Polished Arrow Journey of Healing

10/10/2026

Psalm 81:10 I, the Lord, am your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. (New Life Version)

This is another psalm written at a time when Israel had for generations turned away from God but were given a second chance with the second rebuilding of the temple. When they had first entered the promised land, God told them to teach their children all that He had done for them. Here, though, we see that God is the one that is reminding them because they failed to retain the knowledge of who He is and what He does in their families and in their nation.

A simple way of looking at this is that there are always two roads (or two types of roads) in front of us. One follows God’s plan for our lives. The other follows our own plans. Sometimes, it can be difficult to differentiate between the two because the truth is in our hearts and not in what we see. Sometimes, we think that the road that is smooth, easy, welcoming, and offers us the most in terms of abundance and freedom is the one we should always take. The reality is that this is not always the road that is God’s plan – instead, it could be the road that we plan for ourselves. The story of Joshua and Caleb is a good one that reminds us that God’s plan for us is not always easy, but if we put our faith and trust in Him and follow His plan, no matter how difficult or scary it might look, we can trust Him to bring us through into the future that He desires for us, which will always be more than enough and so much better than anything we could try to accomplish on our own.

Father, You know even better than we do that the way forward here on earth is never clear. Sometimes Your plans for us are obscured by the desires of those who love us and think they know what is best. Sometimes Your plans for us are obscured by our own logic and reasoning that charts the way we think we want to go, but is in reality far from You. Sometimes, we can see Your way but it looks difficult and unachievable. Forgive us when we deliberately choose another way because we see it as an easier path to a future with greater rewards. Forgive us when we place the desires of others or even of ourselves over Yours. We know that Your way is better than we can ever imagine. We also know that it takes more trust and faith in You than we have in others and in ourselves. Let Your Holy Spirit in us guide us and lead us to the way You have for us. We will set our fears aside as long as we know that You are with us. We know who You are and we know what You and only You can do, so light up our path and make our way clear! Thank You for caring about us so much and loving us the way You do. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

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09/15/2026

Psalm 80:8-12 You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out the nations, and You planted it. You cleared the land for it. And its roots went deep and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow. And the tall trees were covered with its branches. It sent out its branches to the sea, and its new branches to the River. Why have You broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit? (New Life Version)

Israel had spent generations of turning away from God when this psalm was written. They lost a lot to their enemies and knew they were on the verge of losing all that God had done for them and all that He had given them. When we face times of trouble today, don’t we also reflect on our lives and try to understand why? The Psalmist recognized that God had planted them like a vine in Israel. Their roots ran deep and their branches traveled out to the sea and River. However, they dedicated the fruit of God’s vine over to false gods and idols which allowed it to be harvested by thieves and wild animals. Interesting analogy, isn’t it?

Jesus gave us a similar analogy. In John 15, He describes Himself as a vine, cared for by God, the Father. We are the branches of this same vine. If we don’t produce fruit (which rightfully belongs to God), we will be cut away. However, without Jesus, the true vine, we will have no life and no fruit. Just as the people of Israel realized that they needed the one true God to continue to have life and be prosperous and safe in their land, Jesus also told us we can do nothing without Him. Following God and His plans are so much more important than following our own. Over time, Israel began to follow their own plans. They desired to look like the other nations. This is what drove them to ask for kings. This is what attracted them to idols and images of other gods. It took generations for them to pull themselves away from the vine so completely that they lost the life God had for them. God did not forget Israel, though. He gave them and all of us another chance to live the life He has for us. It is a life filled with His plans for us. Will we exchange our ways for His? Will we recognize that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5)?

