Do You Know Your Heritage?

Driving into town I noticed one of those Heritage Trail signs. They document land and water routes along the Arkansas Trail of Tears, The Butterfield Overland Trail mail route pre-dating the Pony Express, the Southwest Trail in Arkansas and Arkansas Civil War actions. The history of our entire state can be visited through traveling these designated trails from the Mississippi River to the Western Frontier and from the cotton farms in the south to the mountainous regions in the north.

Christians live life on a heritage trail as well. We don’t have to blaze new frontiers because our forefathers of the faith have gone before us. We don’t have to face anything new for the past sojourners have already given us the Word for all the things we may meet along the way.

You and I may see a trail of fear, rejection, concern, humiliation, and other obstacles such as hurts and anguish. But God has those roads already named. They’re known as Overcomer Highway, Valiant Road, Fearless Thoroughfare, and Jubilant and Rejoicing Way. These treacherous looking trails are just stair steps of the faith. We even have a road map of the faith, The Word of God, to refer to every time we are expected to travel one of those trails.

Oh beloved, what road are you traveling today? Where are you expected to go? What are you reluctant to traverse? Where are your concerns? Faced with the things of this world, you won’t make it one more mile. But looking at the signs God posts along the way, you can be sure that you will make it. Not only will you see sights of the faith you’ve never seen before, you will become what each road is named. It’s high time you left behind the false roads, and scaled the heights with the Spirit of the Lord. God will take you all the way to the end of your designated route and you will be unscathed. Drop the baggage and ride with the Savior! It’s a beautiful route of overcoming faith. Don’t look down for you will only see the valley of sorrow. Don’t look over the cliff of troubles for you will lose your direction. Don’t let fear travel with you for you will miss the sights God has for you.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s why you can be sure whatever road you travel is a Road of Blessing all the way to Heaven.

Psalm 16:6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

Psalm 136:21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting…

Isaiah 58:14 Then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Got a Mountain to Climb?

Danny loves Lord of the Rings in any form. We have watched all the movies. Most recently we watched the Hobbitt 2 at a little cinema in one of our favorite small towns. When the projector started up the screen vibrated and I could recall us as teenagers hollering out to fix it! We were so impatient back then. And we knew we could make noise and they’d adjust it. Not so here. The film jiggled a little throughout, but back to the story.

The other night I had a Hobbitt dream. I was crawling along a black jagged mountain, pretty high up in the air. It was dark and damp and everything was black including the clothes I had on. Everywhere I grabbed I heard the voice of the Lord say, “No not there. You can’t hold onto that. It won’t hold you, you will plummet to your death.” Everywhere I tried to “hang on” I was warned not to.

I woke up and heard God speak to my heart:  “It’s normal to want to hold onto familiar things when traveling through hard places. But holding onto those things will not be safe for you.  Grasping at anything that is subject to change puts you in peril. You’ll have to simply hang onto Me. Nothing else will do. No one else will do. You are on a trek like no other. But I am with you all the way and you will make it safely.”

I thought about that and remembered that in the dream I had no fear, just simply letting go when He spoke to do so. Now those who know me know that I am not a mountain climber so the fact that I was peaceful in the dream leads me to believe this was a learning moment between the Lord and me.  Which makes me believe that maybe someone else could learn from it as well.

Oh beloved, you too are on the trek of a lifetime. This is big stuff learning to climb the heights with the Lord. You know in your heart that you want to go wherever He leads and do whatever He says. Yet it’s scary letting go of things that you want to hold onto.  And sometimes it can be scary only holding onto Him. Is He enough? Will He be there for you? You want to know the outcome and see the hand holds ahead, but you only get each step of the way as you go.  But oh the knowledge of Him you will have when you reach your next destination! The Lord Himself is your stepping stone, your hand hold and your guiding light no matter how obscure the next move is. He is safety, peace, and trust.

God loves you, really completely loves you. And He’s for you, to guide you all the way, and that’s why you can listen as He instructs you all the days of your life.

Isaiah 48: 17 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God,  who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.

Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.

Psalm 63:8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 20:7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.

 Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

Are You Traveling Alone?

Last week-end we decided to take a leisurely ride with another couple. Neither of us have much free time to ride, but Saturday morning came and we met to eat breakfast together and decide what we were going to do. As we were eating a biker couple came in and the wife started up a conversation. They were from Louisiana and had been here 3 days but only been to Hot springs and back. They wondered if there were any good roads around the area. Danny knows the roads well so after some talk, the couple decided to ride with us. The route Danny took them on was beautiful and they saw sights they had no clue of. Oh beloved, are you out riding alone? Are you wondering where the beauty of the Lord is? Lone riders in unknown territory rarely know the best routes. Have you lost sight of the view from God's perspective? There is a better way. Don't go it alone. Run to the Ultimate Guide, the Word of God and ask the Lord. He will send you to the right "ride group", He'll give you good company to travel with and He'll guide you all the way to His destination.

Ephesians 2:20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

Acts 1:14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer..."

1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him