Last week I wrote about the “warm and fuzzy” feeling I get knowing that Jesus is my Gatekeeper. Jesus not only tucks me in at night by knowing where I am, but He also stands guard over me giving me protection and security.

This week those “warm and fuzzy” feelings help keep me grounded as I face one of my greatest fears.

I am afraid of the dark!  I wake up to natural light and I always have a night light glowing in the dark. I do not cover my windows with drapes or heavy coverings and I never have. I love the natural glow of the light streaming through from the sun or from the moon.

One of my favorite memories of all time was on a family trip we took to Lake Tahoe.

True, Lake Tahoe is my favorite place and it is breathtakingly beautiful every time we are there. But on this particular trip, we were blessed to be staying in a cabin right on the Lake front. My bedroom was on the second floor and the entire wall facing the Lake was glass. I never shut the curtains once on that entire trip! I went to bed looking at the moon shine its’ light clear across the entire lake and I woke up to the sunrise peeking over the top of the Sierra mountains. Even if I awoke during the night, I felt warmed by the light of the moon beams as they danced over the rippling water of Lake Tahoe. I felt God’s presence every morning in the sunlight, and drifted to sleep secure in the light of the moon.

There is not a single moment or incident that I can put my finger on as a child that made me afraid of the dark. I only know that from my earliest memory I always wanted light in my room, someone else in my room with me, (It was super convenient that I had three sisters and was really never alone) and hated it when the sun went down and could not wait for the sun to come back up!

How happy am I that the second “I AM” statement of Jesus is Him declaring Himself to be THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!  

“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE!” JOHN 8:12

Jesus spoke this I AM statement to the Jewish people in the temple courts during the Festival of Tabernacles. This was a festival to commemorate Israel’s wandering in the desert. This festival was also called the “Festival of Lights!” It was celebrated with a grand display of bright lights to remind them that even when they wandered in the “darkness” of the wilderness, God was their LIGHT! He even came to them as a pillar of fire at night so that they would not walk in darkness.

Jesus takes what they already understand and if you will excuse the pun, “BRINGS LIGHT TO IT!” In this I AM statement of Jesus, He is telling them that He is a better light, He is an eternal light! Anyone who follows Him will never walk in darkness.

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. HE IS NOT JUST A LIGHT FOR ISRAEL – HE IS THE LIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD!

TRUTH BOMB

WE NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS WITH JESUS AS OUR LIGHT!

Now that’s a night light that never burns out!

Speak Truth Love 

As we continue in the “I AM” statements of Jesus, there is one that gives me warm and fuzzy feelings. One that makes me feel like a young child again, cared for and protected.

One of my favorite childhood memories was being carried from the car by my dad, into my room and tucked under the covers of my bed. I felt loved, protected, cared for, warm and cozy. It was not only the covers that made me feel warm, but the care and protection from my dad to make me feel secure and safe. I loved this so much when I was little, that I must confess, there were times I faked being asleep so that my dad would carry me into bed!

I believe this feeling is innate in all of us, and not just when we are children. We crave the feeling of warmth, security and love no matter what our age is.

The “I AM” I am talking about feels to me like Jesus Himself is tucking us in and keeping us safe. He not only tucks us in, He Himself lays across the entrance and becomes the gate for us!

“Very truly I tell you, I AM the gate for the sheep.”  John 10:7

In the ancient world where Jesus walked on this earth, the sheep pens held the sheep safely at night and there was only one entrance. The walls of the pen allowed the sheep to sleep safe and secure at night keeping dangers out.

In those days during the pasturing season, shelters would have been temporary as they traveled. In these temporary shelters the shepherd himself would lie across the opening 

during the night and literally become the “gate” for the sheep. 

In this I AM statement, Jesus is claiming to be the GATE for us. He is our protection!

We can have life and have it to the full as we are safe and secure in His protection.

TRUTH BOMB

WE ARE SAFE, WARM AND SECURE WITH JESUS AS OUR GATEKEEPER.

Sleep warm and secure my friends knowing Jesus is protecting you!