Father, forgive us for thinking that we could do things our way and succeed. Forgive us for trying to follow the world and its standards instead of putting all our faith in You and Your ways. We are in You, Jesus, and You are in us. You are the vine and we will not pull ourselves away. Allow our lives to bring forth much fruit that will only be harvested by God. Our lives are in You. Without You, we can do nothing. Let every decision we make in our lives be intentional, ensuring that we never leave Your sacred path, Your side, or Your vine. And we thank you again for the Holy Spirit in us who guides us and leads us in all things. We open our ears to hear all that the Holy Spirit has to teach us and we close our ears and our hearts to the things of this world that are not of You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

09/09/2026

Psalm 79:12-13 And return to our neighbors seven times the shame that they have brought You, O Lord. Then we Your people, the sheep of Your field, will give thanks to You forever. We will tell of Your praise to all the people of all times. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 79 was written after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. When we are in the fire, it is easy to remember God and plead with Him for help. Sometimes, as in this Psalm, we ask God to defeat the wicked – the ones who do not believe in or obey God – when they plot against us. We see this in this Psalm. But we also see that the Psalmist, while acknowledging the neighbors’ evil acts before God, doesn’t seem to fully realize that they haven’t been believing in or obeying God either. He’s asking for punishment for the neighbors who do not know God, while asking for mercy for himself and his own people who have turned their backs on God for many generations. Sound familiar?

Clearly, this is a human response that also happens today, but also just as clearly, it is not God’s way nor a true Godly response. The God who said we should do for others as we would have them do to us (Matthew 7:12), and love others as God has loved us (John 13:34-35) and love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and judge not because we will be judged by the same measure (Matthew 7:1) and so much more has made His position of love clear. The fact that He even allowed Judah (and Israel) so many generations of unfaithfulness clearly shows His patience and love for us. The Psalmist felt God should step in and protect His name and reputation. Wouldn’t it have been better, if the psalmist realized that the best way to lift up the name of God would be for him and the people to share His love with others? We often want others to see the goodness of God. Sometimes, though, we want to see God punish others on our behalf when they commit wrongdoings against us. That is human. The real way to show others who God is and to see His name exalted is to not repay their evil “seven times” but to show them the same mercy and forgiveness that we ourselves want to receive when we do wrong. Instead of praying for them to be punished seven times over, what if we prayed for our neighbors to see the true God in their lives and to give their lives to Him? This is not about “proving” our love by walking straight into the lion’s den. It is simply about spending our time praying for our neighbors and not cursing them or asking God to punish them (even if we know they deserve it!). God gave us Jesus – we didn’t deserve Him, either! Let’s not ask God to work any differently in the lives of others than we want Him to work in our own.

Father, we ask that You forgive us for the times we have turned away from You – the times we have tried to do things our way instead of Yours – we are not perfect and we make messes. Help us though, to recognize it in our own lives first and to be as forgiving of the messes of others as we want You to be of ours. Help us to know that our first response should be to pray FOR those who do wrong (not to pray Against them). We know You love and protect us even in the midst of war or strife or hate. Help us to focus more on what You do FOR us than what other’s do against us and help us to pray that those around us would also come to know this amazing, unending love of Yours that their lives would change for the better. We pray right now for our neighbors and ask that You bring peace to them, that You show up in their lives and in their dreams showing them that You have a better way, and You grant them the same mercy and forgiveness for their mistakes and wrongdoings as You give us. We pray that no harm would come to us. We pray no harm would come to them. We pray for justice in our lives. We pray for justice in theirs. We pray that You would prosper us in all circumstances. We pray that You would prosper them in all circumstances. We thank You for showing us a better way to live. Give us the strength and endurance to stay on Your sacred path. And we thank You so much for Jesus and all He has done for us. Help us to live our lives in ways that keep His name Holy. Help our neighbors to do the same. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

08/22/2026

Psalm 78:38-39 But He showed them loving-kindness and forgave their sins. He did not destroy them. He held back His anger many times. He did not let all of His anger loose. He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. We know the Old Testament story of the Exodus, don’t we? God freed Israel from Egypt’s yoke of slavery and did mighty works against the Egyptians and throughout Israel’s desert journey. He parted the Red Sea, provided bread from heaven to eat in the desert, and provided many, many miracles on behalf of Israel. Yet we also see the times that Israel still lost faith in God and turned away. There were times when God knew a family or a remnant of the people would never believe in Him or commit to Him, and He “killed the strongest of them” (verse 31). There were others whom God knew would turn from their sin and follow Him and to those He showed mercy. God is just in all circumstances.

