Double Vision? God's Word will Clear That Right Up!

What a beautiful day yesterday was! As I worked through the morning I discovered that my vision was getting blurry. I think the strain of sitting at the computer to enter data for 4H youth might have started it, but as the day wore on I began feeling rather tired and just wanted to sit with my eyes closed and rest them and myself.

Although I could see clearly out the door of my office and into the parking lot, the up close effects were astonishing. I had to look closely at what I was typing so that I wouldn’t make a mistake. It took a lot more effort to do the close-up work rather than simply scanning over it. But as I looked closer I discovered some typos that would not do for the work I was preparing. It had to be spelled correctly and I had to make sure that I was reading it right from the copy I was using, because some of my work was going out from my boss to others across the nation. I wouldn’t want to embarrass him by erroneously changing a word.

Often we think we are seeing our situation clearly but we’re straining to live up to the world’s system of thinking. We see fine when we’re simply scanning the world, but when we try to look closer, we find that our thinking and our standards have become fuzzy. We wonder which way we should go, how we should react and what we should be doing.

The only way to see the Truth is to examine it closely. Many voices cry out for our attention, so that we start seeing double. We have two modes of operation trying to vie for our sight and it’s really a battle between Truth and untruth. Half-truths that make us think they’ll be good for us. But half-truths are actually lies and will only continue the fuzzy thinking and make for wrong decisions.

Have you been trying to see clearly for your life? Have you wondered why, no matter how hard you try, thinks just seem unclear? It’s time to rest your heart and mind in the Word! It’s time to decide to make a stand for God’s unchangeable Scriptures.  Nowhere else will you have complete healing of your sight and firm direction for your mind.  He speaks His truth into your life. Want to know about prayer? Pray to the Father. What about hope? Hope in the Lord. Wondering about love? God is love. 

Oh beloved, rest your heart in Him and watch as He makes everything clear for your present situation – no matter what it is. The world will tell you it’s impossible, but God will say look at Me and I will give you everything you need. The world will tell you to relax about God’s Truth and you’ll be seeing double. But look to His Word and keep your heart on single vision. See His Word, it’s His bond. The Great I AM loves you and is for you and that’s what makes everything clear!

James 1:23-24 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You.

Jeremiah 32:39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship Me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.

Blue Ribbon Life? Follow God's Recipe!

Yesterday we had a treat at work.  We made pie crusts! A whole lot of them. JoAnn, our family and consumer sciences agent, had a recipe to make 20 crusts at once. She wanted to use us to try it out before she presented it as a cost savings for consumers.  So Amy, JoAnn and I worked together to make a big pan of pie crusts, divided them out into individual balls, put them in bags and flattened them out for the freezer.  It was fun and we enjoyed the few minutes it took. For less than half a dollar a piece we had pie crusts to take home and use. We pretty much know the recipe will be great because one of our favorite county pie bakers uses the same recipe!

Working together was so much fun! It divided our work and gave us an opportunity to talk about our favorite pies, our likes and dislikes and to laugh together. All of the effort divided out between three truly made the saying, “many hands make light work” come to life.

Amy and I agreed we would never have tackled it at home alone. I for one have made or attempted to make homemade pie crusts for 40 years. Although the crust turned out okay occasionally, I would say I never have been a pie crust blue ribbon winner.  It’s just not been my thing.

As we worked together I realized why my crusts might not have turned out so good. For one thing, JoAnn pre-measured all the ingredients! She had all the utensils and the mixing bowl set out and ready for us. She also had aprons ready to don.  She had measuring cups, measuring spoons and pastry cutters for each of us. She even had ice water ready on a bed of ice. As Amy measured out the required teaspoons of salt I exclaimed that it looked like too much. Yet when we taste tested a little of the dough, any less would have made the crusts extremely tasteless.

The discovery that came to me was that without correct preparation to begin with you are not going to have a good product. Without following the directions, created by someone who knows what they’re doing and has had success, you won’t have the right outcome.   The correct components, mixed the right way, and following directions will make for a great pie.  Following directions is imperative. You just can’t shortcut and you can’t leave out ingredients.

Have you been mixing things up on your own lately? Did you have an old tried and true recipe for life but figured you could vary it slightly and have the same results? You may have found that mixing the old ways of the Word with the new ways of the world actually makes for a tasteless and flat life. Maybe you've been having problems with waiting on God to answer your fervent prayers so you've tried to throw together your own concoction and you find that it doesn't measure up.  

Oh beloved, get out your recipe book, The Word of God and read it thoroughly! He doesn’t care if you start over with fresh infilling of ingredients. In fact He wants you to start over and let Him guide you to the best outcome! His greatest desire is that you have a Blue Ribbon life! Following His guidance and using His ingredients will make for your best life ever! God knows your heart and His ways are best. You may not see it now, but in the end you will discover that He knows you and has developed a perfect flawless recipe for you. Trust Him today for He loves you. Let Him take your life and turn it into a magnificent recipe fit for the King of Kings!

Proverbs 16:20 Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

Proverbs 8:10-11 Choose My instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.  For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Proverbs 4:13 Take hold of My instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.

Psalm 36:9-10 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.   For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.