By GARY ANDREWS
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For those of us that have been married for many years understand what true love and commitment means. My wife and I have stood by each other in all type situations, whether bad or good. The Lord has truly blessed our marriage as He has many others.
When we took our wedding vows we said them with all sincerity of keeping and believing in them. With the divorce rate of nearly 50% most marriages of today are not consummated with the belief of longevity, even if this is what is intended to be. So many outside variables and interest tear apart good marriages because the commitment level is not there on one or both partners. This is often true in our business dealings also where we have failed to honor commitments we gave our word on.
Looking in the Old Testament book of Ruth we find a commitment that goes above and beyond of what is expected. Ruth follows her mother-in-law, Naomi, to her home land and cares for her in her later years. Ruth’s and Naomi’s husbands have died and when times are tough on these women they return to Naomi’s homeland to find a better life. Naomi, being a godly woman, tries to get Ruth to stay behind with her own family, in her homeland of Moab, instead of going with her. Through her love and commitment to her daughter-in-law, she felt she would have a better life if she stayed with her people instead of going with her.
Ruth was committed through her love for Naomi to go with her and care for her. The Lord was also in this relationship since Naomi trusted in the Lord and Ruth was raised with pagan gods. The Lord was able to use Ruth in a tough situation that went good.
Many of us bail out on situations that seem beyond repair. All of us need to realize that nothing is beyond repair with the Lord’s help. He will answer our prayers and help us find solutions to our problems if we will talk to Him and lean on His guidance and His word.
If we have the Lord on our side then all of our commitments will be honored and treasured. Just as my wife and I said our “I do’s” over 40 years ago, the Lord has tremendously blessed us. The first thing we did after our ceremony was to get on our knees and ask Him to be Lord of our marriage and household. He has never failed us.
When you the know the Lord, you know true love and commitment.
Prayer: Thank you again Lord for my wife of many years and for the blessings you have provided for us. I pray that anything I say or do will be with your guidance. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Ruth 1:15-17; Monday – Ephesians 5:1-2; Tuesday – Genesis 22:1-14; Wednesday – 2 Corinthians 2:12-17; Thursday – Joshua 24:14-15; Friday – Mark 1:16-20; Saturday – Isaiah 6:8.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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Several years ago I was talking with my oldest daughter about the loss of one of her friends. She was sad and upset and called her mother and me to tell us of this sad situation.
Her friend, a 32-year-old mother of one, had passed away due to the unforgiving, uncaring disease of cancer. It broke my heart to hear of someone so young being taken from her family.
Many things we do not understand and one of the strongest points I receive from this situation is that life is not fair. However, we must remember one vital and important thing: God did not promise us a tomorrow.
I am reminded of something I read recently about putting off something you desire until a special occasion. I firmly believe that each day is a gift and we need to take hold of every moment.
A paraphrase of this story is that a man went to his wife’s closet and brought out a small gift box, then unwrapped it very carefully. He said, “Well, I guess this is it.”
His wife had bought this item nine years ago and was saving this clothing for a special occasion. He took the clothing and laid it on the bed next to her dress. These were the clothes he was taking to the funeral home because his wife had just died.
The man said, “Never save something for a special occasion. Everyday in your life is a special occasion.”
These words should touch us enough that we would take time to read more and clean less. We should sit on the porch without worrying about anything. Spending more time with family and less time at work should be our priority. We should use our good china every day and wear our new clothes anytime we feel like it.
The words “Someday…” and “One day…” should start fading away from our dictionary. If it’s worth seeing, listening or doing, then see, listen or do it now. We especially shouldn’t delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. Each day, each hour, each minute should be special to us and we should say this to ourselves every morning.
If any of us knew the time we would leave this earth, what would we do before that time? We might call relatives and closest friends. We could call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. Maybe we would go out and have our favorite dinner.
We may regret and feel sad because we didn’t say to our brothers, sisters, and children, not times enough at least, how much we love them.
My daughter’s friend did have the opportunity for a final goodbye to her child and husband. She was one of the fortunate ones, and then, I think to myself, how can someone say a final goodbye to their 3-year old child?
We have become so busy in a hurry up world that many of us forget what is really important. We let worry and other vices deprive us of our days being special. Each day we need to be prepared to go and be with the Lord and all of our earthly experiences will be gone. Will you leave this earth with promises unfulfilled, disagreements unsettled, letters unwritten, sayings to loved ones unsaid, fun things we wanted to do undone, or unused special items still sitting on a shelf because our someday never came?
We need to let go of all the earthly strive that holds us back and remember what we are told in Philippians 4: 6-7; “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer: Thank you Lord for each day of life that you allow me to have. I pray that I will make it a special day and if I have unsettled issues in my life, that you will lead me in making corrective measures for these items. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Psalm 46:1-3; Monday – Philippians 4:19; Tuesday – Jeremiah 17:8; Wednesday - Luke 10:41-42; Thursday – Romans 8:28; Friday – Isaiah 32:17; Saturday – Hebrews 11:1.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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Listening to a sermon from a visiting preacher one Sunday morning really drove a point home to me about family. He asked the question “How many of you have attended a family reunion this year?”
