All the snakes in the West don’t crawl around in the brush.  Lots of them wear fancy suits and talk real pretty.  And they’re as deadly as an eight-foot rattler.”
              –Paul Bagdon (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

    “Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? No! You plot injustice in your hearts.  You spread violence throughout the land. These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen.”
              –Psalm 58:1-4 (NLT)
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Ain’t that the truth!  At least one normally hears the sound of the rattler, but those in their fancy duds, and some even wear dresses, that try to destroy or alter truth are dangerous to the soul.  Hmmm, ask Judge Kavanaugh about snakes in skirts.  We are warned to beware of those that can harm not only the body, but also the soul.
    They use their fancy words.  They twist truth and sometimes invent truth with their lies.  Remember, always remember who their father is.  The devil–he is the father of lies.
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God is transcendent; we know that.  Therefore as Christians, when we walk through this life we must keep that in mind as well as other transcendent thinking.  This may be called purpose or mission for one’s life.  Whatever it is, it must always be higher than yourself.  Here are some things to consider:

              –Do you live for yourself?  (Not good.  Too small.)
              –Do you live for your business, career or making money?  (Doesn’t qualify.  Money is no transcendent cause.)
              –Do you live for your wife and family?  (That’s bigger.  And somewhat better.)
              –Do you live for your nation?  Or, more vaguely, “humanity”?  (That’s transcendent.  But it still falls short of ultimate transcendence.)
              –Do you live for a principle, such as “freedom”?  (That’s good.  But just what does it mean?  Is it just temporal freedom? Political freedom?  Freedom from foreign oppression?  Individual freedom?)
                     –Jerry Boykin and Stu Weber

In other words, principles, values, eternity are things that should make us move and guide our conduct.  Jesus Christ is then the ultimate transcendent cause.
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Ponder this:  “Ostriches are not flying birds.  Chickens fly short distances with much effort.  Eagles, doves, and swallows fly high and far.  Sinners are like the ostrich and are earthbound.  Good people who have not quite reached devotion are like the chicken.  They fly in God’s direction, but inefficiently and awkwardly.  The devout regularly soar to God.  Devotion, then, is a natural nimbleness of spirit.”
                     –Francis de Sales

Think of devotion as “worship.”  For true devotion is actually a very real form of worship.

You can’t escape the past.  It’s part of who you are, but it does you no good to dwell on it, or in it for that matter.”
              –L.C. Matthews (The Promise)

    “‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,’ he prayed. ‘Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.'”
              –Genesis 24:12 (NLT)
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“Let’s tip-toe through the tulips” of life.  I don’t think so.  If that happens to a person they must be living a life in denial or shut up in their special room with their blankie in hand.  “The wounds of life force dependence upon God.” (George O. Wood)  
    I have found that situations, circumstances, battles, and the like will either make a person better or bitter.  They will use the situation that they face and blame God if it is bad, or they will grow and draw closer to the Lord.  Let’s continue to look at Psalm 5.

               But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your faithful love; I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You. (7)
               LORD, lead me in Your righteousness, because of my adversaries; make Your way straight before me. (8)

Because of God’s unfailing love David would worship at the Temple.  Hmmm, since we are now the “temple” do we worship with awe?  It is only because of His unfailing love that we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.
   Straight and narrow is the path we are to walk.  When we begin to look around we might see others enjoying the lures of the world.  They might be cavorting and reveling in pleasure that the world offers to them, not realizing that those things will take them to destruction.  We must not look to the right or the left but keep our gaze in front of us on the pathway that leads to the heavenly city.

               For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues. (9)
               Punish them, God; let them fail by their own schemes.  Drive them out because of their many crimes, for they rebel against You. (10)

My, my this sure does sound like today’s politicians and the media.  Fake news, nothing reliable.  People, especially those mentioned have only their own agenda in front of them and do not care for the things of God.  They seek only their own aggrandizement.
    David understands that his enemies cannot speak the truth; that they are of their father, the devil.  David will continue to worship despite his enemies, despite his reverses for he knows that God will provide a way.

               But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever.  May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You. (11)
               For You, LORD, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield. (12)

No matter what evil comes your way, the Lord is there to guide, to protect, and to give comfort.  Rest in the security of the Lord and continue to worship and rejoice.

