Luke 6:38 – Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (NKJV)

In 1920, when Grandma was beginning her family, she bought an improved homestead of 160 acres, with a home, a barn, and a large orchard. The orchard had already seen its prime, but was still producing apples from what had once been well-tended trees. Year after year, the trees blossomed and yielded small Yellow Delicious apples.

The large old orchard was a hubbub of activity for Grandma's children and grandchildren throughout the years. They could be seen climbing the apple trees and playing chase around them, riding a horse or a bicycle, or learning to drive a car without hitting the trees.

During harvest, her family of all ages worked inside and out to prepare the apples. Grandma was a taskmaster who taught her children and grandchildren to appreciate and be grateful to God for everything. At times, she even made the work seem like fun. As pies, apple bread, and sliced apples cooked, apple fragrance spread through the air. The young kids cranked the handle of the cider press. Everyone in the family had a job. Many times, church members and neighbours came to help, taking goodies home with them. When we had finished processing all the fruit, it was divided between all five of grandma's children's families. In addition, her wide pantry shelves, freezer, and extra refrigerator were filled with everything apple. We surveyed our handiwork and knew that we had done well, because of our accomplishment for family, neighbours, and those in need.

Grandma enjoyed the blessings of the orchard and recognized that the apples had come from God. Her gift to God in return was in the preparation and sharing of her apples. She never wanted anything that God provided to go to waste, and she always shared with others, which left a lasting impression on her family. Her apple harvest activities were a testimony to her faith. Even when she had lost her vigour and moved more slowly, she didn't let her age or the deterioration of her untended, aging orchard present a barrier to the fruitfulness of her Christian life. Her joy was in sharing with others.

Are we obedient to the prompting of the Spirit to see the needs of others? God doesn't measure the fruit of the Spirit by bushel baskets. He just wants us to help others through our love, peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control. It doesn't matter what age we are, or the size of the fruit. There is something that we can do for others. Let's be careful to notice their needs.

Prayer: Dear Father, we thank You, not only for the fruit of the Spirit, but for the fruit of our orchards of service that You have given us to serve others, even when we are aged, as You strengthen us to serve again in some way. Instead of an entire bushel basket, may we continue to share, one apple at a time, to meet the needs of others. Amen.

During my teaching career, I worked with many children, from the cognitively impaired to the most nimble-minded of students. As God allowed, the entire range of children had strengths and weaknesses. I am familiar and comfortable with children, because the Lord prepared my heart to develop an appropriate sensitivity for each one. This was a great blessing in a recent encounter.

Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (NIV)

Recently, our church had several baptisms, and the attendance in our congregation surged as extra friends and family arrived. After a lovely service and the last prayer, I walked toward the exit. A young person with dark curly hair and a slight build, whose age I couldn't determine, came toward me. When our eyes met, I smiled at her and said, "Hello."

She reached out and touched my face and said, "Soft." Then she touched my sweater at the shoulder and said, "Soft." I agreed with her. Then she asked, "Colour?" I looked down at my sweater and responded, "Plum." As though practicing the word, she repeated it several times as she walked on by.

I was deeply touched, and I wanted to know her name, but she quickly disappeared into the crowd. During the few moments when we connected, it seemed like time stopped. Every anxiety, pressure, and stress fell away from my mind as my attention directly focused on her. After a few days of inquiry about who she was, we decided that she must have been one of the visitors — but nobody knew her name.

As we mature, the hardness of the world often makes our hearts less sensitive toward others. Children, in their innocence, are open and honest, and live in the moment. I realized, once again, that as my life had become more focused on purpose, God was calling me to slow down, to sort my priorities, and to open my heart. I believe that He sent this girl into my life to bring me back to the moment.

Even though I don't know her name, Jesus does. He allowed this sunbeam of grace to shine on my heart for a moment. Think of a time when you have received unexpected attention from a child. When you feel the need to get in touch with your heart again, pray, and then wait for Him to bring someone your way. Recall the memory of a time when your heart was touched for an instant that you know came directly from the heart of God. Let's slow down, sort our priorities, and open our hearts!

Prayer: Dear Father, we thank You for the times of joy from Your loving kindness when we reach out to communicate with a child. Thank You for knowing who to bring into our lives. You told us to welcome these little ones, knowing that a blessing would be shared, from one to the other, always to Your honour and glory. Amen.

Our knuckles were white from straining to hold onto the rope, and we were very tired. The downward pressure from the pump caused our feet to slip forward on the ground, and we were careful not to let them get caught in the rope. We felt like the force of it was trying to pull us into the well. We strained and pulled, but the weight was too much for us. As the rope began to pull out of our grip, our fingers released their grasp.

