Sunday, October 29, 2023

Just Watch the Lines by Becky Van Vleet #Devotional #SundayThoughts


Through the years, each car my husband and I have purchased has advanced considerably with all thecomputerized features, always a learning curve, at least for me. When we purchased our Acura MDX, and I saw all the lines on the front panel for guided parking, pulling in, and backing out, I said, “Wowza!”

Another learning curve.

Not one to read the car manual, it was easier to ask my husband and get a tutorial straight from him.

“When I go in reverse, what does the orange line mean? And then, when I turn the steering wheel, theline turns to yellow and they change positions. What does that mean? What lines should I not cross when I’m close to the parked car?”

Well, simply put, he explained crossing the yellow lines next to a parked vehicle results in hitting the car.

“Keep it slow,” he said. “Just watch the lines.”

Good advice for me, especially when I’m in the Costco parking lot.

Do we watch the lines in our walk with God to avoid hitting spiritual road bumps that God’s word clearly instructs us to steer clear of? While we don’t have computerized cameras with a panel that displays the lines for how we conduct ourselves, we do have a manual—the Bible.

Sure, we can take shortcuts and get our tutorials from friends, family, and pastors, right? In our fast-paced culture, we have tendencies to take the road more traveled and utilize Lady Luck. But we just might cross lines we shouldn’t. The first and the last of it, we need the manual, the Bible.

God designed us and He knows what is best for us and our happiness. He put lines in place to accomplish His plan of salvation, that no man should perish. If we cross God’s lines, we’re certain to hit something.Heart injuries and internal conflict will occur, maybe even death. Adam and Eve, our first parents, crossed a line they never should have, and look what happened.

God doesn’t pull any punches when He says, “For the wages of sin is death . . .” (Romans 6:23 NKJV) We must read the manual and trust God’s lines. And if we do, we can enjoy the rest of this verse which reads, “. . . but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”




Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren.

Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about patriotism.

A member of ACFW and Allauthor, Becky has devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs. 

You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com. She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!

 

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckyvanvleet/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-van-vleet-ms-806055181/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet_author/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beckyvanvleet/ 

Amazon Central Author Page: https://amzn.to/3INHIPB 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/125841473-becky-van-vleet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beckyvanvleet9907

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/becky-van-vleet

 

 



No comments:

A Vast and Gracious Tide by Lisa Carter

  A Vast and Gracious Tide  June 12, 2018 by  Lisa Carter   (Author) A wounded veteran and the police chief's daughter must work togethe...