Hill City First

06/17/2026

SET FREE!
Isaiah 44:22

“I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. ”
(Isaiah 44:22NLT).
I have the privilege of living in a wide open area of the world with a clear view of the sky. I love to watch as single clouds float past as they move towards an unknown destination. The prophet Isaiah writes these words that are selected for today’s post. As I watch these clouds move past where I am at and then disappear from sight, never to be seen again by me, I am reminded that God sweeps away my sin much like a cloud sweeps past me. My sin is present and drifts between me and God, but God sweeps away the sin, scattering it like the morning mist! Sin has clouded my relationship with God, but He in mercy sweeps it away!
As I think about this, I consider the futility of chasing after a cloud. Yes I know we live in an age of storm cloud chasers and they are thrilled to chase storm clouds for a short while, but eventually these clouds dissipate and completely disappear! Let me remind us that we do not need to chase after the sin that God has swept away! God has swept it away, and scattered it! Let it go! Don’t chase after it!

06/16/2026

LACK NO GOOD THING!
Psalm 34:9-10

“Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”
(Psalm 34:9-10 NLT).
Trust requires commitment! I trust that there is electricity to operate the lights, but I must commit to turning the switch on for them to operate. I trust that the car will start but I have to commit to turning the switch to the starting position for the engine to start!
The psalmist shares this thought with us in that if we trust the Lord, we will lack no good thing! Trusting God is committing myself to full obedience and confidence in The Lord! I must implement my trust in order for God to fulfill the promise!
How many times in life have I failed to commit myself to fully trust in God? Enough to look back upon and see the failure and resulting consequences! Trust requires patience. I trust that the acorn that I planted will become a mighty oak tree. But it does not happen overnight! With patience allowing time to pass, yes, many years, it will in a few decades mature into a mighty Oak Tree!
Those who trust in the Lord, will lack no good thing! Yes, sometimes there is a waiting period, but completely trusting the Lord never brings failure or lasting lack.
Trust the Lord in everything! He will never fail! And you will lack nothing!

06/15/2026

WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH OUR SINS?
Micah 7:19

“Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!”
(Micah 7:19 NLT).
How many times will God forgive our sins when we ask Him to? Every time! There is no limit and I for one am certainly thankful for this limitless aspect of God’s Mercy. We know from God’s Word that He’s casts our sin and iniquities into the sea of forgetfulness, and as I read this verse from Micah, I see God trampling our sin under his feet. In essence rendering our sin useless and unrecognizable. And then God casts it into the depths of the ocean, the sea of forgetfulness!
I recall a time when the kids were young that they put a water slide on my nice looking grass of the back lawn and proceeded to have great fun not realizing that underneath the slide they were trampling the grass and making a mud hole. Needless to say we learned a valuable lesson about placement of such a thing. The trampling obliterated the grass and the area no longer looked nice.
When I picture God trampling my sin under His feet, I think of the many snakes I have killed by trampling them under my feet, making sure the head has been stomped on and removed by grinding my heel on its neck and then disposing of everything so it is no longer visible. That’s what God does with our sin when we ask Him to forgive us of our sin!
Now that God has done that for us, don’t go deep sea diving to try to retrieve that sin that has been forgiven! It’s been forgiven, trampled underfoot, and cast into the deep ocean! Move on in God’s Mercy and Grace!

06/14/2026

THE HARVEST IS COMING

06/14/2026

REDEEMED BY GOD!
Isaiah 44:22

”I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. ”
(Isaiah 44:22 NLT).
The song writer pens these words. “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through His infinite Mercy. His child and forever I am. Redeemed, Redeemed! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Redeemed, Redeemed, His Child and forever I am!”
The choice was not ours! Jesus paid the price of Redemption for every one by dying for our sins on an ole rugged cross. The choice we make is will we accept or reject this free gift of redemption.
Isaiah, writing the words that God speaks some 600 years before Jesus is born, hears the voice of God calling us unto Himself. Let’s analyze what God says and compare it to what Jesus did!
1. I have swept away your sin - Jesus forgives and forgets our sin!
2. I have scattered your offenses - Jesus intentionally disperses our offenses!
3. Oh return to me - Jesus says come unto me!
4. I have paid the price to set you free - Jesus paid the entire price of our sin and sets us free! Jesus has Redeemed us!
Yes, you and I have been redeemed. I have chosen to receive this gift of Salvation. I am Redeemed!

