Voice Recognition

May 11

And his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:4

“Hello?” Marvin greeted as he answered the phone.

“Hey, Marv! Been a while, man! How you doin’?” came the voice from the

other end of the line.

“I’m doing fine; how about you?” Marvin responded, his mind trying to

link the voice to an identity. Whoever this was, he expected Marvin to know

him without introduction, even though it had been a long time since they’d

spoken.

Marvin knew he should know who this was; the man’s voice was so famil-

iar. He knew he’d heard it many times. Yet, try as he might, recognition wasn’t

coming.

As the conversation progressed, Marvin tried to steer it in such a way that

the caller would reveal something that would give away his identity.

Then, as in answer to his silent prayer, the caller said, “You remember when

Buster and I had to carry you home after you stepped on the limb of that

thorn tree? Man, that thorn musta been three inches long and half of it stickin’

through your sneaker and into your heel! I still remember you tryin’ not to cry.

Lord, how that must have hurt!”

Instant recognition! It was Danny!

Without hesitation, Marvin responded, “I was cutting a way through that

mess when you pushed me into it, Danny! You shoulda carried me back by

yourself !” They both broke into laughter, Marvin thankful his childhood friend

hadn’t seemed to notice his lack of voice recognition.

h

For us to recognize someone’s voice, we must have some history, a bond that

connects our lives. In recalling one memorable event, Danny brought immedi-

ate recognition of who he was.

In the same way, once Jesus becomes our Savior, His Spirit makes a con-

nection that relates to our spirit. Early in our relationship when He calls to us,

the Holy Spirit reminds us of the day we became God’s child.

As we grow into a deeper relationship, we learn to recognize His voice a

little sooner.

Today’s text speaks of a time when we will know the Shepherd’s voice. The

more we share our lives with Jesus, the easier it becomes to recognize His voice.

Prayer

“Lead me into a deeper, voice-recognizing

relationship, Lord. In Your Name I pray, amen.”

 Ill Conceived

May 10

After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is

full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 1:15

He wasn’t thinking logically. As a matter of fact, Mason hadn’t had a rational

thought in three days. “If I can just get a couple thousand more, I can turn this

thing around.” He’d maxed out three credit cards, taken out a signature loan

yesterday, and now there was no money in his children’s college accounts.

Driving to the nearest check exchange, Mason wrote a predated check,

knowing he could never hope to cover it, and took the five hundred dollars cash

the teller handed him. After repeating this process at three other check cashing

establishments, he headed back to the casino. He returned to the same table,

believing his luck had to change.

Two hours later, Mason watched the dealer drag away the last of his chips

and stack them on the house tray.

“Oh, God. What have I done?” he said just above a whisper. “It wasn’t sup-

posed to turn out like this! I was supposed to win.” Looking at the dealer he

asked, “What do I do now? I’ve lost everything.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” the dealer replied. “Sometimes you get the beast, and some-

times the beast gets you.”

h

When we allow ourselves to be led into ill-conceived plans without counting

the cost of our consequences ahead of time, we usually find ourselves sitting

among the ruins of our lives and the lives of those who depend on us. The beast

doesn’t care.

Sin is like that; it comes wrapped in the appearance of something wonder-

ful, promising us everything we desire. Without spiritual discipline, we will be

led astray. The initial thought comes; it looks so easy. If we give the thought

room, sin has been conceived. If not dealt with immediately, it has the potential

to lead us away from rational thinking into a full-blown craving that leads to

death.

Paul said, “‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial” (1

Corinthians 10:23).

To those who know the beast firsthand, there is help. Whether it’s gam-

bling, alcohol, drugs, pornography, lying, cheating, or stealing, tell someone;

reach out. When you do, you’ll find that Jesus has been reaching out for you.

Prayer

“Help me, Lord. Help me do what’s right. Amen. “

 From Deep Inside

May 9

They will sparkle … like jewels in a crown.

Zechariah 9:16

As he studied the stone through his magnifying monocle, the jeweler could see

that this last facet needed only a bit more polishing to make it perfect. Placing

the stone jig against the polishing wheel and adding just the right pressure, he

proceeded to remove the final flaw from the gem.

“There, that is enough!” he whispered breathlessly. Raising the stone so he

could examine it once more, he found it exquisite. “The king deserves only the

best!”

If the jeweler found it acceptable, the king would be thrilled! And so he

should be, for the jeweler had spent many hours cutting this diamond. He had

chosen just the right stone for clarity and color. “This stone’s brilliance shall be

unmatched.”

