Snipers

November 20

A gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 16:28

Ted used sarcasm when he talked about his friends. Present or absent, he still had something to say that should have been left unsaid.

“You know, I really like Jack. He’s a good carpenter. Builds some top-of-the-line houses, he does. Ain’t much of a singer though. You ever hear him sing? Screech is what I ought to say! Oh man! I mean catlike!” he said and laughed.

One day his friend Terry confronted him about his slanderous comments. “Ted, you ever think before you speak?”

It was an honest question. But Ted didn’t understand it. “Whaddya mean?” he asked, looking puzzled.

“I mean,” Terry proceeded, “when you talk about people, do you ever think about what you’re going to say, or does it just come out on its own?”

“What do you mean, ‘the way you talk about people’?” He was genuinely at a loss and also getting genuinely upset. “Just how do you think I talk about people?”

“You may not recognize it as such, but your offhanded sarcasm is hurtful,” Terry said, letting that statement sink in.

“I resent that!” he said. “What offhanded sarcasm are you talking about?”

“Remember your comment about Jack’s singing the other day?” Terry countered.

“You can’t be serious!” He was incredulous. “I didn’t mean anything by that.” He defended his actions.

“But it was negative nonetheless, Ted. That’s the issue. Offhanded comments, or friendly banter, as you call it, create tension. Carelessness like that has been known to break up friendships. Is that what you want?” Terry asked.

“I never thought about that. You know I don’t mean anything by it,” he argued. But Terry had made his point.

†

There are some who, like snipers, pick others off using words as weapons. Some of them mean harm; others don’t understand the negative affect of their words. Sometimes thoughtless, innocent-seeming words can cause irreparable damage to lifelong relationships.

We must be conscious of the affect our words have on others before we speak. Casual words spoken with no ill intent can have devastating consequences.

If we can’t use language befitting true friendship—encouraging and edifying—we should remain silent.

Prayer

“Help me choose my words wisely, Lord. May I always be conscious of their affect before they are spoken. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Mom’s Cookies and the Term Paper

November 19

Turn your ear to wisdom … search for it as hidden treasure.

Proverbs 2:1, 4

Where’s that term paper? Christopher had used most of Saturday morning to turn his dorm room upside down to no avail. The paper was due in two weeks, and he needed to edit the final draft. All his notes were on that printed copy.

His cell phone interrupted his search. “Hi, Mom,” he said. “I don’t have time to talk.” On a hunch, he asked, “Do you remember seeing that term paper I showed you and Dad when you were here a couple weeks ago?”

“Christopher? Did you forget asking me about that Tuesday when we spoke? I told you I read it and gave it back. Maybe it’s under something in your apartment. Ask God where it is, honey.”

A holy lecture, great! “You ask Him, Mom!” he shot back. “I need to keep looking.”

She asked a meaning-filled question, “Did you take that box of cookies to church last Sunday?”

“Mom!” He was exasperated. “I need to find this paper … gotta go … love you.” And he hung up.

She glanced across the kitchen table at her husband as she closed the cell phone. He knew there was a story behind her grin. “Okay, what’s up?”

“Remember me asking Christopher if he’d been attending church during our last visit?” 

Getting an affirmative nod, she continued, “He told us he’s been attending regularly.” 

Another nod. “I decided to see how regularly.” There was a mischievous glint in her eye. “All he has to do is deliver those cookies. I laid the box on the kitchen counter … right on top of the paper he’s searching for. He’s got another week before it’s due. If he doesn’t call by tomorrow evening, I’ll give him a call.”

†

Church fellowship is critical. Of much importance is the godly wisdom to be found there. Separation from that fellowship causes spiritual slippage.

God gave us moms; they are priceless and wise beyond their children’s years! Many a return from the separation of such a necessary relationship can be attributed to mothers as they pray and attempt to guide their wayward children.

Regardless of age, we can benefit from listening to our mothers’ hidden treasure.

Prayer

“Help me place godly wisdom high on the ladder of importance in my life, Lord. Amen.”

 Set Apart

November 18

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ … set apart for the gospel of God.

Romans 1:1

“What’s your greatest barrier to telling people about Jesus?” Craig asked his friend Charlie.

Halfway through his excuse, Charlie got a sense of how lame he must have sounded by the look on Craig’s face. “Okay! Stop looking at me like that. You really want to know why?” He sighed. “A lot of the time it’s because I don’t feel very spiritual. You know, like I don’t measure up on the ‘Spiro-meter.’ So I think, ‘Why should people listen to me?’”

