Fishing

A few weeks ago I took a day off from work and went to Kentucky Lake to do some fishing.  I’m not very good, but you know what they say, a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.  It was a nice day, rained a little but I was under a boat dock, so I stayed dry.

I was there about an hour, when a man in a fishing boat came into my little cove.  The boat was one of those expensive bass boats.  It was equipped with a Johnson motor, trolling motor, and probably depth finder.  I was quickly out classed.  He was pretty good, casting his bait like a professional, catching more in five minutes than I did all day.

I think often about the number of times fishing is mentioned in the New Testament.  Luke 5:1-11 is a story of Jesus teaching, the crowd grew larger so He got into a boat and casted out a little.  4  And when He was finished, He said to Simon, “ Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”   5  And Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets.”  6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to break;

To me this story is saying, I don’t care what you think you know or what you’ve done, listen to what I’m telling you this time. Listen closely to the still small voice!  Posted steve Waltrip

Reflections

I’ve enjoyed,very much, writing for this blog.  My pastor has turned me loose with the space.  I’ve been very cautious in the subjects I have chosen to write about.  At times I have attempted to challenge, without being  controversial.  The topics I have posted are purely God given.   I talk to the Lord regularly, I guess I have an inquisitive mind, I ask a lot of WHY questions, many times I receive an answer and sometimes I get a ‘wait a while’, answer.

Above all, I have tried to share what the Lord is doing in my life.  I am excited about my walk with the Lord, and I am honored to be able to share, with who ever reads it.  I have made many mistakes, some of them have been really stupid.  My loveing wife has been a trooper in proof reading it, she tells me about misspellings and sentences that don’t make any sense.

The beautiful pictures I have used, have come from a web page called Webshot.com.  Sometimes they have inspired to write.  I look forward to writting more pages.  Maybe, by chance, someone will like them and can be inspired by them.   Posted by Steve Waltrip

Worship

Please don’t presume that I will tell you the proper way to worship.  I worship the way I think God would have me to.  But I will not tell you how you should.  I do know it is important that you do have time in your day to praise and worship God in some way.  Sometimes I worship on the way to work, while driving.  Or, I may feel the need to worship at work, while I’m alone.

Worship is a matter of the heart.  I can feel God’s presence at any given time and feel a need to worship His Holy presence.  Who do we Worship?  I looked it up in the Nave’s Topical Bible, and all I could find, was the Worship of God and Jesus.  I believe it’s the job of the Holy Spirit to usher in or encourage Worship and not to be Worshipped.

I Worship in every kind of instance.   By that I mean good times or bad.  I couldn’t always say that.   We tend to only give God credit when things are going good.  I have learned to Worship Him because of His presence in the good and the bad.  Much more during the bad because, that is when I know He is watching over me.

I have Worshiped standing, kneeling, laying prostate on the floor, hands raised, head bowed, and in bed before I go to sleep.  At sunrise, sunset, and in the rain.  Because a long time ago I read this scripture verse:    Luke 19:40  And He answered and said.  “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” I’m not havin some stone do my Worshiping!!    Hallelujah! Posted by Steve Waltrip

Grace

 

Grace, is a topic that is the most simple concept of Gods nature, and the most complex for us as humans to understand.   Complex, because as humans it is difficult for us to believe in something that is free.  I was taught as a child that anything worth having must be worked for.   Grace has been difficult for me to write about, because, this one word, describing the nature of God.   The dictionary defines, Grace, as “unmerited favor”.

The word Grace can not be found in the Old Testament.  The only description that comes close is the description for Noah, it was said he “found favor in the eyes of the Lord“(Gen. 6:8).   It has been said that, ‘The Promised Land’, was a form of Grace, but not the same, Grace we experience today.  For you see, Grace comes only with Jesus Christ.  It can’t be bought, sold, or worked for.   One has to except that Jesus died on the cross for the remission of sin, for you.

 John Newton, wrote the song, ‘Amazing Grace’ that brings even the most mocho men to tears.  Chris Tomlin, rewrote part of that song, “my chains are gone I’ve been set free’ .   Posted by Steve Waltrip

Todays Troubles

 

I don’t care who you are, or where you live in the US, everyone has heard of our economic troubles.  Gas prices have started inching back up, swine flu is spreading, the Taliban has started moving into Pakistan, unemployment is rising, and banks are foreclosing on homes.  That’s just what is on the news.  While I have a good job, we just hired two guy’s that had been laid off from a plant that was tied to the automotive industry.  Last week I talked to a man and women that were distraught because their son had attempted suicide.

I recently went to the Dr. for a routine check up and found out,  my iron level was extremely low.  About a week later I went to the hospital for some outpatient tests.  I was thinking all kinds of things.  Your mind works overtime during those times,  thinking up all kinds of diseases.

At one point early on I decided,  what I was thinking was foolish.  I then started think of scripture verses.   Here are two of my favorites:

Phil. 4:8   Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,  whatever is right,  whatever is pure,  whatever is lovely,  whatever is of good repute,  if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,  let your mind dwell on these things.

2 Cor. 10:4,5    for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,  but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and ever  lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,  and we are taking ever thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

So do like I do when your mind gets cluttered with bad thoughts,  quote scripture.  It really works! Posted by Steve Waltrip