“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”.     As I read those words in my morning Bible reading recently, my mind went back many years ago to the time when we HAD put confidence in what people had told us and were badly let down. We were contemplating buying a commercial building with two tenants leasing it. The tenant downstairs seemed reliable enough, but the we had some doubts about the ones upstairs. We asked them how long they were likely to need the lease for, and they said as long as they didn’t expand, there was no likelihood of them moving. So with that assurance, we bought the building.

For a few months, everything went well, and then the tenants upstairs gave notice that they were moving but would continue paying their rent until the end of their lease in six month’s time. This was a blow that we had hoped we wouldn’t have to face. Once the lease ran out, we were left with only half the income we had budgeted for. As time went by we were unable to lease out the top floor….people said it was either too big, or there wasn’t enough parking. It was certainly never classed as being too small by any prospective tenant!

Things were not easy and we began to wonder if we had made a mistake in “putting our confidence in man “. We had prayed about the proposition before buying it and done our homework as thoroughly as we could, but now the only conclusion we could come to was that we must have made a mistake in buying the place.

During this time, my morning Bible reading was about the time when the Lord told His disciples to row across the lake, all the time knowing what was going to happen. He knew the storm was going to come and toss them about. Yet He still told them to go. They hadn’t made a mistake in setting off across the lake….they went at His bidding. He didn’t divert the storm, He allowed things to work out their course.  He knew He would meet them in their hour of desperate need and calm the storm.

After reading this story, my mind settled down somewhat. We hadn’t made a mistake after all, the Lord just wanted to teach us that He was in control and would release us from the situation eventually. It didn’t happen overnight but the building did eventually sell and we were released from the situation we were in. How relieved we were and overjoyed at not having to go through this hard time any more!!

I now know that whatever comes our way, God is always in control. If things are easy, we must give Him thanks, and when things come tough, we are to tighten our belts (figuratively) and still give Him thanks that things are no worse than they are! Above all, we are not to put our confidence in what people tell us, but to always trust in God and what He says in His Word.

“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

As I read these verses from Matthew 7:13-14, it made me realise that every person is confronted with the gates of choices in their life. One gate is wide and the way looks easy with crowds of people going along in a downward direction, while the other gate is small, with a narrow path beyond leading upwards and not many people going that way. But what a difference the end result is! One leads to destruction and the other one leads to life.

Our Lord tells people to seek to enter the narrow gate leading to life but this gate is too narrow to allow any baggage through. There is no room for the suitcase of possessions or the bag of good works. There is not even space to squeeze through with the backpack of pride, to say nothing of towing in the trolley of sinful ways and habits! All these have to be left on the outside of the narrow gate….there is only room for the under clothing of contrition and a broken spirit with confession of our need. All our good deeds and self righteousness are nothing more than filthy rags in God’s sight!

Once through the gate, the Lord provides clothes of righteousness and a robe of salvation. He gives us new songs to sing, and peace of mind with a light and joyful heart to travel the path. When trials and difficulties come (and they will) He is there to help and to take us by the hand, telling us that His grace is more than enough to see us through.

There really is no option as to which choice is the better one of the two….let’s make sure we all find this way that leads to unending life with the Maker of the Universe.

   It was one of those days when the clouds race across the sky, giving patches of shade and sunshine. As a big shadow covered the sun and the warmth faded, it made me realise that shadows cannot hurt us. They may take the warmth and joy out of the day while they linger, but they will always pass and the sun will shine again. We go through bad times, and then find that time does heal the losses we have experienced, and the hurts we have suffered.

There is a well known verse in the Bible that sums it all up….Yes, even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You (God) are with me, and Your rod and staff comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) We can know God’s comfort if we look to Him for it, but unless we roll all our cares on Him and leave them there, we cannot know His peace that passes all our understanding.

Pilate asked Jesus Christ “What is truth?” There was the One who is the Truth standing before him and he didn’t recognize truth when he saw Him!

The modern ideas of what Truth is, is that it is relative…what feels right for you, is truth! They say absolute truth doesn’t really matter; partial truth is good enough! People rewrite history to suit present day concepts; e.g. no holocaust, and religious truth is what suits you, what you “think” !

