Living As People of Light

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.  He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you.  Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.  For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.  Don’t participate in the things these people do.  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.  So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.  Ephesians 5:1-9

Apostle Paul begins this part of his letter to the believers at Ephesus with:

·       what to do (imitating God),

·       with the middle part telling us how to do it (thankfulness to God instead of self-centered obscenity),

·       and he ends it by pointing to:  what that will make of us (people of light, shining as good, right, and true.

Considering the culture in which we find ourselves in the 21^st Century, this passage would be a great one to memorize.  We live in a “coarse” society.  The word means rough, uneven, or raw.  That means we live in a hard place to navigate.  Waters like that produce sunken ships, and tragedy. 

The news (whether biased, or straight-up) screams loudly that Paul was talking about days like we now experience.  Prolonged times like this produce children who have little respect for authority.  And that is largely because they see very little worthy of admiration.  Sometimes it becomes obvious that children who are obnoxious and selfish are (at least) just acting out their natural inclination to rebel against what is not worthy of following. 

One of my friends was very fond of this saying about parenting techniques:  Your children’s learning will be more caught than taught.  You may be familiar with that if you have raised, or are raising kids; you can talk to them till you’re blue-in-the-face, but what they really learn is what they see in your actions. 

So the Apostle was getting at what we all need to learn…telling your children what to do isn’t the same as showing them how you do it.  It hardly needs saying, but do as I say…not as I do is the kind of hypocrisy children can sniff-out in a New York minute…and the smell of it ain’t pretty!  The year I turned 30 I was smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day.  Public service announcements were just starting to ramp-up then, about how dangerous tobacco was for your health.  I quit that year because I noticed my five-year-old son walking around with a pencil in his hand, imitating Daddy’s habit.

Imitating God (as Paul states it) isn’t about playing God.  Rather, it’s about becoming like Jesus, unselfish, willing to sacrifice for the good of others.  This is the textbook definition of Agape’, God’s covenant love…doing the best for others unconditionally.  Without that we cannot live in the light, shining as goodness and truth; we remain in darkness.

For You Today 

So, whether this means you need to work on cleaning-up some habits, changing some attitudes, or whatever, remember that there are little eyes watching you, learning from you; lead them well.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Returning the Blessing

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.  While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.  The disciples were indignant when they saw this.  “What a waste!” they said.  “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”  But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.  She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”  

Matthew 26:6-13

The setting of this event is near the end of Jesus' life and ministry.  The religious and political forces have joined hands to seek his death.  Even within Jesus' own organization, Judas joins the evil plot.  Barely a week before the crucifixion, Mary throws all caution to the wind and bestows a "king's ransom" type of gift on the Lord.  This act of worship causes his followers consternation over Mary's extravagance; it causes curiosity among the onlookers; and it causes Jesus' heart to overflow with gladness.

Which Mary of the New Testament’s several is the one who pours-out this blessing on Jesus is somewhat in question.  The accounts differ in the gospels (perhaps due to separate incidents).  But the question as to which Mary (the prostitute, Magdaline, or the sister of Lazarus)...whichever, we are presented with a beautiful answer as to how our love and worship of the Lord should take form.  Every Mary in Jesus’ life and ministry received life from the Lord.  Magdaline received the gift of forgiveness that changed her whole outlook. 

Jesus treated her (perhaps a common prostitute), with respect, and her life became worthwhile.  Mary, sister of Lazarus received her brother back from the dead.  Either Mary would've given all they possessed to a Jesus like that!  What I love about this account is that Mary is obscured, and Jesus is lifted-up!  That is the true essence of worship – I bow lower, Jesus is lifted higher!  

Fritz wasn't that way.  Fritz was Mrs. Grace's six-toed, twenty-five-pound alley cat.  

