Monthly Archives: January 2020

Recently I was talking with a young man who was a little under the influence. Let’s just say he had more than a passing acquaintance with marijuana and was flying pretty high! One of the side effects of his condition was a tendency to talk very quietly, almost in a whisper. Even with my hearing aids in I could barely hear him. It was very frustrating!

Later, while talking with some friends, I noticed their voices were somewhat muffled also, which seemed strange. That’s when I realized my hearing aid batteries were dead, leaving me even more deaf than I usually am! It hadn’t been the kid’s fault I couldn’t hear him. Without any power my hearing aids were worthless.

Sometimes I get frustrated trying to hear God’s “still small voice” when I read His Word. This Book, which is supposed to be “a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105), becomes just another ancient text, with no real meaning for my everyday life. Desperately I search it’s pages, but, no matter how hard I try, I can’t hear God speak. It’s very frustrating!

The problem is I’ve failed to connect to the Power. John 14:26 says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things….” Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance my Bible is of no more use to me then my hearing aids with dead batteries. It is only through the Holy Spirit’s power I am able to hear God speak to me through His Word.

God promises in Luke 11:13 to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. This morning, before you open His Word, make sure to connect to the Power. Ask God for the Spirit’s guidance, then prepare to be amazed! Suddenly Scripture will come alive and God will “tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). No longer will you be deaf to God’s message in its pages. Instead, as you read, you “…will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:21).

This Sabbath remember – Stay Connected to the Power.

I’ve often wondered why Autumn is called Fall. With all the slipping and sliding going on I think Fall would be a better description of Winter.

In the Walk-in Clinic where I work, we can always tell when it’s icy outside, because we get inundated by people who have slipped and fallen on their backside. This last week was that kind of week. I lost track of how many people I saw with one injury or another from slipping on the ice.

I’ve done enough falling myself to know how easy it is to think you’re doing just fine, only to have your feet shoot right out from under you. I’m not just talking about in winter weather either. I mean in life in general.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) warns, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” So often I think I’m doing just fine in my Christian walk, only to have some little annoyance or the simplest temptation trip me up and send me sprawling.

I think this was what Paul Simon was talking about in the song, “Slip Slidin’ Away.” He sang, “We work our jobs, collect our pay, believe we’re gliding down the highway, when in fact we’re slip slidin’ away.” Everything can seem to be going right when suddenly we find ourselves “slip slidin’ away”, flat on our backs, knocked down by our sin once more.

When we keep “slip slidin’ away” it can get discouraging, but remember, we have a God who understands our weakness. He has walked this slippery path before us. He was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). He promises if we will just cling to Jesus He will “keep [us] from falling, and…present [us] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy…” (Jude 1:24 KJV)

It doesn’t matter how often we’ve fallen or how bad our sin, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). The important thing is we realize our weakness and cling every moment to God’s matchless strength. It is only by holding onto Him we can ever stop our endless “slip slidin’ away.”

This morning, as you walk this slippery path called Life, don’t be discouraged if you slip and fall from time-to-time. Instead, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10). Then hold on to Him for dear life and never let go!

With Jesus walking by your side there’ll be no more “slip slidin’ away”, because He “is able to keep you from falling.” Put your trust in Him, hold tight to His hand, and He will lead you safely through this storm and someday bring you safely Home.

God bless and have a happy (and safe) Sabbath!

I was feeling pretty lousy yesterday at work. Headache, coughing, sneezing, achy…you get the picture. Usually I wear a mask in the rooms to protect myself from the patient’s germs. Yesterday I had to wear one to protect the patients from me!

It’s pretty hard to take care of people for 12 hours when you feel worse than they do. Finally I gave up and asked my supervisor to see if anyone would be willing to come take over for me. Eventually she was able to find someone and I was so grateful when Scott walked in and took my place. I owe him big time!

Yesterday Scott took my place at work so I could go home and get better. A couple thousand years ago God’s only Son came to take our place, to give His life that we might live. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ellen White, in the book Desire of Age, said, “Christ was treated as we deserve that we may be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘By His stripes we are healed.’”

I am so grateful to Scott for taking my place yesterday, so I could rest. I am even more grateful to Jesus for taking my place so long ago, so I can live forever. His was a gift I could never earn, but one I gladly accept with all my heart.

How about you? Are you going to keep struggling to be good enough, slowly dying in your sin, or will you let the only One who is good enough take over, so can be healed and someday go Home? I don’t know about you, but that seems like an easy choice to me.

Jesus, take over!! I want to go Home!

This morning you woke
to a shiny New Year.
The old one is gone.
A new one is here.

All your mistakes
are in the past.
A new year has come,
a new start at last.

As you make plans
for the coming days,
trust in the Lord
and follow His ways.

Remember wisdom is better
than shiny gold.
The things of this world
quickly grow old.

So follow the Lord
with all your heart.
Stick to His path.
From it don’t depart.

Commit to the Lord
whatever you do
and He will make
all your plans come true.

The Lord will work all things
out to their proper end.
On this promise
you can depend.

My prayer for you
in this New Year
is you’ll find joy
and have nothing to fear.

May God be pleased
with all of your ways
and guide all your steps,
through all of your days.

(By Richard Edison. Inspired by Proverbs 16)