People don’t like the  truth because they are innately rebellious and the truth shows them up….it is light in a dark world.

These are all popular ideas, so much so that even Christians begin to subscribe to them. We are being brainwashed every day by what we watch on TV, until we too have the same ideas without realising it.

All these ideas are contrary to what the Bible teaches, and we must continually put the measuring rule of God’s Word against them. It is God’s standard  for truth; God’s Word is true from the beginning and the Lord Jesus is the prime example of One who stood for the truth in every way!  He was completely honest in every word, thought and action, and completely without sin. He is the only way to God, and the world says this is too narrow.  They say we must be more liberal and tolerant. Sin is NOT tolerant once it has a person in its grip…it is merciless and cruel.

Jesus said that the way to life is on the narrow road which only a few find, because the majority are not willing to follow God’s rules. Common sense tells us that certain “narrow” rules must be adhered to…road rules must be followed to prevent carnage, football rules must be adhered to or there won’t be a game, phone numbers must be correct or the right person won’t be reached, natural laws must be obeyed (fire will burn you, if you fall from a height you will get hurt). Truth IS narrow!

Let’s make sure that we as Christians do not allow the world to “squeeze” us into its mould and way of thinking.

The big dog was curled up on the front deck of the house. He looked an absolute picture of misery, with no life or interest in anything. He knew that his family had gone away and left him, and he was going to guard things until they got back. He knew the day before they had left that something was in the wind by the way the missus was packing things up….there was just a general feeling of unrest around the place. And then those other people were back. He wasn’t too sure of them, even though they had been coming and going to their caravan that was parked up the back by the workshop over the last few weeks.

All day he lay there with his head on his paws, and one ear cocked just in case his family came back. He barked all night almost without stopping, at least the people in the caravan thought so. They said to each other, “He’s going to be a little horse (hoarse) in the morning”, and then laughed at their little joke.

Needless to say he was very tired the next day, and slept until mid afternoon. Then he got up and trotted down the track to the caravan with his ears up. He looked like a different dog. He was alert and back to his old happy self. He even smelt the new missus all over when she talked to him.

It was almost as though he had said to himself, “Well, it’s no use moping here by myself, I might as well make the best of it!”

        The dog on guard by the caravan.

From then on, he guarded the caravan and kept the people there company.  As we watched him lying there with one eye cocked on the goings on (not that there were many!) we couldn’t help thinking how like life this is.

We come to a bend in the road and all seems dark and miserable. We think that things are never going to be the same again, and maybe they won’t be. But there is no use moping about it. The dog couldn’t bring his people back by moping, and neither can we. We may as well get up and go on straight away instead of remaining miserable and making others miserable in the process.

There is a passage in the Bible that says …..          God’s way is perfect! The promise of the LORD has proven to be true. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.         Who is God but the LORD? Who is a rock except our God? God arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like those of a deer and gives me sure footing on high places. He trains my hands for battle so that my arms can bend an [archer’s] bow of bronze. (Psalm 18:31-34)

    We all have enemies at times….enemies of doubts, fears and disappointments. When they seem about to engulf us, we can call on God for His help. He promises this to everyone who will take His salvation as the next verses go on to say….. You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me. Your gentleness makes me great. You make a wide path for me to walk on so that my feet do not slip. I chased my enemies and caught up with them. I did not return until I had ended their lives. I wounded them so badly that they were unable to get up. They fell under my feet. You armed me with strength for battle. You made my opponents bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.  (Psalm 18:35-39)

      A bird is free in the air, and out of its environment in the water; a fish is free in the water and out of its depth on the beach. A human being is out of his natural environment both in the water and in the air (without some outside aids).

Have you ever seen videos of a penguin walking up the beach? He waddles along looking most awkward. Then when he flops down over the rocks heading towards the tide again, he looks most ungainly until he drops into the surf. He becomes a different creature, and we can hardly believe how swiftly and gracefully he swims under water…..this is his natural habitat, and the camera finds it hard to keep up with him.

So it is with a Christian, who is only totally free while walking in obedience to the Lord…..he is out of his depth while walking without Him, living only for himself and  floundering along with no peace of mind. Let’s make sure we aren’t like this.