May God Bless Us

The Road Ahead

Rapid City, South Dakota

As we journey through life, we may feel confident the road ahead seems straight and reasonably easy to travel, as in the photo above. We have a good idea where we're headed and have plans for getting there. But even the best-made plans can and often do go awry, don't they? One moment all is well. In the next, we're dealing with an unexpected "upset" that has left us shocked and shaken and unsure of what to do next.

Sometimes we have a warning, as in the photo below, that there will be hard-to-handle twists and turns on the road ahead. We brace ourselves; we travel more thoughtfully and slowly on the road of life, paying close attention not only to ourselves but also to fellow travelers on life's journey. We try to avoid "colliding" with them or making any errors in judgment that will end in sorrow and/or suffering.

Whether our path seems straight or full of twists and turns, may we agree with David who said, in essence, "No matter where the road of life takes me, I will not fear because You, My God, are with me. Even if my journey takes me through a deep, dark valley or if I have to travel roads that make me feel scared and uncertain, You are always with me, always guiding me, always providing everything I need to make it through life." (See Psalm 23, below.)

South Dakota

The LORD is my shepherd;

   I have everything I need. 

He lets me rest in green meadows;

   he leads me beside peaceful streams.

   He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

   bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

   through the dark valley of death,

I will not be afraid,

   for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

   protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

   in the presence of my enemies.

You welcome me as a guest,

   anointing my head with oil. 

   My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

   all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

   forever.

~David, Psalm 23:16, New Living Translation

The Gift of "Daily Bread"

Elisabeth Elliot begins her book,  God’s Guidance: A Slow and Certain Light, with a phrase-by-phrase discussion of the words included in what is called The Lord’s Prayer or The Model Prayer, which is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

In the section dealing with Give us this day our daily bread, Elisabeth points out that God not only created us to need what He gives, but He also wants us to recognize our need for His provisions by asking for them.  She says “bread” includes not only food to sustain our bodies but also, in a broader sense, all the things we need Him to supply, guidance being one of them.

Throughout the chapter dealing with the Lord’s Prayer, which He gave to His disciples as a model for them (and us!) to use, Elisabeth uses word pictures to clarify the principles in the prayer and help us to remember them. For example, in the Give us this day our daily bread section, she says she likes to picture, at the beginning of each new day,  the Lord presenting her with a platter containing all the things He knows is best for her for that day.

Since He always answers our  prayer for “daily bread,” we should gladly and gratefully receive whatever He provides. (See p. 25.) 

Which Way?

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 

"I am the LORD your God, 

who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”

Isaiah 48:17, ESV

Since I have a difficult time making decisions, even simple ones, I notice (and photograph!) directional signs that offer a variety of destinations, such as this one I discovered on Sanibel Island, Florida in 2009.

Rarely, for me, are decisions as simple as A or B? 1 or 2? Left or right? 

Instead, I see a myriad of possibilities, as on the sign, and I try to evaluate each one. If I take this route, thus and so might happen. If I choose this, then the result will be….

Because of my angst with decision making, I love Bible verses that assure me God will guide me down the paths He thinks best for me. A particularly favorite passage is Isaiah 30:20-21, ESV, “…but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

That’s exactly the kind of clear direction I need! Do you need that clarity, too, Dear Reader? If so, let’s learn to listen carefully. He is with us. He is speaking!

The Tender Voice

One afternoon when two-year-old Peyton was almost asleep in my arms, the phone rang. When I answered it, Peyton could also hear her mother’s voice. Peyton sat up immediately and reached for the phone. She and Jennifer talked for a minute before Jennifer said, “Go to sleep. Mama will be there when you wake up."

Knowing Jennifer needed to go, I said, “Peyton, give the phone to Nana, please.”

She obeyed, though I sensed she wanted to keep talking. She lay in my arms and listened to me assure her mom that all was well.

As soon as I told Jennifer good-bye and started to put the cordless phone on the sofa cushion beside me, Peyton began to whimper and to reach for the phone.

“Mama’s at school,” I explained. “She had to say bye-bye.”

Peyton’s eyes filled with tears.

“Do you want to hold the phone?”

She nodded.

She drifted off to sleep, holding the phone close to her ear, hoping (expecting?) to hear her mother’s voice once again. Although I knew Peyton was very happy staying with me everyday while her mother taught school, I also understood that there was no voice as sweet or as dear to her as her mother’s. And that’s as it should be! I want her mother to hold first place in her heart.

That experience reminded me of a truth expressed by Henry and Richard Blackaby in their book, When God Speaks. It struck me the moment I read it. It still re-plays often in my mind, for it’s such wonderful advice for those of us who are seeking to hear the voice of the Lord and to obey Him. If there is no clear instruction, Blackaby says, wait until God does speak again.
Just keep doing whatever He told you last. (And don’t feel compelled to always be doing something.) But when God does speak, then do everything He tells you to do. (See p. 72.)

Like Peyton, we can rest peacefully, fully assured that soon we will hear the tender voice of the One who loves us even more than we love Him.

(c) 2011 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill