Can I Talk to Nannaw?

September 16

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

The little girl climbed into her father’s lap as he sat reading the newspaper.

His startled look didn’t faze her in the least; she was on a mission. “Daddy,

can Nannaw hear me when I pray?” 

Daddy was thinking of how to respond and what to tell her, not really knowing 

if God allows views from the portals of heaven, when she broke his concentration 

once again, excitedly saying, “I know she can, ‘cause Babbaw Nelson said he 

would keep watch over me when he went to be with Jesus. So if he can see me 

from up there, then Nannaw can hear me! Babbaw said so!”

h

There is something pure in a child’s faith. When they are taught by someone

they trust, they believe. As we age, there is a real danger of becoming cynical.

We can lose the purity of heart we once enjoyed as a child. We use phrases like,

“That’s so childish” or “Now that I’m older,” to rationalize our mature yet awk-

ward relationship with God. 

Purity is a matter of the heart, not age. Our hearts end up jailed as we lose that 

childlike trust. Over time, other things crowd out our innocence, and the world comes 

crashing in upon our unprotected heart.

“But,” Jesus said, “take heart! I have overcome the world.” Our hearts can be

reclaimed! It requires a decision to turn things over to Christ, seeking help in

dealing with the accusing whispers of the enemy while reaching up in child-

like faith. When we cry out to see God, listening in the ensuing quiet, He is

revealed to us. The return from cynical maturity to a pure heart is possible. God

wants to be seen by us. Would you believe?

Prayer

“Papa God, I cry out to you in my pain with a childlike

innocence. Please reveal to me your restoring power, the

power that can give me my heart back. Lead me into

healing and peace. Send someone to help me walk this

out because I can’t do it alone. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 He Will Welcome Me

September 15

And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:11

“I’m sorry about your father, David.” Nancy offered her condolences on the loss

of his father. “How are you and your mother doing?”

David had been born at a time when society missed the blessing of Down’s

syndrome children and institutionalized them instead. But Dick and Betty

Lou had refused to yield to a worldview that discarded children in an effort

to justify not dealing with the responsibility and challenges that special needs

children pose. They raised David to believe he could succeed, and he had! He

not only learned to care for himself, but for others as well, his passion for life

driven entirely by a greater passion for Jesus.

“Thank you,” he said, halting and then continuing with solemnity. “We

are coping.”

“If there’s anything you need, please call us,” Nancy offered.

It was evident that David’s response to Nancy’s genuine concern was

heartfelt. “Thank you very much. I will relay that to my mother.” Then David

shared, “My Dad’s in heaven, and someday we will join him.”

“Yes, but not soon, right?” Nancy was sure David was not alluding to a

premature reunion.

“No, not soon,” he replied with understanding. “But someday.” And then

David declared with certainty, “I am his only son, and he will welcome me!”

What profound insight, Nancy thought. “Yes, David, he will be standing at

the portal of heaven, waiting to present you to Jesus.”

h

What a startling image of our arrival to our true home! We who die in Christ

will not just awaken in heaven to stand before God (although this would surely

be enough). Our arrival will be celebrated by the Host of heaven, and we will

see those who have long since slipped from our memories.

Peter speaks of a rich welcome, when time will be no more, and the con-

straints we live with on earth will vanish in that moment! All of heaven’s atten-

tion will be trained upon two people: the One who made it possible and us. In

that moment, we will be His only child, and He will surely welcome us.

Prayer

“Lord, I long for the day when You celebrate my arrival and I

see You face to face. Until then, lead me in Your grace. Amen.”

 The Kindness of Kindness

September 14

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing.

Proverbs 28:27

Jonathan and Gloria’s fiftieth wedding anniversary was fast approaching, but

they hadn’t made plans for a celebration because they couldn’t afford much

more than cards for each other. Deciding finances were just too tight, they

agreed that they would settle for cards. After fifty years together, they didn’t

really need anything else.

Friends in the community found out and set about organizing a secret

fund to rectify the situation. In just two weeks, they raised enough to pay for

reservations for a weekend at Salt Fork Lodge.

The Carringtons would be able to enjoy some much needed time alone,

away from the farm and daily chores. People had taken to the idea with great

enthusiasm! The love within the community was apparent. The fund had grown

so quickly that there was several hundred dollars left over after the reservations

were paid for. The remainder was allotted for dining out, dancing, and a couple

of shows. There would even be enough left over for each to buy a present for

the other!

