The Road Before You: Choices

-Rural Iowa

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-Read the Bible for God's Wisdom

-Read God's Word, the Bible, to learn of Him

-Choosing Obedience to Honor God
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Psalm 11:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever."

Proverbs 1:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Prov 2:6

"For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Prov 11:2

"When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom."

Prov 15:33

"The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility."

Matthew 7:24-27

 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Romans 11:33-36

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 

Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 

To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

Ephesians 1:15-23

"For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. 

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Colossians 4:5-6

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

James 1:2-6

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."

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 May the LORD be glorified by our choices!

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Honor and Respect Them All

-net 

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Never Ending Sorrows

 -Kinsman

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"Pain is a process, 

and God never wastes our sorrows."

-Joe Stowell

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What Kind of Woman Will You Be?

-internet meme

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Proverbs 31:30

..."Charm is deceitful 

and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord, 

she shall be praised."...

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He will wipe away our tears!

-internet photo

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"Earth has no sorrow 

that heaven cannot heal" 

This is attributed to Irish poet, writer, and lyricist Thomas Moore (1779-1852). 

Thomas Moore's full quote is:

"Here bring your 

wounded hearts, 

here tell your anguish; 

Earth has no sorrow 

that Heaven cannot heal".  

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Isaiah 35:10

..."And the ransomed 

of the Lord will return

And come with joyful shouting to Zion,

With everlasting joy upon their heads.

They will find gladness and joy,

And sorrow and sighing will flee away."...

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Revelation 21:4

..."and He will 

wipe away every tear from their eyes; 

and there will no longer be any death; 

there will no longer be any mourning, 

or crying, 

or pain; 

the first things have passed away.”

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A Life of Grieving-Understood by the Man of Sorrows

-yawning Fox, Yellowstone FB

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"There is no grief 

like the grief that does not speak."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Isaiah 53:3-6

..."He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him."...

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Moo-oo-oose!

-Yellowstone FB 

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"Every heart has its secret sorrows, 

which the world knows not, 

and often times we call a man cold, 

when he's only sad."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Isaiah 41:10

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, 

for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, 

surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you 

with My righteous right hand.’

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God's Creation in our home.

This "little Bit" of a kitty grew into an enormous, lovable, sweet boy. We have had seven wonderful years with him. He has been a great blessing to us.

But today we groaned with Creation ....

Romans 8:18-25

..."For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."...

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Jesus saves!

Acts 4:12

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Our Sorrows are Known to the LORD

 -Fringed Gentian, Yellowstone FB

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"Pain is a process, 

and God never wastes

 our sorrows"

-Joseph Sowell

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Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message?


And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?


For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,


And like a root out of parched ground;


He has no stately form or majesty


That we should look upon Him,


Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.


He was despised and forsaken of men,


A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;


And like one from whom men hide their face


He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,


And our sorrows He carried;


Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,


Smitten of God, and afflicted.


But He was pierced through for our transgressions,


He was crushed for our iniquities;


The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,


And by His scourging we are healed.


All of us like sheep have gone astray,


Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all


To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,




Yet He did not open His mouth;


Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,


And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,


So He did not open His mouth.


By oppression and judgment He was taken away;


And as for His generation, who considered


That He was cut off out of the land of the living


For the transgression of my people, 

to whom the stroke was due?


His grave was assigned with wicked men,


Yet He was with a rich man in His death,


Because He had done no violence,


Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

But the Lord was pleased


To crush Him, putting Him to grief;


If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,


He will see His offspring,


He will prolong His days,


And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.


As a result of the anguish of His soul,


He will see it and be satisfied;


By His knowledge the Righteous One,


My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.


Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,


And He will divide the booty with the strong;


Because He poured out Himself to death,


And was numbered with the transgressors;


Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,


And interceded for the transgressors."

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Blessed to Walk with the LORD

Psalms 1

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,


Nor stand in the path of sinners,


Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!


But his delight is in the law of the Lord,


And in His law he meditates day and night.


He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,


Which yields its fruit in its season


And its leaf does not wither;


And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,


But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.


Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,


Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.


For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,


But the way of the wicked will perish."

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Sorrows upon Sorrows...and yet I will live for You, O LORD

Romans 8:18

 ..."For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. "...

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Jesus, Friend of a Wounded Heart

~Yellowstone FB 

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Smile, make 'em think you're happy

Lie and say that things are fine

And hide that empty longing that you feel

Don't ever show it, 

just keep your heart concealed

Why are the days so lonely?

I wonder where, where can a heart go free

And who will dry the tears that no one's seen?

