On Sale, Forgiveness!

January 15

When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

when we are slandered, we answer kindly.

1 Corinthians 4:12, 13

Carol silently prayed for peace as she headed for her car. She hadn’t spoken

what was on her mind when the sales manager had belittled her in front of

everyone in the store. Knowing she had done the right thing by not making a

scene didn’t alleviate her frustration. And to top it off, her manager was wrong!

Carol wasn’t the one who had placed the incorrect sales price on the shirt rack.

She knew who was responsible, but chose to remain silent.

This past week’s Bible study had been about forgiveness. She knew it was

the right thing to do, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was forgive

that man! But forgiving the manager wasn’t about him; it was about her. If she

chose to remain angry, she would open the door to resentment and bitter-

ness. Experience had taught her how miserable that would be. “Give me the

desire to forgive Connor, Lord. I don’t want to right now, but you know what

really happened. Help me be content in knowing that.” It wasn’t immediate,

but peace would come.

h

When we are injured by others, we have two choices: allow it to harden our

heart or turn it over to God. In choosing the former, we reap anger and resent-

ment; bitterness takes over our emotional mindset. Left unresolved, it will turn

us inside out, and we lose any chance we might have at peace. Though we may

have a right to our anger, we must understand that by hanging on to that right,

we become ill—emotionally and physically.

But by giving up our right to our anger and by turning things over to God

and allowing Him to bring resolution in our heart, God can handle the prob-

lem, and we benefit from His peace.

It’s our choice; we can receive peace or reap illness of the soul. Only by

giving up our rights can we overcome and answer kindly when wronged.

Prayer

“Lord, I don’t have the ability to forgive without Your help. I’m

guilty of offending You and others, and I want to be forgiven.

So please give me the desire to forgive. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Finish Well!

January 14

Forgetting what is behind … I press on toward the goal to win the

prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13, 14

The young man was pleased with the progress he had made. The model of his

latest architectural masterpiece was taking shape! It wouldn’t be long before he

could present the project to the marketing department. He thought back to the

break he’d been given three years ago.

He had landed the job with this firm, had his own office, and even had an

expense account. He had become dependable, earning their trust and thanks by

producing exceptional buildings with beautiful renderings and visual stimula-

tion. His designs were second to none; his talents were much sought after in

the construction industry.

But what many people were unaware of was that Jason had been in prison.

There had been a time in his life that he had broken the law. He had paid his

debt and now worked hard to build a better life for himself and his family.

h

We are sometimes judged, justly or unjustly, by our mistakes. What matters

more than the mistakes of our past is how we finish. We are unable to person-

ally atone for the past; only the blood of Christ has that power. But by making

changes and right choices in the pattern of our lives, things can change for the

better.

People tend to judge with historical data, not affording grace to those who

have made mistakes. In Jason’s case, they knew of his criminal record and still

chose to extend him an opportunity. Like that firm, God sees our full potential

and withholds judgment until we finish.

Throughout biblical history, we see evidence of esteemed men and women

making mistakes yet finishing well: Abraham, Isaac, David, Rahab, and the

Samaritan woman, even Mary Magdalene. All of them broke God’s law, yet

each changed and finished well. We have the ability to do the same. By forget-

ting the past and pressing forward in Christ Jesus, we too can finish well.

Prayer

“Judge of the universe, thank You for calling me in

Your direction. I get so bogged down when I focus on

my past failures. Help me focus on the right course in

life and keep my eyes pointed in the right direction

with my head lifted up. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 When God Says Hello

January 13

What is man that you are mindful of him?

Psalm 8:4

When Chuck found out the church of his childhood was being sold, he

and his wife drove up for a visit. Thirty-five years of his absence melted away as

they walked the empty halls of the old building, everything had been taken, nothing remained in any or the rooms, even the pews had been sold. 

Chuck had given his life to Christ in this church; his father had entered the ministry here.

Near the end of their visit, they entered the fireside room, noticing a card

table in the center of the room. On it were two pictorial directories, two pieces

of construction paper, and several old bulletins, all of which sat on an old,

heavily bound church ledger. 

After a cursory inspection of the ledger, Chuck opened the directories to find they held significance; the first was the year his father entered the ministry; the second was the year they had moved away.

