“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober , and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy. “1  Peter 1:13-16

One of the first lessons I learned as a surveyor was that magnetic north is not true north. On occasion we had to go out at night to take what we called “a star shot” with the transit to establish true north. I thought of that when I read  the following by Pastor Jack Graham. He said:

A story is told about a sailor hundreds of years ago who was given charge of a ship overnight while the captain slept. It was his first time to have full command of the ship, and the only directive he was given was to sail due north, toward the North Star.

“Okay, Captain,” the young sailor said. “So should I just come wake you when we sail past that star?” The captain looked at him and said, “Son, we will never sail past the North Star. It will always be our guide to true north. It never changes!”

In much the same way, the statutes and ways of God are our true north. They’re our guide in life as we pursue holy living. And while we’ll never pass them, we can look to them and know the direction to go that will lead us down the path of godly living.

Never forget your true north… it’s the very character of Christ Himself. Pursue godly living by following your North Start: the Word of God and the Spirit of God. As long as you are heading in the right direction, you can be sure you’ll stay on the path toward Christlike living!

“Be careful for nothing..”. – Philippians 4:6
Knowing we are under God’s watchful eye we have no need to worry. Being aware that He is aware of our needs gives us assurance. Conscious of the fact that He cares for us we can “Be careful for nothing”, as He commands. Of this glorious truth James Smith wrote:

“The Lord careth for us. He knows our wants, and has promised to supply them; our foes, and will deliver us from them; our fears, and will make us ashamed of them. All creatures and things are in His hand, and at His disposal; all circumstances are absolutely under His control.

He directs the angel, feeds the sparrow, curbs the devil, and manages the tempest. He is thy FATHER. His love to thee is infinite. Thou art His delight. His dear son. His pleasant child. Will He neglect thee? Impossible. Cast then thy cares upon Him. Tell out all thy desires, fears, and troubles to Him; let Him know every thing from thee, keep nothing back; and then in the confidence of faith expect Him to fulfil His word, and act a Parent’s part.

Bless Him for all He has given, for all He has promised; plead with Him for all you may need; but never for one moment, or under any circumstances, distrust Him. He cannot love thee more. He is a present help. He will make all His goodness pass before thee. He will rejoice over thee to do thee good, with His whole heart, and with His whole soul.

Then let me banish anxious care,
Confiding in my Father’s love;
To Him make known my wants in prayer,
Prepared His answer to approve.”

“I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” –Habakkuk 3:18

The Ruin Pictured— vs. 17 “ Although the fig tree shall not blossom , neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail , and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:“

The Resolve Promised–vs. 18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD….”

The Reason Proclaimed—vs. 18 “..the God of my salvation” & vs.19

The Results Predicted–vs. 19 “The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places..” Notice the words “is” and “will”–because of who God is we can predict what He will do, and it’s all good!

The Reasoning Pondered
Several years ago I came across this statement and, although the author is unknown to me, it has blessed my heart greatly: “If ever, as we pass through this wilderness, we feel one drop of solid joy, of true happiness, it must flow, it can flow only from one source–the manifestation of Christ to our souls. This joy may be very transient–we may have to look upon it through a vista of many years; and doubts and fears may becloud the mind whether we ever rejoiced truly in Christ, or whether our joy might not have been “the joy of the hypocrite” that perishes. And yet we are brought to this point–we can find true joy and peace in Him alone. Sin, the world, the things of time and sense, business, amusement, pleasure so called, afford now no lasting joy; there is an aching void, a feeling of dreariness and misery connected with everything short of divine communications of mercy, favor, and love. So that though we may not be enabled to say, ‘we greatly rejoice at all times, in all places, at all seasons, in the Lord;’ yet we can come to this point–we can rejoice in no other; we can take real pleasure in nothing else. One smile from the Lord, one word from his lips, one gracious breaking in of the light of his countenance does, while it lasts, communicate joy; and from no other quarter, from no other source can a moment’s true joy be drawn.”

“Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death“– James 1:15

Sin may bring you pleasure. Sin may bring you wealth. Sin may even bring you a certain degree of satisfaction. But ultimately sin will only bring you death.

As the pastor James wrote these words of warning, he no doubt knew how easily we forget the consequences of sin. We are often tempted to violate God’s law, which is for our own protection, in order to receive some promised gratification. But James shines the light into the future and reminds us that the end of every sin is death.

Are you flirting with a person other than your spouse, or committing mental adultery repeatedly in the privacy of your imagination? The pleasure of a forbidden relationship may seem tantalizing, but…

Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

Are you tempted to put your service to the Lord on hold in order to accept a much-desired promotion? The pay, the prestige may feel exciting, but…

Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

Have you been holding a grudge against another person, refusing to forgive them for some offense or injury? No matter how right or justified you may have made yourself out to be in your own mind…

Sin, when it is finished, brings froth death.

It is no accident, no wonder, then that James’ next words are simply, “Do not err, my beloved” (16). If sin is truly so serious, so dangerous, so deadly — why would we every toy with it at all?—Baptist Bible Hour

“…he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”–Hebrews 13:5

We often hear or read of a person expressing comfort this way: “I know she is with me.” Or, “I could sense him guiding me.” They are referring, of course, to a sense of the presence of a departed loved one. While the memory of a loved one can be a comfort in life—the memory of love, wisdom, and experiences shared—we have no biblical warrant for anticipating the presence of a departed loved one as we complete our journey through life.

But we have good news! We absolutely have biblical warranty for expecting the presence of Jesus Christ with us. The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian to make the words of Galatians 2:20 a reality: “Christ lives in me.” Christ promised His apostles He would be with them, and Mark noted how Christ worked with them as they spread the Gospel (Mark 16:20). The writer to the Hebrews affirms the same promise to all believers—we are never left alone in this life (Hebrews 13:5).

A mark of maturity in the Christian life is moving from believing that promise to  living as if we truly believe  Christ is with us. Consider today: What would that belief look like in your life?

God has never promised to solve our problems. He has not promised to answer our questions… He has promised to go with us. –Elisabeth Elliot (Turning Point)