Vintage Discovery: Sailing With Jesus September 16, 2026

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After blogging for over 13 years and writing hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, I am using this space, Vintage Discovery, to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

The storms of life can rise at any given moment. When they come, we are often left wondering what to do. While much advice circulates on how to navigate difficulties, one undeniable way to sail through the storms is to sail with Jesus.

Today, come with me as we revisit Getting to the Other Side With Jesus.

If you find yourself in a storm, don’t give up. Find comfort in the truth of Jesus sailing with you.

Getting to the other side- isn’t that what we all want to do?  All we want is to be on the opposite side of where we are now.  Standing on the edge of one shore with a whole mess of stormy ocean in between, all our hearts yearn to do is get through this mess safely and plant our feet on the shore of peace that stands waiting to receive us after navigating the tumultuous oceans in between.

But it’s that whole mess of raging ocean in between that’s the problem.  Sometimes life is hard.  Sometimes the waves are so high and terrible, the view of the shore is obscured.  Sometimes they crash so violently that we can’t help but cry out with the disciples, “Lord, save us!” (Matthew 8:25).  The situation is hard, and we are desperate and screaming for deliverance!

The Lord hears and asks them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). For the disciples, Jesus wanted to know, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25).

Let’s face it: like the disciples, sometimes it’s hard to see past what’s right in front of you.  With fearsome events swirling around, and disaster seemingly imminent, “seeing” a positive end to this rise is very difficult.  But God never asked us to see the better end.  He asks us to hold on, in faith, and trust that He will get us to the other side.

Four times we are told in His word, “The just shall live by faith,” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).  And, in 2 Corinthians we are told, “We walk by faith, not by sight,” (5:7).  Yet, no matter how much we hear or read these encouraging words from Scripture, when it comes our time to be in the boat tossed about on the raging seas, many are ready to abandon ship because they can’t see the way to the other side.

But abandoning ship doesn’t get you to the other side.  It only leaves you treading water in the middle of the waves.

I don’t scoff at the disciples for waking Jesus, because if you don’t know how to get through the storm safely, and if you are having trouble navigating the ferocious winds in your life, it’s best to lean on Jesus in the middle of the storm.  It’s best to speak to the one who cannot only see you safely to the other side, but also bring quiet to the mess in between (Matthew 8:26).

If your goal is the other side, Jesus is your way.  Trust that if you are riding with Him, you will arrive safely on that shore of peace because Jesus never fails.

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”  – Psalm 107:29

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” – Psalm 34:17

“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” – Nahum 1:7

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The Change Will Come

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The leaves are changing.
Have you noticed?
The colors are quietly moving
Toward a new season.
Don’t lose focus.
The change will come.

Some things we don’t want to
Let go of, and hold a little stronger.
Some things we look forward to,
Anticipating a little longer.
But the change will come.

Eventually, the faint colors will
Become bright, signaling the shift.
Temperatures will fluctuate,
The season cannot resist,
Because the change will come.

Therefore, I will wait.
It won’t always be the same,
Because the leaves are changing,
Revealing His promises’ reign.
And the change will come.

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:14

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Past Seasonings

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So many times, we run from our past. We hide from the stories it holds. Some pasts are painful and hold hurts we would rather not revisit. Some pasts we wish we could turn the clock back and relive again and again.

The past seasons us. As much as a good cast iron pan is used and put into the fire to be seasoned time and again, it comes out to be one of the most useful tools in the kitchen.

So, too, does the past. Although it took us through many ups and downs, it prepares us to be fit for the Master’s use. Our testimony becomes like Job’s when he said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

The past will always be a part of us, but it doesn’t have to be a source of stress. God knows every part of our past, and He brought us through it. As one cherishes a historic relic and what was learned during that period, so too can we walk away from the past with lessons learned.

One of the greatest lessons learned was the revelation that the same God who was with you then is with you today.

If the past is a burden, cast that heavy load to the Lord and let His holy strength take it and sustain you simultaneously (Psalm 55:2). Then, may you press past it and go forth into all that He has called you to be in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

The past had its day. But today is today. And while yesterday’s lessons may be useful and refine us, we don’t pitch a tent and camp there. We take those experiences and move forward into what is before us now.

Today came with new grace and mercy (Lamentations 3:22-23). One day we shall be completely changed from all our pasts, and the story it will tell on that day will be one of total victory (read 1 Corinthians 15:52-58).