Mrs. Grace was an elderly, homebound lady in a church I served years ago.  When you came into the house, Fritz took pains to make sure you knew just who was in charge.  He would demand attention – you can do that when you're the big cat in the house.  He would demand to be scratched behind the ears.  If he didn't get it all to his satisfaction, he'd look you in the eye and dig his extra toenails into your forearm.  When he was done with you, he'd walk over to Grace's chair and sit down in a self-satisfied huff.  Fritz owned the place.  He liked Miss Grace because she fussed over him and fed him…often.  But Fritz worshipped himself!

Mrs. Grace, on the other hand, worshiped God.  She was a prayer warrior, continually lifting all the members of our church before the throne.  When I visited her every few weeks, she was eager to hear "how our church was doing". That took the focus off her, placing it fully on the family of God, and the God of her family.  When she died, it was revealed how extravagant the gift was that was poured out, leaving most of her estate to fund ministries.  She could've afforded a chauffeur and a better home, but she put the resources God had entrusted to her into the work of God.  Truly, this extravagant love was poured out.

For You Today 

You hear often in worship testimony times how God has poured-down magnificent blessings.  Question:  Do we miss times to return the blessing?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

When Moses Sat at the Well

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work.  During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.  After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.  The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting.  “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight.  The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge?  Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?”  Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.”  And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses.  But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.  When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.  Exodus 2:11-15

Even people with a marginal connection with church and Scripture know of Moses’ great events, dividing the waters, getting more water to gush from a rock, the Ten Commandments, and so-on.  But today’s text takes us back to long-before the hero stuff. 

The context is that Moses has just found out his true heritage is Hebrew, not Egyptian.  When, at age 40, you find out your whole history has been hidden from you, it’s bound to produce a crisis, filled with poor knee-jerk reaction choices.  For the one chosen by God to lead Israel out of bondage, that is an understatement.  Before he even begins to understand the culture from which he was bred, Moses begins to use the power-tactics of Egyptian taskmasters to right the wrongs of Egyptian domination…killing, threats, and totalitarian bondage.  He was wrong.

As a result, Moses finds himself banished to the wilderness.  He arrives at Midian and sits down at the well, where he meets Zipporah, whom he eventually marries, and it leads him to all the hero-stuff when he starts doing things God’s way. 

But, for this moment, let’s look down the deep well where Moses was sitting.  It wasn’t a new age reflecting pool…this was a life-giving watering hole for sheep.  But for Moses it was the needed rest from fleeing Pharoah’s threats.  We can only imagine the thoughts running through Moses’ mind as he looks down the hole:

·       Oh…I’ve really messed it up!

·       Life will never be the same.

·       What was I thinking?

In all transparency, this is exactly what I have said at times.  In retrospect, each time I’ve gone to that well, it was always after a period of failing to do things God’s way.   And I think that is always God’s way…He leads us through the wilderness of wondering to give us time to pray, understand our wrong direction, and repent.  That took 40 more years for Moses, but at the end, the bush burned brightly, and he learned to say:  thus saith the Lord, instead of, listen to me! 

As with Robert Frost’s poem about two roads diverging in a yellow forest, Moses eventually took the one less traveled by, and that…made all the difference.

For You Today 

For any of us who truly admits what we find when we stare down the well of our history, the road less-traveled is always God’s way.  In our disobedience we find He dips into the cool, life-giving water, and offers us a better way.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

The Cost of Rejected Forgiveness

Monday, August 28, 2023

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you?  Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?  But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself.  For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  He will judge everyone according to what they have done.  He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.  Romans 2:4-11

Paul’s message to the believers at Rome is that of a story as old as Adam and Eve’s first two sons; it’s a story of jealousy and choices ^{(see Genesis 4)}.  Cain was the firstborn, and he despised his younger brother, Abel.  God had instructed them what to bring as an offering, but Cain stubbornly brought what he wanted, while Abel obeyed God.  When God rejected Cain’s “innovated worship” and accepted Abel’s obedience, anger raised-up in Cain like a volcano of jealousy; he killed his brother.  That was a momentary wrong decision fueled by bad judgment and independence.  Unfortunately for Cain (as his parents before him), when he sinned, he persisted in defending his petulance.  When God judged him for it, he whined, claiming God was being too hard on him.  This was resoundingly-odd, considering it was Abel rotting in a shallow grave.  Cain spent the rest of his days wandering like a lost soul.  Indeed, he was lost, and judged. 

