“And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”

Hebrews 12:13–15

Bad habits are like comfortable beds—easy to get into but hard to get out of.

An elderly teacher, with a pupil by his side, took a walk through a forest. Suddenly he stopped and pointed to four plants close at hand. The first was just beginning to peep above the ground, the second had rooted itself pretty well into the earth, the third was a small shrub, while the fourth was a full-sized tree. The tutor said to his young companion, “Pull up the first plant.” The boy did so eagerly, using only his fingers. 

“Now pull up the second.” The youth obeyed but found the task more difficult. “Do the same with the third,” he urged. The boy had to use all his strength to uproot it. “Now,” said the instructor, “try your hand with the fourth.” The pupil put his arms around the trunk of the tall tree and couldn’t even shake its leaves. “This, my son, is what happens with our bad habits. When they are young, we can remove them readily; but when they are old, it’s hard to uproot them, though we pray and struggle ever so sincerely.” 

Someone once said, “Habits start out as cobwebs and end up as cables.” When a habit begins, it feels different and even sometimes awkward. Remember when you first learned how to ride a bike or how to tie your shoes? It took regular practice and determination to develop that habit.

A habit is developed through the repetition of a thought or action. The more you do something, the more permanent it becomes in your life. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. The more you read your Bible, the more permanent taking time to read the Bible becomes in your life. But on the other hand, the more you spend time in sin, the more permanent a sinful lifestyle becomes in your life.

How do you avoid sinful habits? Hebrews 12:13 says, “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” By keeping your path straight and your eyes focused on Christ, you can develop good habits rather than bad ones. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He can help us break the habit of continually sinning.

We all have habits in our lives. Whether it’s what time we wake up in the morning or which route we take to work, we have daily patterns that we follow. So what are your habits? Have you fallen into some bad habits? Maybe a pattern of sin has overtaken your life and you don’t know how to fix it. Follow the guide in Hebrews 12:13, and set straight your course. Develop the habits and patterns God has laid out in His Word, and let Him give you the victory over the habit of continual sin. —By Dr. Paul Chappell

But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. –Isaiah 64:8

During the Great Depression, a good man lost his job, used up all his savings, and forfeited his home. His grief was multiplied by the sudden death of his wife just weeks later. The only thing he had left was his faith, and it had been weakened.

One day, the man walked about looking for work when he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a church building. One of the men skillfully chiseled a triangular piece of rock that didn’t seem to fit in the formation they were creating. So the man shouted to the artist, “Where are you going to put that?”

The man pointed toward the top of the building and said, “See that opening up there near the spire? That’s where it goes. I’m shaping it down here so it will fit up there.”

Tears filled the poor man’s eyes as he walked away. The worker’s words rang clear and spoke deeply to his heart giving new meaning to his difficult situation.

You may be reading this and going through a difficult time yourself right now. It may be something even too troubling to talk to anyone about. But you can know for certain “that all things work together for  good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Each blow of the hammer and chisel in your life may hurt.

But have faith. These difficulties are only temporary! Sometimes the most painful blows bring about the greatest inner strength. Keep praying and believing that the Master is shaping you down here so you will be fit up there.

 Ask the Lord to turn your tragedy into triumph, and strengthen your spirit when life painfully hammers you from all sides.(Senior Living)

Just as suffering prepared Jesus for His ministry as our High Priest (Heb.4:14-15) the believer’s trials help prepare him for some future service. God knows exactly what is needed and He never puts more on us than what we can bear, if we but trust Him.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”-Matthew

 5:14-16

One could spend hours pouring over stories of missionaries who have left homelands and families to spread God’s light of salvation to foreign lands. While certainly stories are told of Hudson Taylor, William Carey, and Robert Moffat, many missionary stories go untold, one of which is the story of Dr. John Geddie.

Dr. Geddie and his wife Charlotte left Nova Scotia and sailed 20,000 miles to the remote country of Aneiteum in the South Seas of Asia in 1848. A few months before the Geddies landed, a British ship had shipwrecked on a nearby island, and all passengers had been murdered and disposed of by the cannibalistic inhabitants. As the Geddies watched their ship sail away, they felt fear, worry, and trepidation about what would become of them. Yet despite their fear, they knew God had ordered their steps to Aneiteum, and they would trust Him for protection. Determined to convert the natives, John wrote in his journal that night, “Though severed now from those with whom we could take sweet counsel, we are not alone. We have His promise, at whose command we have come hither, ‘Lo, I am with you alway.'”

John and Mary Geddie worked in Aneiteum for twenty-four years, laboring to learn the language, translate the language from spoken to written word, teach forgiveness to revengeful people, and spread the Gospel of Christ to a morally deficient country. By the grace of God, the Geddies were able to see many come to trust Christ. After they left, a memorial was erected in Dr. Geddie’s honor. Etched on the memorial are the words, “When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians. When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.”

The only light the people of Aneiteum had were the lives of John and Mary Geddie. They didn’t have a Bible, a nearby church, Gospel tracts, or Christian books. Certainly in this instance we can see how the Geddies’ work was so vital among these people. Yet just as vital as their work was in Aneiteum, so our work is vital where we are.

Sometimes Christians become complacent in their faith, believing the command to “be a light” is not as important in today’s world. Surely someone will hear of Christ through a church, book, outreach campaign, or another believer. Yet God has placed you specifically where you are so you can be a light to those around you. –By Dr. Paul Chappell

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. —Psalm 71:9

Once, older people were revered for the wealth of knowledge and wisdom they possessed. Today they are often treated as an inconvenience. They are shoved aside and ignored. Certainly, this is not true in every case, but that is happens at all is a tragedy. Older men and women are gifts from God. They are the conquerors in this life. They have fought the battles, and they have war stories to tell that can benefit us all. To have lived a full and fruitful life should be a joy, not a burden. In a society gone youth crazy, the need for the elderly is greater than ever. They provide the balance we need. Theirs is the voice of reason and experience. Theirs are the spirits of perseverance and triumph. They have walked our roads before us, and they can guide us when times get rough. Reach out to the older branch of God’s family. Reach out and grasp the treasure.

 

 As I grow older, Lord, let me not worry whether or not I will be welcome. Open my heart to older people, and have me treat them as I will one day want to be treated.–Wisdom From The Psalms