Turning his focus to the construction paper, Chuck noticed that on each page

were two photographs. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that staring back

at him from two of the photos, one on each paper, was ten-year-old Chuckie

in VBS class! 

Now, even if the pastor had known who he was, which he didn’t,

he couldn’t have dug up these items before their arrival! This was from God for

Chuck. He was saying hello in such a personal way that it was almost audible!

Tears filled Chuck’s eyes as he felt God’s embrace.

h

Sometimes we get the idea that a God big enough to help us during our great-

est needs is too busy to be watching us with affection. Or even more astonish-

ingly, that He would spend time sorting through our memories to prove it!

God wants us to understand that it doesn’t dim the lights of heaven when

He acts on our behalf. Nor does it remove His focus from others when He

bends low enough that we feel His breath on our face. He is Almighty God,

the God of all Creation who had each of us in mind before the foundations

of time!

Prayer

“Papa, I am in awe to know how much You care for

me. Thank You for being a personal God, able to bend

down to my level when I need You. May I always

sense Your affection. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Plans of Hope

January 12

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a

future … You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all

your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11, 13

Work was coming slower due to the housing crunch, and Gary was stressed.

The bills were mounting; there was unspoken strain between he and his wife,

and he didn’t know what to do. He’d been trusting God for as long as he could

remember, yet this was different; there seemed to be a silence on God’s part

right now. He felt they were being tested to see if they really believed what they

professed, that God would meet all their needs.

A friend suggested they allow their prayer time to become a time of listen-

ing rather than petitioning. So over the next two weeks, Gary and Beth spent

their mornings together, asking only for God’s wisdom to deal with each day

and what it brought, looking to Him for guidance and strength.

Job contracts remained flat lined; it seemed as if nothing was happening,

yet during those two weeks, they had felt God’s peace. This morning, they’d

received a card in the mail containing well wishes and fifty dollars from an

anonymous donor. Two days later a friend dropped by with a bag of potatoes

and a sack of onions. Over the next several weeks, they watched as God pro-

vided in ways they never would have imagined.

h

When we’re stressed out and fretting over unmet needs, we can get emotion-

ally bogged down. God’s voice can become white noise in our lives, and we can

lose hope.

The art of listening is something we develop. It requires intentional

thought. In a chaotic society that vies for every thought, we must force our-

selves to slow down, spend time alone with God, and listen. By listening for

His voice instead of immediately trying to resolve problems on our own, we

become aware of God’s leading. It is then we learn to walk beside God and not

run ahead into hopeless frustration.

Prayer

“God of hope, we ask to hear Your voice so that we

may know You are near. Help us trust You and Your

plan for our future. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Little Arrows

January 11

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

Psalm 127:4–5

Having received three calls in the last two hours, the police chief was com-

pelled to respond to the clinic’s complaints and asked the protestors to move

an additional fifty feet from the clinic.

Suddenly, everyone’s attention went to the young couple exiting the

building. They were smiling and holding hands. Still in college, they had not

planned for children this early in the marriage. Unsure of how they would

meet the medical bills or find the needed finances to raise the child, they had

considered abortion.

They stopped and shared their decision to keep the child with the group

outside the clinic. Elated by the news, several protestors donated money to

help with immediate expenses. They gave them names and phone numbers of

people willing to provide assistance, from aftercare to babysitting.

One protestor, an OB/GYN, gave them her business card and asked them

to call her office for an appointment; she offered them free prenatal care.

h

We are mistaken when we believe that the choices we make don’t influence

others. Abortion is a procedure that ends life. The child is persecuted to death;

they have no say in the matter, and the miracle of life is snuffed out in an act so

wrong that there are no words to define how a holy God feels about it.

Roe v. Wade provides the legal right to end life in the womb; it does not

justify it before God. It neither has the ability to stop the truth of how precious

life is nor when it is conceived.

God alone is judge and jury; as His servants, we are to champion the

unborn, love the unlovable, and be a guiding influence in difficult circum-

stances, reaching out when each opportunity presents itself. God can change

lives when we make ourselves available.

Prayer

“Father of all Creation, forgive us for a selfishness and arrogance

that allows us to end life in the name of personal choice. There

are no excuses we can bring you. Reveal to the world Your

heart regarding the sanctity of life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”