Reflex

"And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the Ark of God."

2 Samuel 6:6-7

The first time David tried to move the Ark of God, it didn't go so well.  He chose to move it by his own way instead of the meticulous instructions made by God Himself.  No doubt David had good intentions, but good intentions are not the same thing as obedience; it was a costly mistake.

The Ark of God represented the presence of a Holy God; it was to be revered.

It's been said by some who have read these verses that Uzzah's death had been unfair.  Even David was displeased because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah, (verse 8), but sinful man cannot touch a Holy God.  Uzzah's reaction to the Ark falling from off of the cart was probably just a reflex; but God doesn't need man's help.

Webster defines reflex as an automatic and often inborn response to a stimulus that typically involves a nerve impulse passing inward from a receptor of a spinal cord and then passing outward from the spinal cord to an effector such as a muscle or gland without reaching the level of consciousness and often without passing to the brain.

In other words, Uzzah's response to the Ark of God falling off the cart, was an action performed without even thinking.

The more and more I thought about Uzzah's response to the falling Ark, the more and more I saw myself.

I immediately thought about the mechanics of worship.  

We all know the drill-

We get up on Sunday morning, put on our Sunday clothes, go to church, sing hymns, pray, listen to the preaching, come home, put on our every day clothes, eat lunch, do things around the house, and then do it all again for the evening service.

All by reflex.

All by mechanics.

All without thinking.

Just like moving the Ark, God has an intended way of worship.  Do I worship God as He deserves, or am I in a 'reflex mode' of worship that no longer has any thought behind it?

No reflex...

    No mechanics...

        Just true worship...

            But that's just me!

"Uzzah made a decision in a moment to disregard God's command and to do what seemed right to him. Even decisions made in a moment matter to God." Guzik

Half-Truth

"A half-truth is a deceptive statement that contains some true facts but leaves out crucial context or mixes in falsehoods to mislead people." Webster

I thought what was said was true. I had no reason not to believe what I had heard;

But then I heard the rest of the story.

Disappointment and heartache set in.  A relationship built on trust will now always be questionable.

I reached for my bible to see who else had been hurt by a half-truth.

"Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee."  Words of Abraham to Sarah, his wife because he feared Pharaoh.  

Genesis 12:13

"And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah." Genesis 20:2

Abraham spoke this same half-truth twice.  This lie hurt his wife, Pharaoh, Abimelech and Abraham himself.  His testimony was ruined before worldly leaders, and trust was severed with his wife.

Was Sarah Abraham's sister?

Yes.  But it was a half-truth.  They shared a father but had different mothers.  Abraham's lie put Sarah's life in danger and proved that Abraham feared man more than he trusted that God would take care of them.

"And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD." 1 Samuel 15:13  

Saul failed to completely obey God's command to destroy the Amalekites and all their livestock.  When Samuel confronted Saul concerning Saul's half-hearted obedience, (which really is disobedience) Saul spoke a half-truth.  Yes, Saul did go into battle and destroy most things, but he hid the fact that he intentionally spared King Agag and the best of the sheep and the cattle to keep for himself.

Why did Saul tell Samuel a half-truth?  Because he feared the people.  (1 Samuel 15:24)

Saul was rejected by God to be king, because of his disobedience.

"For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Words of the serpent to Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Genesis 3:5

This is probably the greatest half-truth of them all.  It caused Eve to ignorantly sin against God, and it caused Adam to willfully sin against God.  It was the fall that affected all mankind.

This half-truth revealed that yes, they would gain knowledge of good and evil, but Satan deceived them by not revealing the consequences of their disobedience against God:

Sin, shame and spiritual death.

We have all spoken half-truths.  If we think we haven't, we are just deceiving ourselves, but it was brought to my attention because of the hurt a half-truth caused me.  

Half-truths and secrets hurt; but they won't always be hidden and they won't always be secret.

"For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14

"For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." Words of Jesus, Luke 8:17

"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." Words of Jesus, Luke 12:2-3

"A half-truth masquerading as a whole truth becomes a complete untruth." J.I Packer

Charles Spurgeon, "Often warned that doctrinal errors and spiritual compromises rarely enter the church as naked lies; instead, they come dressed in the language of partial biblical truths to deceive believers."  

