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Path Of Hope

September 3rd, 2020

Path Of Hope

Thy Word is lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119: 105. Sometimes in life we may feel lost. Tears as I first started to write this post. I can relate. We do our best, we build our life, but the cares of the world can sweep us away and we lose our firm footing, our peace of mind. Life can be hard sometimes. The reason for my tears, try as you might, we just lose sight sometimes of the prize and the real reason for living.

Life can be altered on a dime, and the simple things that add up to so much that overwhelm us, really are not that big when you sit back and look at the big picture. Sometimes, we just have to step back, breath, look, regroup, listen to God, and walk on.

Let the mistakes go, let that gnawing feeling of failure go. Maybe you don't have that feeling, but I sure do. I heard one time the saying, play new tapes in your head. Do you know what I mean? We beat ourselves up with a list of all we have done wrong. We have a long list since as far back as we can remember, The older we are, the longer the list.

I have learned to play new tapes in my head, what God says about me and His love and encouragement. Many times I am successful, but oh how quick the old tapes want to emerge. You know who brings them back to mind, the enemy, the devil, wants you to remember. He wants you to live life on the side of defeat. The side where you feel you can do nothing right, or not good enough. He wants you to forget how loved you are and that God is not looking at the mistakes, but on where He knows you are going, and not only that, God knows you are going to make it.

His Word truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. That is a living daily knowledge to work out. We don't hear that wisdom from the Lord and then live our life happily ever after without attacks of our own shortcomings, failures, mistakes, bad old tapes playing in our head... We work it out. We look back to God. We hear what He has to say about it. And what He says, is, His plans for you are good. Your sins are forgotten. You are free from the burden of sin. Jesus paid a price and took it all for you. It is a done deal.

So to continue in the pain of it, and to live life on the side of regret, is not the Lord's will for you. Don't live there. Remember, walk in the Light of the Lord. Embrace life and the beauty of it. Live life on the high side of your heart and walk there, don't go to the dark. Let God's glorious light give you a good path to walk on. Hear Him. His voice is strong and clear. It is good. If you feel beat up, you are hearing the enemy of your soul. Don't listen. If God has something to say to you to give correction, it will be with a sense of relief you can be given the grace to get it right and you will take a step to do so. He is not going to beat you up over and over for a mistake. The enemy will be the one to do that to cause you pain. God convicts to cause you peace. There is a huge difference. Once dealt with with God, it is over, and you walk on in His grace with a humble thankful heart. A free heart.

I said tears when I started to write this, because I have learned how to play good tapes, but... the bad ones still come sometimes, well, often actually, but I do my best to stay on the thankful side of life and walk in love. But, when I read the words to this song, the anointing hit me and the Lord's still small voice hit me right where I was feeling like a failure.

Many of you know the battles I have with my son who is semi-comatose from traumatic brain injury. You can read his story on my about page here, https://www.pamherrick.com/inspirational-prophetic-art-and-story.html Well, he is a step above that. They just don't know what to call it. You can tell when he is awake and he looks around. He sighs when I hug him or moans when he does not like something, but other than that, he can not communicate.

My tears came from areas I have felt like I have failed him and my family. Something in me beats me up to think I should do more, or better, or right. Old tapes playing that I can't do it good enough. The area the enemy has learned works to hurt us, he will keep pounding away to get you. Tears again coming to my heart and eyes as I realize, I have been tricked yet once again, and tears of thankfulness to know with God's grace, it is all gone and my own heart can walk on clear with a purpose, without guilt.

When your child is hit by a car, in Bryan's case, two cars while walking, your whole world stops and many of the hustle bustle cares of life just stop, on a dime. You see what really matters, not that I did not know what matters. Family, love, that is what matters, But the 101 list of things continually playing in my head to do, just was not even looked at or thought about. Life stopped. The cares of life stop. All that mattered was being there with my son as he fought for his life. It taught me a great deal in that the cares of the world can take care of themselves. You don't have to fret so much. And yet, all these years after my son's accident, I have slowly been taken aback from the cares of life once again. I cried because I was overwhelmed and felt I had lost my way. I did not even know I was feeling that way until I read those words and God's light shone right on the pain in my heart. Tears falling as I write. I did not even know it hurt so bad there. Tears of comfort as well because I am feeling God's healing, even as I write.

My dear friends. I write to tell you, that if you have been overwhelmed by life or guilt, it is not God's plan for you to live like that, you can lay it down. You can give Him your burdens. And walk from the lighted place in your heart. His Word heals. "He sent His Word and healed them."

He tells us to lift up our countenance, to have hope, to know the height and depth and breadth of His love. I need to remember every day of my life to walk in His love and the light of His ways. That is where we are safe, That is where our heart forgets the bad and the pain. That is where we learn forgiveness of our own selves and can extend it then to others. Living out part of the Lord's prayer, "forgive us our trespass as we have forgiven those that trespass against us." It is learning to live life in love and hope and a path of light and goodness. To simply know you are loved and freedom to live from a good place in your own heart. Not beat up. Not even by your own words and bad old tapes.

I pray grace for you to hear God's good tapes in your head, all the days of your life. Keep listening to Him, keep following His beautiful PATH OF HOPE!

​Amy Grant's song, "Thy Word", below.

God bless you!

Love,

Pam Herrick, artist at Just For You Prophetic Art and here at Fine Art America at PamHerrickPropheticArt

Please also visit my personal website for more art and stories at Just For You Prophetic Art

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Thank you so much and thank you for your love and prayers for my son Bryan!

AMY GRANT SONG,
THY WORD:

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid,
Think I've lost my way,
Still you're there right beside me.
And nothing will I fear
As long as you are near.
Please be near me to the end.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
I will not forget
Your love for me and yet
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus be my guide,
And hold me to your side,
I will love you to the end.
Nothing will I fear as long as you are near.
Please be near me to the end.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,
And a light unto my path.
You're the light unto my path.
Written by Amy Grant, Amy Grant Gill, Michael W. Smith, Michael Whitaker Smith