The day the surprise was unveiled almost the entire community showed

up. They presented their gift to the Carringtons after church the Sunday before

their anniversary. Jonathan’s best man was given the privilege of presenting

them a check for six hundred eighty-seven dollars, a room confirmation num-

ber, and a gas card to cover the fuel for their trip.

Speechless, the Carringtons wiped tears from their eyes as they surveyed

the smiles on the faces of those in attendance.

h

Kindness is an act of love and obedience. When we give unselfishly to those in

need, we fulfill God’s purpose, and it pleases Him. By giving of ourselves we do

God’s work, we become His hands and feet.

We should always be mindful of those who are less fortunate.

Giving helps us remain unselfish, and it focuses our faith and trust where

it should be: on God.

This is one of God’s promises: we will never be in need if we provide for

those who are. He asks and then leaves the kindness up to us.

Prayer

“May You find in me a willingness to always give of

myself, whether it be time or money. Help me be

selfless for Your purpose. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 With Confidence?

September 13

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.

Hebrews 4:16

Jennifer had heard it all before. “God answers prayer.” Well, it never happened

for her! She was listening while her best friend Rachel asked God for a specific

answer to her prayer. A hurricane had blown the roof off her house, and she

was asking God to send someone who would not take advantage of her. She

had insurance, but so many homes had been affected that the reputable con-

tractors were busy. In the past, fly-by-night contractors had descended on the

areas hardest hit. They had given people low bids to entice them to sign on the

dotted line; and then they’d taken their cash and never returned.

As Rachel ended her prayer, she saw the scorn in Jen’s eyes. “Before you

start doubting, watch and see how God answers my prayer.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t have the confidence that He really cares!” Rachel

said skeptically. “I’ve never seen Him answer any of my prayers!” she blurted,

which sounded more like hope-filled defiance.

That evening, a contractor from Ohio knocked on Rachel’s door asking if

she had found someone to facilitate repairs. He provided written testimonies

from people he had done work for following prior storms and explained that

this was his way of serving God. He would drive from Ohio after each storm,

spend time working for half his normal rate, repairing as many homes as he

could, and then return home.

h

God answers every prayer whether we see the answer or not. The only dif-

ference between Rachel and Jennifer was experiential faith. Rachel had seen

God’s answers; Jennifer had not. Perhaps because God had chosen to answer in

a way she had not expected, possibly the answer wasn’t one she wanted.

Scripture says God’s grace is for each of us; it does not respect who we

are or what we’ve done. But it does favor those who approach the throne with

confidence. Witnessing God’s response develops our faith. That faith causes us

to expect an answer. The more we develop that faith, the easier it is to see how

God answers prayer.

Prayer

“Help me see how You respond to my prayers, God. Give

me the confidence to trust You. I want to know that

You are working in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Afflicted

September 12

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

Psalm 119:71

Rolf had contracted Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome from a blood

transfusion he’d received in the early eighties, before the CDC began testing

for the AIDS virus. He’d lived independently for quite a long time, but recent

increased severity in his symptoms had forced Rolf to give up the freedom he

cherished and move into a nursing facility. He was a straight-talking kinda guy,

used to saying what was on his mind; today he was saying he didn’t like this

confounded nursing home he was confined to! His caseworker, Kari, had taken

an instant liking to him.

During the intake, she’d asked Rolf how he’d contracted AIDS. He’d told

her he’d gotten the virus through a transfusion he received during a surgery

in 1982. Unaware the blood was contaminated, the virus had been discov-

ered through a blood test in 1997 when Rolf had had an extended bronchial

infection.

He told Kari he’d spent the first year angry at the world. Then someone

had given him a Bible, and he’d begun reading it. He confided to Kari that had

it not been for the AIDS virus, he might never have found Jesus Christ. Reach-

ing over to his nightstand, Rolf grabbed that very Bible and, looking directly

into Kari’s eyes, said, “I want you to have this. Read it and ask God to show you

what it means. I promise you He will.”