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

FIRST THINGS FIRST!
Matthew 6:33

“But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness , and all these things will be given to you also. “
(Matthew 6:33 AMP).
It is frustrating when things that should be orderly are not so. I have been guilty of purchasing something that has written in the box “some assembly needed” and bypassing the instructions, immediately begin to put pieces together only to find I had missed a required step or two and had to disassemble what I had started! Frustrated and time consuming and maybe you have had a similar experience. I note here that as I pull these instructions out of the box and set them aside, written in BOLD LETTERS at the top are these words “READ THIS ENTIRE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING ASSEMBLY!” But I’m a man who can look at the wonderful picture printed on the box and go ahead without reading the instructions. I recall putting together a sizable computer desk this way. I was nearly done when I discovered that I could not connect some pieces properly because I had not placed the bolts into their proper location before starting assembly. I had to completely dismantle the project and start over, this time following the directions listed in the instruction manual!
Jesus was teaching and he says “but first”! Yesterday we addressed the 2 things Jesus listed here. The Kingdom of God and His righteousness! God has promised to do a lot of things for us. But first! I like the Amplified Translation that we used today. “But first and most importantly”
Perhaps today you are waiting for God to fulfill a promise of His in your life, wondering what to do in the meantime. First things first! Read the instruction manual , God’s Word, The Bible. Seek God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness! Then all these things will be given to you also! FIRST THINGS FIRST!

06/12/2026

GOD IS OUR PROVIDER!
Matthew 6:31-33

““So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
(Matthew 6:31-33 NLT).
Jesus is teaching the crowd that has gathered around him as he preaches the sermon on the mount. These verses come right in the middle of his message! Jesus is teaching that God will give to those who live righteously everything they need! Yes, there is a criteria to be met. To seek God and his kingdom and to live righteously! What abundance awaits us as we live our lives according to God‘s direction! How many times have we missed out because we have not been obedient to God‘s word and his direction? Far too many certainly.
Lord, as we read these verses today, may our hearts minds and souls be obedient to your direction, and then may we receive abundantly that what you have in store for us, knowing that you have only good planned for our lives as we live for you! You are an all knowing God and you know what we need even before we have need of it. Not only that, but you have a plan in place to supply that need. Thank you, Lord, for knowing our need and supplying that which we need!

06/11/2026

GOD TAKES CARE OF US!
Psalm 37:25

“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:25 NLT).
God has promised that he will take care of us, supplying all of our needs. The Psalmist, David, reflects on the goodness of God and The Lord taking care of his children. David writes this verse as he reviews how God has taken care of not only him, but also all those that serve the Lord. Some translations read “I have never seen the righteous forsaken!”
As I reflect on my life, and yes I am at an age where I have significantly more years of life behind me than ahead of me, I too can say with assurance that I have never seen the righteous forsaken! Hard times? Most assuredly! But God has not abandoned me! His promise is that He will never leave us or forsake us! Our God is a generous God and loves to hand out lavish gifts to those who call him Lord! God will take care of us no matter the need! He is able! Trust Him to do that for you in every circumstance and for every need!

06/10/2026

PLENTY LEFT OVER!
2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”
(2 Corinthians 9:8).
The apostle Paul is writing to the church of Corinth about their giving of their offerings to the work of the kingdom of God. He includes the verse that we have selected for today. writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, PAUL, expresses this promise from God. Paul’s spiritual advice is based on an agricultural principle. Sow generously to get a generous crop - give generously as God directs and you will have plenty left over to share with others!
Plenty and left over’s, especially when it comes to finances, is a blessing! It sure beats a shortfall and a scramble to find enough to get us to the next paycheck. Our finances are the only thing we are to test God with. Malachi records that we can give our tithes and see if God will pour out so much blessing that we cannot contain it! (Malachi 3:7-12).
Following this principle found in God’s Word brings a promise of not only having enough, but having plenty left over to share with others! And it’s ok to test God on this! Test Him! Watch His promise unfold in your life!