The rope snaked quickly back into the well casing as the pump lowered, leaving us with painful rope burns on our fingers. The boys and I had used all our might, trying to pull the pump up and out of the well on our own strength, with no success to our effort.

Later on in life, considering that dangerous scene, I realized that just as we could not pull the pump out of the well without mechanical help, likewise, we cannot pull ourselves out of Satan's grip without God's omnipotent power. God knew it from the beginning. That is why He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us fully from sin, when He broke Satan's grip.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

God knew that we could not redeem ourselves from sin on our own, because sin is a spiritual matter between the Creator and His human creation. We may be the kindest of people. We may be able to break free from destructive addictions, and let go of false gods. But only Christ can overcome the entirety of man's fall from grace that separates mankind from God. For total release from the evil one's grip, we need the full gift of salvation, which includes Christ's triumph in the war against evil, and the empowerment through the Holy Spirit to obey God and resist the temptations.

Have you accepted Christ to be your Saviour? Are you a Christian who is struggling with an issue? Either way, could you be playing tug-of-war with God's enemy? Whatever the case, don't play the game — let go of the rope, and submit lovingly to God. Accept and believe on Him if you have not. If we have, Christ has already saved our souls, and Scripture gives instruction for us to live a victorious life.

The enemy can still annoy and tempt us to go against God's ways, but because Christ broke his grip, freedom from the control of evil allows us to serve God, and live a life of faith, peace, and joy, as written in the gospel.

Prayer: Dear Father, help us always to remember that we must rely completely on Christ's death on the cross and the power of His resurrection, to live a life free from Satan's grip. We thank You for His victory over sin, to Your honour and glory. Amen.

Grandpa answered, "We need the blinkers so Nellie doesn't look to the left or right, but straight ahead, and pays attention to where she is going." I followed alongside while Nellie slowly pulled in a straight row to till furrows into the rich soil in readiness for planting. As my five-year-old self padded along, stomping dirt clods with my bare feet, I thought for a minute about what he had said, and commented proudly, "You don't need to put blinkers on me. I know just exactly where I am going." I know that he must have shaken his head and smiled at the innocent confidence.

Proverbs 4:27a – Do not turn to the right or the left. (NKJV)

Grandpa knew that straight furrows were conducive to his purpose, so he prepared the horse by taking away the chance to be distracted. It was much easier to direct Nellie to plow straight rows by giving her a narrow and focused vision. Likewise, God knows that we need help to keep our life on the straight and narrow pathway, so He provided Scripture and the Holy Spirit to act as our blinkers.

Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (NIV)

We human beings are curious, imaginative, and creative. Our thoughts wander. We soon learn that we need to be reined in to focus on God's purpose at hand and the goals to reach it, based on prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we think as a child and say, "I know exactly where I am going." For believers, that can be a spiritually destructive way to think. God knows that we need blinkers to direct our attention from childlike self-assurance to Christlike confidence.

Do you ever veer off course? If you are a believer in Christ, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make you wise in this matter. Then, listen and obey His prompting.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we appreciate all the tools that You provide for the maturation that we need to reach the mark that You have set for us. Help us, Holy Spirit, to keep our heart, mind, and soul focused straight ahead to Your wisdom, and then to obey the instruction, to Your glory and honour. Amen.

At one time, brightly coloured classroom bulletin boards displayed nursery rhymes that were used in primary and elementary schools to teach children the sounds, patterns, rhythm, and rhyme of reading. The following rhyme represented a concept that we children understood.

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To get her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor doggy had none.

As children listened to that rhyme, they could relate, for sometimes their own cupboards were bare and they didn't have food to eat.

My dad owned a small lumber company, and our family lived there, as well as the workers and their families. One friend's cupboards were often bare. Sometimes, I felt sad when I would hear her say, "Karen's daddy didn't pay my daddy, so Mommy couldn't buy groceries."

I learned that the accusation was never true, but some dads used that excuse when they spent their paycheck in less important ways. Their choices brought hunger and other hardships to their families. My mother faithfully took her largest cookpot filled with soup, stew, or beans to any family in need. In this way, she could show God's love, momentarily ease the mother's mind, and bring comfort to the children's hungry tummies.

Currently, a world food crisis is foretold. Famine is not a new concept, as many countries have suffered food shortages throughout history. It is heart-rending to see the despair brought through hunger. Out of frustration, people get angry at God, and shake their fists at Him, but He is not at fault.

Many families suffer temporary or long-term bare cupboards through no fault of their own; others go without because of poor decision-making and planning. Kindnesses from neighbours, churches, and organizations throughout the world bring God's provision to those in need.

