DISCOURAGEMENT

July 11

The tempter came to him…

Matthew 4:3

The story goes that Satan decided to retire and held a closeout sale. Tables were lined up as far as the eye could see displaying the weapons he’d used to destroy the lives of untold billions. People were amazed to see so many ‘tools’ for sale. Each had a tag with its name and sale price: malice-$100; division-$150; strife-$200; envy-$250; jealousy-$450; greed-$500; deceit-$550; lust-$750; lies-$780…there seemed to be no end of the evil he had perpetrated.

In the center of the auditorium was one ‘tool’ all by itself; a small, wedge-shaped item. It was priced much higher than any of the other tools.

When asked why it was priced so much higher than the other tools, Satan replied, “That is the one I used most. When I could not penetrate their defenses with any other tool I used it. That one tool ruined more lives than all the others combined. With it I only needed to find the smallest of cracks…a light tap and its work was done. Once it accomplished its work I was able to use other tools to reap total destruction!” 

The people stared at the tool in awe!

The tag read, DISCOURAGEMENT-$10,000!

†

Discouragement is to sin what marijuana is to heroin. It is the gateway by which Satan gains entrance into our lives. He whispers, “This situation is bleak and hopeless.”, and hundreds of other lies in an attempt to drive us deeper into our misery. If we give him a toehold he will go for a foothold. If successful, he next invites us to allow him to set up a stronghold, followed by a fortress. But the operative words are, attempt, invites, give, and allow. In other words, he cannot succeed unless we help him.

Failure and disappointments are inevitable. Discouragement is an option. As today’s text plainly reveals, Satan can only tempt us to cooperate because he does not have the authority to do otherwise; Jesus took that back on Calvary.

When things don’t go the way we expected or planned we are momentarily open to the enemy’s lies. It’s up to us, like it was with Jesus, to close that door.

Prayer

“Holy Spirit, when the tempter comes help me resist his efforts. Lift me out of discouraging situations, and help me rise above them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Guardians of the Garden

July 10

As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Mark 4:15

Looking out the window, Dick spotted six whitetail deer munching on green beans and other delectable vegetables the family had planted in the large garden some hundred or so yards from the house. Going outside, several ‘gardeners’ ran toward the deer, waving their arms and shouting while Nancy barked at them like a ferocious dog. The deer merely glanced at them and returned to eating. They just weren’t as afraid as they were hungry for these ‘easy pickings’.

Carol, unwilling to watch all their hard work get devoured by the whitetails, jumped on her John Deer ‘Gator’ and streaked toward the garden at full throttle!

Having closed the distance to fifty yards, she began to scream and shout, waving wildly with her free hand. The deer, deciding they weren’t that hungry, bounded to the edge of the woods. Stopping, they looked back. Carol raced toward them, determined to ‘route the enemy!’

They decided they wanted no part of this crazy human bouncing toward them in the noisy green vehicle! They leaped into the woods and disappeared in the heavy brush.

Wanting to make a lasting impression, Carol drove back and forth along the edge of the woods, screaming, “And stay out of our garden!”

†

God’s word is sown in the garden of our heart each time we hear scripture interpreted through a sermon or personal and corporate bible study.

Satan hates that! And like the deer in today’s lesson, he sends his minions to devour what’s not theirs. If we have not spent time meditating on God’s word we can lose it. We must understand that until we make His word living and active in our lives, the enemy can and will steal it from us.

But, what if we were to take Carol’s approach in protecting the crop? What if we actively chased the enemy from the garden and routinely patrolled the perimeter?

This is the lesson of the sower. God plows the soil of our heart and sows His seeds of wisdom and truth. We are responsible, as guardians of the garden, to tend the crop.

Prayer

“Lord, help me guard the words You sow in my heart that they might become living and active. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Indwelt

July 9

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

John 16:13

Harvey was small as cats go. But what she lacked in size she made up for in spunk and speed. When it came to playing she was quick, decisive, and relentless. No matter what you dangled in front of her, she would attack until it was secure in her grasp.