There must be someone to share your silent dreams

Caught like a leaf in the wind

Lookin' for a friend, where can you turn?

Whisper the words of a prayer 

and you'll find Him there

Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

Joy comes like the morning

And hope deepens as you grow

And peace, beyond the reaches of your soul

Comes blowing through you, 

for love has made you whole

Once like a leaf in the wind

Looking for a friend, where could you turn?

You spoke the words of a prayer 

and you found Him there

Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for, 

all the love that you need

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

~Wayne Watson

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Romans 8:31-39

..."What then shall we say to these things? 

If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, 

but delivered Him over for us all, 

how will He not also with Him 

freely give us all things?

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? 

God is the one who justifies; 

who is the one who condemns? 

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, 

rather who was raised, 

who is at the right hand of God, 

who also intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? 

Will tribulation, 

or distress, 

or persecution, 

or famine, 

or nakedness, 

or peril, 

or sword?

Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death 

all day long;
We were considered as sheep 

to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things 

we overwhelmingly conquer 

through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, 

nor life, 

nor angels, 

nor principalities, 

nor things present, 

nor things to come, 

nor powers,

nor height, 

nor depth, 

nor any other created thing, 

will be able to separate us 

from the love of God, 

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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Glory to God! 

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Where there is Faith

~Kinsman 

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I believe in faithfulness

I believe in giving of myself for someone else

I believe in peace and love

I believe in honesty and trust but it's not enough

For all that I believe may never change the way it is

Unless I believe Jesus lives

Where there is faith

There is a calling, keep walking

You're not alone in this world

Where there is faith

There is a peace like a child sleeping

Hope everlasting in He who is able to

Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart

It is a wonderful, powerful place

Where there is faith

There's a man across the sea

Never heard the sound of freedom ring

Only in his dreams

There's a lady dressed in black

In a motorcade of cadillacs

Daddy's not coming back

Our hearts begin to fall

And our stability grows weak

But Jesus meets our needs if only we believe

Where there is faith

There is a calling, keep walking

You're not alone in this world

Where there is faith

There is a peace like a child sleeping

Hope everlasting in He who is able to

Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart

It is a wonderful, powerful place

Where there is faith

~4 Him

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Secret Sorrows that only the LORD can soften

~Yellowstone FB

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"Every heart has its secret sorrows, which the world knows not, and oftentimes we call a man cold when he’s only sad."

~Cited on the opening of the movie, I Heard the Bells.

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Psalm 3:3-5

..."But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,

My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

I was crying to the Lord with my voice,

And He answered me from His holy mountain. 

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustains me."...

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The Name that Charms!

.. "Jesus, the name that charms our fears,

that bids our sorrows cease;

'tis music in the sinner's ears,

'tis life and health and peace."...

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Psalm 46

"God is our refuge and strength,


A very present help in trouble.


Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change


And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;


Though its waters roar and foam,


Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,


The holy dwelling places of the Most High.


God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;


God will help her when morning dawns.


The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;


He raised His voice, the earth melted.


The Lord of hosts is with us;


The God of Jacob is our stronghold. 

Come, behold the works of the Lord,


Who has wrought desolations in the earth.


He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;


He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;


He burns the chariots with fire.


“Cease striving and know that I am God;


I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.”


The Lord of hosts is with us;


The God of Jacob is our stronghold."

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The Good Old Days

 Psalm 37:3-8, 11, 16, 18-19, 23-28, 29-31, 34, 37, 39-40

..."Trust in the Lord and do good;


Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord;


And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,


Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light

And your judgment as the noonday.

 

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him...


...Cease from anger and forsake wrath;


Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing....

...But the humble will inherit the land


And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity...

...Better is the little of the righteous


Than the abundance of many wicked...

...The Lord knows the days of the blameless,


And their inheritance will be forever.

They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,


And in the days of famine they will have abundance...

...The steps of a man are established by the Lord,


And He delights in his way.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,


Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

 

I have been young and now I am old,


Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken


Or his descendants begging bread.

All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing.

Depart from evil and do good,


So you will abide forever.

For the Lord loves justice


And does not forsake His godly ones;


They are preserved forever...

...The righteous will inherit the land


And dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,


And his tongue speaks justice.

The law of his God is in his heart;


His steps do not slip...

...Wait for the Lord and keep His way,


And He will exalt you to inherit the land...

...Mark the blameless man, 

and behold the upright;


For the man of peace will have a posterity...

...But the salvation of the righteous 

is from the Lord;


He is their strength in time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and delivers them;


He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,


Because they take refuge in Him."

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