Walking the Paths of Righteousness By Ann Broughton

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand”

(Psalm 37: 23-24 NIV).

    Have you ever stumbled in your Christian walk?  Did you give in to temptation?  Did you repent right away or did you continue to stumble along in the darkness?  None of us are perfect and it is inevitable that we stumble and sin, but if we walk with the Lord, He will convict us of our sins so that we can get back on the right path.

    My husband and I like to hike by the Maumee river. I love to stare up at the trees and watch the clouds float by. Now if I try this on my own I have a tendency to stumble over roots. One time I even fell. But if I put my hand around Rick’s arm, he guides me around obstacles so I won’t fall down. I blissfully stare up at the leaves and clouds, not worried because he is guiding me down the path. If I stumble a little he holds me up so I won’t fall. I know I am safe in his hands because he loves me and would never let me get hurt.

    My Father in heaven is my guide as I walk along the paths of righteousness, especially when I give Him the control of my life. When I wander and do my own will, I find myself falling down and feeling sad because I sinned. But then my Savior reaches out His hand to me as I repent and shows me mercy. One of my favorite verses is: “I lift my eyes to hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip” (Psalm 121: 1-3 NIV). If I trust God, pray, read the Bible, and try to live a life pleasing to Him, he will always be there for me, even when I stumble and sin.

    This week if you find yourself stumbling and sinning, make sure you repent immediately and ask God to help you walk in His way instead of the world’s way.

Dear Lord,

Please always be my guide in this life on earth. Catch me when I stumble and lead me back to the paths of righteousness. Thank you for loving me and showing me your grace and mercy when I fall.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Serving God Together by Ann Broughton

“Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).

    Do you attend church regularly? Is it important to you to worship the Lord one day a week and take that time to lay aside your thoughts about your work or home and just concentrate on God?  When God made the commandment “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy”, He knew that everyone needs to rest and remember who God is.

    When I go to church I am there to worship my wonderful Savior, who loves me in spite of my weaknesses. I worship Him in song and think about the words as I lift up praises to God. The words of the praise songs are so powerful and meaningful. That part of the worship time is so very important to me. It makes me feel so very close to God.

   The sermon is from the Bible and helps me learn more about God and His love for me. Communion helps me remember the sacrifice Jesus made for me for my sins. I recall my sins from the past week and repent during this time. I pray that God will give me the strength to handle the challenges of life and not give in to temptation.

   I love to talk to my Christian friends and encourage them after the service. That is what is so very important about meeting every week. We all need encouragement and prayer just to get through the tough times in our lives. My Christian friends have never failed me when I needed them to pray with me over concerns. They are glad to pitch in and help out with any worthy cause to help out others in need also. You see people are the “church”, and it is those people who can show others what being a Christian really is about: serving others. It is all about service and loving others as you would want them to love you. I hope that you are a member of a loving congregation and that you attend every Sunday to worship God and encourage one another.

 Dear Lord,

Help me to be committed to you and take time each week to attend services and meet with my Christian family. I know that we all need to serve you together so that others will see our love for one another and want your love in their hearts also.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

Are You Listening by Ann Broughton

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..” (James 1:19 NIV).

    When was the last time you really listened to someone with compassion?  I believe that listening has become a rare art in our society, mainly due to texting. So many people are texting to one another instead of talking to someone one on one. How can you see what the other one is thinking with their gestures and eyes? A lot of communication is just not the words spoken, but by facial expressions and body gestures. Everyone has the right to be heard fully, and to feel like what they say is very important. It is called respect, and I am afraid it isn’t taught to our children near enough. When someone is speaking to you, listen, do not interrupt, look into the person’s eyes, and don’t think about anything else except what that person is saying to you. Summarize what they said, “So you are saying…..”  Then think before you answer. It might be good to even pray for wisdom when you are answering someone who needs advice.

    Sometimes people just need someone to unload their problems onto. That is where Christians can be so very helpful. We are to be compassionate just like Jesus, so listening to problems and truly caring for the person is so very important. Tell them that you will pray for them too. Sometimes you will not have the answers, but some people don’t necessarily want answers, they just want someone to empathize with them.   Ephesians tells us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). It is through listening to others’ problems that we, as Christians, can show the love of Christ to others.

    My challenge to you this week is to truly listen to those around you. Focus on what they say, look at them in their eyes, and show compassion. Refrain from speaking until the person finishes what they are saying. Respect the person who is speaking to you, and behave towards them as you would want them to behave to you.

 Dear Lord,

Help me to be a good listener to others. Help me to treat everyone with respect and compassion knowing that is exactly what you did when you were here on the earth. Help me to show restraint when I want to interrupt when someone is speaking. I want to show your love in everything I do.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

A New Life in Christ by Ann Broughton

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV).

   Have you ever traded something in that was very worn for something brand new? Remember the feeling of happiness you felt? My car is in bad shape. You might say I am a little hard on vehicles. I have taken off both rear view mirrors and had them replaced. I hit a deer and had to have the door and fender fixed. I backed out of the garage and took my bike with me so the front fender got bent up. So you see I am anxiously awaiting the chance to get a new car so I can start all over again and try really hard not to put one dent on it. It is like I will have been given a new chance to prove that I can actually have a car and not get it dented whatsoever. I will keep you informed of my progress.

    This analogy can be related to our lives in Christ. When we accept Christ as our Savior we are given a new life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Isn’t that wonderful? Our sins are forgiven. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV).

It is as if we have a clean slate in front of God all due to the fact that Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. Now we can stand before the Lord and say that Jesus took our sins and blotted out all of them. It is a wonderful feeling.

    This week thank God for the new life He gave you as a Christian. Walk in this new life as a witness to Christ. You are a new creation and can show His love to others in an outstanding way. JUST DO IT!!!

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for the new life you have given me through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Help me to be a living example of showing your love to others, and help me to always display your character in everything I do. 

In Jesus' name,

Amen