               “Under his wings, O what precious enjoyment!
                There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er.
                Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me; Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.”
                          –William O. Cushing

But we can’t live without getting our shoes in the mud.  Only–mud doesn’t scar.  I can be washed away.”
              –Ernest Haycox (Free Grass)

    “The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong.”
              –Ezekiel 3:14 (NLT)
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Life can be troublesome, to say the least.  Just ask those folk along the Carolina coast.  They might have more than their share of trouble right now.  
    But the storms come to all in one form or another.  Some of them weigh us down and we wonder how we are going to make it through it.  We struggle to lift our feet just doing the daily routines of life.  Then, the storm passes and there is a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit of our lives and we notice that all the mud has been washed away.
    Then there are those storms, those battles, that underneath the mud and grim, there are wounds.  Wounds deep enough to leave a scar.  Scars come from those things that deeply affect us.  Things that hopefully we learn from and become better in our daily walk.  However, with some, those scars will make a person bitter.  They will complain the rest of the life, singing, “woe is me…”.
    I recall the words of Henry V (Shakespeare) when he was ready to face the French forces at Agincourt.  This one day, royals and commoners will have a bond.  This battle will produce scars and in the future when we remember this holiday (St. Crispian) all of us will look at our scars and remember the valiant fight and brotherhood that war brings.  Scars were a sign of unity, of family that went beyond status.
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    Often we look at the death of Jesus as a great tragedy, but in reality it wasn’t.  Because of the cross, and what it accomplished, and then the resurrection the Lord went back to the Father and is in the process of preparing a place for us. The question should be asked: Do we believe in the great goal that is confronting us of getting to the Father and getting to heaven?
    There are tragedies in life to be sure; the Bible does not tell us that will will not face troubles in this life nor be immune to situations not to our liking.  However, it does tell us that we are but passing through this world of time.  Jesus has already saved us, now we get through this life the best we can with Him as our guide.  It is not a tip-toe-through-the-tulips walk.  It is more like a walk through the thorn bushes and brambles of life.  In the midst of these problems think of the words of the Lord that he gave to John:

         “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…  God Himself shall be with them…  God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things are passed away.”
                   –Revelation 21:2-4

In all of our trials and troubles remember that the Lord has already gone before.  All enemies that stand against us this side of heaven have been met and defeated.  The door of heaven is open to us.  It is imperative then, that we continue to walk toward that heavenly city, come what may.

         “And may the music of Thy name,
          Refresh my soul in death.”
                   –John Newton

An’ all choices have results…  Sometimes those results ain’t good.”
              –C. Wayne Winkle  (Frank Bannon–The Fixer)

    “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”
              –1 Chronicles 21:10 (NLT)
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Sometimes I sit, look around, pull on my mustache and stroke down my chin.  I ponder, many times, since September 11, seventeen years ago.  We are definitely a different nation.  I wonder if this country will ever be “E Pluribus Unum”.  The differences seem to be widening, caused much in part by the influence of the media and the left-wing agenda.  There can be differences without hatred, but it seems that hatred is part of the agenda today.
    Nevertheless, that day will not go unremembered in my memory.  The enemy, global terrorism sponsored by militant Muslims, are still a threat.  On our shore and in other nations throughout the world.  Be vigilant, my friends, not only of jihadists, but of other threats, such as criminal immigrants.
    Remember Congress standing on the steps of the capitol singing “God Bless America.”  How much they have forgotten, and many of them have surely forgotten God.  
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    I have heard often, perhaps too many times, that God will grant your dream.  He will give you the desires of your hearts.  Hmmmm, only partly true, as first we must delight in Him.  “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”  (Psalm 37:4 (NASB)
    Seldom, at least in this current culture, that we hear preached or even mentioned that God may ask someone to give up and abandon their personal dreams.  My that would be a shocker coming from a pulpit.  Self-sacrifice.  I think of the department store owner, Wanamaker, who desired to be a missionary and God said “No.”  Can you imagine, God saying “no” to someone who desired to be a missionary?  God said that He has set him apart to be a businessman.  By the end of his life Wanamaker was supporting ninety missionaries full-time.
    Or think of this man of long ago.  We know him as Abraham and he was told by God that a great nation would be his heritage.  Isaac was born, Abraham rejoiced.  Then came the day when the Lord was going to take Abraham’s dream away.  It didn’t seem to bother Abraham.

              “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your descendants shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”
                         –Hebrews 11:17-19(NASB)

There may be that time when God wants you to abandon what you desire.  In my life, there were a couple of situations, and I’ll mention one.  I was stationed at the USAF Academy and optioned to reenlist.  We had discussed it and we fully intended to make a career of the military.  I enjoyed the life.  Vietnam was coming to an end, and I was asked if I wanted to get out.  I really didn’t want to, but my career field was closing to military personnel and would be civilian.  After almost six years of duty, I took an early out, and became unemployed.  My life surely had changed along with that of my family.
    The word “tested” or in some versions “tried” means an “intense examination that is done to prove the fitness of an object.”  It is the testing that will reveal true quality of an object or a character.  It is important that we go through tests correctly.
    So, my question in closing is, has God asked you to give up something to follow Him more closely, perhaps a career, or occupation?  Maybe it is the location in which you live.  Leave Ur and head for a land that He will show you.  Maybe you will have to give up your dream in sacrifice to aid your children and family.  Are you willing to let the Lord “try” you?