We’re still playing “Cain and Abel” these days.  There has been war someplace on this planet without fail since the first killing.  As Paul wrote, God’s kindness and patience with humanity is an offering of forgiveness.  Sadly, human stubbornness is in abundant supply.  In the spirit of independence, alive and thriving today, we don’t need some Jew from the antiquities to die on a cross for us.  We are good enough, thank you…we’ll meet any challenge head-on.  Thanks, God, for the offer, but no thanks…we’re good.

Only we’re not!

Even in the short space of my lifetime I have witnessed the diminishing sense of kindness and compassion that human beings have for each other.  (You have only to observe Interstate road-rage for a half-mile to validate that statement).  The value of human life plummets in the murder statistics.  Porch-pirates, sales of home security systems, with weapons to back them up are at an all-time high.  As was the case with Cain and Abel, killing (with weapons or words) is how we deal with the anger of a lost soul.  And we seem to get better (darker) at it every year.

Many people reject God’s kindness, simply ignoring what a magnificent, precious gift of forgiveness they refuse….choosing instead an eternity of separation from their Creator.  That is the sad reality of evil…thinking we stay strong by holding God at arms-length, we condemn ourselves to eternal punishment.

Placing all that in perspective requires us to turn and look at Calvary’s Lamb, Jesus, nailed to a rough-hewn cross, beaten within an inch of life’s endurance,  spat-upon, alone, abandoned, yet crying-out:  Father, forgive them! 

This is the kindness of God; it is the offer of healing and hope. 

For You Today 

The choice is always there…reject His forgiveness, or receive His goodness,

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Camelot

Friday, August 25, 2023

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Matthew 18:1-4

The romantic motion picture Camelot hit the big screens the year Elizabeth and I married (1967).  Recently we watched it again and I gained a new appreciation for its message of hope for the civilization of human beings.  At the beginning of the movie is a scene where King Arthur introduces Lancelot to his wife, Queen Guenevere.  Lancelot has come from France to join Arthur’s vision of a civilized world, where law and courts provide peaceful solutions to disputes, rather than swords and blood. 

At the center of the force of such change is the round table, a place where the knights would wield might for right.  Such knights must be paragons of virtue, character, and honor.  Guenevere asks Lance who he had in mind to be the role-model for such exemplary goodness.  The Frenchman answers with a bow, saying:  with all humility…me!

Over the course of the movie Guenevere and Lance fall madly in love with each other.  The story comes to a crossroads when their love affair comes to the surface, and they are both accused of treason.  Arthur is torn between his own heartbreak and the thought of revenge; he cannot bear either. 

(spoiler alert if you’ve never watched it….the end of the story comes next)

Lancelot leads an attack on Arthur’s castle to rescue Guenevere, and in the process many knights and soldiers are killed.  The raid is successful, and Arthur’s remaining knights demand revenge.  An army is raised to capture the fugitives.  The round table of justice is gone; only blood will do to restore order.

The final scene shows a dejected King Arthur on the eve of the battle, knowing whatever outcome the next morning’s struggle brings, it is death for any hope for civilization.  He has lost Guenevere, the love of his life, and Lancelot, his dearest friend, and they have lost any hope of peace together.  The world is a bleak place, a bog for any spirit.

Enter Tom Warwick, a 10-year-old boy.  Tom had stowed-away in one of the wagons in the chase to capture Lancelot, hoping to fight for the king.  Arthur tries to send him away, but the boy’s devotion to the king is invincible.  Arthur questions Tom, asking why he would give himself to this business.  Tom’s answer is the whole point of the movie; he’s never even seen a knight, but he has heard the stories of how they protect people and make it safe for everyone.  He wants to grow up to become a knight and serve at the round table.  He has known the dream of peace and would have it at any cost.