As we read through the Old Testament, we see this same pattern. First, we see God does miraculous things for His creation. Second, we see over time they begin to turn away and look to other gods for their help. Third, God steps in and deals with them justly. Repeat from step one. We need to know that sin really does deserve God’s wrath and anger, but we must not forget that God has provided another way in the New Testament. It is a new pattern of life. We don’t get what sin deserves when we align our hearts and minds with Jesus. Instead, we get a clean slate and we start again. We get God’s mercy in Jesus’ name, and it does triumph over judgement. It is not a free pass to do whatever we want for the rest of our lives. It is more like a bridge that takes us in time from who we are to who we were always meant to be. First, we accept Jesus and begin following Him. Second, we make mistakes along the way. Sometimes intentional, sometimes from misunderstanding His way, sometimes from ? (fill in the blank). Third, we recognize we are lost again and we turn back to Him and sincerely ask for and desire forgiveness in Jesus’ name to begin again. Repeat from this new step one. This new pattern gives us the hope that we need to know that we really can accomplish all we are destined to accomplish and become in time who He created us to be even though we are “only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.” We have an amazing future in Christ. We should pursue Him with all our hearts.

Father, we sincerely desire this new pattern in our lives. We know we are imperfect beings. We humble ourselves before You and acknowledge that we have the wrong pattern in our lives. We want to be who You made us to be. We want to accomplish all that You have ordained for us in this life. We know we cannot walk a perfect walk without Jesus and without Your Holy Spirit in us. Even then, we might misunderstand or be led astray. When we realize we have made a wrong turn, we ask that You forgive us in Jesus’ name and help us back to the right road – to the right pattern of life that You have for us. We trust in You and we trust in Your love for us. We know that You know everything that is in our hearts and minds. Please listen to our heartfelt prayers and help us again to find Your sacred road and continue walking on it. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

08/17/2026

Psalm 72:12-14 For He will take out of trouble the one in need when he cries for help, and the poor man who has no one to help. He will have loving-pity on the weak and those in need. He will save the lives of those in need. He will take them from the bad power that is held over them and from being hurt. Their blood will be of much worth in His eyes. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 72 is one that scholars believe to be written by David for his son, Solomon, who would be the next king of Israel. However, as one reads through it, it becomes clear that there is a vision of the coming Messiah in this Psalm. Much of David’s prayer for his son was answered by God many, many years later through the life of His own son, Jesus. Reading through this Psalm, we see that God is releasing to David a vision for a future king of God’s own choosing who would live up to these divine expectations.

While there are many things in this psalm that remind us of Jesus, one thing can be a bit surprising, though. The end of verse 14 speaks of the worth of our (yours and my) blood in His eyes. Some translations say, “precious is their blood in His sight.” We often sing of the “precious blood of Christ,” but we haven’t always known that He sees our blood as precious, also. The Psalm describes a “bad power” that is held over the people that can cause them to be hurt. It can cause their blood to be shed. While we have many examples of these bad regimes and bad individuals in our history, we still see it today. This psalm, if nothing else, should make us aware that God does not approve of people who desire to hurt or kill others. He does not look upon any of His people as ones who deserve to be harmed – not when He considers our blood to be precious. Who are His people? Those who know God, who know His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and who follow His ways. When our ways line up with His, we will see the “precious blood” in Jesus, in ourselves, and in others. Psalm 72 is an excellent example of prayer in that David had no doubts at all of how big and powerful God is and how much He cares for all of us. Our prayers should also reflect that. There are no limitations to what God can do. Limitations exist only in us and in our ability to accept our own self-worth, the value of others around us, and just how much God cares for all of us. Let’s come boldly to the throne for the miracles that only God can provide. And when we do, know that while we are singing about the “precious blood of Christ” that He sees us just as lovingly and just as precious.

