One thing that is important to note in this first section of the book of Judges is that many of the Judges mentioned are types of Christ.  The Book of Judges teaches a lesson on deliverance over and over again.  Here is a quick example fromChapter 4…did you know the name Jael is symbolic of Jehovah and Eloheim?  That Sisera is symbolic of sin?  And that the nail Jael smote into Sisera’s temple is representative of the atonement?

That is just one example…each of the Judges has a lesson to tell.

I hope you will forgive me for reminiscing, but over the weekend I became fascinated with Deborah, one of the Judges we already read about.  (For the record, I am also intrigued by Gideon, so if you don’t mind I will save his story for tomorrow.)  Then we will get back on track.

In chapter four we read, “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” (Judges 4:4)

Cassel, a Bible Scholar, explains that the term “wife of Lapidoth” could also have been translated in Hebrew to read “a woman of torch-like spirit.”

…Deborah, a prophetess, a woman of torch-like spirit, she judged Israel at that time.

From this moment forward that is the way I want to remember Deborah…as a woman with a torch-like spirit.  No wonder the children of Israel came up to be judged by her as she sat under the palm tree in mount Ephraim.  I am sure the spirit that she carried was inviting and wise.  It was also a spirit that prompted courage.

On the day that Deborah persuaded Barak to gather his army to fight against Sisera, who had nine hundred chariots of iron, Barak had only one request, “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.  And she said, “I will surely go with thee.”  (Judges 4:8-9)

Deborah’s torch-like spirit had the power to instill courage in others and to inspire them to follow the command of the Lord.

Where did this power come from?

Remember when we read that Deborah was a prophetess?  The scriptures teach that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelations 19:10)  Deborah’s strength of spirit came from her testimony of Christ.

After the army was defeated and Israel was delivered, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise.  In Judges 5:7 one verse of this song contains a sentence that is profound, “I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.”

A mother in Israel delivered the people from bondage.

A woman with a torch-like spirit.

A woman with the testimony of Jesus.

Have you ever taken the time to ponder how many mothers in Israel have been part of the process of deliverance throughout the generations of time?  Just now the thought of several come to mind… Mary the mother of Jesus.  Elizabeth.  The mother of Moses.  Hannah, who we are about to read about in Samuel.  The mother’s of the stripling warriors.

Sometimes we question the worth of women in the Lord’s plan.  The story of Deborah speaks loud and clear in this regard…  Never underestimate the power of a righteous woman.

Tonight I had the opportunity to speak to a group of young women about the YW theme this year…”Arise and Shine Forth.”   There was a sweet spirit that permeated that room, it was also a spirit of great power.  I listened as a young woman stood to explain a symbol of her belief.  She spoke of a logo that represents the light of Christ, inviting all to come unto Christ.

In that moment I was reminded of Deborah, a woman with a torch-like spirit, and I wondered…what if each of us in that room could become women with torch-like spirits?  What if we could become inspired, wise, courageous?  What if we could lead others to follow the Lord?

After the meeting was over we participated in an event I won’t ever forget.  Each young woman received a yellow balloon with a small light inside.

She was invited to write her testimony of Christ on a small piece of paper that was carefully tied to the ribbon on the balloon.

Once all of the girls had finished writing their testimony we walked out into the darkness of the night.

There, the girls gathered, holding a torch with her testimony.  A standard.

One that would arise and shine forth.

We watched those testimonies as they rose, illuminating the darkness.  Yellow torches against a black sky.

 A reminder of the mark a righteous woman can have on the darkness that surrounds us.

Tonight I have one desire…that I might be a little more like Deborah…

A woman with a torch-like spirit.

Filled with the testimony of Christ.

A righteous mother in Israel.

THE DAILY JOURNEY PDF FILE

Today I find myself concentrating on patterns.

Something repeated.

A set of instructions that act as a guide.

An example for others to follow.

A recurring sequence.

It is because I have noticed a recurring theme since we began reading on January first.  A lesson repeated over and over again.  A set of instructions given to each prophet and then passed on to the Lord’s people.  Interestingly, the history of whether each prophet and the people followed these instructions, and the consequence that followed their choice, has been left as a written example that we can follow today.

A pattern.

I love the example of this pattern found in Joshua 24.  In this chapter Joshua gathered all of the tribes of Israel with their elders, judges, and officers.  He told them first of their fathers who served other Gods, idols who did not feel after them.  Then he reminded them of the great blessings and miracles that had come when they had chosen to follow the Lord God of Israel.  Joshua spoke of the flood, the birth of Isaac, and the plague in Egypt just before the Lord delivered them.  He reminded them of the parting of the red sea, the wandering through the wilderness, and the fighting and possession of the land “for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them…”  And then he counseled, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.”  (Joshua 24:13-14)

He gave them an invitation that followed the pattern extended through each prophet who lived before him ––he invited them to turn their lives over to a God who would feel after them, who would watch over them, who would guide and protect them if they were willing to let Him.

