Oh, were those workmen red hot angry with little old me that day. Why? Well, innocently I’m riding my bicycle back home from Millburn Junior High School, safely traversing sidewalks, down the hill right past some shops on Main Street, without a care in the world, free as a bird in flight. And clueless.

Until I hear some rather nasty words hurled my way along with a hand gesture of a rather foul sort. What did I do to deserve this? As I stop my bike at the corner light, and look back at where I’d just come from, to where those fuming workmen stand rather threateningly, it’s there I note a continuous tire mark in the cement from the top of the hill to where I’m now standing. Head in the clouds, not over fantastic grades I can assure you, I’ve ridden through a relatively long stretch of wet cement! That cement hadn’t had time to harden. Not yet. Especially with my help.

This experience reminds me that my Christian life needs time to set, mature, and cure. Immaturity happens early on but hopefully doesn’t last a lifetime.

Our faith and trust in Jesus need time to harden. To settle down and grow up. Both feet firmly in. Stop fence-straddling and take your stand with Jesus. Be all in with the truths of God’s Word. No more fudging. Hemming and hawing flirting with modern culture just to fit in. Blossom. Settled with who is your Lord and God. Like cured cement.

It’s quite a stretch for me to seek what God wants. Why does it take me so long to stop in my tracks and ask Jesus for His guidance and help, and then wait on Him? And see what happens? As I said, it’s taken me a while, and I’m still in Jesus’ Kindergarten class. Sadly, not the head of it. I may have to be held back.

Hebrews 6: 1–‘Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity…’ Grow up. Be an adult believer. How? If you’re a follower of Jesus, then you know where you need to mature. To improve. Be honest. No one will hear you; except, well, you know who?

How about me? I need to focus less on my problems and more on God’s promises. Get the Bible into my head, so to speak. Less negative self-talk and more positive God-speak. Stop allowing Satan to man the phones. Push him aside giving my internal microphone to Jesus for a change. That’s one area where I need to grow up as a believer. There are others. But at least get off your duff. Start, already. And watch where you’re going.

Thank you, Jesus, for being patient with me. Amen.

When you’re in, you’re in. But, when you’re out, well, you’re out! You can fill in the blanks as to when the latter has happened to you. Picked last and least for a sports team at your school’s physical education class. Or a job wrenched away from you. A marriage winds up kaput. Money goes out the window or down the drain. What was in is now out.

Here are a few verses that offer help to those of us who feel more out than in. Psalm 56: 10-13–‘In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.’

Notice a keyword. It’s the word ‘in’, which points us to the best in life. Where exactly? ‘…in the Lord, whose word…’ ‘In God, whose word…’ ‘…in God I trust…’ ‘…in the light of life.’ In those phrases from the Bible, there’s more ‘in’ than ‘out’.

To be in with the Lord whose Word, the Bible, gives us an ‘in’ to the truth, leads us to a life that gets better and better. Spending time in your Bible gives you insight that helps make sense of this crazy world. Offers a ray of understanding that salves hurt and emotional wounds.

After all, the worst day you’ll ever have here on earth will be the worst 24 hours you’ll ever have when you’re in Jesus. To be in Him is to receive Him into your life. To believe that He loves you and forgives you and wants to be Lord of all your life is to be in life’s fullness. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus’ invitation welcomes you into His life. His life in yours.

Then you’re in with no possibility of ever being out. On the best team. The heavenly Dream Team. Chosen. Picked first and foremost. Never down and out. More secure than the Rock of Gibraltar. Immovable and unflappable. Forever.

Want to be in? You know how and through whom. Don’t you? Come on in!

Lord Jesus, for allowing me into your family, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Amen.

I love collecting. Started with mystery books as a preteen. Most I never read until much later in life. Just loved gathering all those tomes. Had the complete set of Hardy Boys mysteries. Even read the first few. Whoop-de-doo for me!

Then as a teen, it was coin collecting. Numismatics to be technical. I loved attending coin shows, checking out local dealers, and making the monthly meetings of the Essex County NJ Coin Club. I had a neighbor who helped me more than I can say. His collection was first-rate. Mine was not.

In time, I owned a few gold coins, even a 1928 $20 gold piece designed by Augustus St. Gaudens. Nary a bag mark was ever found on its soft, lustrous surface. Pristine and shimmering. I also had US Large cents, Half cents, Two cents, 3-cent silver and nickel coins, 20-cent pieces, and all the Lincoln head pennies including the coveted 1909S-VDB, though in a rather beat-up condition.

Reading Psalm 56, I note that God collects precious items. Really? Read Psalm 56: 8–‘You have kept count of my tossings, put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?’

