“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

I have read this verse, literally countless times. It has always been incredibly important to me but perhaps, never any more important than it is to me today. You see, for many years, I really hung on the truth of this verse that prayer changes things. I watched it work over and over again. I saw loved ones healed. I watched financial miracles just appear. I even witnessed problems dissolving right before my eyes without any real understanding of what had happened or how it happened, only the realization that the burden that weighed so heavy on my mind and heart was gone.

 I have even spent much time and thought looking at this verse and backing up a few words. From that perspective, I could connect in my heart, this phrase, “and pray…, that ye may be healed” resulted in an incredible increase of my faith as I began to pray for healing, physical healing, spiritual healing, financial healing, emotional healing, you name it, just praying that God would heal whatever needed healed and whomever needed the healing. In all my years, I never saw this fail. Oh yes, I saw results that were not exactly what I had, in my finite mind, requested. But, I never saw a single prayer of mine go unanswered. Sometimes He said yes, healing just as I asked, other times He said, “No, Kim, not your way but Mine.” It was those times my faith was tested. It was also during those times that my faith was significantly increased as I watched the ultimate in healing and my loved ones called home, to His home. Regardless of His answer, one thing has always remained true:  His answer was, is and always will be the right answer. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28).

 But with time comes maturity and today, I can look at the entire verse and see the amazing truth He reveals in each and every word as He carefully strings together His recipe for prayer. The beginning of the verse shows me what it takes for me to enter into His throne room prepared for my visit with Him. It shows me that my relationship with Him results in a responsibility to others. Remember He said, “Come, follow me,” and we all know His love and care for us has never ceased and knows no limits. “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17). Following Him places a special call upon our lives. Our relationship with Christ makes us love others and care for them in a way that would be absolutely impossible without Him. Christ in our life gives us a certain responsibility in our life for others. But, that relationship with our fellow man begins by humbling ourselves before them and truthfully admitting our shortcomings. We aren’t to do this out of a desire to be a martyr. We aren’t to do this for recognition or for any means of manipulation. We are to confess our faults in order to acknowledge that we are on an equal ground with them. We have “all sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). We are, according to James 5:16, to “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” Prayer isn’t just about who we are praying about; it is also about us, maybe even more than it is about whom we are praying. We are changed when we pray. You cannot enter into a meeting with the Holy of Holies and leave the same. We are cleansed when we pray and ask God to forgive us. This heals us from the effects and the sting of sin as only His forgiveness can do. The result of confessing our faults one to another is that we are polished and the light of our witness is made brighter. Yes, prayer changes things and prayer changes me.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about something that is at the core of every Christian’s life – salvation.  It always seems to amaze me when I think of how simple the act of salvation is.  God is so merciful and wonderful in that He saves us the instant we invite Him into our hearts.  No questions asked – you’re saved from that moment on.  He accepts us when we truly want and ask for Him in our hearts.  Isn’t God absolutely great?  He truly is amazing, and we are in no way, shape or form worthy of His love and mercy.

 Often I listen to people testify, saying that before they were saved, they saw salvation as this complicated, impossible feat that they just couldn’t figure out the combination to.  They couldn’t seem to find the key to open the lock only because they over-complicated the whole concept.  They never dreamed it was as easy as it turned out to be.  The truth is, becoming saved is a simple act.  You have to acknowledge your sins.  You have to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  You have to confess your sins to God and ask Him into your heart.  Once that is done, you are saved and you have the opportunity from that moment on to have the God of the Universe as your very best friend.

It is a personal decision you have to make on your own.  You cannot save anyone else and no other person can save you.  Think about it as if you would any other personal relationship.  I can’t have a conversation with someone and then later say that you were the one who had that conversation.  It is as personal as any relationship you have.