It was their choice.

What follows next is the famous verse we are all so familiar with, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  (Joshua 24:15)  And the people answered, “therefore we will also serve the Lord; for he is our God.” (Joshua 24:18)

This pattern of making the commitment to believe in the Lord required several steps.  First, the people needed to remember the times they had seen the hand of the Lord in their life.  Second, they were required to make a conscious choice ––to choose the Lord God over God’s of idolatry.  Last, they covenanted to follow Him.

There was a name given to those who chose to follow the pattern.

“And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him.  And they said, We are witnesses.”  (Joshua 24:22)

Have you gone through the process of becoming a witness?  Have there been moments in your life when you have chosen the Lord over something else?  Do you remember the times when you recognized His hand in your life?  Have you covenanted to follow Him?  Is it a choice you make daily?

Throughout the reading so far this year we have seen this invitation extended repeatedly.

The stories of the people who chose to follow the Lord become to us a set of instructions that can act as a guide in our own life.  As we follow the pattern we, too, become an example for others to follow.

I love the scripture found in Isaiah which reads, “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servants whom I have chosen:  that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he…I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

Choose the Lord.

Become His witness.

He has already chosen you.

Several weeks ago Brother Butler pointed out something in the Old Testament that I have never thought of before.  It totally opened my eyes to see things from a very different view.  Since we are about to wrap up this journey through the wilderness and enter the Promised Land it seemed now would be the perfect time for him to share it.  So, I asked him if he would be willing to post the blog today…

Have you ever been to a corn maze?

I usually cheat at them.  But I won’t admit that here.  And that is not the point.

Last fall we went to a corn maze with the kids on a very cold night.  In order to get warm I went inside their mini museum.  I would not normally frequent a corn maze museum, but it really was that cold.  Inside they had pictures of all of the corn mazes they have done over the years.  The cool thing about the pictures is they were all taken from above.  It was in the museum that I discovered that I had just run through a corn maze that was shaped like the solar system.  Over the years, they have learned to cut through the corn to make pictures and images that can only be appreciated from a bird’s eye view.

Down inside the corn maze there is a lot of fun to be had, a lot of choices to be made, and a lot of corn to see up close and personal.

But part of the beauty of the maze cannot be seen from the ground.  There is a bigger picture.  One that might help you appreciate the maze a little more.

Today, lets zoom out and see what we might have missed running through the maze of the reading so far.

Here is a brief overview of the children of Israel to this point.

• Abraham and Sarah had their children and lived comfortably in the Promised Land.
• There was a family dispute.
• The children of Israel were sent to Egypt to improve their situation.
• A new Pharoah bound them as slaves.  They were in bondage.
• A boy was saved from a death order.
• The boy grows up to be their deliverer.
• On a given night, lambs are slain, and Israel is set free.
• They go down into the Red Sea and come out on the other side.
• They are lead by a pillar of fire.
• They are fed by manna.
• They journey to Sinai.
• They were given commandments, laws and ordinances.
• They wander in the wilderness for 40 years—still lead by a pillar of fire.
• The old generation dies off.
• Joshua leads them into the Promised Land.
• They are given their inheritances.

When you look at the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua from this far back, a beautiful pattern and picture begins to come to view.  A picture of the plan of salvation.

• A set of exalted parents live in the promised land with their children.
• There is a family dispute.
• The children are sent to earth to improve their situation.
• They are bound down by the “king” of this earth.  They are slaves to sin and death.
• A boy is saved from a death order.
• He increases in favor with God and man, and grows up to be a Deliverer.
• On a certain night, The Lamb is slain, and Israel is set free.
• They symbolize His death, burial, and resurrection by going down into the water and coming up and out again.
• They are lead by the Spirit of God throughout their journey.
• They are nourished by the good word of God.
• They journey to the temple.
• They live their lives in the wilderness of life—still lead by the Holy Spirit.
• Their old, natural man eventually dies off.
• Jesus (The Greek translation of Joshua) leads them back home to the Promised Land.
• They are given their inheritances.

