No one really knows the intents of the heart, the core thing(s) that motivate us to do and to be like we are... many times, we don't even understand them ourselves. Too often, we go through the motions. In many ways 'powering through' some crisis or event for the sake of impressions, or your commitment to a task, or even just out of fear, guilt, or lack of strength to challenge what you've become. Our devotional today reminds us that a guilt driven life can certainly lead to more calamity than that which has driven you to this 'false worthiness' itself. Now, let me first remind you of the passage in Romans 8:1-2 , which admonishes; " There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. " Take a moment (more is better, actually) to consider your own intents, your own motivations, and your own reasoning for the things you do... determine if you are being 'pure' in your actions (not doing things out of guilt or social pressure). As it is noted in Isaiah 61:10 ; " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. ", which indicates that His covering on our lives is adequate... we do not need yo 'do' something, aside from receive His gift of grace, His extended hand of mercy, His only begotten son, Jesus. That alone has 'set us free', and even the bible states, 'he that the Son has set free, is free indeed'. Freedom does NOT include guilt, shame, or any additional 'work effort' burdens to be worthy of this free gift. The calamity in our lives is not proof that you are guilty of something... go back and remind yourself how there is 'therefore now NO condemnation...', but forgiveness, restoration, and His pure freedom!

Overwhelmed, is not a pleasant feeling/experience. Inability has a demoralizing impact on our lives. Even just our deteriorating bodies can wear on our spirits, our hearts, our very lives. Sure, it is a fact we are getting older, it is a fact we have inadequacies, it is a fact we encounter 'bigger than us' moments in our lives. Our devotional today helps put perspective on all this because even Psalms 42:5 , reads; " Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. " Our 'limits' actually help remind us that though we started out in that fateful garden attempting to 'be like God', the one key thing we do not share with Him is divinity. We are flawed, we are less than perfect, we are fallible, we are just simply weak (hence, the disobedience in the garden). Our close fellowship with God gives us hope for restoration, a plan for stability, but even better, His strength and power... see, 2 Corinthians 13:4 states; "F or though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. ", which is to say that as we rely on Him, trust in Him, we'll be like Him! Seems cheesy, maybe... but this is His way of giving eternal life, eternal hope, even a deeper 'God-Like' life... not from disobediently eating some fruit... trying to logically be like Him, but submissively being like Him. Jeremiah even taught us in 31:25 ; " For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. " Now, that alone is assurance that the Lord yearns to nurture you, to draw you close, to balance the chaos and confusion of your day... turn it into a deep and satisfying blessing for your life in Him... getting His strength from your weakness.

Walking or traveling along a straight line or path is the shortest and most efficient means to travel from Point A to Point B. That's all well and good as long as you are not inside a house or building (trying to get from the kitchen to the bathroom, say), or not in Manhattan (trying to get uptown from the Statue of Liberty). Buildings and objects, natural obstacles, and simple old detours can often make your 'straight and efficient' trip quite a bit longer, quite a bit more frustrating, and offers so many other distractions... it can even seem/feel like you are wandering... sometimes aimlessly. Our devotional today reminds us to aim to stay on His path, follow His leading, remain in His fellowship. But, we encounter obstacles, we get distracted, and probably worse... we misunderstand His leading and/or weren't listening with our hearts, with our souls, with our unfiltered ears (had expectations or preconceptions). The good news is, He is ready and willing to assist us, once we call on Him. Genesis 28:15 , states; " And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. " Just remember that 'Straight is the way, and narrow is the path that leads to life everlasting'. Sure, we can be defiant to His leading, we can even be blatantly rejecting of Him. But, His calling for you, His promise for you is to never give up, though you have. Isaiah 54:10 reads; " For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. " So, there is certainly hope. But again, today's devotional is a reminder that there are many 'paths' to the Lord, many directions from which we can approach Him (we are scattered throughout), but there IS only one gate! He will never leave us, nor forsake us, as it states in Matthew 28:20 ; " Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. " Don't wander you, don't waver you, don't wait you... look to the Lord in heaven for your specific direction, your 'from right where you are' instructions as to how to get back to His path, His leading for you.

