The Less Travelled Path

We have two Jack Russell Terriers, Milo and Millie who can be quite reactive to other dogs, Milo in particular, and I tend to choose the path that others are least likely to go on to limit any outbursts.

If I take the more popular path Milo will go wild when he sees another dog, which invariably sets Millie off too. They are barking and pulling and generally making a nuisance of themselves, the peace is shattered for miles around and I get anxious, hot and bothered, embarrassed and ultimately angry with them. All while trying to apologise to the other walkers whilst hanging on to two rabid creatures. Not a happy experience.

So having surveyed the land in front of me, I usually take the less used path walking three sides of a square before joining the main path rather than going straight down to it. Although further in distance it actually is easier doing this extended route as the dogs enjoy sniffing and mooching whilst I get peace and quiet listening to the skylarks singing overhead. In winter it has the added advantage of not being as muddy or slippery as it has less footfall. We all come back happy.

As I was walking them on Minchinhampton Common this morning the words "the less travelled path" came into my mind. In Jeremiah 6:16 it says: Thus says the Lord, "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls". In this verse God is telling us to search (study the scriptures) to find "the good way". If we do we will be rewarded by having rest for our souls. It is up to us to make that choice, we can either follow HIs ways or keep heading down a path that will end in misery and destruction. Keep walking the less travelled path.

As I am writing this I have the words of an old hymn going round in my head. They probably have no relationship with what I have said but they are such beautiful words I am adding them here:

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

tender to me the promise of his word –

in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!

Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;

his mercy sure, from age to age the same –

his holy name: the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!

Powers and dominions lay their glory by;

proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,

the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure:

tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

to children’s children and for evermore!

The Vine & The Branches

Picture credit to my earthly
 father, Robert Allen.

I was reminded today of the analogy my old boss, Bonham Bazeley, would give to demonstrate why you should prune a fruit tree and what happens when you do. He would tell you to imagine a hose pipe connected to a tap. When the tap is turned on water flows from the end of the hosepipe just as sap flows through a plant causing the tip to grow. If you then make slits in the hose pipe to represent the tight, dormant fruit buds along the stem, the water, initially will continue to flow from the end of the pipe. Put a bung in the end of the hosepipe and water will then be forced out through the slits - this is what happens when you prune the end of the branch so stopping the flow of sap to the tip and pushing it into the buds instead making them grown out.

In our house group we have been discussing the vine and the branches as Jesus talked about in John 15 and how God prunes those branches to produce fruit. Consider then that we are dormant buds and Jesus in the main stem with His feet firmly planted in the good soil. The Holy Spirit is represented by the sap and God is the gardener who comes along and lops of dead or unproductive branches that do not produce any fruit. The Holy Spirit comes and wakens us dormant buds and brings us to life so we burst forth bearing lots of beautiful fruit.

The process of being pruned seems painful at the time but God is the perfect gardener and knows what needs cutting out of us to produce fruit for Him.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2

Slow down and listen

As I work my way through the Bible I have decided to intersperse each book with a few Psalms. As they are so varied it does not matter if they are not done continuously and I feel that doing all 150 in one go might be too much. So, having finished the book of Philippians, I thought I would easily do my first ten this morning. Wrong!! Psalm 1 only contains six verses but after an hour and a half I was still finding lots of different things to think about. With so many Psalms to turn to we all have our favourites and I suspect, like me, this first one often gets missed although it is well worth a look at.

Perhaps God is trying to teach me about my "selfish ambition and conceit" which I only wrote about yesterday. I said I was going to study and finish ten Psalms this morning but He said, "No, one is enough, and do it well!"

This is what I learned from that Psalm today. You can choose to walk in one of two ways, either wickedly or righteously. The wicked will be driven away "like chaff that the wind drives away, and their way will perish." They will not be able to stand in the presence of God or even amongst the righteous on judgement day. How awful to be banished from the comfort and love of God's arms forever! It does not say they will perish (which would actually be a better outcome than living without God) but their ways will perish - no more sin. 

The righteous are blessed by not mixing with the wicked but, instead, "delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night". Verse 3 says, "In all that he does he prospers", which I don't think is meant to be a 'prosperity gospel' but by reading your Bible daily and meditating on it you more likely to be tuned in to what God's plan for you it and will follow it. If you do what God wants He will make it a success and provide everything you need to make it happen. It says you will prosper in all that you do, not that you will have lots of material possessions. Think of Paul - he certainly prospered in spreading the gospel and glorifying God but he definitely didn't have an easy life with lots of money and nice houses. He suffered physically but was spiritually very rich.

So, to conclude, to be blessed we should study our Bibles, listen to what God wants us to do and do it. By so doing He will help us succeed. Do not be rejected, worthless, empty and without God, like the chaff blown away by the wind. And do not be conceited and think you are able to race through your studies - God wants you to slow down and listen.

Rejoice in the Lord, always.

As I started a study of the book of Philippians I thought it would not take me long as there are just four chapters and I would quickly whizz through them. How wrong I was! One of the things to do in the study was to record all the instructions that Paul gives to the Philippians and, boy, was I challenged as I worked my way through the book. 

There were three of these instructions that particularly stabbed at me. The first was in Chapter 2, verse 3, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves". I know that I am guilty of pride and like 'showing off' how much Bible study I have done compared to others, and I am not always that patient or kind. I will pray on this and work to not boast (except in the name of Jesus). I should give my time generously and make an effort to listen to those who aren't always included or who find it hard to understand things.

Further on in this chapter in verse 12 it tells us "to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure". Those who know me are aware that I sometimes doubt my own salvation but here it is, saying that it is God doing it all - how awesome!

Chapter 2 verse 15 chides us into "doing all things without grumbling or disputing", (yes, that does include emptying the dishwasher for the third time that day!), And why? So we are "blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom we shine as lights in the world and holding fast the world of life".

Despite this book being full of personal challenges, there are at least twelve mentions of the words "joy" and "rejoice" and for the majority of the time I was studying the book of Philippians, that lovely, lively chorus was going over and over in my mind - "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice" and comes directly from Chapter 4 verse 4. Although I have lots to think about and address, I still found that wonderful, uplifting joy that can only be found in our Lord.