Your past has nothing on your future. And when you view your past through the lens of what God has in store for you, it has the sweetest and most magnificent ending.

Cast iron is seasoned for endurance and durability, but a seasoned saint is even more powerful.

The strength of the past is your story that no one can take away from you, but one that God can build something beautiful upon for all eternity.

Blessings ~

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Adding to the Lives of Others

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Strive, dear friend, to be a great addition to the lives of those you meet.

With many things and circumstances trying to speak about who we are at our core, we know personally, at times, what it feels like when life makes you feel depleted, as if something has been stripped from us.

But when we work to add to the lives of others, to be a blessing, to be one whom others can turn to, knowing you will be there for them, you become a wonderful complement to their lives.

I want to add to the lives of those in my life. I want to add joy, and comfort, and all those good and beautiful things that make relationships of all kinds happy, healthy, and whole.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 gives us a beautiful math equation of addition that benefits us all. It says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” 

Let’s step away from the numerical equation and focus on the word “better.”

When we work to add to each other’s lives, we make them better. Not because of anything special about us, but when we link up with one another in supporting love, and pour ourselves into the lives of those around us, we help one another flourish and grow.

The Spirit of the Lord within us is beautiful. When we work in the fruit of the Spirit that is in us, and that fruit plants seed into the lives of others, prayerfully, they become a source of strength, support, and all those good things that come from that fruit.

Then, upon this rich soil where these beautiful seeds have been added and planted, they may grow and plant their own seeds of good to those around them, becoming a wonderful chain of blessing others and seeing growth in their lives over and over again.

Today, when you become a great addition to those around you, you are not only pouring into their lives, but you are also reaping benefits, too: “Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Blessings~

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Vintage Discovery: Jesus Stepped in for Me – September 7, 2026

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After blogging for over 13 years and writing hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, I am using this space, Vintage Discovery, to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Do you remember that day, dear friend? The day you realized there was nothing you could do to erase the sin in your life. You knew you needed this gift of salvation, and the only way to receive it- and the forgiveness and new life it offered- was through Jesus’ offering of Himself on Calvary’s tree

Today, come with me as we revisit the poem It Should Be Me! 

What a beautiful gift was given to us on that day!

It should be me there on that tree
to perish for all eternity.
Bearing the burdens of all my wrongs,
crying and wailing the sinner’s song.

It should be me who suffered on that night, 
bearing the brunt of the whipper’s stripes.
But when He looked down through the ages,
passing the kings, wise men, and sages,
He saw something special in me
that compelled Him to still mount that tree.

It should be me who readily paid the cost
because I was the one who was truly lost.
But Jesus didn’t see it that way,
which is why on this earth He could not stay.
Doing all at the Father’s holy will,
mounting higher and higher on Calvary’s hill.
He was lifted up that we might be free,
to draw men to Himself; that was the key.

It should be me is what we need to say,
because we are the sheep that have gone astray.
Doing everything in our own stubborn way,
far from the King’s heavenly highway.
But Jesus stepped in looking down from the cross,
viewing with battered eyes all who were lost.
He and His Father did agree,
for the world to be saved, it should be Me!

 Thank you, Jesus, for stepping in for me!

 John 3:17  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

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Holy Spirit-Driven

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“. . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts,” Zechariah 4:6

One of my fondest childhood memories was going down to the piers overlooking the harbor and watching the tugboats come in and out (even now I am moved by the nostalgia of it). Sometimes these boats are alone, but at other times they were guiding bigger ships through the busy harbor waters to dock safely.

Big ships are powerful, but the ins and outs of navigating the harbor can be tricky for them, so they need to be led instead of trying to move in their own strength and power.

What an image of our spiritual life!

Many, when they get up in the morning and go about their day, that’s what they do – move in their own strength and power. They navigate their day according to their natural wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as if they are the end-all of that day’s plan. Never once stopping to think, is this what God would have me do today?

A person who is Holy Spirit-driven knows that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Ps. 37:23). They have the assurance that  His anointing is guiding them through the day. Yes, man can make plans and goals, but he who is Holy Spirit-driven seeks God’s intervention. He seeks His guidance. He seeks to be led by Someone outside of himself: “Lord, is this what you would have me do today?”