Acts 11:28-29 – Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. (NKJV)

As individuals, we can feed the poor and hungry by following the example set by the disciples in Acts, giving out of the abundance that God has given us. While acting on the call to feed those who are hungry, let's show people the gentle love and care of Jesus through our actions, so that they can see that God is providing food in times of need.

Prayer: Dear Father, when we know that people are in need of food, prepare us with giving hearts to provide and to show them Your grace, so that they will see Your goodness and be grateful. Amen.

When people like me live to be aged, we have been through a myriad of peaks and valleys in our faith journey. When I was 32, I was finding my way out of a difficult spot in life and learning to take care of myself in the world. I suppose that I thought that I was in control of my life, and, in the decision-making parts of it, I was. I had made decisions that allowed me to get through college to earn my state teacher's credentials and to get a job. I was grateful to be at that point, even with very low teacher's pay, but I was in need of encouragement.

I found a lovely poster with a sailing vessel reeling through stormy waters. The ship's captain seemed unaware of the danger as he navigated the seas. The text underneath the picture read, "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

An agnostic co-worker came into my classroom, looked over the rim of her glasses, and peered at my poster. Then, she looked at me with her piercing blue eyes. With a satisfied tone of voice, she commented, "You say that you are a Christian, but I think that you are a humanist." I was shocked to realize exactly what the poster reflected about me. A siren wailed a warning to my soul.

I was catapulted into action to adjust my thinking in a big way, because I was veering in the wrong direction. I removed the poster from the wall and placed it in the trash. That Sunday, I returned to church.

What a joy it was to return to Christian fellowship and to refresh what I really believed. Only God is the Lord of my life. My Father had wisely used my unsaved friend to sound a siren's wail of caution.

Our precious Lord can use anyone or anything to prompt us through the Holy Spirit. I am so grateful for His warnings, which can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a siren's wail to protect His children from going against His will.

Let us think about the ways that God has protected us by using warnings that vary from subtle to glaring. What happens when we pay attention — or ignore them? We can pray, asking God to lead us to safer ground and then to teach us to change our behaviour as we are prompted. We can turn to mature Christians for counsel and talk with our pastor when needed. We must not ignore the warnings. Focus on — and heed — the roadblocks that give a siren's wail, so that we don't go outside of God's will.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You for Your protection as, for each of us, You light our pathways and guide us into obedience to You, our loving Father. You know that we can easily be deceived, and You have given us Your holy Word to teach us Your ways. Guide us into obedience with love. Amen.

When I was a very young girl, until I heard the lonesome steam whistle, I didn't know that a section of California's Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks were six miles down the mountain from my grandparents' sheep ranch. The wind currents carried the train's muffled "woo-woo" through the forested hillsides of our remote timber country. At night, the train whistle awakened me and seemed to call to me, "Come aboard!" Each time I heard the whistle, I felt an unsettling sadness of being left behind.

We can look at our faith journey as a train ride, with God as the Master Engineer and the Conductor. He desires all who accept His Son Jesus as Saviour to get on board. Listen carefully as He calls to us in so many ways. He becomes our spiritual Father and forgives us, accepts us, provides for us, and loves us. Do any of us want to be left behind and miss the plan that God has for His children? We never know what God will use to get our attention. For me, it could have been the "woo-woo" of the steam train whistle as a child, because I was seeking God even then. After I accepted Christ as my Saviour, I never felt sad again when I heard the train whistle.

Through every aspect of our lives, Jesus is calling us to come home to be wrapped in His love, to be filled with power to live a spiritual life in Him.

If you are teetering on the brink and not sure of the decision to make for Jesus, make it now. He paid the price, so that believers may receive forgiveness of sins. You don't even need to buy a ticket because when you are on the train to glory, you will already know that Christ paid your fare. He keeps His whistle blowing, "Come aboard!" When the final whistle blows, believers won't miss that last train to glory. The ride on this train matters, because none of His children will be left behind. The radiance of Christ that God has given those on board will blend into His glory as our train draws near to His home.

Through God, I have found peace, contentment, and purpose. I've observed the promises that God makes to His people, and I've enjoyed the blessings of faith in Christ. I stepped onto the faith train with confidence in Scripture that I will not be left behind. The time is now, so, have you stepped on board yet?

Prayer: Dear Father, the greatest love sacrifice that You have given us has been to let Jesus unload our burden of sin and guilt so that we may move forward and step onto the faith train headed for Your glory. Help each one of us to accept Jesus as our Saviour and to begin the trip to heaven with the ticket of redemption that only Christ could purchase for us. Amen.