Yet Harvey knew when to rein in her aggressive nature. In this she was unlike any cat we ever had. When our children, Eric and Lindsay, were toddlers, Harvey displayed a gentleness reserved only for them, which was never more evident than when we played ‘Hide and Tap’, one of Harvey’s favorite games.

Harvey would crawl into a large brown-paper bag, where she would bat at my finger as I tapped the outside of the bag. Her split-second response was amazing; more times than not her claws would streak through the bag, laying claim to my finger.

But even more amazing was that if one of the kids tapped on the bag, Harvey never moved. My wife and I marveled at her uncanny ability to discern the difference between adult and child. We have never been able to explain this phenomenon, but believe it is quite possible her gentleness with Eric and Lindsay was God-inspired.

†

I do not believe God indwells animals. I do, however, believe only God could have provided the discernment that kept Harvey’s sharp claws from harming our children.

Conversely, God does indwell every man, woman, boy and girl, who make His Son the Lord and Savior of their life, with His Holy Spirit.

This indwelling is the link by which we communicate with our Heavenly Father. He is the Voice inside us that confirms in approval, or convicts in disapproval, our thoughts and actions; that little catch in our spirit saying something is right or wrong.

He leads us on a road with many intersections and detours, giving us a heads-up to where dangers lie, and where God would have us walk. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we travel aimlessly through life without God’s truth in our hearts, never knowing the peace and comfort that come from being indwelt.

Prayer

“Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Father God. May I always remain sensitive and responsive to His guidance. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Eyes of Love

July 8

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love…

Psalm 33:18

The funeral service was one of reflection. Much was said about little Hope’s quick smile, her infectious laughter, and how she and her pal, Rufus, an eighty pound English bulldog, had spent much of her short life playing on the floors of the Tickle home.

As the pastor’s focus shifted from Hope to facing our own mortality, my thoughts drifted. Images of Hope dancing with Jesus filled my mind. I could see them hand-in-hand, the ‘Newbie’ to Heaven and the King of Kings! Hope, laughing her tiny, infectious little laugh, looking up into the eyes of perfect love, and He, the God of Creation, joining in the laughter, gazing down at her with an expression of matchless love and devotion.

Brought back to the present by the end of the service, I was struck by how Hope’s parents were handling her death. I was witnessing strength born of a transcendent love, something otherworldly, divine. That love was bearing them up right now. And with this knowledge came an understanding that they would be alright; they would, with this divine comfort, and the support of family and friends, stand together through it all. Because reflecting from their eyes was Someone else’s love.

†

Today’s text assures us that God’s eyes do not stray from those who love Him. He is committed to walking with us through our grief, and carrying us when we can’t walk on our own in the presence of piercing heartache, emptiness, frustration and anger, even anger at Him. And this is the love we are to model not only for our children, but to the world.

We have a responsibility to love beyond what is humanly possible; to love with a love that is unfailing and more perfect than we ourselves are capable of. Were it not for God’s unfailing love being modeled during their childhood, Hope’s parents’ journey through grief would be entirely different.

God’s love through us can and will bridge the deepest valleys and light the darkest nights.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me to love beyond myself, to love with Your unfailing love. And when I’m the one experiencing the loss, love me through others who have faced this pain. Amen.”

 Polarized

July 7

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

Matthew 6:24

Mrs. Alton brought out her display of magnets for her third grade class. She had several different magnets glued to a board with their respective names and types written underneath each one. But what excited the students were the shoebox full of magnets they were allowed to handle and experiment with.

The classroom bubbled with chatter as each child grabbed a magnet and searched for a metallic surface that would either attract or repel the small piece of metal in their hand.

“Wow! Lookatthis…lookatthis!” squealed one little girl, holding her three ring binder by one of the rivets. “Cool!” said one of the boys as he tried to force two magnets together, yet was unable to do so no matter how hard he tried.

And so began a lesson on magnets. Mrs. Alton explained how magnets had two opposite sides; one positive, one negative. “With magnets,” she said, “opposites attract and forces that are identical, repel. We call that polarization.”

“Sweeeet!” she heard one of the boys exclaim as he turned one of the two magnets he was trying to force together around to have them slap together with a metallic click!