What? Bearings as in Ball Bearings? No, those are rarely worn, if ever. But Bearings as in 'directions', or 'route', even a 'destination point'... those bearings. Now, wearing them may seem odd, but you know me... I'm aiming to show you not only why, but how. Today's devotional is actually close to the Wandering You one in-that the focus is regarding how the Lord promised to be close to us, to lead us, and especially give us His peace, love and grace... He never falters. Isaiah 26:4 declares; " Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength ", which demonstrates He can go the distance with you. Now, these 'bearings' (your path with Him) is not just for anyone... sure, it is your path, but others can follow and trust Him, too. Psalms 9:10 makes it poignant, with; " And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. " So, there is only two criteria there; know His name, and putting your trust in Him... making Him intimate in your life... a close and constant companion... almost like something you'd wear (put on), and might even 'feel naked without it', like you might with a necklace, a ring or bracelet, maybe even your phone or day-planner... Something you 'always' have close to you, within reach... ready to access, touch, see, or simply feel. Next though, we need to refer to these 'bearings' of our life, to check with the Lord regularly (daily prayer, whispering His name, pausing to ask Him, etc). In fact, Psalms 25:4-5 clarifies this with; " Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. (5) Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. " How? Trust! Not understanding, not a formula, not even a contract... but as you make those daily prayers, whisper His name for guidance, for insight, for peace... trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 reinforces this, as it states; " Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. " So there it is a second time; trust and do try understanding first. Trust is faith. When you're wearing your bearing, you are trusting His leading. The bearing guides you to the destination... wear the bearing to remain on His path for you, not straying, correcting your course as needed.

Yea... sounds kind of dumb to 'wait' for happiness, peace, serenity, even just simple 'ole " sadlessness ", but too often that is actually what we are doing; looking for a happier time; anticipating the weekend, a vacation, or even just a night-out; looking forward to retirement, or just the calming Holiday Season. But, our Father has given us direct access to His peace, His fulfilling joy, and His endless peace... and in that, we are actually directed to 'rejoice', to proclaim victory over a current 'crappy' situation, to exude His presence in our lives. Philippians 4:4 tells us that we are to; " Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. " That actually sounds like an order, huh! But, consider your most recent 'tough' predicament... while in the very middle of it, you could SCREAM about the torture, the unfair dream of it all, and even the waiting you are doing... Anguishing... for Him, our Lord, to intervene. But, that passage tells us to 'rejoice in the Lord alway '... RIGHT in the middle of despair, for He has already concurred evil... Let's not wait 'for better times' to rejoice, let's rejoice and make THESE the better times! We already have Him in our lives; already have salvation and peace; already know the outcome of this world... this 'predicament' you are (maybe were) in is all of a sudden minuscule, a blip on the timeline if the Lord... in fact, the Psalmist noted in 102:27 ; " But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. " Not that you have plenty of time to 'get' happy, to 'get' over it, to 'get' your woes resolved and a better day will come. Instead, you actually have plenty of time to 'be' happy, to 'be' over it (not under it), and certainly plenty of time to 'be' in those better days.

Not sure about you, but sometimes I find it hard to start something or commit to something when I think/feel there are too many steps, unsettled details, or even if it's just 'too complicated' or confusing. Over the course of my life though, I have been learning to break-it-down into smaller, manageable pieces... keeping their own stresses and uncertainties separated. Our devotional today encourages us to approach our faith and our time with the Lord the same way. See, more times than not we opt NOT to commit to the Lord because we fear 'the big picture' of it all, or feel inadequate at this moment in time. Remember, that John 14:27 states; " Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. " Again though, too often we think that applies to ALL the pieces of our lives (work, home, hobbies, character traits), but if we take the Quiet Trusting Baby Steps approach, we can get the Lord involved in smaller pieces of our lives... therein, we learn to trust Him 'over time', instead of one "Hail Mary" all-or-nothing experience. No, 'salvation' and your commitment to Him is all-in, but these growth experiences can be done as you are ready to grow closer and deeper with Him. Now, the caution here is similar to what is taught in Isaiah 30:15 , which declares; " For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. " - notice the '...and ye would not' part, because He does want us to quietly trust Him , but it is our choice. Why? Yea, I know... why grow deeper, why be vulnerable, why even bother, we already have salvation? Essentially, we need to arm, or prepare ourselves and make ourselves ready for the spiritual encounters. 2 Corinthians 10:4 reminds us; " For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ." So, as you take those quiet trusting baby steps, those strongholds will be loosed... one at a time!

