Walk in My Shoes

I have a closet full of shoes; some of which I need to get rid of. However, my shoes are important. They need to fit just right. I do not want them too tight or too loose. When my feet ache, my body does too. 

     Actually, my daughter hates to go shoe shopping with me because I am so picky about the way a new shoe will fit and feel. I like shoes to look good but, more importantly, is how they support my feet. 

     When I consider shoes for my feet, I think back to the Israelites, and in Deuteronomy, I am told, “Your feet did not swell during these forty years.”  God protected His people, and they wore the right shoes at the right time. 

     Then, in Joshua, Moses said, “The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance…”  I like to think that my feet are walking on the land where God intends me to be. I certainly need the right pair of shoes to tread these paths.

     In 1 Samuel, I found, “He will guard the feet of His faithful servants…”  With this verse I trust that wearing the proper shoes in the right places at the right times will keep God close to my side.  

     Psalm 37 says, “The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.” Here again, by wearing the proper shoes with God by my side, I am far less likely to slip and fall. 

     Then there is Romans 10 which gives purpose to my feet. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  I simply must have on the right shoes to carry God’s news while being willing and able to “walk the distance.” 

 

 

 

 

God Wakens Me

I never know how many mornings God will waken me, but I know when He does, it is for a purpose. It is within His plans, and I rejoice. 

God Wakens Me

God wakens me,

But not just to be.

He wakens my eyes to see His beauty,

To see a need, 

To plant a righteous seed.

He wakens my ears to hear;

To listen, for He is near.

He wakens me morning by morning.

He wakens my thoughts to set the day;

To think to pray,

To prepare for, “come what may!”

To encourage a contentful day.

He wakens me in every way.

God wakens me, 

But not just to be.

He wakens my tongue for speech;

Giving words for outreach

And actions that teach.

God wakens me,

But not just to be.

He sets my face

And my pace.

He wakens and helps me stand,

He holds my hand through what He has planned.

God wakens me to trust in Him

And to sing a praiseful hymn. 

God wakens me morning by morning.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  12/30/2024 

 

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”  Isaiah 50: 4 NIV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions and Answers

My Daily Hope devotional this morning stated, "There is no other book in the world like it! (referring to the Bible) It has the answers to life's questions, including: Why am I here? Where am I going? What is the purpose of life? Does my life matter? What's the past? What's the future? Where did I come from?" 
     Thinking about these questions, I decided to attempt to give an answer as pertains to me.

Why am I here? To love Jesus and others

Where am I going? To heaven

What is the purpose of life? To worship God and tell others about Jesus

Does my life matter? It matters because God created me for a purpose

What's the past? A life filled with forgiven mistakes which I cannot redo but wish I could

What is the future? A life filled with hope and the reward of heaven

Where did I come from? From God; a creation formed by His hands. He breathed life into me

Former Days

I hate to admit it, but I am getting old and like to think of the “good ole days.”  I survived spankings from a switch I had to pluck off a peach tree. I survived rusty hot metal slides, toy guns, candy cigarettes, no seatbelts while riding in the back of a pick-up truck, and drinking from the same dipper in a water bucket in which everyone else had already drank. There were no locked house doors most of the time. I survived having no television, and even no phone for a small part of my early years. I even later had the joy of getting angry and being able to slam the receiver down on the phone. I made mud pies and probably ate dirt and went barefoot. I even learned to calculate math in my head. 
     When I think of the good old days, I do not think of crime, angry politicians, and the way people oppose each other, but it existed.  I have often been caught saying that my former days were so much better than they are today. However, I came across a scripture this morning which told me how wrong I have been. 
     “Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.” A following verse tells me, “Consider the work of God for who is able to straighten what He has bent?” 
     God created the former days and He is in the present days. One day is just as good as any other day. God uses every day to achieve His purpose. My purpose is to keep my focus on God, not on former days.