Monthly Archives: October 2024

Every morning, when I return from my walk, our two cats meet me at the door, asking to be fed. They follow me down the hall, curling around my legs and generally getting in the way, all the time yowling about how hungry they are. And every morning, without fail, I feed them. It doesn’t matter how good they’ve been, whether they’ve been climbing on the furniture or have left hair on the floor, I still feed them, because they are mine and, for some bizarre reason, I love them.

Like the cats, every morning I come to my Heavenly Father, asking to be fed the Bread of Life. I open His Word, expecting to be fed, and every morning, without fail, He fills me up. It doesn’t matter what I’ve done the day before or how good (or bad) I’ve been, He still feeds me, because I am His and, in spite of all I’ve done, He still loves me with an everlasting love.

The Bible promises that “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NLT).

No matter what you’ve done you can still come to the Father. Come just as you are today and ask Him to feed you from His Word. Just as my cats trust me to feed them each day, you can trust the Father to take care of you. He will never fail you.

Come to the Father today. You can trust Him. He will always give you what you need. Why? Because you are His and He loves you too.

In five days something is going to happen which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time – my Mom is coming to visit! I haven’t seen her in over a year and that’s way too long. I’m looking forward to catching up all the family news, watching her interact with her great grandkids, and just spending time together.

As much as I’m looking forward to the day Mom steps off that plane, there is another day I’m looking forward to even more. On that day “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NIV).

What a day that will be, the culmination of all our hopes, and the beginning of a new life that will never end. Loved ones, long separated by death, will be reunited. All our aches and pains, worries and cares, will disappear in a moment. Best of all we will see Jesus! With a glad shout we will declare, ““Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9).

However, unlike with my Mom’s visit, where I know exactly what day and time she will arrive, we “do not know on what day [our] Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42). Therefore, we must each day “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when [we] do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40).

This week I will be putting the final touches on Mom’s room, preparing for her arrival. In the same way, as you look forward to Christ’s return, “Don’t let that day catch you unaware.” (Luke 21:24 NLT). Instead, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:13, 14). Through daily Bible study and prayer, prepare your heart and mind, so that when He appears you can welcome like I plan to welcome Mom – with a shout of joy!

The route I take on my morning walks isn’t always as smooth as I would like it. The pavement has cracks and crevices, which could (and sometimes do) trip me up. The sidewalks dip down and then up as they pass driveways. Some areas are uneven or broken. If I don’t watch my step it would be easy to fall.

However, one thing I know about the route I walk is, in spite of its imperfections, if I stay on the path, putting one foot in front of the other, it will eventually lead me home. The path may not always be smooth, but it always leads me where I really want to go.

Jesus told His disciples, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV). He also warned, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The path God is leading you down may have its ups and downs, its narrow spots where you can’t see around the bend, but God is guiding your steps. So don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. The road you’re on may be narrow and rough, but it is the only road which leads where you really want to go – to Life!