Several raised their hands indicating they had gone to a family reunion this year. I raised my hand because I had attended a reunion for my wife’s family and thoroughly enjoyed it. I only wish that my family would do the same every year.
Family reunions can be a time of rejoicing, renewing kinship of family members you see only once a year, or could be a time of settling disputes with brothers and sisters. Harboring harsh feelings for unkind acts or words of hurt from one to another can only fester and creates ill will for years if amends are not made and settled. Many times these feelings are really unfounded actions or misunderstandings. The holder of the grudge many times will allow these unsettled moments grow into something that is not there at all.
One of the greatest family reunions of all is told to us in Genesis 45. In chapters leading up to this one we are told of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because of jealously. We also see that God had a plan for Joseph as He allowed him to become second in command over all of Egypt. He was second to Pharaoh; however Joseph knew who was ultimately in charge. God used Joseph and gave him wisdom through many trials that he faced in Egypt. Through God’s plan and Joseph’s leadership Egypt planned ahead for the times of peril that would come.
Joseph’s brothers and father came to Egypt for help during these times of hunger. Joseph welcomed them and helped them eventually bringing all of them to live in the land of Goshen. He forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery and this family reunion was one of the greatest.
All of us can do the same as Joseph and forgive anyone that has offended us. If we are the one that offended someone else, this could be a time for apologizing and getting rid of the guilt you have been carrying. God wants us to be one big happy family but it seems inevitable that we can’t get along. Problems arise from any type situation. We need to pray that we are confident in what we are doing and what we say and pray that we are in God’s will.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the wisdom that you allow me to have. Lead me and guide me in the way you want me to go. Lord, if I have offended someone please allow that person and I to make amends before another day comes. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Genesis 45:1-28; Monday – 1 John 4:19-21; Tuesday – 1 Timothy 5:3-8; Wednesday – 2 Samuel 2:26-28; Thursday – Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Friday – 3 John 2-4; Saturday – Joel 1:2-3.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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Looking back over my life and remembering the choices I made, I often wonder did I take the road less traveled. Being a senior citizen and looking back on decisions I made 40-50 years ago, and I am sure many of you do this also, did I make the correct choices to have the best life I could have?
I am not sure anyone could answer this question without some hesitation. As I did, most of us studied Robert Frost’s poem, “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood”, and never thought much about what this poem meant until we reached our later years. Actually the poem’s title is “The Road Not Taken” written around 1920, but I have always remembered it as “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood.”
Years later we are sitting at our kitchen table looking out through the window into the woods thinking, did I do what I was supposed to do or did I take the road most people take and follow instead of taking the road less traveled and become a leader?
Most of us in our youth, just as the youth of today, weren’t sure of what we wanted to do or which direction we wanted to go. Being a Christian and believing that the Lord would lead me where He wanted me to be was what I needed at a time I was in doubt and had much uncertainty of which direction I should go. Many of us were like Moses when the Lord told him to go and speak to the Pharaoh in Egypt and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
As many of us would do today, we would hesitate and come up with all kind of excuses because we do not believe in our ability or what we can do with the Lord’s help.
The Lord speaks to Moses in Exodus 4:11; The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Even though Moses continued to complain, the Lord made a way for Moses to adhere to the Lord’s instructions.
Now that I am in my retirement years I look back over my life and the career the Lord chose for me, I can only say that I went in a direction that I never thought I would. As I entered college, then went through the military, earned a degree in another field, the Lord knew I would eventually become a journalist and work in this field for 35 years. So many of us today are in the same situation that I am in wondering if the road we took was the one we wanted or the one the Lord provided for us. For me it was definitely the Lord that put me in my career path and I must tell you I have been thoroughly blessed because He controlled where I was going instead of me doing it my way.
Many of you will say that on your career path, “I did it my way”, and maybe you did. Even now we need to look at every incident that happened to us along this journey and say, “Did I really do it on my own or did the Lord lead me and guide me to where I am?”
“Two roads diverge into a yellow wood” and I, unaware at the time, chose to follow the Lord where He wanted me to go. Whether it was the road less traveled or the one most traveled I will always know that He was in the lead and without Him leading me I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for your divine leadership. Thank you for the life you have given me and it is my prayer that I may provide leadership through you for someone else. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Exodus 3:11-15; Monday – Romans 12:3-8; Tuesday – Hosea 10:1-4; Wednesday – Acts 18:24-28; Thursday – Psalm 18:43-50; Friday – Ephesians 4:11-13; Saturday – James 1:2-8.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.