KEEP ME WHERE THE LIGHT IS

For most the first Bible verse they remember learning is John 3:16. For me, the first Bible verse I remember learning is Psalm 119:105. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." I remember my sister and I was at this day care on East North Street in Greenville SC that's not even there anymore. It was called Rocking Horse Daycare. One day they had this video in that was like a biblical music for kids. One song that stuck with me for some reason was a song based on Psalm 119:105. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but of all the songs that was on the video that was the song that left its imprint.

Another version of that verse says, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me." Joshua 1:8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there in; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." 

John Meyer penned this song called, "Gravity," and I came across a cover of that song from Clark Beckham and Yebba Smith. And the part of that song that stuck with me is where it says, "Keep me where the light is shining." An old hymn says, "Keep me on Your pathway Lord. I don't want to stumble, I don't want to fall."

Can I be honest? My prayer during most of this whole thing that we're going through has been, "Lord, keep me where the light is shining." With so much distractions from social media, to the news media, and from religious people, I just want to stay in the light. I just want to be found where light is shining bright. Old song says, "Shine on me. Let the light from the lighthouse shine on me." The thing about the lighthouse is the light has to be bright so that the boats in the sea can see where to go. If the light is dim, how can people see? If you're stopped by the police at night, those blue and red lights are bright for you to see that the cops want you to pull over. Some of us have allowed our light go dim and we don't even know it. We're trying to shine it in the midst of the darkness, and people can't even see it.

How can you know where to go when you can't see? It's hard to read a book while it's closed. A flashlight doesn't fulfill its purpose when it's turned off. Song writer said, "Whatever you do, don't let your light go out." Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If your light is shining, sometimes you don't have to say a word. The reason why this can't just be a Sunday or Wednesday thing is because the people that need to see that light may not even walk in the sanctuary. They may be at the store. They may be at your job. They may be in your neighborhood. When I was a kid we sang a song based on Matthew 5:16. All my cogic kids know what I'm talking about. "Let it shine! Let it shine all over the world. Let it glorify the Lord."

Can I share something? I was watching this video and in it this guy said every where he walks he sees darkness, but somehow he knows there's a light. Keep me where the light is. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face. That was a moment with God that I didn't know I needed. No shout music. No fabrication of what we have turned church into. It was just a simple message. I just want to be where the light is shining bright.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

LET GOD BE GOD

Let’s go head and get it out the way in the beginning. Follow me on Twitter @Big_Dusty. Get at me on Facebook.com/BigDusty. Alright?

I want to grow. I want to grow mentally as well as spiritually. To be honest with you though, lately I feel that I’ve been on hold. I’m not being stupid and putting the blame on God, but I feel like somehow or another I’ve put myself on hold. I see God moving in my family and amongst my friends, yet when the camera zooms in on me, it’s like I’m walking slowly backwards while everyone else is moving past me going 100 mph. If you look at my face, I’m smiling thinking I’m moving forward blind to the fact that everything around me is going on in the name of the Lord, and I’m going backwards and sinking at the same time. Song writer says, “I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more. But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry, and from the waters he lifted me. Now safe am I.” That’s from one of my favorite hymns, Love Lifted Me. Search for it on youtube. My suggestion is a BeBe Winans and Donnie McClurkin version that was done like back in ’93. Anyway, let’s get to the part where it says, “…the master of the sea heard my despairing cry..” What is despairing? Looking it up in the dictionary, it simply means to be without hope or hopeless. So the writer here was at the point of no hope. He had nowhere to go, so he cried out to God. I would go on to say that he was crying out to anything or anybody that was willing to help. When you’re hopeless, you’re desperate for just about anything. If you’ve ever been desperate for anything, you know that you sometimes get to the point where you’ll take help from just about anything or anyone. Why? Because You’re past the point of what Kurt Carr said, “I almost let go.” You did let go, and once you do let go, you lose focus. Once you’re lose focus, you get to the point of desperation. That’s where the danger comes in.

“…the master of the sea heard my despairing cry, and from the waters he lifted me…” What that says to me is when you cry out to God, he will not only save you but he will lift you out of the sin you’re indulged in. That means it doesn’t matter what you’re struggling with, the master of the sea, God, can lift you out of sin no matter how deep. So that tells me also that there’s no sin too deep that God can’t lift you out of. Now here comes the question. Why do we put a limit on what God can do? I said, we because I will admit that I do it. I put a limit on God. All my life growing up I heard the old saints say, “There’s no limit to what God can do.” Yet, here and now, I’m struggling in a rut of habitual sin. Why? It’s not God’s fault. His hand is there to lift me up, but I’m not reaching up. We’re not reaching up. I remember the old saints used to sing, “God’s got a blessing for you. If you want it, reach up and grab it. God’s got a blessing for you.” Seems too simple, right? You’re telling me that all I have to do is reach up to God, and I will blessed? Psshhh, please, right? It can’t be that simple, can it? Why do we put limits on God? Why do we make elementary math hard like calculus? We’ve gotten so educated and technology savvy, that when something as simple as just reaching up to God for help, we can’t comprehend it. When a baby wants to be picked up, what does it do? It reaches up or out to you. Crying out to you until you pick it up. Interesting concept. Crying out to someone bigger than you that can pick you up and make your world seem better. Interesting…