For a month and a half I have put my kids to bed every night and then sat on my couch and journeyed with the children of Israel.  It is one of the best parts of my day.  It is exciting to discover that I have actually been reading my own story.   I feel more connected to them.  I empathize more.  I yearn more.  I drink in the words more deeply.  The story becomes more delicious to me.  I, personally, want to make it to Joshua chapter 15 where the inheritances are given to the faithful.  I want my family and friends to receive their inheritances right next to mine.  Getting me out of Egypt was the easy part.  Now getting Egypt out of me will be the miracle.  And I have my eye set on a land flowing with milk and honey and it motivates me to keep moving through this maze I am in.  So I walk through, remembering not to get too caught up in the corn, for there truly is a bigger picture.  I make my choices.  Sometimes I need to turn around.  Occasionally I will feel lost. But no cheating will be needed, for I am constantly being led.

“Thou art a great people, and hast great pwer:

thou shalt not have one lot only:

But the mountain shall be thine;”

Joshua 17:17-18

I have a raspberry garden.

It produces raspberries for most of the summer, and I love to eat them with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips.

For breakfast.

But the garden requires caretaking.  If I am not careful it can be overtaken by soft, willowy, green weeds.  Without constant watch care the weeds will eventually choke out the raspberries completely.

Every spring it is the same.

The task at hand overwhelms us.

We have to pay particular attention to every single weed.  None can be left behind…not even the very small ones…or the ones with a pretty, pink flower on the top.  The job requires that nothing be left undone.

It takes a long time.

We pull out every weed… one, by one, by one…clear to its roots, until none are left, so there is no chance of overtaking the raspberries.

When we are finished we rest…and observe our work, and wait for the fruit to grow.

The process reminds me of chapter 11 and 12 in the book of Joshua, when the people of Israel go to war against all of the cities in the Promised Land.

“As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.”  (Joshua 11:15)

He took all the land, and “Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.”  (Joshua 11:18)

Joshua left nothing undone…even though it took a long time.

Did you notice the list in chapter twelve?

The king of Jericho, one;

The king of Jerusalem, one;

The king of Makkedah, one;

Joshua checked them off…one, by one, by one…as they were conquered completely ––none left, so there would be no chance of Israel being overtaken.

I have to be honest.  I worried a little as I read these war chapters.  Were the women and the little children that dangerous?  Did they have to destroy every one?

In my worrying, I decided to ask Brother Butler about that.  He led me to 1 Nephi 17:32-35…

“And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.  And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay…this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fullness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them unto their destruction.”

I remember the raspberry garden and realize that sometimes a very small seed can quickly overtake a very large garden…and the Lord knows this…and He knows how to protect us against small things that could eventually destroy us.

My friend and I talked about this lesson.  She compared the people in the land to the sins of our lives.  We can’t just focus on the big ones, the dangerous ones.  We have to remember to work on the little ones, even the ones that seem innocent.  We must keep trying to conquer them until the day they are gone.

One day we will rest from this constant battle…but now we fight.

It might take a long time, but we must leave nothing undone.

The conquering will make us stronger…

I love the verse in Joshua 14: 11-12 when Caleb says, “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.  Now therefore, give me this mountain…the Lord will be with me.”

Very few women are mentioned within the accounts of the scriptures, and rarely are they mentioned by name.

For that reason I tried to give special attention to the story of Rahab that we read about yesterday and today.  I find myself wondering how, in a city so filled with wickedness, she came to hear the story of the Red Sea.  I am even more intrigued with the fact that her pondering upon that subject must have caused her to act.  For, somewhere between the parting of the Red Sea and the moment when two spies showed up on her doorstep, Rahab had come to know the Lord.  This becomes clear in her conversation with the two spies, “For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”  (Joshua 2:11)

Through the kindness of her actions in hiding them and sparing their lives, Rahab was promised a kindness from the spies… a promise that she would live through the destruction of Jericho.  But that wasn’t good enough for Rahab who wanted that promise extended to “my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters…” (Joshua 2:13)

In order to make sure she and her family would be saved in the moment of destruction, the two spies instructed her, “Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee…”  (Joshua 2:18)

“…and she bound the scarlet line in the window.”  (Joshua 2:21)

In Chapter six we read of the moment when Jericho was destroyed, “And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”  (Joshua 6:25)

Joshua saved Rahab.

My heart can’t help but be drawn to the symbolism in this story.

A young women whose heart had been prepared.  Two messengers who knocked on her door.

In that moment, prepared, she opened her heart and her home to the story they shared.  Through their conversation she came to know the Lord of Israel.  Once they had left, she shared that belief with her father, her mother, her brothers and her sisters.  Because she had allowed those two men entrance into her home, and through her faith, her entire family was saved.

