient today?  I like what Samuel Amnesley said, “Do what you know to be your present duty, and God will acquaint you with your future duty.”

It was a custom that no man coming into your camp went away hungry, be he friend, stranger, or peaceful enemy.  You could fight after you ate, if that was your mission.”
              –Bobby Cavazos  (The Cowboy From the Wild Horse Desert)

       “But he must be hospitable (loving and a friend to believers, especially to strangers and foreigners); [he must be] a lover of goodness [of good people and good things], sober-minded (sensible, discreet), upright and fair-minded, a devout man and religiously correct, temperate and keeping himself in hand.”
              –Titus 1:8  (AMPC)
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Believe it or not, time got away from the ol’ retired person.  It was a busy day.  That is not to make an excuse, even if you do not accept it, but because of that I’m borrowing from a book that I have used many times.  I purchased the book back in 1972 when I lived in Panama City, Florida.  It is by Lois A. Cheney, GOD IS NO FOOL.

    Before the battle a soldier said, “I am afraid.”  In that battle he performed beyond himself.
    Before a certain, important sermon a minister said, “I am afraid.”  In that sermon he preached far better than he was able.
    Before an overwhelming challenge Moses said, “I am afraid.”  From the challenge came the future of God’s people.

    It’s old-fashioned to have fear.

    We don’t have to fear God any more,
                           –grin and wink–
    The ole guy just rolled over and died.

    We don’t have to fear sin any more,
                           –grin and wink–
    We just label the response and alter the stimulus.

    We don’t have to fear hell any more,
                           –grin and wink–
    It’s just a medieval myth.

    We don’t have to fear anything any more,
                           –grin and wink–
    We can use it, dissolve it, or absorb it.

    Man-giants, it would seem
    Knew when to fear.

    Where,
    Oh where
    Are the Christian giants?
                           –grin and wink–
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Ponder those thoughts and along with them, ponder the two following Scriptures.

    Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”
              –Ecclesiastes 11:13 (NIV)

    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
              –Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)

Hmmm, where are those who “fear the Lord?”  Maybe it would be a good word study–just a thought.

No use to lay there and wish that fire going.  Long ago I learned nothing gets done just by wishing.  You have to do it.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Hanging Woman Creek)

“We are none of us to have the spirit of Cain, who was a son of the devil and murdered his brother. Have you realised his motive? It was just because he realised the goodness of his brother’s life and the rottenness of his own.”
              –1 John 3:12 (Phillips)
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When I taught my senior Bible class one of the units I put in the curriculum was, “Choices.”  From the time we are very small, in those days of developing personality we are constantly bombarded with choices, and that continues until we die.  Many times with the physical/material choice, there is also a choice to be made in attitude.  Many choices involve morality and following God’s Word.
    To not make a choice is in itself making a choice.  One thing for sure, if you don’t make choices, someone else will make the choice for you.  It’s starts in the morning:  get up, hit the snooze, or pull the covers over the head?  From there the day is full of choices, many of them small, while others may have severe consequences.
    I came across an article this week in my reading from a little booklet I own.  It was written by an Air Force chaplain, John R. Ellis, back in the 1960s.

         “‘Let us go up at once, and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it.’ (Numbers 13:30)
         This is an ancient story about a commander who sent out a patrol to gather intelligence data prior to a planned invasion.  The majority of the patrol reported that the land was occupied by giants and that they were as grasshoppers in the sight of the enemy.  But two men were men of faith–Joshua and Caleb.  Caleb urged, ‘Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.’
         This story suggests we have two ways of facing life:  the way of fear and the way of faith.  Life consists of a long series of problems that require decisions–both personal and professional.  We want to know how to handle these problems.
         The majority of us are not interested in pious platitudes or cliches.  We want a philosophy that will win, one that we can live by.
         Each person has within himself the ability to find a satisfactory solution to each problem of life.  Dare we suggest that a former commander of the European Security Region was right when he voiced his philosophy:  ‘There are no problems.  There are only opportunities to excel!’?
         Prayer:  Lord God, help me to accept the problems of life as a challenge.  Temper the challenge with courage, and give me faith to know from whence comes my strength.  Amen.”

    Most of the choices we make do not need courage or an abundance of faith.  However, there are those times in life where we must stand up and be counted.  Times when we make a decision to serve God or cower away to sit in the corner.  Tell me, what were the names of the other ten spies?

Civilization is getting this country plumb ruined.”
              –Eugene Manlove Rhodes  (Bransford of Rainbow Range)

    “Here indeed, in this [present abode, body], we sigh and groan inwardly, because we yearn to be clothed over [we yearn to put on our celestial body like a garment, to be fitted out] with our heavenly dwelling.”
              –2 Corinthians 5:2 (AMPC)
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Just when the world can’t seem to get any more crazier–it does.  If a person would stop, take a moment, and just try to reason some of the things that are happening they would be embarrassed.  But then again, shame has been removed from our thinking.  Maybe it’s my age, maybe it is the things I see going on, but more and more I’m looking forward to the hope of glory.  Kenneth Osbeck calls it “the homing desire for heaven.”

         “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru.
          My treasures are laid up some where beyond the blue;
          The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
          And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
                   –A.H. Howard

I mean, literally, people are stupid.  More than two genders?  Cows causing global warming?  Illegals are legal and law-abiding citizens are second-rate?  I have wondered what it was like for Lot to be sitting in Sodom.  He must have maintained some vestige of righteousness or the Lord would not have sent angels to rescue him.  “Christians are not citizens of earth trying to get to heaven–but citizens of heaven making their way through the world.” (Vance Havner)

         “They’re all expecting me, and that’s one thing I know,
          My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go;
          I know He’ll take me thru tho I am weak and poor
          And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

Pardon!  The record is clean.  Sins were bore by Jesus on the cross–all sin.  The sins of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  That boggles me.  He knows what is going to happen tomorrow; the issues and temptations that may come our way.  He knows what we are going to do and if we succumb, He is there to accept our repentance for the sin was borne at Calvary.  Beyond comprehension!

         “Just up in gloryland we’ll live eternally,
          The saints on ev’ry hand are shouting victory,
          Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from heaven’s shore
          And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

                        O Lord, You know I have no friend like You,
                        If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do;
                        The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
                        And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

Whooeee, do I hear the hinges on those pearly gates groaning as they begin to open?  We shout the victory down here, but when we finally get to Gloryland, well, the shout will cause the earth to tremble for we will know the fullness of our victory.  This world is troublesome, but we have a Friend who walks the way with us.  No matter our turmoil, trouble, toil, and despair He is there beside us leading us onward and upward.
    Come on friend, we can’t just stop here, one more time before going on.

                        “O Lord, You know I have no friend like You,
                         If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do;
                         The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
                         And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”