Archive for July, 2025
Give Your Life Stability
Placed along the sidewalk in our yard are six stones, each 10 to 12 inches in size. They are meaningful to me in that as a child I often played with them, they were my toys. They have two other reasons for me. They were found on the farm of my great grandfather for one. They were not local rocks. The story told me is that they came from a region in Europe. They were used as ballast on sailing ships. Sailing vessels of a bygone era had a tendency to tip over in bad weather. Rocks were put in the belly of the ship to serve as ballast and give the ship stability.
An old saying has its origin referring to them. The rocks aboard the ship were placed leaving a walkway between them and the walls of the vessel. The rolling of the ship in heavy seas often caused some of them to shift. This could injure or kill a sailor. The expression “don’t get caught between a rock and a hard place” originated as a result.
Aside from that, there is a better illustration resulting from the rocks as a ballast. Every life needs a spiritual ballast for stability. Other than the Lord Himself His word, the Bible, gives life stability amid the storms of life.
Isaiah’s wisdom shared with his people is still pertinent today. “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation…” (Isaiah 33: 6). Both give stability when the winds of adversity blow, as they are certain to do. Knowing that, why not get them “on board” in advance. They are certain to be needed. Don’t wait for the storm.
There is good news. There is a sufficient supply available for the asking.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1: 5 – 8).
There is a functional process. First, get the ballast of the word of the Lord on board. “Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2: 15).
Develop your own plan for reading and memorizing the Scripture. There are a number of good plans available on the Internet.
Summarily it is said of the Bible, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16).
Corrie ten Boom, who suffered the anguish and depravity of Nazi persecution, said of her ballast, “I’ve experienced His presence in the deepest hell that man can create. . . . I have tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them.”
The You Worthy of Being You
Is there anything about your life that can be changed that you would like changed, any habit, speech pattern, body type, act of conduct, or spiritual transformation? Would you like to change it? Are there people you think highly of that would like to see it changed? What is the major benefit that would result? If it can be changed there is someone who can change it – – – you.
We are far enough from New Year’s to make this more than a flippant fling that fades. This is to be a genuine energetic empowered effort. Why not go for it? Others have made a sustained 180 degree change. Wouldn’t it make you feel good and proud, the good type of proud? There is an egotistical kind of pride which is improper. There is another kind of pride that makes you ashamed not to be your best. That is the good and highly motivated kind you should have regarding all of life. Well then, go for it.
First get the Lord involved in it. Make sure it is something He would like to see and is willing to partner with you to achieve. Talk to Him about it. Ask Him to help you. Then commit yourself to Him, and resolve to give yourself fully to making the change.
Define clearly what you would like to change. Think what it is about it that you deep down genuinely dislike.
Next, give yourself a defined insight as to what you would like to see as a replacement.
Envision and list steps to be taken to reach your goal. Define each step as to what and when you would need to take each.
At the Battle of the Big Horn the Native Americans, Indians, were well organized. One detachment had long sashes around their waist, so long they went to the ground and were a couple of feet longer. They had a lance they drove through the sash deeply into the ground. This meant here I stand and will not under any effort be moved. Thus, they marked their territory and resolutely would be moved. That is the type of commitment you will need to make your desired change. Fix that image in your mind and tell the Lord of it.
Do you know someone who has made a dramatic productive change you can talk with about such a change? Don’t think you have to go about making your change exactly as they did. However, it can help you define your “work in progress” program.
Resolve “to put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness..” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
The Art of Deception XY
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters…” (“James 1:16-17).
In considering deception, be certain you avoid deceiving. Do unto others as you would like them to do to you. If you don’t like being deceived, don’t deceive others. Hold yourself accountable for your actions.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7-8).
This is embodied in the ageless dictum: You always reap what you sow. You always reap later than you sow. You always reap more than you sow. In summary, “actions have consequences.”
The Bible consistently warns against deception, both in the form of false teachings and personal deceit. Deception, at its core, is a manipulation of truth, and the scriptures emphasize the importance of guarding oneself against it in both spiritual and everyday life.
This line from the poem “Marmion” expresses a great truth, “Oh, what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
An old southerner in my youth introduced me to this simple, but significant truth, “One lie is the pappy of another.” In other words, once you lie you have to perpetually tell other lies to cover the previous ones.
God’s word keynotes the final filter is for truth to be central in every aspect of life. By staying rooted in God’s Word, cultivating spiritual discernment, and maintaining personal integrity, Christians can effectively avoid the traps of deception.
We are to remain vigilant and discerning, as deception often presents itself as truth, cloaked in righteousness. Similarly, in Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus cautions His followers to “watch out that no one deceives you,” referring to false prophets who would arise in the last days, claiming to represent Him. This reinforces the need for personal responsibility in verifying teachings and staying grounded in the truth of God’s Word.
A great deception results when a person clenches his or her fist and says, “It’s my life. I am the captain of this ship. No one rules this life but me! I will find my own way. I will be my own lord and savior, my own master, my own guide.”
The Bible urges believers to “put on the belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14). The term is used regarding spiritual warfare. The weapons for spiritual warfare are listed. Truth is one of the weapons. Having it at the waste means always having it available for both offense and defense.