The master jeweler took great pride in producing only the highest qual-

ity gemstones for those who could afford his services. He knew that not all

diamonds were clear or white. Many were imbued with translucent, clear-as-

glass colors, making them even more precious than white diamonds. This stone,

chosen from one of the king’s own mines, was a deep blue, its worth beyond

measure. There wasn’t another stone like this anywhere. “Perfect! It shines from

its depths!”

h

Gemstones are formed under great pressure. Many centuries of compression

are necessary to turn coal and other porous rock into hardened, gem-quality

diamonds, rubies, or emeralds.

The same is true of our Christian walk. We are subjected to the extreme

pressures of temptation, trials, and the demands of daily living.

As the jeweler labored over the precious stone, his expertise and love for

his trade brought forth a masterpiece. He knew that a stone’s brilliance comes

from inside, revealed by the skill and experience of the jeweler.

God labors over us with the skill of the Master, desiring to bring out the

best in each of us. He knows exactly how much pressure is required to produce

a gem-quality masterpiece. When we have been hardened correctly, He sets

to work cutting and polishing our facets so that we might shine, reflecting the

light inside.

Prayer

“Help me bear up under the pressure and polishing, Lord.

Make me a perfect jewel! In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Know Mercy

May 8

And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love

mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

The board was terminating his teaching contract. It didn’t matter that the

charges against him were false and that lies had been perpetrated against him.

The fact that he had been voted teacher of the year the past two years by this

very board, and that he was loved by his students and peers alike, had been

blatantly disregarded.

His integrity, character, and teaching performance caused anyone who

knew him to doubt the allegations, and there was overwhelming support

within the community.

Yet a course had been set; fear was a strong motivator.

ACLU attorneys had brought a lawsuit on behalf of the family who’d

lodged the false complaint; so the board, acting in fear, proceeded with his

termination. They had thrown him under the bus, no pun intended.

Everything within him cried, “But I didn’t do this!”

He’d been told years ago, “Expect no mercy, yet never cease to give it.”

He silently prayed. Lord, You have extended mercy to me when justice would

have brought eternal punishment. Help me remember that my actions dictate who I

am in You. Help me extend that same mercy to those who speak against me. In Jesus’

Name, amen.

h

In line with his character, this man was asking for the grace by which he and

his family could walk so they might be an example of God’s mercy to a group

of people who didn’t understand God’s meaning of justice or mercy.

We are not naturally humble. Humility is a character trait that must be

cultivated. When we are wronged, our first human response is to get even; we

want justice! And quite honestly, we may deserve it. Yet Christians know that

our eternal existence is based on mercy. Were we to receive our just punish-

ment—justice—we would be damned to hell for eternity. When Christ died,

it was to teach us to love in spite of difficult situations. Do you want justice or

mercy from God?

Prayer

“When I get wounded I tend to lash out, Lord. Teach me to

love justice and be merciful and to walk humbly. Amen.”

 The Curb

May 7

And this is love: that we walk in obedience …

2 John 1:6

Winnie stared at the curb, wondering why Daddy had warned her that it was

out of bounds. In her four-year-old mind, she couldn’t understand how a curb

could be a boundary; it looked to be quite safe. She didn’t understand boundar-

ies. But Daddy had spanked her once when he’d caught her sitting on the curb,

so it must be more dangerous than it appeared.

She didn’t remember feeling scared while sitting on it. But Daddy had

been so upset that he had actually shouted at her, and Daddy never shouted.

Winnie walked closer to the curb, staring at it as if it were about to tell her

the secret danger it presented. But nothing happened. “Oh well. Maybe Daddy

is wrong.”

As Winnie started to turn away, she looked across the street. Mattie, Win-

nie’s cat, came out from behind the neighbor’s house. She’d been rummag-

ing through the neighborhood. Seeing Winnie, Mattie began bounding in her

direction. As Winnie watched, Mattie ran into the road at the same time the

next-door neighbor arrived home from work. Amid the squeal of tires, accom-

panied by an accelerated heart rate for the driver and Winnie, Mattie managed

to leap out of harm’s way! In that moment, Winnie received new understand-

ing in regard to the curb. She scooped Mattie into her arms and scolded her,

“I warned you to stay away from the curb! It’s dangerous! Do you hear me?”

h

Crossing the curb represented disobedience and a total disregard for authority.

Like Winnie, we may not see any immediate danger and think, “Maybe God

didn’t say … ” In disobedience, we push on; the lines become blurred, and God’s

commands and authority become mute.

