"And Gain Direction"

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalms 37:11) If we know which way we are going, life just seems to roll on by, even the stuff that hurts a little bit. There is a reason for this to happen, which is caused by our perspective being in the right direction, because real peace is brought by having the right relationship with God; and an abundance of peace, well that my friend is brought by the fact that our right relationship is not dependent upon our own righteousness, but is granted to us by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Why can't some people grab hold of this and never let go? What is it that causes some churches to go from grace to works as the way to salvation? I was raised in such a church, although they do not call it a church, and I can tell you with all honesty, there really was not any real peace I felt from that organization; let alone, an abundance of peace; if anything, I had suffered through some terrible nightmares of being judged unworthy; some that I can remember vividly to this day. This is really not anything new, because the early church dealt with this constantly, and Paul had to either visit some churches or write letters to them instructing them in the right way, after they had been led into the wrong direction. Do I believe that it is a sin to try and work our way into the kingdom of God? You bet I do; not only is it sin, but it will be punished as mocking God; or more critical, mocking God's Son Jesus Christ, who came to pay a price that none of us could ever pay on our own, no matter how hard we might try, it is not in us to accomplish the kind of holiness required by a Holy God. Those that think that they can, do not understand how holy God actually is, and they make Him appear as though He lacks perfection; therefore they believe that what they lack will allow their works to satisfy the payment for their sins. But God, although His word might be taken out of context, never says, Oops; oops is not in His vocabulary, nor does He ever make mistakes; which includes you and I, who are the apple of His eye! That is what "the meek shall inherit the earth" represents to me, not that I inherit anything that is in this place, but that God blesses me here in any form or fashion that might present itself, because of how lowly and needy I am of His love; and because I know how much that He loves me, the abundance of peace I get from that cannot be taken by anything that this earth might produce against me... "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:1-5)