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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #1,016 January 24, 2004 Staying Upright Genni the wonder dog and I were out for our late night stroll yesterday evening. We'd had a fresh snowfall, and the snow was up to her belly, so we stuck to the pathways that had been cleared. The underlying walkways were pretty slippery, so as I normally do under those conditions, I took along my walking stick. I've had a few, including some that I carved faces into. This one is pretty basic though. It's a straight grained hardwood shovel handle. I cut it down to the ideal length for me. I drilled a hole through it at the top to hold a lace for my wrist, and I put a rubber tip from a walker on the bottom for added grip. Other than a small carved cross there's no adornment at all. It's a handy tool for helping keep me upright under bad conditions. As I've said before, I tend to be a bit of a klutz, so winter walking is a bit of an adventure at times. The stick gives me stability. It's also great for things like keeping loose dogs at bay. More than once it's kept aggressive dogs out of biting range. It ain't fancy, but it's reliable and works just fine. For me that's what counts. It's not the only simple tool I used to keep upright under bad conditions. I use God's Word. Like my walking stick, it might not be flashy, or "new", but it's ideal for the task and nothing works better. Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:15 NIV Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. Psalms 25:8-10 NIV Until next time, may the Word of the Lord be written on your heart and keep you upright no matter what you face. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin OUR GOD IS Our God is the source of wisdom. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:24 NIV YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus as Saviour, you are upright in heart My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. Psalm 7:10 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING Perhaps you haven't been able to find a way to stay upright. You fall into one sin after another. It isn't a surprise, because without Jesus none of us can stand upright. Jesus alone can keep us upright in our hearts, and pick us up when we've fallen. Will you let Him do that for you? You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2001-2004 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Ministries International - All Rights Reserved
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