All your life there will be men who will try to keep you from getting where you’re going, some out of hatred, some out of cussedness or inefficiency.”
–Louis L’Amour (Flint)
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'”
–John 8:12 (NKJV)
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“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid”–often attributed to John Wayne carries a load of truth. Look around you and you see stupidity abound. I saw a kid recently, I call anyone under thirty a kid anymore, push a police officer in a restaurant, mocking him, and was surprised when she was cuffed. Not only is life tough, it has consequences. Folks wander about, not knowing what they are really doing. They succumb easily to the wiles of the devil. We are warned as Christians to beware of his snares, traps, and devices, but those in the world just go along with his evil ways. Very few have said that they are joining up with Satan, but in reality that is what they have done.
You may have noticed that life is no picnic; this is especially true when you find yourself in a wilderness. Picnics, by and large, have found themselves removed from the scene so many may not know the significance of that statement. You may have been walking an easy trail, going along with no particular hardships. Then all of a sudden, a wildfire like those in the Panhandle, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Wham! All of a sudden. Are you ready for it? That’s why when we walk this journey of life we are not to become too complacent.
I have a print from a painting by Fred Deaver titled, “A Heap of Trouble.” It shows an old frontiersman making his way along a wilderness trail. There were steep walls of rock to one side of him and on the other a deep gorge. The trail he was on was narrow and he had to be careful of his footing. Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the curve there is a massive grizzly walking in his direction–yep, a heap of trouble. We are left to speculate what happened to the man. He could not turn around. Was he able to shoot the bear? Did the bear have him for dinner? Did either of them fall off into the gorge? Did the bear change direction? The idea is that we should always be prepared for a heap of trouble. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV) That someone might be you. Earlier in this epistle Peter tells us to “prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled…” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV) In your wilderness watch your footing, but also keep your eyes peeled for what may be coming around the next bend.
Then there are those trails that grow dim or have several other paths branching off from it. The voices call out, “Take this one!”, “No, take this one!” If darkness is coming, it may be prudent to stop for the night and wait for the morning’s light. It is vital that you recognize the right trail. This is done through the knowledge of the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (119:105, NIV) Don’t listen to all the voices. Listen to the quiet leading of the Spirit. You will find quickly enough that the Lord wants us to enjoy life, but only those things that are moral and uplifting. The great Methodist preacher of the last century, William E. Sangter said, “Enjoy it [life] while you can. Seize every scrap of legitimate happiness, but remember…life is not a picnic There are tears in things.” But take heart oh traveler, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV)
Settle down, don’t panic. This is the time to draw upon your resources. Recall those passages that are deep in your heart and mind. Follow that heavenly Guide–the Holy Spirit and don’t question His leadership. Your prayer at a time like this may be similar to George Matheson’s: “When I stand below the stars without Thee I say with Jacob, ‘How dreadful is this place!’ Take away the dread, my Father! Light this solemn world with Thy smile! Dispel with Thy voice the solitude I feel! Guide me amid the things I know not, the things that know not me! It is not death I am afraid of; it is life–life without Thee.”
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'”
–John 8:12 (NKJV)
——————————
“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid”–often attributed to John Wayne carries a load of truth. Look around you and you see stupidity abound. I saw a kid recently, I call anyone under thirty a kid anymore, push a police officer in a restaurant, mocking him, and was surprised when she was cuffed. Not only is life tough, it has consequences. Folks wander about, not knowing what they are really doing. They succumb easily to the wiles of the devil. We are warned as Christians to beware of his snares, traps, and devices, but those in the world just go along with his evil ways. Very few have said that they are joining up with Satan, but in reality that is what they have done.
You may have noticed that life is no picnic; this is especially true when you find yourself in a wilderness. Picnics, by and large, have found themselves removed from the scene so many may not know the significance of that statement. You may have been walking an easy trail, going along with no particular hardships. Then all of a sudden, a wildfire like those in the Panhandle, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Wham! All of a sudden. Are you ready for it? That’s why when we walk this journey of life we are not to become too complacent.
I have a print from a painting by Fred Deaver titled, “A Heap of Trouble.” It shows an old frontiersman making his way along a wilderness trail. There were steep walls of rock to one side of him and on the other a deep gorge. The trail he was on was narrow and he had to be careful of his footing. Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the curve there is a massive grizzly walking in his direction–yep, a heap of trouble. We are left to speculate what happened to the man. He could not turn around. Was he able to shoot the bear? Did the bear have him for dinner? Did either of them fall off into the gorge? Did the bear change direction? The idea is that we should always be prepared for a heap of trouble. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV) That someone might be you. Earlier in this epistle Peter tells us to “prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled…” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV) In your wilderness watch your footing, but also keep your eyes peeled for what may be coming around the next bend.
Then there are those trails that grow dim or have several other paths branching off from it. The voices call out, “Take this one!”, “No, take this one!” If darkness is coming, it may be prudent to stop for the night and wait for the morning’s light. It is vital that you recognize the right trail. This is done through the knowledge of the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (119:105, NIV) Don’t listen to all the voices. Listen to the quiet leading of the Spirit. You will find quickly enough that the Lord wants us to enjoy life, but only those things that are moral and uplifting. The great Methodist preacher of the last century, William E. Sangter said, “Enjoy it [life] while you can. Seize every scrap of legitimate happiness, but remember…life is not a picnic There are tears in things.” But take heart oh traveler, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV)
Settle down, don’t panic. This is the time to draw upon your resources. Recall those passages that are deep in your heart and mind. Follow that heavenly Guide–the Holy Spirit and don’t question His leadership. Your prayer at a time like this may be similar to George Matheson’s: “When I stand below the stars without Thee I say with Jacob, ‘How dreadful is this place!’ Take away the dread, my Father! Light this solemn world with Thy smile! Dispel with Thy voice the solitude I feel! Guide me amid the things I know not, the things that know not me! It is not death I am afraid of; it is life–life without Thee.”