Upward Path 8-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ... "And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' " (Isaiah 30:21). You have set before me a path in perfect alignment with Your will and plan for my life. And Your plan is perfectly suited for who You created me to be and all You created me to do. I can trust You and trust Your plan. "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). To walk this path, You've given me Your Word. It is a lamp to show me the very next step for my feet and it is a light to shine the way forward into the next season (Psalm 119:105). Cause me to love Your Word and learn Your Word, to lean on Your Word as my staff in the journey as You give me the grace to trust and obey Your Word. But along with Your written Word, You've also given me Your spoken word -- the words You speak with Your still, small voice to lead and to guide (1 Kings 19:12). This is the voice of Your word I hear behind me, nudging me to walk in the way You've set before me. If I step to the right to follow my own way or to the left to follow someone's else's way, You are gracious to correct me and nudge me back onto Your way. You call me to "walk in it" because You know what's best for me, what will fulfill me and the plans You have for me. Yet Your love always leaves the choice to walk in Your way or not. With every step, You set before me the choice of looking to Your Word open before me and listening to Your word speaking behind me or not. There is always a step that leads me in righteousness -- right relationship with You and with others and within myself -- or a step that leads me off Your path out of step with Your plan. "In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death" (Proverbs 12:28). "For the wise the path of life leads upward, in order to avoid Sheol below" (Proverbs 15:24). Help me look and listen for the guidance of Your words throughout the moments of my day, so I can choose the path the leads upward to life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep us in prayer this weekend for the overnight spiritual retreat Laura Beach and I will be leading to learn to hear the Shepherd's voice and follow His leading in our lives (John 10). I pray the same for you. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Order our Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502