Who, today, can admit to needing a little more direction in life? Are you tired of being burdened by trying to manage the ins and outs of life while still trying to maintain control? That is not God’s plan for us. If truth be told, we don’t know the ins and outs of everything.

God knows this, and He has given us His Spirit to help lead and guide us on our spiritual journey.

It is amazing to think that we can go on a spiritual journey without the Spirit. How would that work? Unfortunately, since the Fall, mankind has continually sought to be led by his own understanding. But God offers us help. He offers us the power not only to walk through this journey but to make it to the other side. No matter how mighty and invincible one thinks he is, humanity can’t do this on his own.

Question: Is there any area where you may not feel as complete and whole as you need to be? The cause may be that God’s Spirit is not being allowed to move and work as needed. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 instructs us to, “Quench not the Spirit.” Don’t get in the way of what He wants to do through you. Don’t put out the fire of God’s power. Let Him become like a roaring flame on the inside, spilling over to the outside, and spreading to every area of your life.

God is concerned about you, my friend. Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17). This Comforter is here. This Spirit of truth, Who will not lie, but will lead us correctly and powerfully, is here! Won’t we let Him do his job?

If God knows we need Him. If Jesus knows we need Him, why do we refuse Him?

Joshua 9:14 is a portion of Scripture that has always stuck with me. Basically, Joshua and the elders were hoodwinked into making a covenant with those they were meant to conquer. They had to live with that decision because they “asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.” They did it in their own strength and understanding without being properly led.

Too many of us make the same mistake. Going about with our own plans, our own understanding, without asking, “What does God think about this?”

We could save ourselves a lot of undue stress if we would step aside for a moment and let Him do His job. We need to get out of ourselves and be led by the Spirit!

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This is a verse that I have personally repeated to myself. A prayer, if you will, to be led by His Spirit.

How are you being led today? Who or what will you allow to steer you?

Blessings~

Text-Free Image by Pixabay

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Vintage Discovery: Hope for the Hurting August 26, 2026

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My friend, are you hurting today? Has the load become too heavy to bear? Do you need a healthy dose of encouragement?

In this week’s installment of Vintage Discovery, I pray that in your hurting, you will find hope as we revisit Dear Bruised Reed…

Dear Bruised Reed, God’s got you.  Some days may be harder than others, but He’s here for you.  You may stand in need of restoration; that’s okay.  He is able to provide that too.  If peace has moved away from you, He is able to call it back into your life.  If love has sidestepped you, He Himself is love, and has satisfied all the requirements of love, and is able to make it reign in your life again.  He can turn all the hurt and disappointment you are feeling into joy.  Everything may not always work out the way we want it to, but it will work out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Dear Bruised Reed, I’m not promising you there won’t be days of tears and that everything will always be alright, for Jesus Himself said in the world you will have trouble (John 16:33). But what I can promise you is that when you are God’s child, you can still have hope in the midst of whatever it is you are facing.  You are not forgotten.  He sees everything.  And you are so incredibly loved through it all.  Restoration is always in His hand for the heart that will turn to Him for healing today.

Dear Bruised Reed, whatever it is, take it to the Lord and let Him in on what’s going on (1 Peter 5:7).  Pour out your heart before our Savior who cares.  He loves you and wants to see you walk in the victory He has secured for your life through our Lord Jesus Christ.  As quick as it is to worry and complain, with the same quickness we can unload the burdens of the heart and be free.

Dear Bruised Reed, trust in His judgment today.  He has never failed a case, and He won’t start now.  Nothing escapes His notice, and it is His truth, His will, and His way that will always win out in the end.  Never lose hope in what God can do in your life.  His mercies and compassions fail not (Lamentations 3:22).  We are here today because of God.  We are loved by God.  We are covered by God.  And God is the one who will see us through when we rest our lives in His grace.

Dear Bruised Reed, Jesus Christ is waiting to be your ultimate source of true peace today (John 16:33).  Turn to Him.  Trust in Him.

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” Isaiah 42:3

“But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” Matthew 12:15-21

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Restoration Can Be Yours Today!

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Restored. Forgiveness. Made new. Justified. Recovered and redeemed. All these words speak of wrongs committed being made right. Not because of our goodness. Oh no. Nor was it accomplished on one’s own merits. But because we have a Savior. Because we have Jesus, who took every part of every wrong, who took every part of every curse, who took every part of every judgment for us, and with His body and His life, nailed it all to that cursed tree (1 Peter 2:24).