Father, we acknowledge that there is none like You. Amid wars and hatred and power seekers, sometimes it is just difficult to see You and to know Your love for us. Whether we live or die we belong to You (Romans 14:8), and we will give You the praise of our lips and our souls. Jesus paid the price for us. Without the love of Jesus, we don’t know where we would be today. While we may not fully understand Your great love, just knowing that You do love all of us puts us on the solid rock to come before You and pray like David did – with divine and seemingly impossible prayers. We pray now for those who have been hurt – even those who have been killed – and we ask for Your justice. We pray that the knowledge of You would reach to the farthest corners of the earth and touch everyone in need. We ask that You help the poor and the needy – even when they least expect it – even when their situations seem impossible – we ask that You rise up and do what only You can do. Provide the help that no one on earth can! While we may try, we know that You can take our small steps of faith and make them more than enough to see miracles and healing and protection. We pray these things now over ourselves, our communities, and in the world. While the wars seem almost impossible to end, we know that You will and You can end them before any more precious blood is spilled on either side. We pray that strategies to kill and destroy human life would fail before You. We pray that bombs, am******on, anything that is launched to kill would just explode in mid-air (even just disappear – or whatever You desire to do to stop it) without any more bloodshed. Let all who see it know it is You. We pray for Your miraculous intervention in the wars to turn the leaders, the generals, all of them to peace. We pray for Your strategies to enter into the peace talks in every single war. Give Your people many testimonies of how their lives were saved – whether from war or just dangerous situations or even weather conditions. Give them many testimonies of divine healing and help. We know that You desire all lives to be saved. This is why You sent Your precious Son, Jesus, to us. So, we ask that You do what we are incapable of doing – that You would bring peace, protection, strength to the weak, and healing to the sick. Be glorified in all that You do and in all that we offer You - our praises, obedience, and love. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

08/03/2026

Psalm 69:32-33 Those without pride will see it and be glad. You who look for God, let your heart receive new strength. For the Lord hears those who are in need and does not hate His people in prison. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 69 carries on the theme of praising God in the hard times. This psalmist was falsely accused, ridiculed, hated, and pursued by others who had murderous intentions. While he was falsely accused of some things, he also knew he was guilty of many sins. He confessed to God that he was in a deep hole of his own making, and that God knew what his sins were. But – BUT – the psalmist knew God. He knew the loving kindness, mercy, and forgiveness of God. He knew there was no point to try and hide his sins and mistakes from God. He knew the only path to survival, protection, and change in his life was from God. While he was aware of those who hated and even tried to kill him, he chose to keep his eyes on God, his only hope. There will always be those in our lives who will try and define us by our worst moments in life. Only God has the authority to define us. There will always be those in our lives who try to instill such fear in us that we can’t even receive the compassion of God or His forgiveness. This is not a true gospel. The true gospel is to recognize when we have done wrong and then humble ourselves and look for God to help us. He does not hate His people in prison – literal prison or prison of our own making due to our sin. He does not hate us. Let’s step out of our pride, confess our wrongdoings to Him, and receive new strength in our hearts to live again in hope and belief that God will save us.

His plan of salvation for us today is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope and our way to life everlasting. When we find ourselves in sin, we need to stop. We need to look to God – to His son, Jesus, who loved us so much that He died for our sins. We need to align ourselves again with His ways. If we find we continue to miss the mark, we let His love pick us up, put us on our feet and on the right path once more – as many times as we need until we get it. We must recognize our need to learn His ways. Sometimes, it is hard to understand that His love is never-ending and so forgiving. We must, though, renounce our pride and sin with true repentance and confession before Jesus. Make no mistake. God cannot be fooled. He knows our level of sincerity in everything we say and do. There will be consequences which can be severe if we remain unrepentant and refuse to acknowledge God’s ways or even try to follow them. Know that if we try and fail but honestly and sincerely try to find our way back to the right path, we will find forgiveness and acceptance from God through His Son, Jesus. If we choose to never accept Jesus, it is the same as choosing to never accept God. Instead, let’s continue to worship God with words, dance, praise, singing. Let’s thank Him for His love and compassion and for sending Jesus to us to show us the way back to Him when we are lost.

