THE OPEN ROAD

CHOMP, CHOMP

2/24/2021

   CHOMP, CHOMP

                                            "And I will restore to you
                                           the years that the locust hath eaten."
                                            (Joel 2:25)

                                            Few of us escape having many of our
                                            years ingested by these destructive
                                            and devastating predators. And, there
                                            are so many of them. For instance...

                                            The locust of the liver (otherwise
                                            known as alcoholic ridiculous)
                                            The locust of the lung (smokus pocus)
                                            The locust of the liabilities (greatus debtus)
                                            The locust of licentiousness (mulsti lusti)
                                            And, perhaps the greatest locust of them all...
                                            The locust of lack...
                                            Lack of purpose
                                            Lack of direction
                                            Lack of determination
                                            Lack of consistency
                                            Lack of hope
                                            Lack of love

                                            The locusts have taken their toll,
                                            but the promises of the Lord are true...
                                            He shall restore our years.

LIZ AND I 647

2/24/2021

      LIZ AND I 647

  A few days ago, Billy (almost 10) and Matt (almost 8)
  went to a Cub Scout day camp. While there, Billy
  captured Liz the lizard and brought her home.

A few nights later, after all the children were
supposedly in bed, Billy came down and reported that
Liz was lost, no longer to be found in her glass container.

On the way up to Billy's room, I said a quick
  prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help find Liz. We
  pulled the bureau from the wall...no Liz. Then, I picked
  up the grass in Billy's leftover Easter Basket and shook
  it. Plop! Out fell the Liz onto the bureau.

So, old dad was the hero of the night. But, he also
let his family know that the happy ending was a direct
result of a simple prayer to a loving God who cares and
is concerned...even about the "little things" in life.

ALL SHALL BE WELL 637

2/24/2021

All Shall Be Well 637

When He whispers
Listen

When He calls
Come

When He pardons
Praise

When he commands
Obey

When he conquers
Rejoice

When he leads
Follow

When He inspires
Testify

Then, all shall be well
Within thine home

(Frist published on June 28, 1979)

LIBERTY 642

2/19/2021

LIBERTY 642

"Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof." (Leviticus 20:10)

Liberty give us the privilege of booing the
umpire...even when he's right.

Liberty permits us to travel from town to town
and state to state...without unwarranted search
or seizure.

Liberty lets us all call the president a crook...and
boot him out of office if he is one.

Liberty provides us with the opportunity to achieve
and become what we will...so long as we do not infringe
upon the rights of others.

"Life, liberty and the pursuit if happiness"...But
the greatest of these...is liberty.

(First published July 10,1979)

MIRROR, MIRROR

2/15/2021

   MIRROR, MIRROR

  "The world is a looking glass,"
wrote William Thackeray, "and gives
back to every man the reflection of
his own face."

   "Frown at it and it will in turn look
sourly upon you; laugh at it and
with it, and it is a jolly kind of
companion."

When we awakened this morning,
what did we see as we peered into
our mirrors?

Did we see a kindly face or an angry one...
A sweet countenance or a bitter one...
A faith-filled figure or a discouraged one...

While the world may be our outward looking
looking glass, our own faces may become
reflecting glasses for the inward thoughts
of our minds and hearts.

Ah, mirror, mirror, on the wall, who really is
the fairest of us all, after all?

(First published February 16, 2013,
with revisions on February 15, 2021)

NO MATTER HOW DARK THE DAY 660

2/6/2021

NO MATTER HOW DARK THE DAY 660

No matter how dark the day
There is a Will
There is a Way

No matter how dark the hour
There is a Spirit
There is a Power

No matter how dark the night
There is a Star
There is a light

No matter how dark the place
There is a Savior
There is Grace.

No matter how dark the path trod
There is a Deliverer
There is God.

(First published on August 21.1979,
with revisions on February 15, 2021)

AS OUR SOUL PANTETH AFTER THEE 659

2/6/2021

AS OUR SOUL PANETH AFTER THEE 659

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God." (Psalm 42:1)

Awhile back
We were hurting, Lord
And we were searching
For thy cool, rippling stream
That would quench our thirst
And lead us and show us the way
We drank heartedly and were filled
And yet, almost immediately,
We sensed we could not receive
Enough of thee
So we are thirsty still
And our hearts panteth unceasingly
For thy living water
As our dry souls
Longingly Follow
After thee.

(Thank thee, O Lord,
for thy living water.)

(First published on August 19, 1979,
with revisions on February 15, 2021)

LIBERTY 642

2/6/2021

LIBERTY 642

"Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof." (Leviticus 20:10)

Liberty give us the privilege of booing the
umpire...even when he's right.

Liberty permits us to travel from town to town
and state to state...without unwarranted search
or seizure.

Liberty lets us all call the president a crook...and
boot him out of office if he is one.

Liberty provides us with the opportunity to achieve
and become what we will...so long as we do not infringe
upon the rights of others.

"Life, liberty and the pursuit if happiness"...But
the greatest of these...is liberty.

(First published July 10,1979)

LORD OF ALL

2/4/2021

LORD OF ALL

"In certain trying circumstances, urgent
circumstances, desperate circumstances,"
wrote Mark Twain, "profanity furnishes
a relief denied even in prayer."

We'd like to paraphrase and re-arrange Mr.
Twain's remarks just slightly, if we could.
(It's a good thing Mr. Twain has passed on,
or he probably would have objected to any
re-arrangement of his words laced with a
little profanity.)

From a Christian viewpoint, we think that
the following would be much more appropriate...
"In even the most trying of circumstances,
prayer furnishes a relief usually denied by
profanity."

When you are discouraging
And your patience flies away
And your troubles drive you
To your knees
Don't bother getting up too soon
Just remain awhile and pray.

Carry all your burdens
Whether great or small
To Him who always listens
And answers every call.
And you will soon discover
That He is Lord of all.

HE CARETH FOR YOU 653

2/4/2021

     HE CARETH FOR YOU 653

"As you thinketh, in your heart, so are you."
(Proverbs 23:7 Paraphrased)

"Very little is needed to make a happy life.
It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
(Marcus Aurelius)

"Most people are about as happy as they
make up their minds to be."
(Abraham Lincoln)

This is the day to be happy, for yesterday has
long vanished from our view, and tomorrow has not
yet arrived.

Try, if you will, each morning, to commit your
total life into the keeping of God, trusting him
to do His best for you, for you are his child
   and He loves you very much. He will straighten
out your thinkin and give you a new heart, everyday,
if you ask him. For He careth for you.

(Firet published on August 5, 1979)