“…the master of the sea heard my despairing cry, and from the waters he lifted me. Now safe am I.” Safety. Protection. Not only safety and protection from the sin, but protection from yourself, right? So here’s what I got to do better with. Here’s what we all got to do better with. We got to let God be God. Again, it seems too simple, but obviously what we’re doing now ain’t working. I know what I ‘m doing now ain’t working for me. I used to lead a song talking about God is…well I got to let him be….God. The video of me leading a song that says, “For the rest of my life, I’m going to praise You.” I listened to that last night, and I had goose bumps. We are not living what we’re singing about. Let’s keep it real. We got to do better. We got to let God  be God. Bottom line. Once we do that, the stress we put on ourselves will be lifted before we know it. I’ll end this with another old song that says, “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave it there.” Simple.

Stay Saved,

 Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty

WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME?

Before I go on with this blog. Are y'all enjoying these blogs? I certainly enjoy writing them, but I hope you enjoy reading them. If you in fact do enjoy reading these, please spread them around to your peers and enemies. Anyway, let's go. Booya!

Now let me say now, that this blog is for me as much as it is for any of you. I'm not perfect. I have made mistakes recently. So please don't get the idea that I'm Mr. Perfect because believe me, my name is Daniel, not Curt Hennig.

People are watching you rather you know it or not. I don't mean with spy cameras, security cameras, or anything like that. I just believe that we all, one way or another, are being studied. People are paying attention how you react to things, how you confront situations, and even how you live. That's why it's important that you watch what you say, pay attention to how you live, and all that because someone is always watching.

This especially goes for Christians. I truly feel for the baby Christians out there who have to see Christianity turned into a Religion, when it's about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's like a kid who watches the parents act any kind of way, and then at the same time the parents tries to instruct the child to do the opposite. That's how it is in the church. It's preached over the pulpit to love everyone. It's preached over the pulpit not to lie. It's preached over the pulpit not to gossip. While it's being preached, it's not being practice. Ever heard the term, practice what you preach? So what are those that are young in the faith supposed think when they see the so called "seasoned" saints lying on one another, gossiping about each other, hating each other, and at the same time, are trying to teach you what is right.

I understand that we make mistakes. I understand that we're not perfect. I also understand, however, that I got people unsaved following me on Twitter, friends with me on FaceBook, following me on dailybooth, following me on podomatic, subscribed to me on youtube, following me here on Blogger, and/or subscribed to me on iTunes. So again, I'm not perfect, but I have to do my best to represent Christ in everything I do. The old song says, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine." The light here is Jesus. Another song says, "Everywhere I go, I take my light so that men might see Christ in me." Another song says, "Whatever you do, don't let your light go out." And another song says, "You maybe the only Jesus they see." I got people looking at me through this internet that may not ever go to church. I wouldn't be surprised if I got people watching me just to see if I will mess up, and no doubt, I will mess up. I'm human.

Let's say I was on the outside looking in. I was not saved. I was not sanctified. None of the above. I hang out with folks that proclaim to be saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled. I see them cussing, lying, gossiping, hating folks, and yet still proclaiming the name of Jesus. Or I see them depressed, looking beat up from life with no hope whatsoever. What would I supposed to think? I hear getting saved is the best decision I could ever make, and I see this guy looking worse off than I am now. I thought this God was a loving God, yet I see this guy over here gossiping about someone, or I see this woman over here lying in the church. Why go to church when I get this at home already?

See what I'm saying? It's extremely important to how you live your life. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I will tell you that you need to realize that people are watching you. Rather it's a child or someone striving to be like you. Rather it's someone that cares about you or someone that's just waiting for something to scold you about.

I hope you got something out of this blog. Again this blog is for me also. I have to do better, and I know it. Be sure to leave a comment below. Share with your people anyway you can. Be sure to follow the blog. Twitter and Facebook info is on the right. Get at me also on YouTube, DailyBooth, and Podomatic. And I'll see y'all next Thursday.

Stay Saved,

Daniel aka Big Dusty