A New Walk

When my children were young we used to play a game called, I went for a walk and while I was walking, the idea being that the first person would say something you would see outside, ie car, the next would add theirs ie daffodil and so on, and each time you had to remember every one, the winner being the last one who remembered them all. It was really good fun.

I went for a walk for a couple of hours the other day and I was thinking about this while I was walking in relation to my life: I went for a walk and while I was walking all around I saw play, bullying, abuse, work, sadness, hatred,  bitterness, envy, strife, debt, divorce, (need I go on)? 

And then I thought of my own life and what was in it, I went for a walk and while I was walking I saw, love, children, laughter, happiness, pain, sorrow, adultery, divorce, sin, shame, guilt……darkness.

I went for a walk and while I was walking I saw a cross, a crown of thorns, sweat, blood, taunting, anger, hatred, mocking, cruelty, curses, whipping, spitting, blasphemy, death, darkness, the Son of God, love, grace, mercy...

I went for a walk and while I was walking I saw Jesus.

I went for a walk and while I was walking I asked Him for forgiveness,

We went for a walk and while we were walking I experienced, love, joy, forgiveness, peace, light, new life, eternal life. We went for a walk and while we were walking I stumbled, faltered, doubted, I asked for help. We went for a walk and while we were walking He was gentle, kind, compassionate, long suffering, forgiving, He answered my prayer.

We went for a walk and while we were walking we saw lost souls in darkness.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

We went for a walk, and we’re still walking, care to join us?

 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

No Longer in Debt

I had a wonderful afternoon at the Home and Family meeting at the Home League at Ripley Salvation Army on Tuesday. Pamela took the meeting and she talked about colours, she asked us what our favourite colour was and why, and then discussed the colours that are in the Bible asking which the first colour is that is mentioned, I'm afraid to say that not one of us could remember (I guess we were all having a senior moment):

Genesis 1:30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

She mentioned several other colours and where they were in the Bible, her main message being that we have been forgiven through the blood of the Lamb, our sins were scarlet but are now as white as snow.

I found the whole meeting to be such a blessing, and an encouragement and I thank God for the message that was given to us.

She talked also about how we mention colours to express things but due to time overtaking her she didn't have time to elaborate, I thought about this when I got home the various things we say, if we are well we say “I am feeling in the pink”, when we feel down we say “I’m feeling blue”. If someone is angry we’ll say “Leave them alone they are in a black mood”. When we are in the debt we are in the red. And that is just what we are if we do not know the Saviour, we are in debt and we don’t even know. There is not one person on this planet that is not a sinner, the Bible tells us that:

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, But there is an answer to our sin:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The debt has been paid; I am no longer in the red!