I recently read an autobiography by Avis Goodhart. The title is “Out Of The Dust: story of an unlikely missionary.” I thought about it again as I memorized Psalm 113:7. It says of God, “He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the need out of the ash heap.” 

In the Old Testament, dust and ash heap were symbols of the lowest shame and deepest poverty. If you will remember, when Job’s body was covered with boils, he sat on the ashes. Job 2:8 says, “And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.”

I love Psalm 40:2. Think of the miry clay like quicksand. It is impossible to extract oneself as you sink in quicksand. That is the way we were before we accepted Jesus. We were helpless and hopelessly lost. We could do nothing to extract ourselves from a life of sin.

Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another…” Deuteronomy 6:13 says, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him…you shall not go after other gods…”

Don’t let others’ sins pull you down into their sins. Be an example of a believer. We can’t fight another’s fleshly reactions through our flesh. Come in an opposite spirit. Jesus was kind to the unthankful and evil. Luke 6:35.

Ephesians 4:1 says, “…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling…which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

As the devil sought to derail Jesus from His purpose, so he does with each of us. Do not get distracted! Stay focused. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

I loved how just a tiny twist of my kaleidoscope as a child changed the whole scene. I was memorizing Psalm 112:6. The last part says, “…the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.”

As I thought about this phrase, I realized it was not talking about our remembering as a human. It is about the Lord always remembering us.

Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “…Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…” I wonder if when we get to heaven, it will be like a kaleidoscope experience. Just a little twist and the scene will change.

1 John 3:2 says, “…we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Think of the four living creatures with eyes all around and their view of the Lord. Each new view brought another burst of worship. Revelation 4:8.

Aaron and Miriam got distracted. They allowed a bitter root to spring up. It defiled their inner being. They criticized Moses, and discussed it together. I think of Numbers 12 as God taking Aaron and Miriam to the woodshed.

He questioned their hearts after He heard their conversation. Verse 8 says, “…Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” I have to use this verse myself when I want to complain in my mind about others. 

Mental dialogue against anyone or any circumstance is sin. Don’t get distracted! Romans 14:4 is a verse that I view as a momma cat carrying a kitten in her mouth. The kitten can’t speak or move. It says, “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…”

Matthew 7:2 says, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged…” I certainly don’t want that noose around my neck.

We have to guard our quiet time, or we will be pulled away from it through distractions. My uncle was slow at getting jokes. He told folks, “Do not tell me any jokes on Saturday night.” The reason was that during the Lord’s table the next morning, he would get the joke’s punchline and it was a distraction.

Moses had an incredible relationship with the Lord. There are some verses about him that I really love. I believe Exodus 33:11 was the key to his leadership. It says, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” Moses spent his quiet time in the Presence of the Lord.

Hebrews 11:27 gives us another insight. In the Amplified it says, “(Motivated) by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.”

I love Psalm 107:20. It says, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Pride ~ doing things independent of God. One who fears the Lord, walks in the humility of dependent trust.

Psalm 112 has a key verse to put into our memory bank. Verse 7 says of the one who fears the Lord, “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

This verse has special meaning to me. The day I told my mom that she was not expected to live because she was full of cancer, her heart was steadfast. Her words, “So I’m not going to make it after all.” 

Her doctor had told me six weeks. Her eternal hope sustained her until He took her home four days later. She knew her name was written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life, and she had nothing to fear.

Ticks stealthily deposit their bacteria that brings disease. The spirochetes are like little spirals that screw into our central nervous system, organs, eyes, brains, etc. They can multiply and create co-infections.

Spiritual ticks burrow into the lining of our heart. They deposit toxic substances that destroy our health. You may have heard expressions such as burr in their saddle, something stuck in their craw, or prickly person ~ descriptions of folks with unresolved issues.

Bitter root judgments. Hebrews 12:15. Unforgiveness. Matthew 18:34-35. Perverse tongue. James 3:6. Bitterness. Acts 8:23. Negative thoughts. Matthew 15:19. Adultery. Proverbs 6:32. Stuck in the past. 2 Corinthians 5:17. Anger. Ephesians 4:26-27.

Walking in the fear of the Lord protects us from spiritual diseases. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” 

Our character is defined by what we do behind closed doors. Are we the same in private as we are in public? Paul could encourage his readers to imitate him. Can you? The secret dialogues of our hearts, pave the way for our spoken words and visible actions.

I love Hebrews 1:3. It says of Jesus, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” The Greek word for express image is charakter. It means an exact representation. We are called with a holy calling to exemplify the Lord in every aspect of our lives.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says that inner transformation takes place as we gaze on Him. As we behold Him, a spiritual metamorphosis takes place. Our progressive sanctification journey is designed to conform us more and more to His image. The pressures from our trials bring up the hidden dross that would taint our testimony.