Being saved is a simple step – it might not be easy to admit that we’re not perfect, so it may be difficult in that regard.  However, the simplicity of salvation is unmatched.  Delve into Romans to learn all about the simplicity of salvation!  Here are just a few verses on the topic:

Romans 3:23— “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8—“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9-10—“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

 John 3:7—“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Romans 10:13—“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 Proverbs 18:24b – “there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

These days, access to so many people, places, and things is limited.  Due to safety, space, finances, and even education, there are things that many of us just can’t get near. We many try our hardest, but if we don’t have the access pass, we will not be getting in the door. It’s not like this with the Lord. Access to the Lord God Almighty comes free with a simple trusting faith in who He is. With a confession of faith, we gain an all-access pass to the Lord God Almighty.

John 10:9 tells us, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture”.  That confession of faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to salvation, and the freedom of life in Christ. What does John 10:9 tell us? The verse tells us that Christ is the door and once that door is opened, we have full access, full freedom (going in and out) and complete rest (pasture) in the God of the Universe.

What does it mean to have access to the Lord? Well, think for a minute about your favorite movie star or singer – the one you will probably never meet. If you could meet them, what would you say? What would you want to tell them? I met one of my favorites a few years back. I was a little bit tongue tied, but what I wanted to tell him was just how much I loved his music, how I had tried for years to see him, and how thankful I was that he had performed a concert in our area. I basically wanted to praise him.

Translate that to God. Access basically means that you can tell Him all that you want all the time. But it gets better. Access also means that He will hear your prayers, listen to the things you say, notice the faith that it takes you to make those prayers, and then answer them in His perfect will. How amazing!  Access to the Lord is not like access to a Hollywood star, where we may have a few minutes to sing their praises. Access to the Lord, is access to the One who knows you inside and out, has all the time in the Universe for you, and earnestly desires to demonstrate His love for you each and every day.

Our access to the Lord comes with a certain boldness available only to the child of God. “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him” (Ephesians 3:12). Because of our faith in Christ, we can come to the Lord in boldness – believing that He hears and answers! Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.

Is there ever a time we can lose that all access pass? Never. Sometimes, though, it may feel like we have. We may feel that we’ve lost access when we’ve really stepped away from the Lord. He may feel distant, but it is really us that moved. James 4:8 tells us, “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded”. If we draw near to God, He is right there drawing Himself to us. This verse also shows us an important truth, the reason we feel far from God is a result of our sin. Perhaps our sin is ignoring the alarm waking us up for morning devotions, or perhaps it is skipping morning prayer in lieu of a phone call to a friend. Whatever the sin, the easiest way back to close fellowship with the Lord is confession.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). When we confess our sins and step near to God, the access door swings wide!

Children of God, you have an all-access pass to the Creator of the Universe! Don’t let it sit in your pocket - pull it out and use it. The Father is waiting to talk to you, to listen to your thoughts and prayers, and to answer them. Show Him your faith and spend some time with Him. You’ll never be sorry.

The Bible is so rich in every word that is penned in it.  Every time I open it, I learn something new about how great God is that really strengthens my personal walk with Him.  Truly each person or story that is mentioned is in there for our benefit.  From Noah to Ruth to Luke and Paul, I can gain insight by studying each of these people and the struggles that each one lived through that ultimately made them stronger individuals with a solid witness for Jesus Christ.

The thing is, we can’t learn and grow in God by osmosis with the Holy Bible.  We can’t just touch the Bible and suddenly be knowledgeable in every parable, story and character in it.  We have to put forth an earnest effort in studying God’s Word to enhance our relationship with Him.  The Bible truly is more compelling than any novel you will ever read.  It’s more entertaining than any movie you will ever see.  Most importantly, it’s truer and more real than any story Hollywood could ever create.

Because the Bible is all of these truths and more, we as Christians need to make studying the Bible and continually talking with God the utmost priority.  II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  So many times, we forget to pray over our meals or tell God we’ll talk to him after we get this and that done, and it all falls by the wayside.  Coincidentally our relationship with God falls by the wayside too – and we only have ourselves to blame.  God is always right there beside of us but we let so many things get in between us that we can’t even feel Him around.  But He is always there.