Speak Truth Love

Have you ever wondered how you can pass the same way over and over again and feel like nothing ever changes? Then suddenly you are traveling that very same route when there it is!  Your attention is drawn to an obvious change and you cannot believe that before your very eyes, there it is!

This happened to me on our evening trail ride through the vineyards. We take this trail frequently and I love the way the scenery changes from fields full of grazing cows to perfectly formed rows of grape vines!  

Suddenly, yesterday I spotted it! Huge clusters of grapes, ripe and hanging from every vine. How had that happened? It seemed like it was overnight! Of course I know that it is scientifically not possible that the grapes grew overnight, but it sure seemed like they did!

The Truth is, I was not paying attention to the vines.  I was getting my exercise, checking it off my list, and moving past the vines as I pushed myself forward to accomplish my goal.

The fruit had come, the vines had done their job, as well as the sun, rain and atmosphere around them. 

But was I doing my job? I am not just talking about riding my bike and exercising. As I stopped to take the picture of the beautiful, ripe fruit hanging in clusters so heavy I thought they may fall to the ground in a gust of wind, I was touched in my spirit with the thought of “clinging to the vine!”

“YES, I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM, WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” JOHN 15:5

I am afraid I tend to rush through life so quickly sometimes. I can make my list, check it twice and move through it at record speed. I fool myself into thinking that I am doing a pretty good job until I hit a roadblock. Suddenly, both tires fall off the bike and I find myself in a pile on the trail looking up. There it is, the vine, standing strong and full of fruit, just waiting for me to attach myself to it and stop straining in my own strength!

This is a frequent exercise of mine, as I find myself getting on and off the track or “trail,” and having to re-attach myself to the True Vine. The only way I know to do this is to cling to the “I AM’S” of Jesus. The statements that He makes about Himself. 

One of my favorites is,

“I AM THE TRUE GRAPEVINE, AND MY FATHER IS THE GARDNER.” JOHN 15:1

The “I AM’S OF JESUS,” are who He is! Friends when we cling to these we can keep the tires on our bike and roll through this life with confidence, TRUE CONFIDENCE from the TRUE VINE HIMSELF!

TRUTH BOMB

Meet me back here next week as we take a look at another “I AM” statement.

Have a great week and keep on rolling!

Speak Truth Love

God’s Word tells us that whatever is in our heart is what comes out of our mouths!

“For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”  Matthew 12:34

That is the New Living Translation,NLT. I also love the way the the New International Version, NIV puts it…

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”   Matthew 12:34

Have you ever had anyone say to you, “You are just full of it?”

I have and I hope my response would be, YES, I am “full of it,” full of God’s Love and Truth. But of course the TRUTH is, I am not always full of God’s Love and Truth. Therefore, what comes out of my mouth is not always kind and loving.

I am blessed to have four beautiful grandchildren. From the time the first one was born, I was uttering the words, “Always be kind and loving.” “That is how others will know that you love Jesus.” My point was to teach them this very principle. When we act kind and loving, we are acting like Jesus. When we act like Jesus, His Love and Truth fills our hearts. When our hearts are filled with His Love and Truth, good things pour out of our mouths.  

Don’t believe me? Just look at the Word of God!

In a world full of hurtful things and hurtful people (which we can also be at times), we can all fall prey to a hurt, broken or spiteful heart. God does not want this for us! God desires that we pour His Truth and Love into our hearts and demonstrate His kind and loving ways so that our hearts will be full of all of His goodness. Then, even when we are hard-pressed, challenged, disappointed, discouraged, let-down and hurt, the goodness of God we have filled our hearts with will pour out of our mouths.

TRUTH BOMB

KIND AND LOVING WORDS COME FROM A HEART FILLED WITH GOD’S GOODNESS!

The beauty of loving and kind words pouring out is that they can heal, bless and mend another broken, sad, hurting heart. You may actually be helping someone else to fill their heart back up with Goodness to allow it to overflow out of their mouths!

God’s Truths never return void my friends! They are True today, yesterday, tomorrow and forever!

Speak Truth Love