Friend...

    a half-truth is nothing but a whole lie...

        But that's just me!

Acknowledge Him

 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

The ladies in my bible study are beginning a new theme this month: Walking By Faith.  It's off to a great start!  Even though our first verses we are studying have been studied multiple times before, God showed me something new today.  I love that when it happens.  God's Word is alive!  This is what He showed me today...

vs 5-Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

•Trust in Who?

-The LORD!

•With what?

-ALL my heart!  It must be all or nothing.  There is no middle ground when it comes to trust.

 I can't try to make sense of something with my own understanding.  His ways are not my ways!  I must seek God's Word.

vs 6-In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

•In ALL.

-Every circumstance, every situation, in every trial, fear, joy and happiness.

•Acknowledge.

-To recognize the rights, authority or status of, to express gratitude or obligation for, to take notice of, to recognize as genuine or valid.

In other words, I must surrender to God's Will knowing that He is in control, He has the right to be in control, and He will never do me wrong, cause me harm or steer me in the wrong direction.  He always wants what is best for me.

But I did notice something new this morning, something I had not seen before.

•Paths

-Plural.

-Not 'path.' 

-PATHS.

For some reason, I had always read it as 'path.'  As if my life is one journey, one road.  It's not.  My life is made up of many decisions that lead me in different directions.  Some paths I remain on, some I leave.

Some paths are familiar, some are new, but this one thing is clear:  God promises that if I hand over the reins of my life, if I hand over the roadmap of 'my plans' and surrender to His will, He promises to direct my course.

He makes no mistakes...

    He will plan and lead me according to the purpose He has for me...

        He will not only direct my paths...He will clear the way for me...

            But that's just me!

3 Things To Remember

On my way into town today, I was listening to K-LOVE Christian Radio, and the Hosts were sharing an excerpt from Matthew West's book, Don't Stop Praying. (Published February 2026) It was so profound, that I decided to research this account and share it with my Readers; this is what I found:

"The 'exercise' Matthew West speaks about is a powerful trust walk from a father-daughter camp (attended at JH Ranch) that served as a spiritual metaphor.  He recounts this exact story at the beginning of his book, Don't Stop Praying.

The Camp Exercise Setup-

Fathers and daughters went deep into the woods for a guided hike.  The daughters completely blindfolded, and the fathers were tasked with leading them safely through the terrain.

Before starting, the fathers had to have their daughters memorize and repeat three strict rules:

1-"I will never leave you."

2-"You can ask me anything."

3- "Only listen for the sound of my voice."

How the exercise unfolded-

 •The Easy Phase- At first, Matthew kept his hand on his daughter's shoulder. They walked and talked easily, and she felt entirely secure.

•The Silent Command-A camp counselor gave a silent hand signal to Matthew, forcing him to remove his hand from her shoulder.

•The Silence-Another silent signal from the counselor meant Matthew was no longer allowed to speak to her. However, the rules permitted him to speak only if she remembered rule number 2 and asked him a question.

•The Detour-Because she stayed completely quiet, she began drifting off course. A camp counselor quickly took her hand and led her directly into a ditch without her realizing it.

•The Breakthrough-Confused and standing blindfolded in a ditch, she finally realized her father's promise and called out, "Dad, are you there?" Matthew immediately and emotionally answered, "Yeah, I'm here!"

The Spiritual takeaway-

Matthew West uses this viral story in his ministry and book to illustrate prayer and faith. He explains that people often act like his daughter in the woods-wandering into 'ditches' of life, feeling blindfolded and confused, while entirely forgetting that God is standing right beside them, waiting for them to simply call out and ask for help."

I couldn't stop thinking about this illustration all day long.  When things seem to be going great in my life, it's easy to feel safe and secure in the promises of God, but when things begin to change and I no longer 'feel' the presence of God in my life, fear, doubts and confusion enter my thoughts.  I being to make decisions without seeking the Lord and I find myself in a ditch of my own making.  But then I remember God's promises-

"I will never leave you" Hebrews 13:5

"You can ask me anything" 1 John 5:14-15, John 14:13-14, Mark 11:24, Philippians 4:6

"Only listen for the sound of my voice" John 10:27

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that you will never leave me...

