Rick Osborn | Life Coach, Nutrition Consultant & Graphic Designer

I woke up this morning with the following on my mind and in my heart. I felt it important to share with you. It may seem simple in light of my usual longer blogs, but the profound nature of this scripture can and will change a life . . .

“Praise the LORD
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?

Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.”

Psalm 106:1-3

Quite simply, what you can take from this passage are three very practical steps that will revolutionize your life:

1. Praise God.
2. Be thankful - no matter what your circumstance, for this is God’s will (see I Thess. 5:18).
3. Do what’s right.

I won’t get long-winded here and elaborate on these things for they are quite simple.  But, let me just say, if you’re in the midst of difficulty, adversity, trial or tribulation - take heart, because God has a plan for your life - if you’re in relationship with Him.  If you have a right relationship with the Father through Jesus His Son, the above three steps will keep your path straight and your focus on target.

My prayer for us all is that we might live accordingly.

God bless you today!

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Many times, small decisions can have big consequences. Living without understanding, moving beyond boundaries, operating without knowing the truth, making choices without conviction - all can get you into trouble. Up front and out loud, let me get straight to the point -

Look before you leap!

Watch your step!

Guard your heart!

There, enough said. If I thought that just mentioning these clichés would keep someone from making stupid decisions, I’d stop right here. Unfortunately, most of us are hard headed and willful, myself included. The cruel truth of the matter is that many times it’s the bad choices that we make, along with their unpleasant consequences that teach us the best and most valuable lessons in life.

We’ve got to be vigilant, watchful, careful, guarded, etc. with the decisions that we make every day. One misplaced step - one wrong decision - one unfiltered calculation can land us in the mud and even destroy our lives. So, how do we know? How do we keep from falling into a pit in the midst of life?

The answer lies in our filter. My question for you is - what kind of filter do you have?

Picture for a moment the best cup of coffee that you’ve ever had. Pouring hot water through savory, fresh, roasted coffee grinds produces a rich aromatic brew of coffee that engages the brain and body. If you’re like me, there’s nothing like enjoying a great cup of coffee in the morning. But, imagine for a moment what that cup would taste like without using the right filter. It would either be too weak, too strong - full of grounds and taste like gritty mud - not too appetizing.

This is much of what our lives are like when we don’t use the right filter. A filter is used to keep out the bad stuff. It’s that simple. If we simply allow anything in, then our lives become polluted, sludgy, messy, stinky, filthy with severe consequences that we’ll have to struggle to overcome. Even worse is the fact that our bad decisions and involvements can negatively affect others, especially those whom we love.

Now, I’ll ask you again. What kind of filter are you using for your life? Do you even have one? Have you ever even thought about what you’ve allowed into your life? Furthermore, how is it affecting you? How’s it affecting the ones that you love?

Even if you have a filter, it’s a worthy question to be asked. Examine it, try it and test it. Make sure it’s the right one for you - the best one that will help you move positively forward from this point onward. It may be that you’re dealing with circumstances as a result of not having a filter or of using a faulty one.

Use God as your Filter

The first step towards putting the right filter in place is to understand the truth about yourself and your situation in relation to God’s wisdom.

Christ stated in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

My Suggestions for Adjusting Your Filter:

1. Ask God to reveal His truth to you on a daily basis.
2. Seek to know God in a personal way through prayer and studying His word.
3. Pray that God will transform you with His truth and wisdom.
4. As you learn more about God, allow Him to transform your life, creating the right FILTER for you.
5. Rest in the fact that you’re protected daily, because your choices and decisions are in line with God’s truth - a filter that He created because He knows what’s best for us.

Before your life leads you somewhere you don’t want to be, check your filter. Learn God’s truth, apply it to your life and live in freedom.

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Are you slowly committing “foundational suicide”?

Are there cracks in your structure?

Are you trying to stand on quicksand?

Is it that for all of the struggling and fighting, you just keep sinking deeper?

Are you looking for solace, safety, security and relief from the hardships that you’re facing?

Well, there is hope. Whatever your situation, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Furthermore, maybe it’s time to look down and inspect what exactly it is that you’re standing on - or what you’ve built your life upon. Perhaps it sounds a bit cliché, but this IS your life and this IS a valid question.

My best advice - Make sure your structure exists on a real, right and firm base!

Let me explain. Look at what the Psalmist, King David of Israel (known as “a man after God’s own heart”) wrote so eloquently in Psalms 18:2 -

“The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; My God, my Strength, in Whom I will trust; My Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”

WOW! Could it be that God Himself is the answer to what’s plaguing you? According to David, that’s an overwhelming and amazing “YES”.

For clarity sake, let me just explain what this passage means on a very practical level.

Let’s focus on the key words in Psalms 18:2:

Lord - one who is in the position of power and authority. The fact that David calls God this shows that he’s acknowledging God’s sovereignty in submitting himself to who God is.

Rock - firm, solid, strong, hard, crushing, dense, lasting, unyielding. A “Rock” is foundational material. You can’t sink into rock. The fact that David calls God his “Rock” shows that David is acknowledging God’s power and strength in his life.

Fortress - a safe and secure place, where you are protected and not vulnerable to attack. The fact that David calls God his “Fortress” indicates that he realizes that the Lord is watching over him, providing protection, security and refuge.

Deliverer - one who rescues, emancipates, frees, redeems. The fact that David calls God his “Deliverer” shows that David knows that the Lord is is the One who will carry him out of his difficulties, suffering, sorrows, fear, danger and destruction.

God - is God is God is God. Many definitions come to mind, but the word alone implies omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence (all knowing, all powerful, present everywhere). The fact that David calls Him his “God” shows that he is acknowledging his personal relationship with the supreme Deity.

Strength - mental power, force, vigor, firmness or courage. David’s acknowledgment of God being his “Strength” show that he’s empowered by God and that he is emboldened to face life’s struggles because of this.

Shield - protection, force field, blocker, armor, resilience, guard. This goes hand in hand with Strength, but shows that David realizes that the Lord surrounds him with his protection and repels the attacks of evil and the enemy.

Horn - signifies strength and protection, like the horn(s) on an animal. The fact that David calls God the “Horn” of his salvation shows that he knows that God keeps him safe and secure, the protector of his salvation.

Stronghold - high tower, fortress, place of security away from danger. Again, the fact that David calls God his “Stronghold” indicates his knowledge that God has him in a safe place and is keeping him from danger.

David, someone who experienced pain, disobedience and sin on several levels knew God intimately. Not only did he know Him, but from the above scripture it’s easy to see that he derived great comfort and reassurance from this personal relationship. David sought to know God - experience Him and worship Him on a regular basis. He had a real, thriving relationship with God and communed with Him regularly. Read Psalms 63 and you’ll see what his daily meditation consisted of with the Lord. Through his steadfast faith and reliance upon God (and His attributes), he stood firm, faithful and consistent in the midst of adversity.

Ok, so what do we need to remember about this? Well, if we have a real relationship with Christ/God, then we have a real and solid foundation upon which to stand, to build a solid future and move forward. To quote a verse from an old, but great hymn -

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand . . .”

What are you standing on?

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