Arthur’s whole demeanor changes.  He realizes what stands before him in a young boy’s sparkling eyes is the hope of a civilized world; peace and righteousness is a dream that can never be crushed.

For You Today 

While Camelot and King Arthur’s round table are imaginary, the dream of the rule of righteousness and peace are imbedded within the DNA of every human soul.  It is that which draws us to the loveliness of Jesus and his welcome invitation to deny self, pick up the cross like a knight on a quest to serve, and follow. 

It is that Tom Warwick part of us that Jesus speaks to, when He says:  Unless you become as a child, you’ll never have the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

An Extra Hour

Thursday, August 24, 2023

On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”  So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.  Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar?  The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.  There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!  Joshua 10:12-14

If you have ever found yourself wishing for an extra hour in the day, because you haven't had enough time to "do it all" this is for you!

The day started with my phone losing its mind. It was supposed to awaken me at 5:30 am so I could get to my VA doctor’s appointment on time, but when I opened my eyes at 6:15 the phone was still in its own stupor!  Great....starting the day 45 minutes behind!  Getting dressed quickly, I ruminated on how my phone must be listed somewhere in the Bible’s “begets” of Hell’s spawn.

One other “proof” of how useless my mobile phone has become is the choice it makes, based on algorithms which ignore my needs, in favor of the desires of roughly 14-gazillion companies double-checking the expiration date of my car’s warranty.  One of those fascinating (but totally sinister) algorithmic choices also totally ignores the fact that I need my calendar to awaken me to the reality that my frenzy of activity to get to the VA for an 8:40 appointment, is silly, considering the appointment is an hour later at 9:40…a fact I totally missed, because the said appointment was for the eye doctor, because I am half-blind!

In frenzy-mode, I forgot that a careless placement of my coffee travel-mug on my car’s rooftop, coupled with a hasty “plop” of my overweight carcass in the driver’s seat means my mug-full-of-steaming-hot-Green Mountain Dark Magic coffee will wobble off the car roof and splatter all over my garage floor.  There’s no app or algorithm in the world that can cope with the stain on both my cement garage floor (which now must be painted, as Elizabeth always wanted), and my broken heart, having to face a 30-minute dash to the VA with zero-caffeine in my blood!

When I arrived at the VA and checked-in, the receptionist smiled, and said:  My, you’re early!  It was then I realized the calendar was right, and I had an extra hour to wait, be still, and know my hurrying had been in vain.  But all was not lost…in the VA lobby, stands a Starbucks, testament to the fact that our government leaders really do have a heart.  I reclaimed my lost Green Mountain Dark Magic, and sat in a space overlooking the parking lot to contemplate my madness in silence.  During the next hour I resisted opening my algorithm-driven demonic device, and used the time to be still, chill, pray, and sip my over-priced Folgers.  Within a few moments an elderly lady sat down at the lobby piano and played a lovely hymn.  And my blood pressure returned to normal (for me).  I managed to have enough presence of mind to thank God for that lovely, calming hour’s interlude, and soon was lost in praying for each of you, as the Lord brought you and your needs to mind.  Part of God’s answer to my prayer was when he spoke to my heart:   Russell, do you understand now, how you, getting up early, all worried and coming apart at the seams, when I wanted you to have an extra hour's rest for your weary bones and spirit, is a blight on the day’s journey?  I could only smile and nod an apology…He knows me well, without an algorithm.

For You Today 

Like Joshua, you can trust God for whatever extra hour he wants to build into your day; it will be the best hour of the day.  

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Clean Closets...and Other Myths

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”  Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”  But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home.  Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.  I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers.  I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come.  And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed.  Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!  And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home.  Because you believed, it has happened.”  And the young servant was healed that same hour.  Matthew 8:5-13

I guess it was inevitable; that closet had been crying-out for years to be cleaned.   I could no longer pretend that disorganized heap of stuff would heal itself.  Besides, what else do retired preachers do?  Since Monday the task has begun to include two other rooms in the house; it will be a little while before this project is concluded.  What was I thinking?