My favorite image from this story is the scarlet thread hung in the window of her home.  It reminds me of the lamb’s blood carefully placed on each door in Egypt.  The scarlet thread  Rahab hung carefully in her window would serve as a reminder that her home was to be spared from the destruction.  Passed over.  Protected.

Each of us needs a scarlet thread in our window.  A reminder that just as Joshua saved Rahab, the Savior can save each of us.

I am led to ponder the atonement and the realization that to fully participate in the blessing of the atonement we cannot be a casual observer.  It is through our faith, our works, and our longing to know more of the Lord that we fully experience the blessings.  The protection.

For a moment I wonder if we could try to consider the scarlet thread moments of our own lives…the moments that lead us to participate in the atonement.

I am led to think about the Sacrament.

A reminder to always remember Him.

To take upon us His name so that we might be saved.

His name.

A scarlet thread.

The thought of it motivates me to begin preparing today for the Sabbath.

In that moment of Sunday worship I do not want to be just a casual observer.

I want to prepare my heart, just as Rahab did, to know more of the Lord, and to come to more fully understand His atonement.

Through my faith, and through my actions.

Waiting For the Promise by Elspeth Young

Ensign, September 2006

(Click on image to be directed to URL)

I am particularly fascinated with the journey of Joshua.

I love the lessons we learn from the moment Joshua gathered the people together next to the river Jordan.  It was clear that they couldn’t go back where they had come from, and yet there was a huge obstacle right in front of them.

What were they to do?

In that period of waiting, Joshua gave clear instruction of how they would prepare for the miracle that would allow them to journey forward.  He said, “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5)

The people knew where they had come from, but they did not have any idea where they were about to be led.  They didn’t know what the end would be.  They couldn’t possibly understand that promise that awaited them.  They had to trust Joshua and believe in a God that would do wonders in their behalf.

Just before the miracle happened Joshua asked the priests to take up the Ark of the Covenant and walk before the people.  Then Joshua told the priests to walk into the water carrying the Ark.  I try to imagine what kind of faith this must have required.  In my mind’s eye I can picture those Priests stepping into the river that was overflowing its banks because it was so full.  Joshua told the people that if they watched what was about to happen they would know that a living God was aware of them, and that he would deliver them “without fail.”  (Joshua 3:10)

I often wonder what thoughts filled their mind in that moment.  Were they apprehensive about the journey they were about to undertake?  Did they contemplate how they would cross that great expanse of water?

The lesson here is so clear ––they had to begin the journey, their faith had to be made manifest with effort, before the miracle would come.  And so they stepped into the brim of water, and then the waters “stood and rose up upon an heap” and the priests “stood firm on dry ground.”  (Joshua 3:16-17 emphasis added.)

My very favorite lesson from this story is found in chapter four.   Once they had crossed the riverbed, the Lord told Joshua to have 12 men find 12 stones from the very middle of the river to use for a monument on the other side. I imagine that the journey across the river was quite a trek.  These men probably had families, young children, and personal belongings they were required to move across this great riverbed.  Now, as if they had not shouldered enough, they were asked to go back and carry an added burden.   I am sure as they walked to the very middle of that riverbed they questioned the Lord.  Could they not set up a monument with stones from the far side of the river and still remember the journey?

But the Lord wanted stones from the midst of Jordan.

Once they had brought the stones out of the riverbed, Joshua had the 12 stones placed together as a memorial.  “And He spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?  Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.  That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty.” (Joshua 4:21-24)

These 12 men left a legacy to their families for generations to come of their testimony of the Lord and the great miracle of His hand in their life.  Years from that moment, when their children asked “what mean ye by these stones,” (Joshua 4:6) these fathers would point to the river, full to overflowing its banks, and speak of a time when they had walked to the very middle of the river, on dry ground, and carried those stones to the shore.

In that moment it would be their great privilege to testify of the miracles of the Lord.

What are your stones?

Do you keep reminders of the moments where you have seen the hand of the Lord in your life?

Perhaps today you could consider the miracles in your life and then find a way to remember them, so that in a time to come you might share those experiences with those you love.

This weekend we will finish Deuteronomy, we will say a final farewell to Moses, and we will be introduced to Joshua.

If you get a chance make sure you read Deuteronomy 24:5, Deuteronomy 26:11, and Deuteronomy 28:2-14 (and when you read this last one, take just a minute to wonder what it means for blessings to come on thee and to overtake thee.  I am fascinated by that promise…)

But today, if you don’t mind, I would like to introduce you to a possibilitarian.

What is a possibilitarian, you ask?