Craig understood his friend’s dilemma. He’d shared those same misgivings. Then God had convicted him that gaining our silence is one of satan’s attempts to keep us from spreading the gospel.

Craig shared his revelation, concluding with, “If I let how I feel dictate when and where I say something, I wouldn’t spread much of the gospel. If I remain silent because I don’t feel like speaking up, then most of the time I’d be robbing people of the chance to accept God’s love. 

Satan will lie and tell me any number of reasons I shouldn’t speak on God’s behalf—guilt and shame, inadequacy, shyness, being tired, or sick. The list is endless; but the results are the same. I fail to share the gospel. And Satan wins that round!” 

He emphasized his last remark. “I’ve found that if I respond when God leads by beginning to witness, the words come, and my hesitancy disappears.”

†

Until we come face to face with the reality and permanence of hell, we will fail to understand what our witness means; and, we will continue to succumb to satan’s attempts to keep us quiet.

Fear of man and the threat of ridicule keep many Christians from sharing what God has done in their lives. Without this testimony, many may never hear what they need to hear to make a decision for Christ.

We are set apart for God’s kingdom. We cannot remain neutral in the battle for souls. It should be our privilege to stand up and proclaim the love and salvation to be found in Christ!

Prayer

“Help me, Lord Jesus, to share Your love. Give me the words to show what You’ve done in my life so others might find salvation in You. Amen.”

 Knowledge Without Wisdom

November 17

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7

Kendall was blessed with an incredible amount of knowledge ranging from thermodynamics to mechanical engineering; the list was extensive and quite impressive. He actually was a know-it-all.

But Kendall lacked humility. Benevolent use of his intellect was not his strong suit. He wielded his achievements like a sword. In short, Kendall mistook his vast amount of knowledge for wisdom.

Kendall was privileged to receive an invitation to a think tank conference with some very influential men. One man’s reputation, in particular, preceded him. Whatever he did succeeded and was done correctly. He was respected and well liked.

He was Kendall’s contemporary in every way but one: where Kendall was haughty and self-promoting, he was considerate and reflective. When asked for input, he provided the shortest, most concise answers possible, forgoing the need to display his intellect.

Curious, Kendall asked for a moment of his time. “Mr. Pendleton, you are so much smarter than these men. Why do you address them as equals?” His question was sincere, if indiscreet.

“Young man,” he said, “I have learned that knowledge without wisdom is always found lacking. I am not the wisest man in the world. But we have been sharing the room with several of them. What they desire of me is knowledge. What I receive from them is wisdom. Together, we create solutions. To presume my knowledge outranks their wisdom would be to imply that I neither want nor need their assistance. Only a fool would believe that.”

†

Knowledge is of great value, yet in itself is incomplete; in its basic form, it is only information.

To be wise is to be able to apply such information with understanding. Without wisdom, we will remain incomplete. We may learn to compensate without it but will always fall short of achieving the desired results or best conclusion.

To reject wisdom is to sacrifice understanding. We would be foolish to do something so irrational. Because without wisdom, we will come to believe in our own accomplishments, not in the One who gave us the knowledge.

Prayer

“Teach me to respect wisdom, Lord. Teach me to use every resource You’ve given me. Open my eyes to any part of me that resists Your guidance. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 In Spite of the Giants

November 16

All the people we saw there are of great size.

Numbers 13:32

Bresden’s intention was to motivate his teammates. “We can win this game!” the senior point guard confidently claimed.

His teammates looked skeptical. One echoed their collective doubt. “We’ve never beaten them before. What makes you think we can do it tonight?” They were remembering the last two seasons, seasons in which this team had totally annihilated them.

“Look,” Bresden responded. “We’ve worked hard and played well all season! They’re not invincible. If we leave it all on the court, we can beat them!” You could see their confidence grow. “Let’s get Coach the win!” Bresden challenged. And with that, they took the court.

It was their best game of the season! The score changed hands fifteen times and was tied five. Nobody could remember seeing Tremont play with this level of enthusiasm. No matter what they threw up, their shots dropped. Basket after basket ripped the net—three-pointers, layups, it didn’t matter. It was so awe-inspiring that the crowd was on their feet for most of the game. When the final buzzer sounded, Tremont walked off the court victorious!

