The day was cool but sunny with traces of clouds on the horizon. I got a late start from home and had to stop for an errand on the way up, so I didn't arrive until after 8:15am. A few riders were out in the parking lot chatting. I talked with a them a bit and went inside to meet up with the others for breakfast. We had two lieutenants with the same first name come for breakfast only, but not the ride. If you don't know who that is, you gotta come out for these events. :D
After breakfast we went over the rules for the ride and we geared up to go. There were 8 of us on that ride, including me, and no one else was prepared to lead a ride, so we went as one group. It wasn't too bad, but it was also too big, five or under is optimal. The sky was a blue and beautiful and the grass and fields were starting to green. It was so nice for it to finally be Spring. :) The riding this morning was great with the roads being mostly clear. We did hit a few spots where water was still running across the roads from the 6" of rain we had from Thursday's deluge. Getting caught behind slow drivers only happened a few times, so the roads were mostly ours. Pace was a little slower than my normal pace since some were just getting back on their bikes for the year. ANLR 21, that silver fox, was chasing me most of the day. He almost took a spill when he hit a bird carcass, but he recovered quickly. The scenery was gorgeous today from the scenic overlooks to water glistening off of rock face cliffs, it was great to see the beauty of God's creation.
We first got fuel, then got lunch. One riders' bike had issues restarting due to an older battery, so with a push they got it running again. Lunch @ Evan's Roadhouse was really good; the food was delicious and the service was prompt. After lunch I read the Scriptures for this month. Two riders had to split off after lunch, so we were down to 6 bikes now. We carved through the cool roads up to Wilkes-Barre only getting stuck behind slow cars twice. :D Once we arrived at our ride's end we got a snack and decided we didn't want the ride to end, so I navigated a twisty way down toward Allentown.
First step, was go back into Wilkes-Barre and catch this road. Well, we never caught that road and ended up on Business route 309. :( As we left the city, it started to drizzle, nothing big but enough to wipe off you helmet visor every couple of minutes. After going south for a few miles we stopped at a bank drive-through to get under shelter to discuss plans. We were now off whatever route I had planned and with weather being uncooperative, we decided our best bet was to head for home. We continued south on 309 though Hazelton and Tamaqua. Here the rain got a bit more steady, so two of us pulled over at a gas station and the rest rode on. I decided to put on my rain gear and when that happens one of two things occur within the next 5 minutes; either the rain gets worse or it stops. As I rode over a ridge, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Yeah, I planned that well! :roll: The rest of the ride home was sunny and pleasant. Thanks to rktec for coming out today and johnric42 for being the sweep rider. We hope to see everyone next month!
Scripture Readings for May 2014
Our topic for this month's Scripture reading was God's Word. Our first reading is from Psalm 119:9-11 9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. From this passage we can see that God's Word helps you stay pure and hiding it in your heart inclines us to not sin against God. As I thought about what it meant to "hide God's Word in your heart" it impressed upon me the importance of taking Scripture and memorizing passages of it. Or you could write down portions that had a special meaning to you and reflect on them again and again. Either way, that Scripture sinks into your heart and becomes part of what you are. I think this was what happened with the writer of this Psalm.II Timothy 3:16-17 was our next passage, it said: 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. Here we see how the Scriptures came from God, through man, to all of us. God's Word is good for teaching and correcting us, for preparing us for the work God has for us. I sometimes think of God's Word as a guide or an owner's manual for life.
In Psalm 1:1-3 it says: 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. This is one of my favorite passages of the Bible. For here God doesn't outright tell you not to do wrong, He reminds you of how good it is for you to live right. Again, we see how God's Word guides us and how meditating on God's Word blesses us.
Our last passage in the Psalms is chapter 19, verses 7-11: 7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. These five verses are great passage to put on a 3x5 index card and read a couple times a day just to let them soak into you. Here we see God's Word is perfect, reviving, trustworthy, wise, right, joyful, clear, insightful, pure, lasting, true, fair, desirable, sweet, a warning, and a reward. Reading the Bible and applying it to your life can be such a blessing to your life, but only if you do it.
Going to Hebrews 4:12-13 we see more about God's Word: 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. For those that think the Bible is boring and irrelevant, let this Scripture be a warning to you. It may be words, but they are the words of Almighty God, it would be foolish to pay them no heed.
Finally, James 1:19-25 says: 19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. 22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. Here we see again, how God's Word is planted in our hearts. We see also how God's Word has the power to save our souls. We also see how God's Word can be like a mirror to see into our own life and heart. It can set us free from what has bound us and we can change to follow God. When that happens God will bless us for it. My last word on this is that God's Word can't be absorbed 2nd hand, you have to read it and meditate on it yourself. God has given you access to a portion of the vast riches of His wisdom, tap into that and read His Word. May God bless you for doing it. I'll see you next month
