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Sunday Drive Devotional: Keeping Between the Lines

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”** (Jeremiah 6:16**)

The Ancient Paths and the Modern Highway

There’s a quiet wisdom built into every well‑marked road. The lines don’t shout, they don’t argue, and they don’t demand attention. They simply guide. Jeremiah called them the “ancient paths,” the good way laid down long before we arrived, the road that leads to rest. Those ancient paths were never meant to be decorative. They were meant to be followed.

But even the best paths need maintenance. When a road is neglected, it stops feeling ancient and starts feeling hazardous. A once‑smooth drive becomes an obstacle course, a vehicular game of dodgeball or bumper cars. Instead of enjoying the journey, you spend your time bracing for impact.

Anyone who has driven a Pennsylvania backroad in early spring knows the feeling. One moment you’re admiring the scenery, and the next you’re praying your suspension survives the pothole that just tried to swallow your front tire. Potholes have a way of reminding us that even the oldest, most trusted paths require care.

Learning to Drive on the Roads That Teach Us

Many country roads don’t have lane markers at all, but that doesn’t mean the driver is free to improvise. Your driving habits were shaped on the roads that did have lines, the ones that trained your eyes, your instincts, and your sense of responsibility. The driving test wasn’t about memorizing rules; it was about forming habits that would keep you and everyone around you safe.

God’s Kingdom works the same way. His boundaries are not burdens; they are blessings. They are not restrictions; they are protections. They are not obstacles; they are guidance.

Scripture tells us that God set the planets in their courses and told the ocean how far it may come (Job 38:11, Psalm 19:6). All of creation honors the lines He drew. The stars don’t wander. The tides don’t rebel. The seasons don’t negotiate. Creation stays in its lane.

And then there is humanity, the only part of creation that looks at God’s markings and says, “I think I’ll try something different.” One person ignoring the rules of the road can cause a wreck. One believer ignoring the wisdom of God can cause spiritual damage that ripples far beyond their own life.

Returning to the Good Way

Jeremiah’s call to “ask for the ancient paths” wasn’t nostalgia. It was an invitation to return to the well‑marked road, the one God laid out for our good. The one that leads to rest, not chaos. The one that keeps us from turning life into a demolition derby of our own making.

The lines are there because God loves us. The boundaries exist because the journey matters. The ancient paths still lead to rest but only if we stay on them.

So today, as you drive, let the road preach. Let the lane markers remind you of God’s steady guidance. Let the potholes remind you that neglect creates danger. Let the whole journey point you back to the One who laid out the path long before you ever set foot on it.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the ancient paths You have laid before us. Teach us to honor the lines You have drawn, not as restrictions but as gifts of protection and peace. Keep our hearts attentive, our steps steady, and our lives aligned with Your wisdom. Strengthen us to walk in the good way, to maintain the paths entrusted to us, and to travel with humility, gratitude, and obedience. Lead us safely, guide us faithfully, and grant us rest for our souls as we follow Your road. Amen.

In One Ear and Out the Other: When the Word Never Reaches the Heart

Allen Frederick Leave a comment


A Funny Story With a Not‑So‑Funny Truth

Three men went deer hunting, and as they crossed a field on their way to the woods, a massive buck jumped up right in front of them. All three fired at the same moment. The buck dropped instantly, and the men hurried over—only to realize they had a problem. Who actually shot the deer?

As they stood there debating, a game warden approached to check licenses. Hearing the dilemma, he knelt down, examined the buck, and said, “One of you is a preacher, right?” Sure enough, one of them was. The warden nodded and said, “Well, the preacher’s the one who got him.” The men stared at him in disbelief. “How can you know that?” The warden shrugged. “Simple. The bullet went in one ear and out the other.”

It’s a humorous story, but beneath the laughter lies a sobering truth—one James warned the church about with prophetic clarity when he wrote, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

When Hearing Becomes Self‑Deception

Hearing is not the problem. Hearing without obeying is. A message that goes in one ear and out the other never reaches the heart, and the heart is the only place where real transformation takes place. Jesus Himself said the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). The mind matters. The mind is essential. But the mind is not the destination. It is the doorway. The heart is the target.

The preacher in the story fired a shot that passed through the deer’s head but never touched the heart. It produced death, not life. It left a carcass, not a conversion. And that is exactly what happens when the Word of God is received only at the level of intellect. It may pass through the mind, but if it never penetrates the heart, it cannot produce obedience, repentance, or new life. It becomes information without transformation.

A Wound That Never Heals Becomes Fatal

Here is the deeper truth: a bullet that never reaches the heart can still kill you. It can wound you. It can tear flesh, rupture arteries, and leave you bleeding out. A wound is not harmless simply because it missed the center.

