Walk With Your Eyes Closed

Well here we are... the last day of 2008. I find myself looking back on this past year in amazement, wondering where time went and how I made it through this year with my sanity. For me, the past year has been quite a rough ride, but thanks and praises be to God I made it through.

We all find ourselves here at the beginning of a new year... resolutions are made, goals set, and minds are made up. A new year is like a new beginning, a clean slate... you haven't messed up or made a mistake in 2009. It's a new start!

Personally, I'm determined to be closer to God and dedicate myself daily to prayer and fasting like never before. One big step for me, maybe for others out there too, is to walk by faith.

As humans, we're all guilty of judging situations and circumstances by what we see with our natural eyes. Things don't really go our way, don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, can't figure out how certain situations will end... that's the time we normally panic. We can only see what's happening around us and therefore, we respond to those circumstances with nothing in mind except what we are seeing.

One question has been on my mind for quite some time about this... why not just walk with your eyes closed??? It might sound strange, but I think it will work.

Instead of trusting our human eyes, why not trust in the supernatural power of God Almighty? Don't put your trust in what you can see with your naturl eyes. I believe if we allowed ourselves to be led by God and totally depend on Him, our lives would be in a lot better shape.

Walking by faith can be rough sometimes to our natural instincts... we can't see how things are going to pan out so we try to take control of the situation. That's not what faith is... we have to totally depend and trust God. Faith is believing when you can't see and trusting that God will work it out for you.

Jesus said that He would never leave us, nor forsake us... so even though we may not be able to see how our problems will be solved, how the bills are gonna get paid, or what path our lives are headed down, we can all just shut our eyes and walk by faith. Even if we can't see, we don't have the answers... we should just get our minds off everything around us, close our eyes and walk. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding... Put your life in the hands of Jesus. Close your eyes, reach out and take the hand of the only one who will NEVER lead you wrong!

J.H.

A Heart of Gold

As we approach another christmas, I can't help but notice all that comes with this holiday... lights, decor, fund raisers for charities, etc. It's a time where most people put aside differences and pursue peace and love just a little more than usual. This is a great time of year.

So what do we do the rest of the year??? I'm sure we'd all love to take the christmas spirit everyday into next year, right? But of course like years past, we all remember christmas, but fail to take the spirit with us. I'm sure we all want to have that special kind of christmas cheer throughout the year, but we let things get in the way and we soon forget how great it feels in this season.

I'm positive that we all want peace, love, and happines... but our intentions will not get it done. There are those people who have a good heart, but do not let it show. We as common people want to be a good person... go to church, do the right thing, etc. but a lot of times what's on the inside doesn't come out of us.

The Bible says, 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak' We should all take a closer look at ourselves and see exactly what our outward appearance looks like. People say that it's what's on the inside that matters... so no matter what you say, do, or how you act, you're still a good person because you have a good heart??? WRONG! I go back to the Word... 'out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks'

What's on the inside will come out. If you have things in your heart, it will show on the outside. People think that they can put on facades, but the inward man will show.

As a christian, I try as much as possible to be a witness to all those around me. But if my inward man is corrupt, what kind of witness will I be? People can't see inside my heart... all they see is what's on the outside. So if my heart is pure, my appearance will show it. People see me, but if I have the right attitude and spirit, they will actually be seeing what's inside me.

The Bible says, 'as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.' So how do we get a good heart? It's simple really... pray every single day. If you talk to God, He will talk back to you. Pray for help, read His Word for direction, live the life He wants you to live. Surrender your will to His, and you will have a heart of gold.

J.H.

Everything

Life comes at you fast... sometimes too fast. There's so much that can happen in our lives. One moment can change the rest of your life. Tragedy can strike at any time. Things can and do happen to all of us. But what do you do when the storms of your life rage? Where do you run and who or what do you turn to?

Some turn to drugs... trying to get to that 'high' place where they're above all their troubles and problems. But the simple law of gravity defies the assumption that drugs can take care of your problems... what goes up, must come down.

Others turn to alcohol... feeling that buzz and on the way to being completely out of control, people think drinking can somehow solve the troubles of their lives... trying to escape from life itself, some slip into the numbness from intoxication.

And who could forget the infamous dollar sign!?!?! People love money so much and turn to it to fix their problems. The Bible says 'the love of money is the root of all evil'. How could the root of evil possibly fix anything in your life? Trust isn't in God anymore, instead there are those who trust in the almighty dollar!

There's so much more that people do and rely on when troubles come their way. Here's my question to all of you out there... WHAT ABOUT GOD!?!?!?!?

Where is He in your troubled life? Jesus can fix it... whatever the problem, whatever the situation, God can take care of it. His Word says to cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you! Instead of turning to drugs, sex, money, love, alcohol, etc. why not trust God and let Him take your burdens and do what only He can do?

If we would all just realize that God really does want to help us and can mend our broken hearts and troubled lives, I highly doubt that we would turn to anything else for help. He is waiting with outstretched arms... How can we stand still and not be moved by that? God's arms are wide open... We should run into His arms and let Him take care of all the hurt, pain, and troubles of our lives. Think about it... a God that wants to take care of us and protect us from all the enemy has up his sleeve. A God that has open arms for us to run into and be safe. He will calm your storm and give you rest, hold you in His hands and will not let you fall. How could it be better than that?!?!

Drugs, money, and all the things of this world will not do anything to help you. Jesus can give you strength to keep walking, hope to trust in, light to lead you, a purpose and a reason to live! Make Him all you want, all you need... make Jesus your everything!

J.H.