Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .

Home
>
Inspirational
>
Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .

Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .

. . . . . riding a roller coaster for the very first time. You've heard things about roller coaster rides, but what you heard depended on who was doing the telling. From some people (usually kids, or chronological adults who remained kids at heart and kept their iron stomachs) you heard glorious stories about the thrilling climbs and descents, about the twists and turns and maybe even roll-overs. Their words and facial expressions and body language were filled with exhilaration and excitement. Even if they didn't tell you outright, you just knew from listening to them that they would jump at the chance to do it again and again and again. From other people, such as older folks, the faint-at-heart, etc., you heard about wrenched backs, whiplash, and the inevitable nausea.

You listen over and over to both types of reports and realize that sooner or later you will have to decide for yourself who is right because living vicariously doesn't work for you anymore. If you listen to the nay-sayers, you will never really know, so you decide to try for yourself and trust that you will survive the experience.

You, too, are filled with anticipation as you wait to get into the roller coaster car. Finally you are buckled in and as you start to roll away from the loading platform, you realize that you now have completely put your trust and faith in the roller coaster operators and their equipment. You have no control over what will happen for the next few minutes until the ride is over, so you decide to sit back and enjoy the ride. And what a ride it is! You go up at such a steep angle that you cannot possibly see what is ahead; you just have to trust that the ride has all been planned out for you before you ever got on and everything will be OK. You go down so fast you wonder how they ever keep control of this thing and keep it on the track, but afterwards you realize you were never in any real danger. You go through loops that seem to defy the law of gravity, and yet everything is under control, even though you have no idea how. You may go through a dark tunnel where you cannot see in or out and you realize that your trust is at it's strongest point here precisely because you cannot see in or out. You just have to trust that you will be where supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.

Suddenly, it's over. You are at the end of the ride. You look back and realize how much you would have missed had you not taken that first step and trusted. And the best part is, unlike a roller coaster ride, if you fall out or mess up or get sick, God does not get annoyed with you for His grace and mercy are endless. He will pick you up, clean you up, and bring you home with Him. On the other hand, your "friends" at the amusement park might want to pretend they don't know you!

. . . . . visiting Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone National Park has many geysers, pools of boiling hot mud, bodies of hot water filled with chemicals that could remove your skin, and dangerous wild animals capable of doing all sorts of bodily harm to you should you make the wrong move. Interestingly enough you are free to explore and experience these wonders with one caveat: STAY ON THE MARKED PATH! The paths and walkways are very well marked. There are wooden walkways right out over the pools of boiling mud. Some even have railings. Only by your own stupidity and disobedience would you ever leave these marked pathways, and those who do always pay a price, sometimes the ultimate one. Rangers are there to guide you if you have questions, and explain some of the dangers that maybe shouldn't need explaining, but not everyone is perceptive. In spite of all that we read now and then of someone who strayed off the walkway, fell through what looked like solid ground and wound up scalded or worse. Disobedience can be very costly.

God has provided a walkway for us. He has put up boundaries to let us know where the edges are. He tells us in His Word what the rules are, and He even gives us plenty of examples of consequences for not following the rules. There are many "if . . . then" examples in the Bible. The gist of them all is that IF you obey God and do what He tells you to do, THEN your life will be much better than if you choose stubborn, obstinate, self-centered, "my-way" disobedience. God does not honor or reward such a heart and mind-set. The Bible has easy verses for us to memorize to help us on our walk through life. One of the best is Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." If we can do that, we will not wander off into pools of boiling mud. We will not step onto deceptively crusted chemicals that look safe enough to us, only to find out later that we were oh so wrong. We will never mistake the outwardly calm and placid appearance of a powerful animal for an inward demeanor of tameness, kindness or friendliness. If we ever become lost or confused, we can go to the Word of God for advice. We can seek Godly counsel from those on whom He has showered the gift of wisdom. And unlike boiling chemical pools, charging bison and defensive mama grizzly bears, God is waiting with forgiveness if we just confess, repent, and ask. I take great comfort in that.

Sandi Moses has been involved in internet marketing since November, 2003. Visit her sites at http://www.123iwork4me.com http://www.123-home-based-business-works-4- me.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Ill. House impeaches gov, who vows 'not to yield' (AP)

AP - The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, setting up an unprecedented trial in the state Senate on whether he should be thrown out for abuse of power, including allegations that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Israel and Hamas ignore UN call for cease-fire (AP)

AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.

Jobless rate jumps to 7.2 percent in December (AP)

AP - The nation's unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs, capping one of the worst years in modern history for American workers.

Obama says his economic plan will be refined (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama said Friday that he and Congress will "hone and refine" his nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan, as he seeks to patch fissures with senior Democrats over key features of the still-emerging plan.

Baltimore mayor indicted on theft, perjury charges (AP)

AP - Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted Friday on charges that she accepted illegal gifts during her time as mayor and City Council president, including travel, fur coats and gift cards intended for the poor that she allegedly used instead for a holiday shopping spree.

Texas death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it (AP)

AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.

Rare 'dinky' bird migrates to US for first time (AP)

AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.

Patrick Swayze checks into hospital with pneumonia (AP)

AP - Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital for observation after contracting pneumonia, A&E President Abbe Raven announced Friday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

Masked man waits in line to rob Ohio bank (AP)

AP - A man may have tipped his intentions when he stood in line at an Ohio bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. Police in Stow near Akron say a 24-year-old man was arrested minutes later on Thursday following a brief car chase.

AP NFL All-Pro Team includes 15 newcomers (AP)

AP - A changing of the guard and tackles and running backs and receivers saw 15 first-timers make The Associated Press 2008 NFL All-Pro team announced Friday. While such standbys as three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning and six-time All-Pro Ray Lewis made the squad, there was plenty of room for newcomers. Ten of the 14 offensive players and five of the 13 on defense had never been All-Pros.

Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Blagojevich (Reuters)

Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.

Israel rebuffs U.N. resolution, pursues Gaza war (Reuters)

Reuters - Israel rejected a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday and warplanes and tanks pounded the Palestinian enclave.

Robert Rubin quits Citigroup amid criticism (Reuters)

Reuters - Robert Rubin, a former Treasury Secretary, resigned from Citigroup Inc on Friday following months of criticism of his performance at the giant U.S. bank, whose sinking share price led to a government rescue.

Obama team, Rep. Frank eye bailout fund overhaul (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.

Jobless rate at 16-year high as payrolls plunge (Reuters)

Reuters - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.

Supreme court to decide voting rights law challenge (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.

Bank industry slams lawmaker-Citi mortgage deal (Reuters)

Reuters - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive.

EU seeks to finalize Russian gas monitoring deal (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Union sought to finalize details on Friday of a gas monitoring deal to allow the resumption of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, which have been cut off for days over a pricing row.

Defiant Israel presses Gaza offensive as toll passes 800 (AFP)

AFP - Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.

Somali pirates say they have released Saudi supertanker (AFP)

AFP - Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.

Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .

Inspirational Inspirational