No, we should not plan to thwart God, we should not set out to undermine His will, His leading, even His calling (on you, or others). Sure, He is The Almighty God, The Everlasting, The King of kings, so who would even try to thwart Him? It'd be an exercise in futility, surely. But, we don't set out to thwart God... it's just what we seem to do. Our devotional today really centers around 'judging', as is admonished in Matthew 7:1 , which states; " Judge not, that ye be not judged. " Now, typically we dive into the 'do not criticize others' use for this scripture, but if we look at it from God's deeper perspective, we can certainly apply this directive to the many incidents in our lives when we 'get ahead' of God, or 'cut to the chase' as we try making sense (understanding) of the incidents' purpose, His intent for our lives, and even just a 'reason' why we may be experiencing turmoil. See... too often, we approach our faith-walk like a chess game, or strategic-planning process... instead of simply taking His leading, His calling, His gentle guidance by faith, trust, and hope. In these moments of anguish, we anticipate 'where He is headed' with things, or we can even look around us and see that 'others are not experiencing such turmoil', or 'others are blessed more', or even just 'others are getting away with sin'... and it's debilitating, it's demoralizing, it's especially deflating, and feels wrong that God would seem to show preference, to be so inconsistent. Remember Romans 9:20-21 , says; " Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ", which is to say He IS God, and He alone determines your outcome... when we 'get ahead' of God and are not as quick to follow His leading, we 'are' thwarting His plan for our lives. Sure, not intentionally (hopefully), but that is our sin-nature and it still has too much control in our lives. Hope is not lost in God though, because He IS bigger than that, He IS able to overcome our sin-nature, He IS ready to work into you as you learn to surrender (as we discussed in Quiet Trusting Baby Steps ). Over time, He will demonstrate to those around you that He is the Almighty Lord. 1 Timothy 6:15 , reminds us; " Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. " He will show it, so don't Thwart God!

We don't set out to lose our souls, in fact we are born with our being in a 'lost' state, or 'lost' realm... a disconnect, if you will. Proof is, we work, toil, and 'build memories' trying so hard to 'fund ourselves, justify our presence on this planet, and worse, bring meaning/understanding to the purpose of life... inadvertently trying to fill that ' God Shaped Hole ', as Plumb has voiced. One of the more prominent passages for this is Mark 8:36 , which states; " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ", which clearly reminds us to 'save our soul' OVER obtaining things; intangible over tangible; things of heaven over things of earth. How? Easy... well, not really... tough actually, for 'man', but the very Blood of Jesus paid the toughest price for us to enjoy that soul saving grace. As the song above noted, only God can fill that void... we can patch it over... we can obscure it... we can even ignore it, for a time! But, once you surrender to His calling and willingly follow His leading, '...all these things shall be granted unto you'. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 , confirms; " Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. ", which is to say that His glory will fill that void, His Spirit will fill that God Shaped Hole, and your priorities will be all in place... and the 'gain the whole world' part will come as His blessing to you, but according to His will. It will NOT seem natural to follow Him, those odd paths He wants to lead you on may not make sense, and that's exactly where your love for Him is demonstrated by your trust IN Him! His is a transforming experience. When you lose yourself, you gain Him... He gives it all right back to you, but blessed with His presence, guidance, and love... the Gain of Loss!

I dislike being the recipient of shoddy work, or buying a tool or a product for the second time because the first one failed, or even worse... having to rely on someone whose work-ethic is questionable. But, just how do we get motivated to try harder, or do better, or 'go the extra mile' for a job that just doesn't motivate, appreciate, and certainly does not reciprocate? Easy... change your 'who you are doing it for' focus. See, Colossians 3:23-24 tells us; " And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. ", which is not a request, a suggestion, nor even a preference from the Lord. Notice though, that this is not an empty or purposeless directive... rather, we "shall receive the reward of the inheritance" (a forthcoming gift). To me though, the secondary benefit is a deeper character, a richer quality of life, and stronger work-ethic. Then too, we are also setting a very glorious example for those coming after us, and for those who have not heard/heeded Jesus calling on their lives, and even a witness for those who may never ever follow the Lord. Think on this; Jesus Himself reminds us that all aspects of our lives should be devoted to God... to pleasing Him... to glorifying Him (not trying to get your own accolades). In John 8:29 , Jesus states; " And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. " Sure, in life these days, it is quite tough to be giving thought to 'would this make Jesus pleased, or disappointed?' But try doing it a few times through your day (lane changing on the freeway, cleaning up after yourself, even just folding laundry at home)... then, when those 'few times a day' events become second nature, add one/two more times a day... over time, most of your day is filled with being keen for those 'divine opportunities', those times When Good Enough, Ain't.