    I can call on You and ask You anything...

        and I know Your Voice...

            But that's just me!

Purposed

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."  Daniel 1:8

Daniel purposed in his heart...

I've been thinking a lot about this verse lately.  Our church just finished a week-long Family Camp, and we all heard Spirit-filled preaching to help improve our relationships with our spouses, our children, and with our friends.  It's easy to make decisions based on what you have heard right after the church service, and it's easy to fulfill those decisions you've made for a week or two at least, but as the weeks turn into months, the decisions that we have made during special meetings, or after the weekly church services begin to wane and fall on the wayside, and we find ourselves right back where we started from.  Why is that?

Laziness.

It takes hard work and effort to change. 

Daniel made a decision.  His decision was based on a conviction, not on a standard.  Standards change; convictions will not change.  

He determined himself not to eat the king's meat.  This was a decision he had to make every single day. His determination was kept for an intended purpose: To please God.

Jesus did the same thing.  Every single day, Jesus purposed in His heart to please His heavenly Father.  To continually go about His Father's business.  Jesus set His face to go where He needed to go, to meet the person or person's He knew would be waiting for Him there.  To do what God the Father asked Him to do.  

Jesus never did anything half-heartedly or without reason or purpose.

So, how can we glorify God, whether in the time of ease or in the time of trial like Daniel?  According to Guzik, the heart must be set.  Daniel made up his mind beforehand that he would not compromise. It's to know in our hearts that "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Lord, help me to purpose in my heart to do...

     only those things that will please you...

        But that's just me!

   

The Voice of A Shepherd

"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers."  Jesus speaking, John 10:4-5

I remember as a little girl, I could be in a room full of other kids and their mom's but when my mom called out to me, (and she didn't even have to call me out by name) I always knew that the voice I heard belonged to my mom.  When she called out to get my attention, for whatever reason, I heard her voice and I knew who she was, and I knew who she was speaking to; me.

During World War 1, some soldiers tried to steal a flock of sheep from a hillside near Jerusalem. The sleeping shepherd awoke to find his flock being driven off.  He couldn't recapture them by force, so he called out to his flock with his distinctive call.  The sheep listened, and returned to their rightful owner.  The soldiers couldn't stop the sheep from returning to their shepherd's voice.  

There is also a story of a Scotch traveler who changed clothes with a Jerusalem shepherd and tried to lead the sheep: but the sheep followed the shepherds voice and not his clothes.  (Dods)

Sheep do not follow after the voice of a stranger.  Why?  Because they only listen for the voice of their shepherd.  A shepherd whose voice they do not recognize, they ignore. 

Only their own personal shepherd has authority over their care, and they know him by his voice.

Do you know the voice of The Good Shepherd?

If so, He will lead you, guide you and protect you...

    But if you know not His voice, you will be led to danger and destruction...

        But that's just me!

The Search

 "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5

There is a tale of a king who suffered from a painful ailment. His counselors advised him of the only cure: to find a contented man, get his shirt, and wear it night and day. So, the king sent messengers to find such a man, with orders to bring back his shirt. After months of searching the kingdom, they returned empty-handed.
“Did you find a contented man in all my realm?” asked the king.
“Yes, O king, we found only one in all thy realm,” they replied.
“Then why did you not bring back his shirt?” the king demanded.
“Master, the man had no shirt.”
(Condensed from Tan, P. L., Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Bible Communications, Inc., 1996, pp. 272–273).

My friend, Cindy Burns, shared this story with me while we were doing a bible study about contentment.  When I read it, I cried.  

The world is seeking and searching diligently for contentment and happiness; but they are seeking and searching after the wrong things.  After the wrong people.

Why does it seem like those with the most possessions are the ones with such dissatisfaction in life?

And why does it seem like those who have nothing are the ones who have it all?

The answer, my friend, is Jesus.

Jesus is all we need.  Jesus is enough.

If you are searching for contentment...

    Turn to Christ...

        Your search will finally be over...

            But that's just me!

"Contentment is a sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit that delights in God's will in all situations."  Jeremiah Burroughs