There was nothing left that He did not cover. No sin escaped that nailing: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Friend, the recovery is here for you today. Jesus already did the hard work necessary to build you back up, to change you, and to give you the chance to walk in the love of God and in a right relationship with Him once more.

When the lies rise, speaking contrary to His truth, say with those of Israel, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8). The truly repentant will find solace in the truth that it is God, Himself who wants to see you restored more than anything else.

There may have been a stumbling, but don’t stay down. There may be a mark on the record, but grace speaks and says, “Get up.” Yes, there may even be sin, but confess it, repent from it, and allow forgiveness to urge you to keep on going.

Restoration says there is still a call on your life to be fulfilled. Walk in it: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…” (Proverbs 24:16).

“Again” says that restoration is yours today. You can find healing for your inner man in Christ Jesus: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

2 Chronicles 7:14 declares, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

God wants to heal people of their sin-sick ways spiritually:  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John 1:9).

Above, I quoted 1 John 1:9, which was written to a church of believers who already knew Christ as their Savior and were being encouraged in their faith against false teaching.  If you want your confession to work and your inner man to be healed, you must be born again: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” (John 3:5).  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” (Acts 2:38).

Restoration can be yours today!

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The Answer for Our Salvation

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“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

I  have said it once, and I will say it again: peace has got to be the most sought-after thing there is. Peace cannot be bought or bargained for. It can only be received.

Received by whom?

By those who have received Him, received Jesus Christ as Lord.

The things that come from a lack of peace are everything chaotic in this world. All of it has come as a by-product of sin. But when one receives Jesus Christ as their Savior, a natural by-product of that is inner peace, which takes up residence inside of us, regardless of the chaos around us.

Too many are searching for true peace without the real answer. It will not happen. False times of happiness and what appears to be an absence of trouble will eventually succumb to the frailty upon which they are built.

But everlasting peace, secured by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, when He became our answer for salvation, will never fail.

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:20

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Be Blessed~

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Vintage Discovery: Seeing the Person August 19, 2026

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After blogging for over 13 years and writing hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, I am using this space, Vintage Discovery, to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

In this week’s installment of Vintage Discovery, I want to open your hearts to the idea of looking beyond people to see the person.

Today, come with me as we revisit Have a Warmer Heart Than Usual

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” Luke 10:33

I live a good distance from the church I attend, which means lots of driving and observing time.  Oftentimes, on my way to church, I look out my window, and I stare.  Some may think I’m being rude, but the opposite is true.  I look at that person sitting on the stoop or the one standing on the corner, and I wonder.  I wonder about what they may have gone through that day.  I wonder what it is that made that person look so sad.  I wonder about the mom at the bus stop struggling to get the stroller, baby, and bags onto the bus.  I wonder.

How often have we really taken the time to see beyond the people to see the person, to try to imagine you walking in another’s shoes?  To see what’s going on inside the person without judging the outside?  To show a tender heart instead of a wagging head, disapproving eyes, and a simple tsk-tsk-tsk?

When it’s all said and done, it is the “royal law” of love that wins out every single time (James 2:8).  Thinking beyond oneself will go further and make more of a difference in the world we live in.  Why?  Because that’s what Christ did for us!  He looked beyond Himself, beyond His own needs and hurts, and saw what the world needed.  The world needed a Savior.

Even during His earthly ministry, it has been noted in the Bible, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion…” (Matthew 9:36).  To the leper: “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him…” (Mark 1:41).  To the mom who just lost her son: “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her…” (Luke 7:13).  To the world: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done,” (Luke 22:42).  To His enemies: “Father, forgive them;  for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34).

That’s how warm Jesus’ heart was toward people.  He had a genuine concern to look at people from the inside out instead of the outside in.  He saw the person beyond the people.  So did the Good Samaritan.  Despite the rejection and animosity he had faced down through the years at the hand of the Jews, the wounded man lying before him needed his help.  He was not going to let those years of bitterness or even indifference change his resolve to help the one who needed him now.

Paul taught the church in Ephesus to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us…” (Eph. 4:32-5:2).

Followers of God are concerned with the person on the inside.  A child of God is warmed to the plight of the human in humanity and sees them for who they are.  They are someone that God is concerned enough about to allow His Son to die.  Shouldn’t we then have that same compassion for one another?

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.