Yeah, closing your eyes seems like the last thing you'd do to see, but we must always remember that we '...look through a glass darkly, but then face to face', as the passage reminds us. People who could see but became blind, have reported how keen their remaining senses became. No, closing your eyes will not help you 'see' the future, or around corners, or interpret dreams... nothing mystic, at all. This is actually a spiritual reference encouraging me and you to be less distracted by this tangible world, by the hype of commercials, propaganda, and media 'pull'... the overall buzz and panic of the world. The Lord reminds us over and again to seek Him, to watch for His leading, to look for His moving in our lives. Psalms 27:8 declares; " When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. " We can't tangibly see His face, but just Close Your Eyes, You'll See. It is so hard to do with the pull and tug and many times 'yank' this world has on our lives; mortgage, career, health, security, etc., but Romans 8:6 reminds us; " For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. " Close Your Eyes, You'll See. It is not easy, at first... like becoming newly blind, you may bump into things; crack your toes, jamb your fingers (reaching out to feel your way), but trust in our Lord will establish your faith-walk; Close Your Eyes, You'll See. People who 'became blind' have a sense and memory of what they are now missing. They can no longer 'open their eyes' to go back to normal, or that familiar and comfortable way they'd known all along. Spiritually, we must retain our strength and discipline to walk by faith, not by sight... to love the Lord, not the things of this world. In fact, 1 John 2:15 admonishes us that we "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Close Your Eyes, You'll See!

How I view things is quite different than most people. Not at all because I am special, mostly because I am taller than most people. I can see over cubical walls without getting on my tip-toes; I can change ceiling lights without a ladder; I can even sit in the back of an auditorium and still over most of the audience. My perspective, my vantage point, the world I experience is subjective. It is unfair to be critical of anyone who needs/uses a ladder to change a ceiling lightbulb... spiritually, we do that, though. How things 'appear to me' spiritually is not an absolute. You've heard the phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure", or even, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"... these help describe just how subjective our perspective is, actually. To one being, a wall can be an obstacle that requires a ladder or ramp to allow passage. To another being, it is just a street-curb, so they step over it. The reality is, it IS a curb... hard to overcome for some, just a simple step for others. With Jesus; faith, trust, the hope of salvation and the whole eternal life 'curb' is tough for some to get past... insurmountable... in many ways, a blockade. Now, Proverbs 20:24 states; " Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? ", which is to say that I really do need His perspective, His point of view, His divine guidance to ensure I see beyond the impossible, beyond the tangibly practical, beyond my subjective perspective. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 reminds us; " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. ", and we have hope for a clear picture on our faith-walk as we wait on His leading, on His 'still small voice', and on His divine perspective.

In my life, I have been referred to as ' having the patience of Job ', but there was a younger-years time in my life when I wanted ' now ' things to occur. The whole waiting proposition was rarely considered. As our instant gratification society continues it's technological trend, this makes it harder and harder to Wait For It... Waiting on/for His leading is so very tough to do, and discipline plays a key role in your success, your ability, and certainly your growth in the Lord. There's a passage in 1 Kings 19:12 that helps convey the discipline it takes to wait. Too often, we want to anticipate the next step, our next response, and this passage talks about a sequence the Lord typically uses in our lives, by saying; " And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. " Now, that 'still small voice' may seem odd and out of context for an 'everlasting God', or King of Kings, or even just a The Almighty God (like He should be loud and boisterous)... but the 'still' and 'small voice' are reminders for us to hold ON in the midst of turmoil, in the midst of apparent destruction, and in the very midst of probable uncertainty. For, the forth-coming calm will bring his 'still, and small voice'. This means that He intends to make a noise 'bigger than heaven' in our lives, but... wait for it... because He wants us to listen for His 'still, small voice' and learn to remain calm and hopeful in the very midst of trials, woes, and utter chaos & storms. One key way/time we can do this is in the very early hours of your day, the beginning of your toils. Psalms 5:3 tells us; " My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. " Admonition to actually acknowledged the storm and chaos in your life, but... wait for it...