Today, start bringing God back into every aspect of your life.  Talk to Him – He wants to be your best friend, so just let Him.  You couldn’t ask for a better friend than Him!  Remember Proverbs 18:24:  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:15-18 KJV)

 Reading in James this weekend, the above verses struck my heart. Wisdom is something so rare these days. We strive for knowledge, for education, for prestige and power, but we don’t have the wisdom to apply the knowledge to our lives. Choices are made based on our wants and desires, but not on what is truly right. As I read these verses and then studied further on wisdom, I began to pray that the Lord would give me wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom when he asked, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart” (I Kings 3:9). We all could benefit from a prayer such as his.

Father, I pray that you would give me an understanding heart. Job 28:28 tells me, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” I pray that you would hold me close to your heart and keep me far from evil in this world. Please help me to fear you with a Godly fear, as you are my Father, my King, my Creator, and my Saviour. 

Father, more than anything else, I pray that I would be able to make wise decisions as I serve You and care for those You have placed in my life. Your Word tells me, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom is fearing You and knowing You, Lord. Help me to know you better through Your Word and prayer, that I may have the only true wisdom. Teach me Your ways, that I might walk in them. “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein” (Hosea 14:9).  Father, help me to be ever more Your servant, coming to you with a servant’s heart, ready to follow You and Your ways and serve as You would have me to serve. 

Father, I pray that You would make me like the man who built his house on the strong rock. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). Help me to place every decision in Your hands and to base every decision upon You and Your Word. I know that this is the only way for those decisions to last.

Father, Your Word holds the key to wisdom. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15).  And the key to true wisdom is a relationship with You. Father, I pray that You would strengthen me that I might ever hold tightly to you. Keep me under the shadow of your wings (Psalms 91:1) and keep my eyes focused on You.

Father, help me to apply the knowledge you have given me wisely. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).  I pray that You would help all that I do to be done in purity and holiness. As I serve You and follow You, help me to bring peace into all situations. Lord, make me gentle and easily approachable. As You have shown me mercy, Lord make me merciful. Father, may all that I do produce fruit in Your name. Father, as you show no respect of persons (Acts 10:34), help me to ever be impartial. And lastly, Father, I pray that You would help me and teach me to always live a life that is without hypocrisy and true to all that I believe. Guide me in Your truth and direct my paths. Amen.