In his final game, Dan Bresden had inspired his team to greatness; they believed what he told them, and because they believed, they had come away with the victory.

†

What we believe has a tremendous effect on how we respond to adversity. Who we believe in matters even more.

When faced with imposing odds, we can be tempted to admit defeat before we’ve even entered the battle.

God sent spies to survey the land, not the enemy (13:1). Sadly, eight of the ten forgot that. All they saw was the size of the enemy. They lost all confidence in God’s ability to deliver the enemy into their hands.

God will never send us into a battle we can’t win. And it’s our responsibility to remember with Whose power we fight.

Nevertheless, all the pep talks in the world won’t convince us unless we first believe, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31).

Prayer

“Anchor my faith in You alone, Lord. Keep my feet planted firmly for battle instead of ready to run. Remind me that with You I can stand against the fiercest enemy. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Spiritual ADD

November 15

[Aaron] took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf.

Exodus 32:4

Nick was just like every other kid in his class: high energy, fun loving, even a bit of a prankster. Nick had recently been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. His attention span was much shorter than his peers due to what his neurologists called a short circuit in his brain’s hard wiring. This short created an inability to tune out outside stimuli.

Nick’s parents knew his actions weren’t just a ploy to avoid homework or chores because they’d observed the same distracted behavior on the baseball field.

Nick played second base. At any given moment, you might catch him looking around the outfield while the pitcher was in his windup. Or he’d be drawing pictures in the dirt when he should have been chanting, “Hey, batter, batter, batter.”

It was difficult for Nick to concentrate on his lessons for more than ten minutes at a time; there were just too many things vying for his attention. His parents and teachers were instructed to be patient and allow for his inattentiveness. They were told that long-suffering persistence would eventually help Nick overcome his inability to focus for extended periods of time. 

Nick eventually learned coping strategies that helped fend off the unwanted interference, helping him direct his focus on things at hand.

†

Israel had a severe case of spiritual ADD. Although God was constantly with them, they were unable to focus on Him for more than a few days at a time. The miracles He had done on their behalf were forgotten, and they went right back to complaining. It cost them forty years in a desolate land.

But before we judge the Israelites too harshly, we should admit that we don’t retain the goodness of God any longer than they did. We, like Israel, get distracted by the enemy. We gripe and complain about our circumstances and God’s failure to meet our needs.

Like Nick, we need to develop coping strategies to tune out unwanted influence. By listening to God’s instruction, we can shorten our time in the wilderness.

Prayer

“Thank You, loving Father, for putting up with my impatient behavior. Help me shut out the world’s interference so I can focus my attention where it needs to be. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Return to the Father

November 14

He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Luke 15:20

As the young evangelist looked out over those who had come to mourn, he spoke of eternal life through Jesus Christ. At one point, he paused and appeared to be wrestling with something. As he lifted his head, you could sense the battle within was over. “I’ve struggled over whether to share this or not, but I’ve decided I must.

“In my short time of pastoring, I’ve not performed many funerals. Yet, in that short time, I have performed way too many for men from Brinkhaven.”

Weeping could be heard as an acknowledging murmur ran through the church; family members of those he had preached funerals for were present today.

“I’ve decided that to remain silent while young men choose to go their own way, rejecting God’s offer of salvation, would be wrong. Men, today you have a chance to change that. You can return to the Father as the prodigal did, asking Him to make you one of His own; not a second-rate citizen, but one of His own, an heir to His throne!” His voice broke with the passion of his plea. It wasn’t hard to grasp that he did not wish to preside over another unnecessary death.

“Frank was a man of faith, his life dedicated to God. Is yours? If not, I ask that you do something about that today before it’s too late.”

“Amen!” and “That’s right!” echoed through the sanctuary as the evangelist nodded his head. God had taken what the enemy meant for evil and had used it for good.

†

Premature death is too frequently the consequence of poor choices, consequences that are not mandatory. Pride and rebellion are costly, deadly if we treat with impunity God’s offer of eternal life.

That offer remains on the table until we take our final breath. At that moment, we lose any chance of choosing where we will spend eternity.

Until that time, God waits with arms wide open, watching for those who are lost to return.

Prayer

“Lord, I’m weary from all the mistakes I’ve made. I want a new life in Jesus. Forgive my sins and make me one of Your own. In Jesus’ Name and by His blood, I surrender my life today. Amen.”