I love the definition by Norman Vincent Peale…

“Become a possibilitarian.  No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities ––always see them, for they’re always there.”

On Monday we are going to meet one of the greatest possibilitarians of all time.

His name is Joshua.

Remember when he went as a spy into the promised land?

Remember how he saw the possibilities?

Remember how he brought back a good report?

I have come to realize that being a possibilitarian requires courage and strength.  Two characteristics Joshua was blessed to have.

“…and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.  And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou MUST go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn…to give them; and THOU shalt cause them to inherit it.  And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee:  fear not, neither be dismayed.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)

Did you know that the Lord counseled Joshua to be strong and of good courage six different times between Deuteronomy 31 and the first chapter of Joshua?

On Monday we are going to begin to understand why Joshua needed that counsel.

It is because what he was about to do would require great strength.

And it would require courage.

But most importantly, it would require him to know that the Lord would be with him, withersoever he went.

Joshua teaches us that when you combine courage and strength with the companionship of the Lord you can expect miracles.

Possibilities beyond your expectations.

For it was Joshua himself who said, “tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”  (Joshua 3:5)

But I will save that story for Monday.

This weekend, in preparation for your introduction to Joshua, perhaps you could practice being a possibilitarian.

Find courage.

Gather Strength.

Allow the Lord to be with thee withersoever thou goest.

And then prepare to experience wonders.

Greet each day with an enthusiastic welcome no matter how it looks.

The covenant with God to which you are true

enables you to become enlightened by him,

and nothing is impossible for you.

(Elder F. Enzio Busche)

When thou goest out…be not afraid

For the Lord thy God is with thee.

Let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified.

For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you.

(Deuteronomy 20:1-4)

]]> http://dailyclosertochrist.com/2012/02/16/762/feed/ 7 http://dailyclosertochrist.com/2012/02/15/walking-after-the-lord/ http://dailyclosertochrist.com/2012/02/15/walking-after-the-lord/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:52:20 +0000 admin http://dailyclosertochrist.com/?p=740 Deuteronomy 11:25 – Deuteronomy 16:13

“…for the Lord your God proveth you,

to know whether ye love the Lord your God

with all your heart and with all your soul.

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God…

and keep his commandments, and obey his voice,

and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

(Deuteronomy 13:3-4)

Today my thoughts are focused on what it means to walk after the Lord.

I remember reading that phrase yesterday, “ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him…”  (Deuteronomy 11:22)

I want to learn how to do that.

So this morning I read through the chapters again and I found a hint, right there in chapter eleven verses 18-21.  Interestingly, those verses are a repeat of chapter six.

I have learned that when the Lord repeats something, it is important.  And I realize this walking after the Lord must be worth understanding.  And to really understand it I need to study the counsel He gave.  Twice.  In chapter eleven and in chapter six.

It is that counsel I want to think about today.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates…”  (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

These words…in thine heart.

My thoughts turn to the scriptures.  His words.  And I want to make sure I have made a place for them in my heart.

And that I teach them diligently to my children.

And that I talk about them when we gather together in our house.

And when I walk by the way.

I want to read them before I lie down.

And again, when I rise up.

And I want them to be constantly before my eyes…upon the walls of my home, written on the posts, and upon the gates.

These words.

So they will always be in my heart.

I have spent some time pondering how well I am doing at following this counsel.  Because I really want to learn how to walk after the Lord.  As I pondered, I was reminded of some of my favorite moments this week.

Josh and I went to visit my parents.

They pulled out their scriptures, and they taught us, and we talked about His words in their home.

And in a conversation with a dear friend,

we spoke of what we had read that day,

and how much we were enjoying this journey.

And just before we went to bed, Greg and I gathered all of the kids so we could read together.

And when we were done we each shared our favorite scripture from the reading that day…because that is what we like to do

…just before our family prayer.

And Meg and I found one of our favorite scriptures written on a small block of wood, and we bought for a gift for Josh so that every time he sees it he will remember.

Is this what it feels like, to walk after the Lord?

Because those moments have been some of the sweetest moments of my week.

Take a moment to reflect on your week.

Have you found sweet moments as you read the words of the Lord?  Are His words finding a place in your heart?

Is this journey helping you to walk after Him?

I wish we could have one evening to gather as friends and read His words together.  I wish that we could share our favorite verses from this journey so far…the words we have settled into our hearts.

But since that would be nearly impossible, perhaps we could gather here.

If you would like, maybe you could share a favorite scripture in the comment section of this blog.

Then we could strengthen each other by the way.

On our daily journey.

Walking after the Lord.