Many times I go to work for me – to find the “normalcy” in a non-normal place, for a paycheck sure, but especially for working on important medications and ESPECIALLY for being available to many people. The people there are the best – and even though we can debate and negotiate – we realize we have to work together. 

I love people and at work I am blessed to go in. Covid-era or not, each day we march into work, into life, INTO the battle because WE SHOULD, because He, the Lord, NEEDS US THERE, and because “THERE IS NO DISCHARGE FROM THE WAR“. That’s God truth from Ecclesiastes 8, part of the ‘everything is meaningless on earth’ chapters – we are to keep in line with the Lord who knows all.  This was double felt in my heart and mentioned in my ears from a sermon about Joshua going to fight the Lord’s fight. Joshua did what Moses commanded. Moses did what God commanded. We all need to follow OUR LEADER.

Keep marching INTO battle. That’s been my theme of the week, you may have other plans, but only God knows the future. If you think life on the planet is going to change and become perfect, it’s a fallacy because we are in a fallible world and we are fallible people. ME TOO. Why do we keep going? To be the SALT and the LIGHT. Who do we follow? The One Who went before. 

LIGHT lights the WAY and gives HOPE. Over one shoulder is the beautiful moon, out the other window is the Morning Star, which is the planet Venus. Both bright but both shining NOT of their own light, they are reflecting the Sun, a bright star so far away and yet lined up with objects we see. The Sun also so perfectly positioned to give us warmth, light, and direction – not to mention the days at the beach, the warmth of the garden – and, as a sermonist recently said in my radio, the Sun has the ability to dry bricks and to soften wax. AMAZING. 

We don’t shine our own light. We are to stay ALIGNED with the Source. We reflect the LIGHT and are not to deflect it. (Our Morning Star rises in our hearts) Light brightens our face, consoles our heart, marks the path to follow. We are to follow the One who went before, follow the commands of the King. 

As we live in our lives, let us become MORE WISE in WHY we are placed in life. We serve at the command of our King, our Lord. He says keep going with wisdom. Doing evil or turning your back on good won’t accomplish anything, won’t discharge you from the war. “…I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.  Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.” Ec 8:12-13

WISDOM, wisdom will allow you to LIVE, to BRIGHTEN your face… 

Soften your heart for the Lord. Do what He says. He knows. Follow His Command and enjoy the days. Put on His Armor and keep marching.

Keep the faith, watch your days lengthen like a shadow from the Sun.

Keep SMILING. You ALWAYS have time to smile.

Amen 

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Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.

Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,  though a person may be weighed down by misery.

Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? As no one has power over the wind to contain it, no one has power over the time of their death.

AS NO ONE IS DISCHARGED IN TIME OF WAR, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-8, (thought to be written by Solomon)

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As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua 11:15

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ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF MY OLD CLOCK – THE CLOCK THAT HUNG IN MY OFFICE SO MANY YEARS AND WHEN I LEFT THE BUILDING (to go to the new building) THEY TOOK IT FOR THE “CLOCK WALL” – MY FRIEND HAD ME SIGN IT – I SIGNED IT WITH MY CATCH PHRASE “YOU ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO SMILE”