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.”

 A Language of Faith

September 9

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your

grandmother Lois.

2Timothy 1:5

Grandma Doris never liked hearing the words shut up. She said they hurt

her ears and her heart. So when Grandma Doris was around, you said, “hush”

or “be quiet.” If she heard anything else, you were in for a major scolding!

Grandma Doris emigrated from England in 1904 at the tender age of

seven. She brought with her all her worldly possessions and an already deep

faith in Jesus Christ. She married Grandpa Earnest, a preacher, and together

they passed on the inherent traits of a pioneer: press ahead in kindness and

never look back in regret. The legacy passed on by Grandma Doris was given

to her by her father and his father before him. In the lineage of both Grandma

Doris and Grandpa Earnest there is a history of profound faith in Jesus Christ.

For at least six generations before and the two since, there have been preachers

and lay leaders serving God, great men and women of faith.

Grandma Doris’s death left a hole in people’s hearts but not their faith.

That heritage lives on and is testament to what was important to Grandma

Doris: loving Jesus and using words to edify and not impair the lives of those

we meet.

h

It seems like such a simple thing, teaching children the value of using kinder

language rather than harmful words. But it’s in the simple things that we dis-

cover our true character.

How we treat others, such as which words we use, speaks volumes of who

we are and what we believe. Harsh language says we are not concerned about

how we gain the results we are seeking.

Paul wrote to Timothy in regard to testifying with power. He said to tes-

tify in love and self-discipline, letting God do the convicting.

Too many times our society uses words with shock value to make a point.

Paul tells us that kind words, full of grace, will accomplish the task. We are to

testify of Jesus’ love and do it in a language of faith passed on from generation

to generation.

Prayer

“Lead me to speak kindly in faith, Lord. May I always testify

to Your love with words of grace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 No Compromise

September 8

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and

godliness.

2 Peter 1:3

There were two packages sitting on the porch when Trent and Sheila arrived

home. One contained a portable DVD player, the other an in-house DVD

player. “I thought we were only supposed to get the portable player. Maybe they

sent two by accident, and they aren’t aware of their mistake,” Trent reasoned.

“I don’t know, but we’d better find out,” Sheila responded.

Trent located the customer service number for the company, and dialed.

“These automated services drive me nuts!” he said, putting it on speakerphone

so he could make use of his time while waiting for them to respond. To his sur-

prise, a customer service representative responded almost immediately. Trent

explained to the rep that he believed they had received an extra item by mistake.

“We got the portable DVD player we were supposed to get, but we received

an in-house DVD player as well. Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

The CSR asked Trent to wait a moment while she checked. Coming back

on the line, she said, “We sent the second DVD player as a token of our appre-

ciation because you waited for over ten weeks for your initial order due to

multiple back orders.”

Trent said, “So you’re saying we get to keep them both?”

“Yes, sir!” the CSR said cheerfully. “Thanks for shopping with us.”

h

It would have been easy to keep the second item, no questions asked, and no

one the wiser. But integrity doesn’t check itself at the door on occasion.

To have virtue is to have moral and ethical standards that don’t yield or

compromise. They are standards grounded in righteousness and sustained

through spiritual discipline.

Peter urged those of precious faith to be diligent in seeking good moral

character, as it would serve them well in fending off corruption and tempta-

tion. Too many times we enjoy flirting with trouble only to have it shackle us.

A match is more easily extinguished than a bonfire. Virtue is a deterrent to

spiritual slippage.

Prayer

“It’s so easy to give in to small temptations, Lord. Stir in me

a desire to remain pure before You. Create in me a hunger for

the godliness You desire in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 I’m Christ’s Alone

September 7

For in Him we move and live and have our being.

Acts 17:28

Many of the songs he’d written were inspired by the trials he’d faced. This song

had become his mission statement, so to speak.

Jon had tested the waters of life. But there hadn’t been much wisdom in

Jon’s selection process. He’d just headed out with the belief that he was entitled

to have some fun. 

When confronted about his cavalier lifestyle, Jon smugly answered, “If it was good 

enough for Solomon, then it’s good enough for me!”

So Jon set out to pleasure himself for the purpose of gaining self-awareness,

an experiment of sorts, he called it. After years of the more sordid things of

life, he’d gotten tired of the casual life. Redirecting his efforts, Jon pursued a

more spiritual awakening, using mind-altering chemicals to assist in gaining

nirvana.

One evening while high on crystal meth, Jon sideswiped an abandoned

vehicle along the side of the road. His vehicle had rolled twice and come to

rest in the ditch. Suffering life-threatening injuries, Jon had somehow survived.

Over the next ten weeks, he labored in the rehabilitation ward at the OSU

Medical Center. Layer by layer, God peeled away Jon’s rebellion. 

One of his rehab nurses spoke to Jon about how blessed he was to have survived. 

She spoke about the hope she had found in Jesus Christ. 

The week before Jon left Dodd Hall, he gave his life to Christ, writing the words that 

would later become the song “I’m Christ’s Alone.”

h

Many of us have traveled through life taking our own little detours from God’s

designated path, recklessly experimenting with dangerous things, so we could

experience life on our own terms. Most, if not all of us found nothing but

emptiness.

Luke, in today’s text, sums up Paul’s words to the Romans about the free-

dom to be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul told them that God

gives all men life, breath, and everything else, so that they might seek and find

His Son. Like Jon, God is always willing to meet us at our point of surrender.

Unlike Jon, we needn’t take life’s detours.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, I’m tired of running. Lead me into a life better

lived through Your Spirit. In Your Name I pray, amen.”

 Soldiers of Love

September 6

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.

Isaiah 66:13

J.J. had juvenile diabetes. His father pricked his little, four-and-a-half-year-old

finger to see if he needed an insulin injection, a process that was repeated four

times each day. J.J.’s mom was in charge of making sure he ate the right foods

at the right times.

Blindsided two years ago by the diagnosis, Aaron and Megan had man-

aged to make the necessary adjustments, ensuring their son would lead as nor-

mal a life as possible.

A professional musician, Aaron was on the road much of the time. Home

for a few days, he loved spending time with the kids.

In a recent interview, he’d been asked how Megan managed the home with

him on the road so much. “I head home if there’s a crisis,” he’d said wryly. “But

meeting J.J.’s everyday needs falls to Megan. She’s a real trooper! Up at seven

every morning, she tests J.J.’s blood sugar and fixes breakfast accordingly. She

balances the demands of J.J.’s daily routine while Kaylie, our three-month-old,

vies for her attention. Megan never gets a day off and never complains.” He

summed up his thoughts. “Moms are soldiers of love. They’re the ones who

handle the continuously changing needs.” He added, “Dads are the warriors;

we kill the giants. But moms? Moms are forever! When our kids get sick or

fall and skin their knees, there’s only one person they want. And it’s not me! I

respect my wife. I could never do what she does.”

h

Mothers are a special breed. They faithfully go the extra mile without thought

of compensation. If you tried to reward them, they would be offended.

Men may be the spiritual leaders of the household, but mothers are the

glue that bonds the family together. It is said, “A father will go to war for his

children; a mother will die.”

Jesus compared a mother’s love to His own. There is no greater compli-

ment than to be compared to the Savior of the world. And the epitome of His

love is revealed in the touch of a mother. They truly are soldiers of love.

Prayer

“Thank You, Lord, for mothers, for their compassion,

tenderness, self-sacrifice, and thank You for

creating them to love like Jesus. Amen.”

 Intellect or Wisdom?

September 5

A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has

discernment sees through him.

Proverbs 28:11

J.D. Artweller had amassed a fortune. His holdings included three of the high-

rise structures visible along Chicago’s skyline, one of which housed the eighty-

second floor, corner office he was sitting in. He held partnership in two banks

and owned the local ALS team. Nobody really knew the true extent to which

he was involved.

“Martha!” Artweller hollered at his receptionist. “Is Flanerty here

yet?” … ”Time is money,” he grumbled to himself.

“Yes, Mr. Artweller,” Martha answered.

“Then send him in!” came his clipped command.

She smiled across her desk at J.D.’s 2:30 appointment, hoping to alleviate

any tension her boss’s crassness might be causing.

J.D. didn’t seem to care about people other than what they could do to

increase his holdings. Embarrassed for the man, she said apologetically, “You

may go in now, Mr. Flanerty.”

She needn’t have been worried. John Flanerty wasn’t fazed by Artweller’s

demeanor. He’d had dealings with J.D. in the past. He knew him to be a very

lonely man beneath the rough-barked exterior, and had determined when he’d

first met J.D. to show him unconditional kindness by treating him in such a

way that it would be in keeping with the nature of Jesus. Perhaps those seeds

would sprout and choke out the bitterness entangling his heart.

h

For reasons unknown to most of us, there are people who have been wounded

so deeply that they have turned to the god of wealth for their validation. They

hold the misconception that accumulated riches equates to great wisdom. But

there is a distinct difference between great wisdom and intellectual and finan-

cial cunning. And those who are discerning know the difference, they see right

through the J.D.s of the world.

Matthew 6:24 says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” This world

and everything in it is God’s. When we greedily hoard stuff or money we set

our hearts against God. To be rich and wise in our own eyes is to be lost. Not

just in thought or position, but in spirit. There are no riches worth such cost.

Prayer

“Help me to not be possessive of what You’ve given me,

Lord. Guide my heart to distribute Your wealth where

it will do the most good. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”