We know we shouldn’t be there; yet each time we cross the line, we lose a

little more sense of the impending danger, and we lose a little more respect for

the One in authority. If we persist in disobedience, we eventually find ourselves

standing on the wrong side of a chasm we cannot cross on our own. It’s in that

moment we recall the Holy Spirit’s warning, “Please, stay away from the curb.”

Prayer

“Forgive me for my disobedience, Father. Help me to accept

without question the limits You place in my life. Amen.”

 I Am the Greatest*

May 6

Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and char-

acter, hope.

Romans 5:3–4

“C’mon, James!” Lester pleaded. “Just throw me a few pitches, pleeeeease? I

won’t ever ask again—I promise!”

“I can’t, buddy. I gotta get to work. Just toss it up and hit it like I showed

you.”

Disappointed, Lester headed out behind the barn to do as James suggested.

“Maaaaan.” The word dragged out. “How am I ever gonna be the greatest?”

But Lester, being who he was, made the best of things.

Imagining the hayfield was Yankee Stadium, he tossed the ball into the air;

it hit the top of its arc and began its descent. Lester hauled his bat back and

swung, missing the ball completely. “Strike one!” he declared. Undeterred, he

picked up the ball and repeated the process, this time tossing the ball a little

higher, giving himself more time to prepare. The ball came down; Lester swung

and missed again. “Strike two!” his mother heard him cry.

Taking a break from hanging out laundry, she peeked around the corner of

the barn in time to see her youngest son retrieve the ball and launch it skyward

once more. The toss was perfect! She watched the ball drop as Lester timed

his swing. He swung for the fence and missed a third time. “Strike three!” he

hollered. “You’re out!” What she heard next made her giggle. “I am the greatest;

that is a fact. But even I didn’t know I could pitch like that!”

h

Lester’s hope-filled character is a lesson for us all; Lester’s spirit prevailed. In

his mind, he succeeded in spite of his apparent failure. He chose to view things

from a lofty perspective. He saw himself as a victor no matter what it looked

like in the natural.

In each of our disappointments, God includes a lesson for our benefit.

These are character-building moments. If we lose hope and allow disappoint-

ing results to influence us negatively, we miss an opportunity to learn and grow.

If we seek to learn the lesson God provides, we gain understanding.

Are you the greatest? The choice is up to you.

Prayer

“Sometimes it seems as if I fail, Lord. Teach me

to see with eyes of hope instead of a heart of

discouragement. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

* Adapted from Kenny Rogers' hit son, 'I Am The Greatest'

With Kenny's Permission

 R-I-S-K

May 5

As you go …

Matthew 10:7

To Jonathan, it wasn’t a risk. He’d learned to trust God for the results and not

worry about how he looked. He had such a hunger to learn more about the

nature of his Creator. He was convinced that miracles had not passed away. His

reasoning? Christ is still building His church! The miracles seen in Jesus’ era

served a specific purpose; they pointed to a greater truth: God.

Jonathan believed that if God is still building the church, he was supposed

to continue to ask the Holy Spirit to show up in power.

Sadly, many in his church felt that Jonathan was stepping over reasonable

boundaries. Their lack of understanding didn’t stop him. “Lord, only You are

capable of strengthening Martha’s weak muscles. Only You have the power to

rid her body of this torment. Satan, loose your grip on this woman in Jesus’

name. Jehovah Repheka*, cause power to come into her limbs and strength to

her body. Raise her from this bed of infirmity, Holy Spirit. May it bring God

glory and honor to work among us today. Amen.”

God had been stretching Jonathan; the results of Jonathan’s obedience had

been awesome! Of the sixty-some people God had led Jonathan to pray for

over the last few months, ten had been completely healed of terminal illness.

h

Many of Jonathan’s critics were quick to point out that fifty-some people did

not receive healing. Had Jonathan allowed their powerless approach to the

gospel to influence his actions, ten people would have died. He chose to believe

the inerrant Word of God—that God is doing today what He did in the New

Testament church: “Healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing those who

have leprosy, driving out demons.” This is still the church age. God has not yet

sent Christ to get His bride.

Your belief does not change the truth: God is the God of the supernatural.

We are His children, heirs to His power and authority. His desire is that we

claim and use our inheritance now, when it will have the greatest affect on the

kingdom.

What would you risk for the King?

Prayer

“Father, move on Your people to quicken them to

believe. Send Your power through us today. Amen.”

* Jehova Repheka means the ‘Lord who heals you’ as in Exodus 15:26