By Joe Widick
In a recent article that I read, I discovered something that I need to be involved with. I really don’t want to do it, but I realize that it is something I should do. The article told of a shopping mall in Coventry, England where researchers posted colorful signs along the steps of the staircase that simply said; “Taking the stairs protects your heart.” This study lasted for a period of six weeks. During this study it was noted that the number of people who voluntarily chose to walk up the steps instead of riding the more convenient adjacent escalator more than doubled. The researchers reported that every step counts and that long-term behavior will change only if the signs are seen and adhered to regularly. It is interesting to note that the colorful signs that were posted did not say that doing this once will change your hearts condition. Neither did the sign say take three steps at a time to get the best result. It was one step at a time.
When one begins to look through the Bible they see that there are many signs that are given that urge each of us to obey Him and follow Him wholeheartedly. Go back in your mind to a familiar story of the children of Israel entering the Promised Land. Remember the words that the Lord said to them; “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil…Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:15 & 19-20).
Was this command good for one day? Did this all of a sudden change the way the Israelites would serve God? Was the promise land handed over to them in one day? So often we hope our lives will change through a giant leap of faith, some profound decision, or maybe in a significant act of service. That probably will not be the situation. My heart will not grow healthier because I choose for one day to take the steps. In reality, the only way we change is one step at a time, remembering that each and every step is going to count. They may not be a giant step, but each step does count. One individual stated that One small step of obedience is a giant step to blessing. Today, let’s heed the signs and take a step of heartfelt obedience toward the Lord. I would guess that, that in turn would make the Lord smile.
Prayer Thought: Help me not to grow weary on my journey of life, remembering that each step forward is a positive matter.
By Joe Widick
This past Saturday Elaine and I spent most of the day looking at bedding plants for a variety of raised beds that she wants built. It was a rainy dreary day, not your typical day to be out looking for plants. The upside to this was all the plants were in huge greenhouses. Right now, the plants are really small; with the promise however of growing large and filling up the planters. This time of the year we always have hope that my thumb will finally turn green and we will have some beautiful plants. Think for a moment of going to bed one night and getting up the next morning to see your beautiful plants greet the beginning of a new day. You expect the sun to be shining brilliantly and for them to be drawing the needed strength from the sun. But on this particular morning, the sun does not rise. Think of the coldness, the unending darkness, in inescapable fingers of death that would gradually move across the earth. Plants would no longer grow, they would just wither away. The beautiful flowers would wilt. Eventually the magnificent trees would die, and all of life would perish for a lack of sunlight.
Do you ever wake up in the morning and praise God simply because the sun has risen? It’s warm, life-giving light floods the earth. The “death” of a sunset each day is followed by the “resurrection” of a sunrise the next day—and our hope is renewed. Life is good, filled with opportunity. Every morning the rays of the sun remind us that the long night of sin and darkness will give way to eternal day in heaven. What a beautiful thought to treasure each and every day.
Even more sure than the rising of the morning sun is the certainty of our resurrection Jesus Christ. You remember the scene just as I do. It was a dark night of death that fell upon our savior. His lifeless body was laid in a borrowed tomb and all the hopes and dreams of mankind seemed to disappear. But he arose! And in His resurrection is the promise of our own resurrection to life, life eternal. Remember the words of the apostle Paul when he declared; “Even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:22).
Getting ready for spring is always a joyous time around our home. We look forward to all of Gods creation coming back to life. I need to ask myself, am I getting ready for a much more important resurrection, the time that Christ will come to claim His own.
Prayer Thought: Be with out men as they work in Honduras. May they accomplish all they need to accomplish.
By Joe Widick
I like you come in contact with a lot of people during the course of a week. Some are sick and in the hospital, others are struggling because of finances, decisions that their children are making, elderly parents, loss of retirement. We may be getting tired of looking at list like this, because they remind us of the challenges that we face. Have you ever heard (I know you have), someone say, “My life is hard!” How do you respond to a statement like that? May I suggest a simple and to the point answer? “Of course it is.” That seems about as satisfying an answer as I can come up with. One writer put it this way; “The world is painful in any case; but it is quite unbearable if anybody gives us the idea we are meant to like it.”
It seems that the path by which God takes us often seems to lead away from what you and I perceive as for our good. That in turn can cause us to believe we’ve missed a turn and or taken the wrong road. Why is that so? I believe it is so because most of us have been taught to believe that if we’re on the right track God’s goodness will always translate into a life that is free of trouble. Is that really the case? Is that the way our God works?
Reality is it is a pipe dream far removed from the biblical perspective. Think for a moment about where God’s love leads us. If we are honest with ourselves, it will lead us down roads where all earthly comforts fail us. Remember the words of the apostle Paul to the Philippians; “To you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”( Philippians 1:29). When you and I come to the end of all our dark valleys, we’ll understand that every circumstance has been allowed for our ultimate good. That seems like a pretty bold statement to make! Do you and I trust the Lord? Do we believe his Holy word? Do these words sound familiar to you? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Ask yourself honestly, how do you feel about that verse? It has been stated that no other route would have been as safe and as certain as the one by which we came. If only we could see the path as God has always seen it, we could have selected it as well. No trial would cause us to despair if we knew God’s reason for allowing it. With that in mind how bumpy is life’s road for you? Knowing and trusting what you know, are the bumps a little easier to take?
Prayer Thought: Help each of us as we continue our journey of life. May we always remember You are in control.
By Joe Widick
Could you imagine the headline in the sports page that read: “Jockey Beats Horse over Finish Line.” I am not a horse racing fan, but I did find this headline interesting enough to read the rest of the story. The story went something like this: The jockey and horse were ahead of the pack by 20 lengths when all of a sudden the horse tripped. When the horse tripped, the surprised jockey was catapulted out of the saddle and over the finish line. His horse that had tripped recovered and followed soon after. Winners! No! The winner was the second horse and jockey who crossed the finish line. Would you believe the name of the second horse to cross the finish line was Slip Up? As the race was being called, the announcer said that the jockey was so far in front that only a freak accident would stop him from winning the race. Guess what, it did.
Have you ever been going along in life all was well and right with your world when suddenly the unexpected happened. The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, took note of this when he said, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). What Solomon was reflecting on is the fact that man is not the master of his destiny, as he so often thinks he is. The truth be known, life is filled with many unpredictable experiences and events. When they appear, they seem like stones dropped into the gears of human ingenuity. A strong healthy man drops dead. A rising young athlete contracts a crippling disease. A person who is financially secure suddenly loses everything in a bad deal.
What is it that you and I can learn from this? One of the first things that jumps out to me is that I need not trust in my own strength or my own wisdom or even my own skill. I need to depend on the Lord who alone knows the end from the beginning. God’s perspective of life is always much more complete than the perspective that I have. One individual accurately described life this way: “Living without faith in God is like driving in the fog.” King David penned these words in Psalm 63, showing a need in his life and truth be know, a need in our life. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” As you and I continue to seek God, we will find that the unexpected happening of life are not near as hard to deal with had we not been seeking God.
Prayer Thought: Thank you Lord for being a God that holds the future in your hand. You are in control.
By Danielle Gray
We will be accepting all unwanted, gently used items for the community giveaway starting Wednesday, March 24 thru Friday, March 26. The giveaway will be open to the public on Saturday, March 27 from 8am to 5pm. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin for volunteers. See Heather Vanatta at 406-4176 with any questions.