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.  Nehemiah 4:14

        The book of Nehemiah is one of my favorites because it deals with the Israelites re-building the walls of Jerusalem after returning home from captivity. The idea of building and re-building is important to me. When the Lord has us to build for Him, whether it be a ministry, a family, a church, or a marriage, we are in a special time, a time that needs to be protected and preserved.
        When we are building anything for the Lord, the devil will do anything to stop construction, to throw a snag into the plans. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).  When we are building, we need to work with our eyes open, vigilantly watching for any way the devil may sneak in.
        Nehemiah began building the wall in the midst of scorn and laughter. “Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:17-20).  When Nehemiah began to build in obedience to the Lord, outsiders laughed and scorned him, but he told them that they had no place in the re-building, just like the devil has no place in the things the Lord is building in your life. When the devil laughs or throws in discouragement, resist the temptation to be discouraged. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
        The devil may flee for a while, but we can be assured that when we are doing something good for the Lord, he will be back. Let’s jump ahead to chapter 4 of Nehemiah.  “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews” (Nehemiah 4:1). Nehemiah is seeing success and the walls are being re-built, but those that mocked him, are very upset. What is Nehemiah’s response? He prays and he keeps working. “Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee: for they have provoked Thee to anger before the builders. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:4-6). The Lord strengthens the people and keeps them working.
        Unfortunately, Nehemiah’s opposers are going to try again. “And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease” (Nehemiah 4:11). This time the plan is more sneaky. They plan to infiltrate the building project and cause it to fall from the inside. But the Lord lets Nehemiah know of this plan. And what does Nehemiah do? He sets people and families in every hole in the wall (Nehemiah 4:13). He reminds the people why they are building the walls, for the Lord and for protection for their families, wives, and children (Nehemiah 4:14). Nehemiah stops up every hole with a follower of God and he diligently makes sure that someone is always on watch, to the point that they don’t even stop to wash their clothes (Nehemiah 4:23). He diligently and vigilantly stops up every place that his adversaries could get in.
        So in the building phases and stages of our lives, what are we to do? How can we stop the devil from infiltrating? We need to close all the gaps in our ministries, our families, our churches, our marriages - or whatever the Lord has us building. The devil walks about like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8), but he is also sneaky and can easily weasel his way into our lives. But he cannot sneak in, when we are vigilantly watching.
        We need to protect those things that God has entrusted to us. We need to protect our ministries by not letting the devil distract us from the tasks the Lord has set before us.  We need to protect our ministries by living transparent lives, keeping accountable to the Lord, and always displaying the love of God.
        We need to protect our families, by preserving family time, family bible study, and family prayer. We need to communicate as a family and keep the family as the utmost in importance.
        We need to protect our churches by keeping them ever mindful of the great commission, free from false doctrines, free from becoming more concerned with the comfort of the members than the salvation of the community, and free from forgetting to care for the widows, orphans, and the ill.
        We need to protect our marriages from wandering eyes and hearts, from a lack of communication that needs satisfaction elsewhere, and from excess time spent away from home.
        These just scratch the surface of the ways we need to protect our lives and hearts, but these are all ways that are easy for the devil to sneak in and get us. I think of the devil as a weasel who can sneak his way into any hole I leave open. We need to close up the gaps in our Christian lives, block off the holes where the devil can sneak in. I often hear the phrase, “don’t give the devil an inch, or he’ll be come your ruler”. That’s a true saying and one worthy of considering. When we give the devil a small amount of our time, our eyes, our ears, our hearts, or our thoughts, he can quickly weasel his way in and take the rest.
        Don’t let the devil sneak his way into your life. Close the gaps! “And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (Nehemiah 4:14).  Just as Nehemiah reminded his people that their lives and families were worth fighting for, let me remind you that we are in a constant battle with the devil, but our Christ-won lives, marriages, churches, families, and ministries are definitely worth fighting for!

       Love is in the air! Can you feel it? Everyone talks about love, from loving food to loving people, but true Love comes from God; for “God is Love” (I John 4:8).
        We are told in the Bible to love as Christ loved. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in Him” (1 John 4:16). “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2).  “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:continue ye in my love” (John 15:9).
        We are commanded to love everyone. We are to love our Father and Mother, and our neighbor. “Honor thy Father and thy Mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 19:19). Who is our neighbor? Anyone and everyone that we come into contact with - even our enemies. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (John 15:17).
        Families are a blessing, and we are also commanded to love them. Love your spouse, “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them” (Colossians 3:19). “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children”  (Titus 2:4).
        The greatest and most important commandment is to love God. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).
        “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13). “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11). “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14) .

       For all of us who have ever been to an eye doctor, we recall that portion of the exam when they ask us to look at the infamous “E” chart and read aloud the smallest letters we can.  Then they ask us to concentrate on that line of letters and ask us, “Can you see the letters on the wall better with Lens 1 or Lens 2?”  In fact, they’ll compare what seems like 20 lenses - lens 1 or 2, A or B - to accurately determine the true clarity of our vision.  Depending on the outcome, he or she will prescribe a type of lens to help us see as clearly as humanly possible in all situations.  Some of us are near-sighted, which means we see everything more clearly when they are closer to us than far.  The exact opposite is for far-sighted people.  They see everything more clearly the farther away the object is.  Some of us can’t see well in both situations, and so we may need bifocals, trifocals or other special types of lenses to see the best.  Doctors recommend glasses, contacts and even surgery to correct our vision problems no matter what they might be, with the goal being to have 20/20, or perfect, vision.

