Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Good morning! It’s Brother Neville with your Thought for Today, Friday, March 1st, and leading us into the weekend. I apologize for no video this morning but time just didn’t allow it. Cathy and I woke up early to see our son Ben off to Fort Knox where he’ll be attending the Senior Leaders Course this month. After breakfast and devotional we’re about to head out the door to pick up the flowers for my Mom’s grave and then we’re off to an appointment with her Orthodpedic Specialist (hopefully to get the cast off). Time just didn’t allow a recording today.

Ash Wednesday is two weeks behind us, and Easter lies thirty days ahead. As we continue our Lenten Journey with Jesus let us all turn our hearts toward the majestic creation that surrounds us. I am reminded of the towering trees during these times of shadow, the gentle rustle of their leaves, and the warmth of the sun’s rays filtering through the branches as nature all around us awakens to Spring. I find profound lessons about the nature of sin and the boundless grace of our Creator in nature all around me.

Consider the trees, with their branches reaching out in a dance with the wind. As the sun ascends in the sky, its radiant beams cast their golden glow upon the earth. Yet, in the intricate network of leaves and branches, not every sunbeam finds its way to the ground below or onto our skin. Some are intercepted, blocked by the dense foliage, creating areas of shadow beneath and coldness to our bodies.

Much like the trees that intercept sunlight, sin acts as a barrier between us and the warm embrace of God’s love and grace. The choices we make, the attitudes we harbor, and the actions we take can create shadows that obstruct the pure light of God’s presence in our lives. These shadows, born out of disobedience and separation from God, can obscure the path of righteousness and dim the clarity of our spiritual vision.

Just as we witness the sunlight persistently filtering through the branches, so too does God’s grace persistently seek to penetrate the barriers of sin in our lives. In His infinite love, God provides the remedy for the shadows we cast – His Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

Imagine, then, the transformative power of repentance and surrender to God’s grace. As we walk closely with Jesus during these days of Lent, and as we allow the light of His Word to illuminate the recesses of our hearts, the shadows of sin begin to dissipate. It is in this process of spiritual pruning and growth that we find restoration, redemption, and a renewed connection with our Heavenly Father.

As the month of March begins let us continue to slow down and focus on Jesus. Let’s not rush to Easter just yet. Instead let us strive to be like the resilient trees, continually reaching upward and outward, allowing the light of God’s love to permeate our lives and dispel the shadows of sin. May we be vessels of His grace, inviting others to experience the warmth of His light as we stand together in the radiance of His mercy and forgiveness.

May the lesson of the trees and the shadows they cast serve as a constant reminder of the transformative power of God’s grace, ever ready to pierce through the darkness and guide us into the brilliance of His eternal light.

Be blessed today my friends! Have a great weekend – I hope you include church in your plans. And remember, God loves you and so do I.