A Wise Investment

 

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”

—Psalm 119:114

In what do you invest? Do you have a 401k? An IRA? A savings account? Do you buy U. S. Savings Bonds? Do you have a part-time business that you treat as an investment? Or, do you make your investment in other people, or other organizations? Maybe you give your time to help others. Perhaps you take on responsibility to give those in need first-hand aid.

Most of us invest in something with the fervent expectation that—in due season—we will see a return on our investment. We may not expect very much of a return. But, we do hope that, in whatever we may have invested, our investment will prove to have been a wise decision.

The Psalmist, speaking of God, and in giving specific guidance to the people of Israel, acknowledges a very important investment in Psalm 119:114:

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

The Psalmist acknowledges that God offers the ultimate level of protection against the hurtful damage done by the trials and tribulations of life. Just as a carefully devised plan by an investment counselor will shield a client from financial loss, so God provides a refuge of mercy, grace, and love that will shield those He loves from the permanent and lasting harm that might come from any type of attack. As a result, the Psalmist declares that he has put his hope in the Word of God: His written Word and His Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because the Jews had always been subject to attack from those who wanted to dominate and destroy them, the Psalmist was all too aware of the need for reliable protection. That’s why this theme of trusting in God and investing in Him arises throughout the Psalms.

As we begin this new day, we can live in such a way that illustrates where we have placed our maximum investment. We can show others that trusting in God, and receiving from Him the loving care and refuge He is ready to give, can reap benefits beyond our ability to fully comprehend.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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Surefooted

 

The road of life is, at best, a difficult one. Almost no one would dispute that statement. We wake up each day and don’t really know what might happen to us during the next 24 hours.

By the time we reach mid-life, we’ve all encountered heartbreak, sorrow, despair, and grief. We’ve been tossed about by every tortuous wind. We have had our “parade” rained on so many times that we carry an umbrella with us everywhere we go.

Yes, in the midst of trials and difficulties, there are very distinct moments of great joy. We don’t have to think very hard to remember those moments that made us smile, roar with laughter, or just feel that deep inward sense of peace.

But, the rest of the time, we recognize that life is, indeed, challenging. Fortunately, we belong to a God who provides a surefooted pathway for us. Even if we journey to very high, rocky ground, God gives us a secure place to set down each of our feet, as we walk forward with Him.

The Prophet Habakkuk composed a song of praise to God that includes these words, found in Habakkuk 3:19:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

Just as deer of many varieties have a surefooted grasp on all kinds of soil and terrain, so God gives us the spiritual surefootedness to keep us on the straight pathway. Therefore, as we begin this day, let’s cling to that path with the knowledge that God will keep our spiritual feet secure.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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The Value of Trust

 

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

—Isaiah 26:3

Someone might make the claim that babies don’t know any better. But, most parents of a newborn will insist that their baby knows who he or she is, and most cetainly what he or she needs. A new mom and dad can sense a calmness, a peacefulness, come over their infant when he or she is held in a parent’s arms. The sound of mom’s voice, the feel of dad’s strong arms—all of these distinctives give a baby cues that say:

“You are safe. Mom or Dad will protect you.”

So it is with we “Christ’s-ones” who belong to God through His Son, Jesus. We can sense when our Father’s loving arms of protection have wrapped tightly around us. We can experience a peaceful rest whenever we acknowledge that God watches out for those He loves.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote this song of praise to God for the Southern Kingdom of Judah to sing on a great day of celebration. Among the glorious words that would fill the air were these words of declaration about God, found in Isaiah 26:3:

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

As we begin this day, we can cling to the fact that God will keep us in perfect peace when we submit our minds and hearts to Him, and remain steadfast in the clutch of His loving arms. Our trust in God paves the pathway of our peace with His unending glory and majesty. Let it be so, dear ones, this day, and every day.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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Therefore, We Will Not Fear

 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

—Isaiah 46:1-3

Some say that dads take more risks with their children than moms do. I don’t know whether that is generally true, or not. But, in my case, my dad certainly took chances with me at which my mom would have shuddered. Please let me share one example:

When I was about five or six, my dad built a small addition to our modest home. It was an extension of the kitchen and provided an eating area, more like a breakfast nook. Since there were only three of us, it served us nicely.

