Trail Map

Sometimes, I am familiar with the trail that I am hiking, but many times, I am not. On those occasions, it is very helpful to have a trail map. The map informs me of my position and helps guide me to the finish. Without a trail map, I have gotten lost and put myself in danger.

Philippians 2:16 says, “holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Many times, we do not know which way to turn, and we can’t see the finish line.  Fortunately,  God has given us the map to show us the way that we should go, that is, the word of life, the Bible.

Life Insurance

We may buy life insurance, but it does nothing to protect our lives. It just pays our beneficiaries in the event of our death. Other insurance works the same way.  Auto insurance doesn’t protect the car but only pays for repairs. Health insurance doesn’t protect our health but pays for the services when we are ill.

And finally, Jesus instructs us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13) God is our protector from evil.   In the Bible, He is referred to as a shield about us, our rock, our refuge, a fortress, a stronghold, and our deliverer. Ask Him to protect you from evil and trust Him to surround you with His protection.

Preparation for Power

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the false arrest of Peter and John, the disciples were gathered together and they were praying. They praised God for the miracles that He had performed and asked God to grant them boldness in proclaiming the gospel.

Acts 4:30-31 says, “while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” God still eagerly desires to do marvelous works and to heal His people.   For our part, we should humbly pray and believe. His power has not diminished, and He will do mighty works for us and through us. Our unity in prayer unlocks and releases the power of the Holy Spirit.

Forgiven To Forgive

We have an unspoken social custom that says when we receive something from someone, we should find a way to repay the kindness or gift. Sometimes we try to get out from under the social norm by rationalizing why we think that we are not obligated to return the favor. At times, we may not be obligated to return the favor or we may be unable to do so. But the greater the kindness or gift given to us, the more we feel the pressure, at least internally, to return the favor.

The Lord’s Prayer continues; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) We receive forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through that most generous gift of grace and mercy we are forgiven, when we accept the gift by faith. Since we have so generously and graciously received forgiveness, we should also forgive when others offend us.

Entitlement

Today, we talk a lot about entitlement. The news and social media frequently report stories on people who seem to have a sense of entitlement, meaning that they expect certain things to be given to them. When this type of person does not easily receive what they feel that they are entitled to receive, they generally become loud and demanding.

Jesus’ instruction on prayer continues, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Jesus encourages us to ask for what we need, even the basic necessities. Asking for these things reminds us that He is our provider, who freely gives us what we need. When He answers our prayer, our faith becomes stronger when we remember to thank Him for His provision, which He is under no compulsion to provide, but rather gives out of His generous grace.