Coming to the Still Waters

  A rock along the East Shore Trail up to Shadow Mountain Fire Tower.  Someone took the time to place a little encouragement along this 1500 elevation gain trail.  The sun was out and the trees were brilliant, especially against the green of the pines.  We were hot and tired when we got back to the car but it was a wonderful way to spend the morning and having our lunch with a view. Jesus has given His disciples the final " therefore " of the Sermon on the Mount.  He winds up the 2s with 2 foundation, 2 houses, 2 men, and 2 outcomes.  There really is only one foundation as we read the passage.  Nothing the world has to offer is a foundation to build your life upon.  As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11, "For no one can lay another foundation than that which was laid, which is Jesus Christ." Jesus completes His formal teaching of what it means to be a disciple of His.  He has laid out a picture for His disciples to compare Himself to the religio...

  I took this picture because I thought it was amply put for taking a picture of it and getting a glimpse of the falls in the background.  Granite Falls is about 5 miles up from the Green Mountain Trailhead in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was not my final destination of the day but it was a great stop first stop of the morning.  This sign was placed in the perfect spot just like there are also people God puts in the perfect spot in our lives along life's way. Farther up the trail is Sprague Mountain.  There is actually Sprague Glacier, a Sprague Lake and a Sprague Pass.  I know some Spragues and they were perfectly placed in my life to help, encourage and love me.  I looked for John's profile on this mountain but I could only see it from 3 sides so maybe its facing the front range.  The Spragues are just one example of people God has put as a sign in my life to grow from in my walk with Him.  We need good examples to actually see wha...

  Two is a great number walking side by side in the same direction.  Maybe also single file traveling the same path to a share desired destination.  This kind of 2 can become 1 as the Bible says through the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.  Our covenant journey is now in its 39th year and while earthly destinations on God's beautifully created earth are wonderful to see, it is our final destination to be with Him face to face will be the ultimate trek and arrival.   This is a different 2 than what Jesus is speaking of in the Sermon on the Mount.  These 2s are opposites.  You can't serve 2 masters.  There are 2 gates and 2 roads and 2 designations with many more 2s to come.  As the song says, "One way or an another..."  Jesus is winding down His sermon with a final picture for them to ponder about the final destination of their lives. Jesus starts this passage with 3 commands, ask, seek and knock.  But what is the...

  "It's right up here."   One of my grandsons and I headed up a little side trail to get to the top of the falls.  We were getting a little closer to the source.  I feel this way when we study the context of a passage of scripture rather than just a verse that has been quoted over and over and tied to many different situations.  Our first verse of the passage this week is one of them, "Do not judge, so that you will not be judged." (Matthew 7:1, LSB) On its own it sounds like we should never judge anyone else and that if we don't judge anyone else then no one will ever judge us.  Just typing that last sentence you see how unrealistic it is.  But in the context of the passage and more largely the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7), Jesus is emphasizing not if we judge but how we judge.  The passage shows us how to judge (how to remove the speck from your brother's eye) and the whole sermon is laying out how not to be like the Pharisees who were ...

  Perspective is always good.  I am sitting at Farview Curve on the Trail Ridge Road looking across the Never Summer Mountain range.  The pointed mountain on the right is Lulu Mountain and traveling down to the left to the saddle before going back up is Thunder Pass.  I can see where I was just a couple days ago.  Many times coming down the trail is actually more beautiful than traveling up.  Traveling up you have your head down and pressing forward.  Traveling down you can have you head up and you are leaning back a bit to maintain balance.  What you couldn't see before or were concentrating too much on taking the your step has come into view.  Is there something in this passage that Jesus wants to come into view as we travel along with Him? Jesus tells His disciples not to worry about what they will eat; what they will drink; and what they will wear.  Jesus has them focus on the basics of life.  In school the answer was food, clot...