Father, we will worship and praise You in every circumstance of our lives. In every situation, whether good or bad, we will keep our eyes on You. We may not always understand Your ways. Sometimes we may fall off Your sacred path. We sincerely regret when we have done so intentionally whatever the motivation. We lay down our pride and ask that You forgive us of all of our wrongdoings and help us to get back on the sacred road again. We ask that when our understanding fails, that Your Spirit would correct and teach us. We desire a loving relationship with You in this life. And we confess, we do not always understand just how much You love us and want us to be in this loving relationship with You. We open our hearts to You and ask that Your Spirit would reveal more and more of Your ways to us that our lives would achieve all that You have ordained for us. We desire to please and not anger You. We know that You are the answer to every problem or situation we find ourselves in, even if it is because of our own wrongdoing. We just want that loving relationship with You and we declare our praise and love for You now, each and every day. Once again, we thank You for who You are and what You do. In the Holy Name of Jesus! A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

07/27/2026

Psalm 67:1-4 May God show loving-kindness toward us and bring good to us. May He make His face shine upon us. May Your way be known on the earth, and Your saving power among all nations. May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. May the nations be glad and sing for joy. For You will be fair when You judge the people and rule the nations of the earth. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 67 is just one of many where the people prayed for themselves, but also for all nations. They knew God’s mercy, compassion, and grace. They were not satisfied praying only for their own needs and desires, but they included all nations of people in their prayers, knowing God loves and has compassion on them also. They prayed for the joy and gladness of the other nations. In addition, the psalmist encouraged all people and all nations to praise God. We know that our praises are weapons against darkness. We also know that God is always worthy of our praise – in times of trouble and need – and in times of joy and gladness.

Is anyone reading this in need of some joy? Start singing praises to God. Is anyone in need of a healing? Remember all the things He has done for you in your life and give him praise and thanks. Is anyone in need of peace, security, or freedom from fear? Remember who God is. He is greater than the darkness. He is the author of peace and the Creator of all things. Nothing makes the darkness turn away like the sacrifice of praise. When we don’t really feel it, we tell our bodies, souls, and spirits to praise the Lord anyway – this is the sacrifice of praise. A pastor said we should spend the next seven days praising God each and every day – lay down our worries and concerns – just praise. If we do this for seven days straight, we can see breakthroughs in our situations, we can see changes and shifts in our surroundings. He said we will see the earth shift in ways we need it to shift. I would love to see more peace on earth right now, would you? I would love to see a halt to the fires, the natural disasters, and anything that intends to harm the earth. And I would love to see more healing and so much less war, fear, and insecurity. Would you? Long ago, this psalmist prayed that we (all the people) would praise God. Can we stop asking God for the same things we have been struggling with, set them aside for 7 days, and just praise Him? Sing, dance, and move joyfully around the house. Let’s remind ourselves of who God is, and let’s see what He will do.

(Need a little help? Try youtube and look for praise elevation worship, Once you find some praise music there you like, more should automatically queue up behind it.)

Father, we have asked You for so much. We want to be a people who will come before You now with no agenda other than to just give You the honor and praise You deserve. Father, we say we are grateful for You! We declare we cannot do this life without You! You are so loving, compassionate, forgiving, and just. You deserve our praise. We praise You in our highs and lows. We praise You when we are on top of the world. We praise You when we are not. We praise You when we win. We praise You when it looks like things are going the wrong way. Through it all, we know You are by our side and will not forsake us or forget us. We will wait for You – and praise You while we are waiting. We give You all of our praise and we thank You for who You are and what You do. In the Holy Name of Jesus! A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

