For Such A Time As This

I just finished reading the Old Testament book of Esther this morning. It is a great history lesson on the importance of faith and courage in challenging times.

Mordecai’s words in persuading Esther to boldly stand are classic: “…who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) Esther then takes a bold stand and God uses her courageous act to dramatically save her people.

Seems to me we need those who will take a bold stand for the Lord and his cause today. Why not ask the Lord to live big in you today!

Questions

One cannot ride a borrowed bike forever so I am in the process of making a decision about what to do. It has stirred a number of questions.

Am I really serious enough to justify spending money on a new bike and the related items needed to do it successfully?

How good a bike do I need?

Will this bike meet my needs, not only now but in the years to come?

Is this the best I can do?

Do I really want to pay the price for this?

Seems there are a lot of questions to answer. I wonder if non-believers go through a similar process in coming to Christ. For me, I had been exposed to the real thing, commitment to Christ at home through prayer, Bible reading and lifestyle, as well as ministries at church. When the time came, I did not need to ask any questions, I was ready to make the plunge. Many people today do not have that background. Just wondering…

Faith vs. Feelings

Biking has been a real learning experience for me. One lesson I have learned is that when it comes to riding a bike you cannot base the decision to ride on feelings alone. Numerous times I have started a ride and for the first three miles my body was shouting: “Stop! You do not want to do this!” If the decision were based on those feelings I would never ride. Interestingly, when I ignore the clamor of feelings at the beginning of a ride, I end up enjoying the ride and having good feelings before it is over.

That is a good lesson, not only in biking but for life. We are in danger of making bad decisions when we base them solely upon feelings. As a Christian, I must rely upon the facts of Bible truth, placing my full faith and trust in God’s Word, even when my feelings say something else.

Bike vs Write

This past week was a milestone; I biked approximately 105 miles. That is the most of any week since I started riding this spring. I really enjoyed three longer rides with friends. Time with friends is good.

More "road time" meant less "computer time" - thus fewer blog posts. I hope to increase both this week.

Keep Everlastingly At It

I am settling in after a week of vacation. Have to say I really enjoyed the time away with Judy. Attending her class reunion was a unique experience unlike any other. At times I felt like a fly on the wall at a family reunion where everyone loved one another. The closeness and chemistry of this group was incredible, something I have rarely seen or experienced. Its foundation was shared faith and shared experiences that transcended time and geographic distance.

Travel to the reunion site gave us opportunity to drive through the Smoky Mountains and they certainly lived up to their name. Saw some beautiful vistas, some winding roads and had to work at making my ears pop to relieve the growing pressure from altitude changes.

It reminded me of the journey of life; winding narrow roads, pressure, so many attractions and distractions, weariness in travel, and the temptation to stop. Similar themes were expressed by reunion participants of both good and bad life experiences and a faith in God that kept them through every twist and turn of the road. Making the journey and arriving at the destination takes perseverance of faith, or as a mentor from years ago put it: “You just keep everlastingly at it.”

Redeem the Time

It has been said that time is our most precious commodity. What strategy do you have for making the most of your time?

Here are a few thoughts on the subject from yesterday’s devotional on the Linton Assembly of God website http://www.lintonag.org/

Plug The Gaps – Focus on small units of time (15 minute intervals) and concentrate on one thing at a time. This can help us seize the minutes we do have, detecting and stopping the wasteful leakage of time.

Prioritize – It is easy to get busy with things that really do not matter. Often when we feel overwhelmed, it is because we have not prioritized and have given too much time to things that are of secondary importance. Jesus provides a powerful principle for us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He basically tells us to make God our priority and everything else in life will fall into its proper place.

Plan the Use of Your Time – If we fail to plan we plan to fail. Like a wood cutter who takes time away from his work to sharpen his axe, we need to disengage from activity and prayerfully plan how we want to utilize our time. This is not wasted time but strategic use of it that will pay dividends in the long run, so take the time to plan your day, week, etc.

Pray – To make changes in how we utilize our time we need the wisdom and strength of the Lord. As we take time to seek Him, He can give us the needed direction and the strength to carry it out. Points 1-3 are significantly more effective when we begin with point 4.

The Big Story--Where are you?

Here s a unique presentation from youtube. Think about it.

Part Two