         You’re probably thinking, ‘Why in the world is she giving a report about vision?!’  Well, this concept of perfect vision applies directly to our daily walk as a Christian.  We have to measure our closeness to God on an everyday basis to ensure we have as good of a vision of God and His Will for our lives as possible.  When we don’t, we end up like the stubborn patient who doesn’t think he needs glasses until he discovers - embarrassingly - that he can’t even read the huge “E” on the eye chart!  So many times we think we can see the world clearly from where we are standing.  It’s only when our eyes are truly cleared by something from God that we realize how much better we can see things.  It’s exactly like when we get a new pair of glasses with a more accurate prescription when we say to ourselves, ‘I should have come to the doctor years ago - I can see so much better now!’  It is vital that we are ever-cognizant of where we stand in relation to God.  Can you see him clearly?  Does He seem blurry to you?  Do you see Him around you at all?  I can guarantee you one thing:  He is always there with you - you just have to open your eyes and heart to see Him.

      If you look around and can’t see Him or He seems blurry to you, then it’s time to go to the “doctor.”  It’s time to drop to your knees and pray with everything you have to our Heavenly Father.  You have to ask Him to open your eyes and heart to see Him better than you ever have.  You have to pray for forgiveness for the sins - sins of omission and commission - in your life that have ultimately led you to this far, far place from God that you have just found yourself in.  He will absolutely forgive you for your sins when you truly are sorry for them.  He will forgive, and He will forget.  The second you ask God to bring you closer to Him, He will pick you up in His arms and bring you to where He is.  You will undoubtedly see Him with 20/20 vision.  Your eyes will become opened to His perfect Will for your life.  So, in reality, with God you’ll not only be able to see near - meaning the things He wants you to do today - but you’ll become accepting of the service He has for your life 50 years from now.  You probably won’t know what that service is now, but you’ll put your whole trust in God to reveal His Will for your life the second you are ready to hear it.  You’ll be amazed at how close your relationship has become and how much more personal it is because you can see Him and hear Him so clearly!  Not only that, your witness will not be blurry to others.  They will know without a shadow of a doubt that you love and serve Jesus Christ our Lord.  There will be no question who lives in your heart because they will see God’s love in you with 20/20 vision!

        I urge you to not wait another minute in assessing your closeness to God.  Determine within your heart and soul today if God is clearly visible in your life, if He is blurry to you or if you don’t even see Him at all.  Hope is not lost - we can all have that perfect vision because of God’s grace, love and mercy.  Live every day wanting to see Him more clearly.  The more clearly you see God, the closer you’ll be to Him, and the more clearly others will see Him in you.

        One of my favorite books of the Bible is Deuteronomy. Here, Moses is talking to the Israelites and recounting their exodus from Egypt and journey through the desert. This book is made up of chapter after chapter of reminders of the providence, protection, and goodness of the Lord. This book is made up of chapter after chapter of reminders for us. Are we really that different from those Israelites wandering in the desert? Unfortunately, I do not think so.
        This was a nation, pulled from slavery marching towards the Promised Land. In that march, though fully understanding the promises ahead, this nation wandered left and right, in and out of sin and idolatry, and in and out of fellowship with the Lord. As Christians, we were freed from the slavery of sin. “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free” (Galatians 4:31).  As free children of Christ, we know the promises of the abundant life in Christ (John 10:10) and the promise of a glorious future in Heaven (John 14:3).  Yet, do we always walk the straight and narrow (Matthew 7:14) path of obedience? Unfortunately, we do not. Like the Israelites, we tend to wander in and out of fellowship with the Lord, as we walk in disobedience and run back to Christ for forgiveness.
        So, how do we break the cycle of wandering in our lives? How do we break from the pattern of wandering left and right of the path of blessings, a.k.a the path of obedience?
        I think that the key is the same message that Moses continually hammers home to the Israelites in the book of Deuteronomy. That message is: remember, remember, and remember all that the Lord has done. Moses’s greatest fear (and with good reason) was that the Israelites would forget the Lord’s work in their lives. Moses said, “And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage … And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:14-15, 17-18).
        The Israelites were disobedient because they forgot what the Lord had done in their lives, and when they received blessing, they took credit for it. As they said, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth,” they were taking credit for the blessings, and discounting the power of God in their lives. This is the key: when we begin to take credit for the blessings and events in our lives, we lose sight of the work of the Lord. When we close our eyes to the work of the Lord, we shut our heart to His direction. When we stop heading His direction, we veer off the straight and narrow, heading off into the horseweeds of obedience.
        So, again, where is they key? The key lies in remembrance. We need to remember, that it is God, “that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).  God is the giver of all good things (James 1:17). As we go through our days, we need to keep a list, whether mental or paper and pencil, of all the things we have seen God do. Then, we need to give God credit for them. When we make it a practice to give God the credit and glory for all we have, we won’t forget His work and power in our lives. When we remember, we’ll keep our eyes open to see His work and our heart open to hear His direction. And when we follow that direction, we’ll not stray for the path of obedience and blessing.
       The account of the Israelites in the desert is one of wandering. As Christians, let’s strive to not wander, but instead to walk the straight and narrow in the obedience of Christ. Let’s remember the bondage of sin from which we were bought (I Corinthians 6:20), and the freedom we have in Christ. Let’s remember that God daily blesses us (Psalm 68:19). Let’s live our lives as instruments that God can use (Romans 6:13). Let’s remember the promises of eternal life, and let’s live lives that glorify the Giver of all good things.