She did, and He had. Kari cried tears of joy and sorrow at Rolf ’s funeral,

thankful God had sent him to show her the way to Jesus.

h

Affliction can be devastating. But it can also be life changing. When we’ve

been brought to the end of our own strength, we must learn to rely on someone

greater than ourselves, as in Rolf ’s case, God.

In truth, we are all afflicted. Every one of us has a deadly disease that we

cannot cure ourselves: sin. And only God can take away this affliction and

that can only happen once we discover our need and ask for healing. Have you

asked God to heal your affliction?

Prayer

“Lord, set me free from the affliction of sin. Remove all vestiges

of it from my life by the blood of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.”

 That Day

September 11

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Psalm 89:14

“Have you seen what’s happening?” Mark asked Collette over the phone.

“Yes, we have the TV on, and I can see the smoke on the horizon. What’s

going on, Mark? Who would do something like this?” she asked as they watched

smoke billow from the Twin Towers. Mark from his office in Midtown, she

from Queens. Then came the news that the Pentagon had been hit. 

Anger mixed with fear brought the unbidden question: How many planes do they have?

There was so much confusion that day—citizens running away from the

chaos, first responders running into burning buildings.

Life changed that day as people looked on with a mixture of horror and

fascination.

And in the time it took for those acts of terrorism to unfold, a nation

resolved to pursue with determination those responsible.

In the ensuing years, there has been waning support; life has resumed;

many have forgotten the reality of that day. But the question of that day still

lingers: where were You that day, God?

h

On September 11, 2001, our innocence was forever soiled. That day when the

towers fell; that day when brave men and women gave their lives; that day

when children became orphans; that day when evil appeared to have won; that

day when we had an overwhelming need to know … where were You, God?

He was there, reaching down in love to comfort those who were suffering

in the planes and the towers, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93; He was there,

leading brave men and women into burning buildings while others were run-

ning for their lives; He was there, receiving each of His children who made that

journey into eternity; He was there, catching the tears of every man, woman,

and child overcome with fear and uncertainty.

We live in a world where everyone has free will; bad things happen to good

and bad people alike.

Where was God on that day? Where He was the day His Son died and has

always been—on His throne. And someday soon He will judge the nations. On

that day, justice will reign.

Prayer

“O Lord, may we never lose sight of You just because evil

has threatened our faith. We stand secure in the knowledge

that You are always here and that we are not alone. Amen.”

 Flatter or Favor? 

September 10

He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who

has a flattering tongue.

Proverbs 28:23

Carlos’s role in the corporation’s steady growth over the past two quarters had

earned him the lead on one of their largest projects. At the moment, he was

meeting with a team of advisors to determine what the company should do next

in preparation for launching the twenty-five-thousand-dollar ad campaign.

“Our target audience is twenty-two to forty-five-year-old females,” he

said, directing everyone’s attention to the built-in monitors in the conference

table. “Okay, sounds good.” “That sounds about right.” “Great!” “You’re the

man,” came responses from the ingratiating group.

“All right. Let’s move on,” said Carlos, believing the matter was settled.

“Hold on a minute,” interrupted Brendan. “I’m not sure we should limit

our ad to females. I believe we’d be missing a large portion of potential custom-

ers if we target them alone.”

Conversation immediately ceased as everyone waited for this ad exec wan-

nabe to get shut down.

But to their amazement, Carlos simply asked, “Okay, what do you have in mind?”

“Well,” he pressed, “we’re coming into the Christmas season. I believe that if we

include our target audience’s counterpart, twenty-two to forty-five-year-old males,

we can increase sales by targeting their purchases for their spouses and girlfriends.”

“I like it,” he said. “Let’s figure out how to incorporate them into this mar-

keting strategy. Good work, Bishop.”

h

Carlos hadn’t gotten where he was by figuring it out all on his own. Realizing

he didn’t have all the answers, he was open to criticism. We would do well to

follow his lead. By refusing to listen to or give useful criticism, we are cutting

ourselves and others off from useful correction. We also must not accept every-

thing presented to us as accurate or just. We must assess each situation and

speak up where necessary.

If we approach each situation with sensitivity, we will discover a greater

capacity for understanding in which we can both hear and be the voice of

reason by departing from a closed-minded mentality. Do we want to flatter or

gain favor?

Prayer

“Lord, help me recognize when I need to listen to criticism

or confront certain issues in love. Give me the wisdom

I need to do what’s right. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”