And the same is true of the Word when it is only received intellectually. A sermon aimed at the mind alone may not transform you, but it can still wound you. It can leave you convicted but unchanged, aware of truth but still resisting it. You can feel the sting of conviction without ever surrendering to it. And that kind of wound, left unattended, becomes spiritually fatal.

The writer of Hebrews says, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two‑edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word is designed to pierce. It is meant to cut deep enough to expose motives, confront sin, and bring healing through repentance. But when the Word is only admired, analyzed, or agreed with—when it is heard but not obeyed—it becomes a cut that never closes. Over time, the soul begins to hemorrhage. Not because the Word failed, but because the heart never yielded.

When the Lips Say “Amen” but the Heart Stays Distant

Jesus described this condition when He said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). The mind can say “Amen” while the heart remains untouched. The intellect can applaud truth while the will refuses to bow to it.

James continues this warning by saying, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror… and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:23–24). The problem is not the hearing. The problem is the forgetting. The problem is the lack of response. The problem is the absence of obedience.

Truth that only grazes the mind can still leave a person spiritually dying. Truth that never reaches the heart cannot save. Truth that never produces obedience becomes a slow bleed. Eternal death does not always come from outright rebellion. Sometimes it comes from a lifetime of sermons that never penetrated deeper than the intellect.

The Word Must Be Received With Surrender, Not Just Agreement

This is why preaching must aim for the heart. This is why hearing must lead to doing. This is why the Word must be received with surrender, not merely agreement. Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). Hearing is the beginning. Doing is the evidence. Obedience is the fruit. Transformation is the result.

Do not let God’s Word pass through you without penetrating you. Do not let it skim the surface of your mind without sinking into the soil of your heart. Do not let it go in one ear and out the other. Slow down. Meditate. Respond. Obey. Let the Word reach the place where life is changed. Let it pierce, not to destroy, but to heal. Let it cut, not to wound, but to free. Let it strike the heart, for only there does the Word bring life. It isn’t about how much Bible you know or can quote but how much you actually put into practice.

Don’t let His Word go in one ear

and right out the other!

REIMAGING THE NATIVITY

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

A poetic retelling of the Christmas story.

Modern Towers of Babble: Broadcasting Confusion in the Name of Clarity

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

🌀 Modern Towers of Babble: Broadcasting Confusion in the Name of Clarity

We are living in an age of amplified voices and diminished discernment. Platforms promise clarity, but deliver confusion. Ministries chase relevance while forfeiting reverence. Like the builders of Babel, we construct towers of talk — lofty, impressive, and tragically misaligned. In our quest to be heard, we’ve forgotten how to listen. Modern Towers of Babble isn’t just a critique of culture. It’s a call to return to Spirit-led silence and sacred speech. It’s also about the clarity that only comes from communion, not commentary.

“Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily.” — James 1:19 (GW)

I don’t know about you. I’m growing weary of all the talk. It’s the endless chatter that fills our screens, our feeds, and our minds. The 24-hour news cycle has become a relentless echo chamber. Multiple cable channels now exist solely to broadcast commentary, speculation, and opinion around the clock. Each one features its own cadre of talking heads, dissecting the day’s hot topic with surgical precision and emotional fervor.

You’d think with all this talking, something good might come of it. But let’s be honest: most of it is negative, divisive, and draining. If you consume too much of this “news speak,” it doesn’t inform—it infects. It doesn’t enlighten—it exhausts.

“When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise.” — Proverbs 10:19 (HCSB)

Scripture doesn’t mince words here. Proverbs warns us that when speech multiplies, error is inevitable. As believers, we’re called to steward our words—not just to speak truth, but to speak it in love. Our speech should build up, not break down. It should heal, not harm.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.” — Philippians 4:8 (GW)

This isn’t just a call to positive thinking—it’s a call to spiritual discipline. In a world saturated with noise, we must be intentional about what we dwell on and what we declare. Not every opinion deserves a platform. Not every headline deserves our attention. And not every voice deserves our agreement.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed from your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” — Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)

What is corrupt communication? It is not just profanity. It also includes lies, misleading statements, biased commentary, slander, false accusations, and half-truths. Additionally, it involves twisting scripture or reality to suit a narrative.

There’s an old saying: “Let your words be sweet, for you never know how many you may have to eat.” Or even better: “If you don’t have anything good to say, say nothing at all.”

So here’s my challenge: Let’s be slow to speak, quick to listen, and even quicker to discern. Let’s resist the echo chamber and return to the still, small voice of truth. Because in a world addicted to noise, silence—when Spirit-led—can be revolutionary.

And that’s the way I see it. What say you?

This has been a View From the Nest be sure to comment, like and share.

Timeless Comfort: Embracing Psalm 23’s Wisdom

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Experience the timeless comfort as we explore the profound words of “Psalm 23”. Allow this “christian meditation” to bring you “comfort” and guide you into a deeper connection with your “faith”. May these scriptures bring peace and renewal to your soul.