The Roman officer may have had the same thought.  That servant of his was sick.  That presents two possibilities (at the least) as to why he went to the Nazarene preacher.  This officer may have been uniquely-compassionate for an important man, and was anxious to help him, or perhaps it was just that the servant couldn’t serve if he was bedridden; the officer’s “compassion” was more self-serving…a healthy servant would make the Roman’s life easier.  Jesus identified the officer’s request as sincere faith, so we must attest to his compassion as no less.

However, if we take into consideration that this Roman soldier’s prayer is lodged in the presence of a largely Jewish audience, we understand they were probably wondering why Jesus bothered healing the servant of a Gentile “dog”.  But Jesus, grasping this teachable moment, holds-up the humble, authentic trust of this Gentile, in contrast to the treachery of the Jewish religious leaders masquerading as faith which he would have to shortly endure.  Jesus’ teaching here was a gut-check for not just the crowd following at that moment, but for all of us…every day.   Sometimes that which we assume is our genuine faith, is just what we’ve hung in our religious closet for so long, we cannot see how crowded our “faith” is with stuff that doesn’t belong…

·       An attitude that won’t budge

·       A secret hate for an arrogant co-worker

·       Claiming a pure life, while hiding impure desires

·       …and so the myths keep rolling.

For You Today 

We all have that closet-cleaning thing to which we must attend.  Life is messy, and it creeps into our thoughts, attitudes, and selfish ways telling us the damning, but enduring myth, that we are put here on this planet to do what makes us happy. 

Like the Roman soldier’s compassion for his servant called-out his duty to do something, and my clothes closet called to me to come clean, so we are compelled to look deep into our faith, and how we’re called to be IN this world for God’s purposes – not part OF this world to serve our own desires.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Russell Brownworth (own work)  Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Sovereign

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

“From eternity to eternity I am God.  No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.  No one can undo what I have done.”  Isaiah 43:13

Once one gets past the sophomoric notion of atheism, to admit there IS a divine Creator, one must grapple with a supremely-challenging dilemma of IF that divine One is truly in charge…and to what degree.  Is God sovereign, or are there some things he cannot (or chooses not) to touch?  And if He truly is “in charge” of everything, why is the world in such a mess?

If one has the temerity to affirm God is Sovereign (as Isaiah wrote), the final question surrounding humankind’s response to a sovereign God is two-fold:  What does that look like, and how should I live now that I know that?

In my limited experience as a human being, and a believer in the sovereignty of God, in nearly 50 years of theological thinking, writing, preaching, and pastoral ministry, I have never been able to fully articulate in a single sentence the answer to that question…until yesterday, when a Facebook friend re-posted a prayer from a friend’s page:

It took me just a moment to read it, and pass it off as simply another superficial stab at teaching a child to pray.  I continued scrolling through the endless and mostly inane trivia of social media, but the thought of that sentence would not fade to the background  Then the depth of faith contained in this one sentence scratched its’ way to the surface of my tired mind and shouted:  Listen, Russell; you’re never going to need more in life, or My Kingdom than this.  This is what living in My Kingdom is like; this is how you bow before Sovereign Lord.

I’m not one given to hearing God audibly, or seeing a message behind every bush or cute thing my dog does, but this one sentence about how to go about greeting God every morning of my life makes more sense than all the combined drivel you can find in self-help speeches and books; this is placing 100% of all the trust I can ever muster in God’s care for me. 

Fix me when I’m the problem – is taking the humble knee, admitting I’m broken enough to need fixing

Protect me when I’m not the problem – is admitting I’m going to move on in God’s strength, speaking up for loving justice, doing mercy, and walking humbly with God[1], because my strength isn’t enough for this messy life…I need Him to have my back.

·       This is taking my stand on the only hill I’ve ever truly needed to die on. 

·       This is how you take up the cross and follow the One who died for you. 

·       It is the bottom line of the call. 

For You Today 

Want to know how to walk in God’s presence?  Let your heart pray:

Sovereign Lord, fix me and protect me as I walk with You today!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  via WikimediaCommons   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.Micah 6:8