†

There are magnets of varying strengths and sizes, yet each one displays the same characteristics of attraction and repulsion. This is a constant throughout the Universe.

It is also a constant in the spiritual realm. We are either attracted or repelled by these forces. In today’s text, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve both God and satan. And although He mentions money, speaking to the pursuit of riches, this verse is all encompassing as it pertains to our relationship with God.

There is no stronger diametric opposition than the forces at work between God and satan. We are attracted to one and repelled by the other. Our hearts are either being drawn to our Creator, or our adversary. We, unlike the magnet, can choose how we are polarized.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, give me a heart that is drawn to You and repelled by the subtle evil Satan wants me to engage in. Awaken Your Spirit within me to guide and encourage me as I walk with You through this life. Amen.”

 Courageous!

July 6

Be strong and courageous…for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

As Mr. Croskey related his harrowing story I was amazed at the calm in his voice, “Have you ever seen that TV show, Deadliest Catch,” he asked? I nodded that I had. “Some of the shows were shot in the North Atlantic,” he said. “It was 1940. Our Third Infantry was headed for France by way of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The wind was up and the seas were rolling at about ten feet. Then, all of a sudden, these forty footers came up outta nowhere.” His voice showed no sign that he’d experienced fear; he simply related the details of the event. “The Skipper turned that boat into the waves and said over the intercom, ‘Grab hold of something men…we’re in for a bit of a ride.’”

“Some of the men didn’t handle it so well,” he chuckled, and continued, “…especially when the stern popped outta the water! Why, that huge propeller spun so fast it shook the whole boat as if it was comin’ apart!” he laughed. “It was a wild ride, it was. Beat us up for the better part of a day before we made Halifax. Never forget somethin’ like that, you don’t,” he said.

I just had to ask the obvious, “Were you afraid?”

“You know,” he smiled, “I knew God was there with me, and that I had nothin’ to fear. Besides…” his smile widened, “times like that let you know you’re alive!”

†

God called Joshua to be strong and courageous. Not because Joshua wanted to be, but because circumstances demanded it.

Likewise, our courageous service men and women are called to face circumstances that demand they rise to the occasion. Hopefully, like Mr. Croskey, they enter the battle knowing that God is always with them, watching over them like He did Joshua.

Our freedom was not, nor will it ever be, free. A high price is always demanded. The next time you see a veteran, take a moment to say, “Thank you for my freedom.”

Prayer

“Father of courage, may I never forget that You are always with me. Thank You for the strength to face the trials of life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Good Neighbors

July 5

He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Luke 10:27

Scott figured if his neighbor needed help with something, and it was within his power to do so, he helped. So when Mike and Jenna began building a new patio, Scott offered his assistance. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, approaching his neighbors of twenty-eight years.

“We’ll…” Jenna said, pointing. “We’ve been deciding how to finish off that corner.”

“We want to run brick clear to the corner,” Mike clarified, “but aren’t sure how to keep the sand from pushing out from under it.

“A ramp for Nelson would be nice, too,” Jenna added, referring to their twenty-four year-old, wheelchair-bound nephew.

“You know…” Scott said, “I’ve got some treated lumber. We could drive some angle iron in along the edge there,” he motioned, showing them what he had in mind, “and fasten a couple boards to hold the sand in place. We could definitely add that ramp while we’re at it,” Scott said.

“That would be great!” Mike said. “Nelson is part of our family. I want him to feel included, too, ya know.”

Scott did know. He was aware that Nelson usually had to hang out at the edges of whatever function was going on due to the lack of access ramps.

Six hours later, patio complete, with friends and family enjoying a 4^th of July celebration, Scott was moved to tears as Nelson, sitting in the middle of the patio, said, “Thanks so much for building that ramp!”

†

You don’t have to love God to be a good neighbor…it should come natural. Being a good neighbor isn’t a Christian characteristic. It should, however, be one characteristic every Christian displays. If we love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, out of us should flow love for everyone else…including, and especially our neighbors.

We may never know what impact our words and actions have on those who live beside us. But we should always speak and act as though their view of God depends solely on what they see in us. Because it very well could.

Prayer

“Help me love like You love, Lord…indiscriminately, with every part of my being. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”