11-22-2022

Good Morning All,

Isaiah 30:21; “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

    A recent study stated the average person makes over 5000 decisions a day.  No wonder you are tired at the end of the day!  You made the decision to get up and what time.  You decided what to eat for breakfast or not eat it at all.  You decided what to wear, when to read this email, whether you watch TV or read the newspaper, whether to go out or stay in, the list goes on.  As you can see most of our decisions aren’t that important, or so we think.

    It is estimated that 40% of the food purchased in the United States is thrown away.  We buy it and don’t like it, we buy too much, we forget we bought it; all decisions which we made.  Some decisions don’t seem that important at the time but can have a big impact down the road.  A cutting remark or a kind word that was left unsaid can cause much pain.  On the other hand, a word of kindness or cheer can lift the day of the person who hears it.

    We often read the Bible or listen to sermons which exhort us to show God’s love to all.  Too often, we have the grandiose visions of working in a soup kitchen or something that we maybe don’t have the time to do.  We think that to do God’s Will requires so much that we only see our failure, our inability to do it.  The devil wants you to believe that, but God tells us something different.

    Jesus told his disciples that He would send “The Comforter” or the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit would “bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  The Holy Spirit is that voice that you hear saying “This is the way, walk in it.”  This is the right thing to say or do.  It is the Spirit whispering in your ear what to say and do.  Too often we ignore or miss what the Spirit says to us and in doing so we fail to walk in the path of good works which God has created for us to do.  Too often, we think that they are insignificant events, and we never hear the Spirit.

     These are all those little decisions that we think are unimportant but can be the Spirit speaking to us.  So next time, be sure to say thank you to the gal at the check-out counter or to the guy working in the produce aisle.  Say thank you to the nurse or dental assistant.  Speak a kind word to the waitress.  Most of all speak a word of love to your family members.  When the Spirit whispers in your ear to go this way; go that way.

     Doing God’s Will might be working in a soup kitchen, but it is also showing kindness to strangers or even people we know.  Showing them kindness, not because we want something out of them, but because we want to do something for them; something which God wants us to do as His witnesses.

Gracious Father, too often we fail to listen to your Word or to act according to what we hear.  Forgive us in our slowness to love as You have loved us and walking in the paths which You have laid out for us.  Give us the courage and wisdom to hear your Word and to act as Your Will moves us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen. 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret