A Weekly Walk in the Word

1 Peter 5:8-9  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the word are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Lions capture most of their prey through the element of surprise. A lion will patiently hide in a thicket until the expecting prey passes by….. then they pounce. If the prey senses the lion laying low ready to pounce….. then they flee and the lion will go away hungry. Most prey can out run a lion.

Peter warns of a lion waiting in the thicket to devour you. But, if you are alert and sense the lion lingering near, you can run. Run to the open arms of Jesus who will protect you from the devil’s tactics.

Ezekiel 34:26  I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.

I have been showered with God’s blessings this past week!

I spent the week with my husband and three grown children, exploring the Pacific Northwest. If you have never experienced the Seattle and Vancouver area, I highly recommend the trip.

We spent our days sightseeing, hiking, eating and touring. Every evening we watched the sun set before relaxing, laughing and recapping our day in the hot tub at our condo.

One of those evenings we were joined in the hot tub by another group of vacationers. All of a sudden one gentleman’s phone alarm went off. He explained to the group that his alarm sounds at 9:00 every evening. When the alarm goes off, no matter where he is or who he is with, those people share a blessing from their life. How neat is that? So, we went around the hot tub where all 14 strangers shared their blessings. Mine was easy. I was in the company of my four favorite people!

Try it tonight……  How are you blessed?

1 Corinthians 13:12  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

I upgraded my cell phone this week because my old phone was completely out of storage. I became so frustrated every time I went to take a picture, and the phone froze with a message of how to purchase more storage…..

So, now I am struggling to learn the new technology, improved over the last four years. The craziest new feature is that when I look at my phone, it turns on! It recognizes my face. At first, I thought it was too much. But, the more I play with the phone, the more I like the new technology. My phone knows me!

But does it really? My phone recognizes me. The neighbor up the block recognizes me and waves as I drive by. My co-workers recognize me and say “hi” as I walk into the office. But do they really know me?

My relationship with Jesus is different. He sees my face and knows me. Not just my outer being, but He knows my heart. And I see him in the beauty of nature, the smile of a child and the song of the choir. But one day I will see him face to face! Oh what a day that will be to see him and fully know him.

Psalm 42:1  As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him my Savior and my God.

Winters in Minnesota tend to drag on. As we roll into March, instead of looking for buds on bushes, we still have a good ten inches of snow on the ground with another round scheduled for tomorrow.

These winter winds sap my heavy heart. I feel bogged down, even trapped by the heaviness of winter.  My soul thirsts for God. The only way for me to get out of this winter rut, is to cry out to God. When I put my hope in Him, and spend time listening to His Word, I know Easter will be coming soon!

I pray that you are able to see the light of Jesus through the cold, dark days of life.

Isaiah 40:8  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

Surely most of you have heard by now that the Reverend Billy Graham died this past week at the age of 99. The radio station I listen to, has been honoring the late Dr. Graham with one tribute after another. He touched so many lives, and those people are sharing their incredible personal stories. My own mother told me about attending a Billy Graham conference in Colorado when her and my dad were first married.

Graham said “I’m convinced that heaven is far more glorious than anything we can possibly imagine right now, and I look forward not only to its wonder and peace, but also to the joy of being reunited with those who have gone there before me.” Do you have someone who has changed your faith life? Thank them today. Share their story. Don’t wait until they pass away. Give them a call, or send them a letter to thank them for the difference they have made in your life for eternity!

Proverbs 22:1  A good name is more desirable than great riches: to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

The evening routine at the Playter home has changed this past week. Every night after dinner, we come together to cheer and watch the Olympic athletes on TV. It seems as if the world has slowed down a little to come together to watch their team compete for the coveted gold medal.

The athlete’s sole purpose in life is to be at the top of their sport. The commitment to training they make to their body and mind is incredible. So, we cheer from our living rooms for a victory, and a gold medal.

What is your soul purpose in life? I am in training these days. Not for a gold medal, but to walk on streets of gold. Please join me in the race. I will be cheering you on!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do you have a favorite “love” Bible verse? My favorite is actually the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. I memorized those verses in catechism class as a teenager with Mr. Hiemstra. The same verses of love were read at our wedding. The word love can be found 319 times in the Old Testament and 232 times in the New Testament of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Love, is not an accident. Love, is not a suggestion.  Love, is a command from God. Love, is important.

Wednesday is Valentines day. It is easy to say I love you, especially on Love Day. But how will you do love throughout the year? Let’s make love a priority in 2018!

1 Corinthians 15:57  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just in case you haven’t heard, there is a football game today! The super bowl hype has been in full swing for several weeks now with the game being played just up the road from where I live. Pray that God would be honored throughout the super bowl.

The super bowl is not only the perfect time for snacks and cheering, but also the perfect time for outreach, prayer or maybe even an opportunity to share your faith. Who will be with you during your game day party? Is it someone with whom you can share your faith story?

No matter who wins and who looses, remember that the most amazing victory of all times was not by a sports team. The most amazing victory came through the eternally victorious Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:3-5  A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

We had 18 inches of snow dumped on our town last week. That is a lot of snow, even for Minnesota!

My day job is working in the streets and parks department for our city. I am the voice on the other end of the phone when people call to complain regarding snow issues. “The plow is getting too close to my curb and clogging my driveway.” The plow isn’t getting close enough to my curb so I won’t be able to get my mail.” When will the plow be in my neighborhood to clear streets?” Everyone believes their street should be plowed first! Everyone views their reason for getting down the street to be the most important.

The City crews worked long hours, coming into work at 2:00am to plow streets. Contractors began clearing snow from the downtown area at midnight for two nights. Neighbors worked together clearing driveways and sidewalks. Today the streets are clear for citizens to move freely from one place to another.

Do we work with the same urgency to clear the way for the Lord to move freely in our lives? Friend, if you have an obstacle blocking the path of Jesus to work in your life, I pray that the glory of the Lord may be revealed for you to see. Walk the path with Jesus moving freely in your life.

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Faith is believing in something we cannot see or prove, but which we trust to be true.

Hebrews 11 is filled with an all-star list of faith heroes. Men and women who demonstrated confidence in God’s plan for their lives. They knew God would give them everything they needed to complete the tasks asked of them. All of these faith heroes had an expectation that God would fulfill everything he had promised.

Take the time to read the entire 11th chapter of Hebrews this week. Who is your faith hero? What can you learn from them as you continue on your faith walk?

The most important thing we can pass along to our children is our faith in God’s promises.