The addition had a basement that connected with the original basement of the house. It also had a back door that allowed someone to enter the house from the rear yard and from the detached single car garage.

One night, while my mom was at a church meeting, dad was laboring on the addition in the new basement and I sat at the opening on the first floor watching him. After a while, he asked me if I wanted to come down and look around. At this point there was no stairs, just a ladder. I was afraid to climb down the ladder, so my dad told me to jump and he would catch me.

I stood looking down for what seemed like a very long time. All the while, my dad kept encouraging me to jump.

“I won’t drop you, Pal,” he said.

Finally, I closed my eyes and jumped. And, my dad did exactly what he said he would do. He caught me, set me gently on the cement floor, and invited me to look around the basement, a place I had never explored.

My dad took a chance. But, he did so knowing that he was capable of delivering what he had promised. I took a chance, too. But, in doing so, I had confidence that what my dad told me was trustworthy.

In our spiritual lives, God, as our loving Father, will often set us on a course that challenges us and causes us to stretch a bit. He does this to move us forward in our Christian spiritual formation. He promises to care for us, if we would only trust him.

This is the very message that the Prophet Isaiah conveyed to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, when he made this declaration, found in Isaiah 46:1-3:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Because God is our refuge—our hiding place—and the One who gives us divine strength, we can move forward, without fear, along the pathway He has placed before us. That’s something we should keep in mind as we begin another new day. We can always trust God to care for us in an exciting and life-giving way.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Jesus Holds Our Hands

 

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”

—Isaiah 41:13

As a child, when you crossed the street, did your mom or dad take hold of one of your your hands and lead you safely across? Most parents do that as a matter of course. They want to make certain their children do not run ahead of them, or lag behind them. They want their children to keep pace with this dangerous task of crossing a street or road. They want to protect their children by ensuring they will stay at their side.

As children of the most high God—the Creator and Sustainer of the universe—we have the unique privilege of experiencing the amazing Presence of the One who loves us with His everlasting love. He desires to take us by the hand and lead us across the dangerous passages of our lives. By His abiding Presence, we can walk forward in safety and assurance.

The Prophet Isaiah recorded these words of God, given to the children of Israel, specifically the southern kingdom of Judah, as found in Isaiah 41:13:

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”

Many years ago I had the great privilege of becoming a very close friend of Rev. Dr. David R. Mains. At the time, back in the late 1970s, he had taken the reigns of the radio program The Chapel of the Air from his uncle, John D. Jess. This fifteen minute program, aired Monday through Saturday on over 600 radio stations throughout the United States and Canada, had a closing theme orchestrated by David’s brother-in-law, the late Ronald L. Huff. Ronn’s lush orchestral arrangement offers a sweet and moving treatment of Norman J. Clayton’s gospel chorus: “He Holds My Hand.” ¹

Most listeners to the radio program have never heard the words to this song. But, they echo the message God gave to His chosen people, including those of us who follow Christ today:

He holds my hand,
Jesus holds my hand.
Safely to heaven He leads the way.
He is my keeper from day to day.
He holds my hand,
Jesus holds my hand.
Though the way may be long,
My Savior is strong.
And, He holds my hand.

May we begin this day with the realization that God is, indeed, holding our hand. He will keep us safe from the dangers that may cross our pathway. He will lead us gently along the road of life that He has laid out before us and revealed to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

______________________

1 Clayton, Norman J. “He Holds My Hand.” Brentwood, TN: Music Services, 1938, renewed in 1984. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Can We Really Claim This Verse?