        One of my favorite books of the Bible is Deuteronomy. Here, Moses is talking to the Israelites and recounting their exodus from Egypt and journey through the desert. This book is made up of chapter after chapter of reminders of the providence, protection, and goodness of the Lord. This book is made up of chapter after chapter of reminders for us. Are we really that different from those Israelites wandering in the desert? Unfortunately, I do not think so.
        This was a nation, pulled from slavery marching towards the Promised Land. In that march, though fully understanding the promises ahead, this nation wandered left and right, in and out of sin and idolatry, and in and out of fellowship with the Lord. As Christians, we were freed from the slavery of sin. “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free” (Galatians 4:31).  As free children of Christ, we know the promises of the abundant life in Christ (John 10:10) and the promise of a glorious future in Heaven (John 14:3).  Yet, do we always walk the straight and narrow (Matthew 7:14) path of obedience? Unfortunately, we do not. Like the Israelites, we tend to wander in and out of fellowship with the Lord, as we walk in disobedience and run back to Christ for forgiveness.
        So, how do we break the cycle of wandering in our lives? How do we break from the pattern of wandering left and right of the path of blessings, a.k.a the path of obedience?
        I think that the key is the same message that Moses continually hammers home to the Israelites in the book of Deuteronomy. That message is: remember, remember, and remember all that the Lord has done. Moses’s greatest fear (and with good reason) was that the Israelites would forget the Lord’s work in their lives. Moses said, “And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage … And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:14-15, 17-18).
        The Israelites were disobedient because they forgot what the Lord had done in their lives, and when they received blessing, they took credit for it. As they said, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth,” they were taking credit for the blessings, and discounting the power of God in their lives. This is the key: when we begin to take credit for the blessings and events in our lives, we lose sight of the work of the Lord. When we close our eyes to the work of the Lord, we shut our heart to His direction. When we stop heading His direction, we veer off the straight and narrow, heading off into the horseweeds of obedience.
        So, again, where is they key? The key lies in remembrance. We need to remember, that it is God, “that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).  God is the giver of all good things (James 1:17). As we go through our days, we need to keep a list, whether mental or paper and pencil, of all the things we have seen God do. Then, we need to give God credit for them. When we make it a practice to give God the credit and glory for all we have, we won’t forget His work and power in our lives. When we remember, we’ll keep our eyes open to see His work and our heart open to hear His direction. And when we follow that direction, we’ll not stray for the path of obedience and blessing.
       The account of the Israelites in the desert is one of wandering. As Christians, let’s strive to not wander, but instead to walk the straight and narrow in the obedience of Christ. Let’s remember the bondage of sin from which we were bought (I Corinthians 6:20), and the freedom we have in Christ. Let’s remember that God daily blesses us (Psalm 68:19). Let’s live our lives as instruments that God can use (Romans 6:13). Let’s remember the promises of eternal life, and let’s live lives that glorify the Giver of all good things.