When we toss and turn in life, have a bear of a time trying to sleep, wondering how in the world we’re to dig out of the mess we find ourselves in, that’s when God wants us to know that every tear we shed He keeps tabs of, even storing them in some bottle of His own, so to speak. As if He records in a book, like a divine diary, every sigh and whimper we make. All are kept and noted.

God’s bottle and book symbolize that He’s mindful of every aspect of our lives. When I feel out-of-sorts, when no one seems to give a flying fig about me, when fears grab hold like the grip of a weightlifter, I try to remember that my tears are in His bottle; and my emotions, each and every one, are inscribed in His book. That I’m the world to Him. He cares. He’s crazy about me. And you too.

Hold onto that thought, as best you can, all this week. Noted and kept close to your heart just as we are to Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me with all your heart. Amen.

When Israel begs for a king, wanting to be like the other nations around them, the Lord warns them that they’ll get a terribly greedy taker, who will demand more and more of the meager resources their families need to live on. Suffering from an incurable, toxic case of the gimmies and grabby-itis, a blowhard king, out only for number one, will prove insatiable.

1 Samuel 8: 11,13-17–‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you…He will take your daughters…He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards…He will take your male and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.’ Take…take…take–of your best and brightest. What’s personally dearest will become their monarch’s fodder.

Not only ancient Israel’s leaders but many of us love to grab, grasp, and hoard. The more stuff, the merrier. A growling, bottomless pit of things, hogwash, and junk. Cars and trucks worth multiple thousands of hard, cold cash are parked in the driveway and out in the street so that boxes of worthless rubbish can crowd out the garage. Know what I mean? Stepping on some toes, am I?

In contrast to contemptible takers, our Lord God lives and loves as The Giver par excellence. The more the merrier–of forgiveness, mercy, salvation, kindness, and love. Those fruits of the Holy Spirit can be found in Galatians chapter 5.

God gives and gives. His best gift is Jesus. John 3: 16–‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son….’

This week why not spend some time thanking the Lord for all He’s given you. Past, present, and future. Less asking for more things, and more praising Him for who He is and all He graciously provides.

Praise and thanks– good medicine for what ails you. Take a heaping spoonful.

Father, I thank you and praise you for your Son Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

We’re traveling in Bethlehem, not Pennsylvania but Israel, spending time on our own checking out the little town of you know where. On one of the main streets sits a coffee shop that causes us to burst out laughing. It’s called ‘Stars and Bucks’! Not getting any of their java juice, we segway into a nearby souvenir shop. Aggressive salespeople, retired used car salesmen I imagine, swarm all over us with offers of amazing bargains. Almost free! No cover charge!

One small figurine intrigues me. It’s a human form having three arms all contorted as if dancing. My only comment to the sales bloke is this–‘ You’ve got to hand it to him!’. Not sure my humor gets caught but none of our money is also.

The word ‘hand’ often shows up in the Bible. Usually, it means strength and power. In God’s hands, we’re safe and secure. He’ll handle whatever we need. In His time. In His way. To our liking or not.

Reading 1 Samuel 5 we discover that the ark of the Lord has been captured by the enemy Philistines and placed in their temple, subordinate to their god Dagon. But not for long. The following day, idol-worshippers show up, discovering that Dagon has fallen and collapsed into a heap of broken pieces, lying prostrate before the Ark of the Lord. The false god shatters in the presence of the true and only living God.

1 Samuel 5:4–‘…Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off…’ And 1 Samuel 7:13–‘So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.’

With the Lord on our side, when we’re a member of His family by believing in His Son Jesus, His hands surround us with love and protection. His hand in ours makes for a never-ending relationship. But don’t take this for granted. Habitual sin will not be tolerated. Yours or mine or anyone else’s for that matter. So, be careful lest you presume upon your spiritual status, thinking too little of your special place in God’s heart, doing an injustice to our Lord. You can tell when you’re getting too close to the edge. You’ll know.

I can. Coldness to my Bible, speed-reading a verse or two. Loosey-goosey with little, itsy-bitsy sins as white lies take on a darker tone with little notice. Old habits show up when least expected or needed. Prayer gets notched down a peg or three on my priority list. Money hoarded for me, I and myself. You get the picture. Not a pretty one at that. But certainly a modern art.

So, get off your high horse and grab Jesus’ hands. Let Him lift you up. He’ll dust you off and clean you up. In a sense, wearing the best new clothes money can’t buy. Perked up. Forgiven. Restored. Safe and secure from all alarms. Cradled in Jesus’ arms as His precious babe. This is exactly what He loves to do for you and me. You’ve got to hand it to Him!

Lord Jesus, you are my only source of security in this life. Thank you for never leaving me out in the cold. Amen.