07/19/2026

Psalm 65:5 O God Who saves us, You answer us in the way that is right and good by Your great works that make people stand in fear. You are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. 1 John 5:14 says “We are sure that if we ask anything that He wants us to have, He will hear us.” (New Life Version) How do we know what He wants us to have? Some translations say, “according to His will” and others have commented that this means according to who God is and what He does. We cannot know everything there is to know about God, but we can get part of the way there by reading and studying His word. We can also watch and learn from what we see Him do. For example, we have learned in the last few weeks from David’s psalms, that He not only provides for our material and physical needs, but He also cares for our spiritual and mental health by giving us the weapon of praise that takes us from the dark places and brings us into His light. This week, we can see also from this Psalm that He cares very much about the earth, watering the ground and making it produce grain and food for all. He doesn’t do this work without us, though. He worked with Adam and Eve from the very beginning to have them tend the garden “according to His will.” As we know, mankind often gets away from God’s will. This is usually when we see danger to us and to the land. We might see long periods of drought, fires popping up everywhere that threaten the land, animals, and people, famine, chemical explosions or even war. The question for each of us to answer is how do we respond to these things? Do we just listen to the news and hope for the best? Do we rely on scientists and experts to figure out a way? Or do we take our rightful place as caretakers of the land and pray to and praise God, the one who has all the answers and solutions?

Not too long ago, the news announced a pressure build-up in a chemical tank in Southern California. All the scientists and experts associated with this said that only 2 possible outcomes were imminent. One was that the chemicals would leak into the ground, poisoning a large area of land. The other was that the pressure would cause an explosion where everything surrounding that tank (homes, people, land, even the ocean) would be poisoned and polluted. Neither of these options were good. Evacuations of up to 40,000 or more were ordered. Many of us were praying, asking God to “confound” the scientists and experts with His solution. Sometimes, all the experts know is the black and white of things, but God created a much broader color spectrum. He parted the Red Sea, cured leprosy, and made w**e from water. This kind of prayer (asking God to confound scientists and earthly wisdom with His solutions) is absolutely in agreement with who He is and what He does. I don’t believe my friends and I were the only ones praying, but God does hear the sincere prayer of even one. The threat began on May 21 and by May 23 (Saturday night), they found a crack which began relieving the pressure buildup. According to the news, they now had many more options. People were allowed back home, and the “threat” of explosion or leak had been eliminated. One of the interesting things that came out in the news was the name that the experts gave to this threat. They named it “BLEVE” (pronounced believe) for boiling liquid expanding v***r explosion. They may call that a threat, but we know that believe-ing in God is the only way out of an impossible situation. (Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” NIV). Will we believe more in what God can do than in what men say will happen? Let’s pray for the impossible – the things that only God can do - and praise Him before, during, and after He does it.

Father, there is nothing that can come into our lives that You cannot overcome. We pray for each person reading this that no matter what is announced on the news, no matter what is seen with our eyes and heard with our ears, that our faith and hope in You would not be shaken. We will not be helpless spectators, but we will instead take our place in prayer and trust only in You to defend and protect us. Remind us that men (and women) can only do so much – but all things are possible with You. Establish us in the kind of faith and hope that would always be firmly found in You. When we hear of impending threats that could take lives, we will pray. When we see the earth and Your creation in need, we will pray. Even when we are evacuated, our faith and hope will remain in You to heal the land and preserve our lives and the lives of others. We will not be abandoned. Father, we also ask that You would reveal to us in our prayer times, those impending threats that have either not been announced yet or are threatening our future. We do not have to wait until something occurs to begin praying. Our prayers will always be that You would confound the scientists, the experts, or even governments who turn to war and other things as the only answer. It’s Your answers we need. We pray for the leaders of every nation (who may or may not even know of You) to find unexpected solutions and ways to solve problems that do not result in death and destruction. You have all the answers. For the sake of Your creation (land, animals, birds, and Your people), we ask YOU to remain on the throne and do what only You can do to protect us. You are so worthy of our praise. We give You all of our praise and we thank You for who You are and what You do. We pray these things now in the Holy Name of Jesus. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!