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

—Jeremiah 29:11

One of the somewhat annoying things that happens, as we become more and more familiar with the Bible, is that we find people quoting verses out of context. But recently, I’ve begun to wonder if when we study the context we might actually discover that the way God has acted in the past may well be the way He will act in the present. Here’s an example from a familiar and oft-quoted verse is found in Jeremiah 29:11, which reads:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

What’s the context for this verse? To whom does it apply? Can we claim this verse as our own today? Let’s look at the context.

Jeremiah acts in his prophetic role at the beginning of Chapter 29 of the Book that bears his name. He reports that God has given him a very specific message for the children of Israel, who are in captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah sends this message to them in a letter. About one-third of the way into the letter, we find these words from God, as recorded in Jeremiah 29:10-14:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Clearly, the frequently quoted verse eleven applies to these Jews in captivity in Babylon. God states that He has a plan for them and promises to care for them. We can rightly ask ourselves:

“Does this verse only apply in this specific situation? Or, does it give us some potent clues about the nature of God and the way He interacts with those He loves and has called to Himself?”

I believe that the latter is truer than the former. God illustrates the way He intends to show His love to those who belong to Him. God has a distinct way of relating to not only these exiled Israelites, but also to we “Christ’s-ones” whom He has called to Himself. And, are we not living in a time of “exile” where sin abounds and followers of Jesus are besmirched by a society that wants to heap scorn on us? We “Christ’s-ones” have been grafted into the Jewish birth-line (Romans 11:11-24). Therefore, these words of God belong to us, too.

Stuart Hamblen certainly understood this concept of the consistency of God’s love toward His dear children when he wrote the following song in response to Hamblen’s life transformation during the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles, California. The chorus of this song ¹ makes it clear that our God is One we can trust to do for us what He has done for others:

It is no secret what God can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do.

As we begin a new day, let’s not quibble over the nature of God. Rather, let’s learn from what He has revealed about Himself in Scripture. Let’s recognize that God behaves consistently toward those whom He loves and whom He has called to belong to Himself. We can rejoice in this consistency and revel in His mercy, grace, and abiding love.

______________________

1 Hamblen, Stuart. “It Is No Secret What God Can Do.” Santa Clara, CA: Hamblen Music Company, 1950. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

God Goes With Us

 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

—Deuteronomy 31:6

Do you prefer to go places alone? Or, do you often enjoy going somewhere when one or more of your friends go along with you? Do you most enjoy eating alone in your favorite restaurant? Or, do you find that eating with your friends makes the meal at your favorite restaurant all the more pleasant?

In my days of traveling 39 weeks out of 52, I ate a lot of meals alone. Most of the time, I would simply order room service rather than sit alone in some hotel restaurant. If I did eat alone in a restaurant, I would bring a book to read while I ate.

Most of us prefer company along the journey of our lives. Yes, from time to time, we do like some moments alone. But, for most of our experiences, having someone with whom we enjoy spending time makes the hours pass much more pleasantly. Fortunately, along the pathway of our spiritual journey, we are never alone.

When Moses was preparing to pass the leadership of the children of Israel to Joshua, he gave a very stirring speech. I suggest that this speech rivals any farewell address you will ever hear from a politician, or from anyone else, for that matter. As a part of that speech, Moses spoke these words to his fellow Jews, as recorded in Deuteronomy 31:6:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We “Christ’s-ones” have been grafted into the Jewish birth-line (Romans 11:11-24). Therefore, these words of Moses belong to us, too. As we walk the pathway God has laid out before us, we need to remember that we are never alone. We can be strong and courageous because God goes with us. We can put aside any fear or terror we might feel because God walks beside us.

In the Scripture passage above, Moses affirms that God has promised He will never leave us, nor will He ever forsake us. As we begin another new day, let’s cling to this truth. We can conquer any foe, overcome any obstacle, achieve any goal, practice any peace, experience any love, all because God goes with us everywhere we go.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}