Cleansed in Surrender

June 19

“Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything, and

followed him.

Luke 5:27–28

He waved good-bye to his little girl as his estranged wife drove away. As her

SUV vanished from sight, his shoulders sagged and his head fell toward his

chest. The weight of his circumstances settled heavily as he sensed his world

crumbling.

He’d brought this upon himself, but that didn’t make the heartache any

less painful. They’d been through this before: him getting drunk and losing

control, she taking their daughter and staying at her sister’s for a few days. Then

her resolve would melt under his charismatic charm, and they would live in

fragility, awaiting the next incident. Until now. 

He had crossed a line even she wouldn’t tolerate. This was the final good-bye. Children’s services and attorneys would determine how often he would or wouldn’t see his daughter now.

It didn’t take a psychologist to see his regret was genuine; he was truly

sorry for his actions. But previous pain hadn’t been enough to bring about

lasting change. Turning back into his now empty house, he realized it was no

longer a home.

As his wife’s parting words echoed in his head, he fell to his knees seek-

ing God’s intervention. “If you would give God as much attention as you give

that bottle, He could show you who you truly are. Unless you give Him control,

you’ll always struggle with alcohol.”

h

To worry and heartache, we give consideration; pain we mostly obey. And

yet, even agonizing pain sometimes isn’t enough of a motivator to rid us of

unwanted behavior. For that there is only one cure: the love and grace of Jesus

Christ.

Matthew (Levi) was a tax collector, a publican, one of the vilest of sin-

ners, taxing unscrupulously every person coming to Capernaum. Because of his

Roman licensure, Matthew was considered a traitor by the Jews. When Jesus

showed up, he must have felt so dirty. But when the Master said, “Follow Me,”

the cleansing was complete and immediate. Matthew was changed forever.

There is nothing that does not fall under the grace of our Savior. His

simple forgiveness comes in one two-word supplication: “Follow Me.” It only

requires our surrender. He promises to do the cleansing.

Prayer

“Help me, Lord! Amen.”

 Give Thanks

June 18

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.

Psalm 118:28

Hurricane Ike made his presence felt in the Ohio Valley. Four hours of sev-

enty- to eighty-miles-per-hour wind gusts had resulted in widespread power

outages and property damage across much of the Great Lakes Region. They

had expected torrential rain, but high winds had come in its place. And now

some two million homes across Ohio alone were without power.

Ralph had faired better than most, but he had sustained damage none-theless. 

He felt that having to clean up tree limbs and debris was nothing compared to the 

problems faced by those along the Texas-Louisiana coast, especially those on 

Galveston Island, where there had been loss of life and catastrophic destruction.

Ralph’s compassionate heart battled a sense of guilt regarding his anxiety

over the fuel cost of the generator keeping him and two of his neighbors up

and running.

Many who hadn’t lost anything except power openly complained about the

high cost of fuel to run their generators. Ralph tried to understand their com-

plaints, but it was a struggle. He realized how blessed he was to have weathered

the storm. And to that end, he continually gave thanks to God.

h

Finding something to grumble about is easy. And sadly it comes a bit too natu-

rally to a self-indulgent mind-set.

In a world filled with death and destruction, our hearts can become bur-

dened to the point we see only the negative. Instead of a thankful heart for

making it through the storm, we find ourselves asking God, “Why did You let

this happen?”

Having a sense of entitlement can easily cause us to complain at the slight-

est inconvenience instead of declaring our gratitude for the things we do have.

Developing a grateful heart by giving thanks requires conscious effort if

we’re not used to looking on the brighter side of life. But it pays dividends.

Praising our Creator brings encouragement to our soul. There is much

good in our lives, and our attitude and mood improve when we acknowledge it.

Learning to praise God through adversity changes us. It lifts us from discour-

agement to enlightenment.

Prayer

“When I get sidetracked by life, Lord, help me remember what’s

important and where to focus my attention. Help me learn

to be grateful more often than not. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 I Trust You

June 17

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches

in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

They had paid what they could; yet four hundred fifty dollars of debt remained.

As their son secretly listened, they lifted this need together before the Lord.

The next evening, the pastor and his family headed for the small country

church where he’d been filling in during the last month. He’d been preaching

there on Sunday evenings so he could preach at his own three-church circuit

on Sunday mornings.

Following the service, one of the elders pulled the pastor aside, hand-

ing him an envelope, “We collected a love offering before you came tonight.

It’s not much, but we’d like you to have it. We sure appreciate your filling in

while Pastor Johnson was gone.” As the pastor stood at the back of the church

saying goodnight to people as they left, a grizzled old man with a gruff voice

and a sharp wit approached. He shook the pastor’s hand and winked, pressing

something into it, saying, “Young man, you’re a blessing, but I won’t tell anyone

if you don’t!”

Opening the envelope upon returning home, the young couple found

$449.50. It was then the pastor remembered the old man’s handshake. Reach-

ing in his pocket, he pulled out a fifty-cent piece, bringing the total to four

hundred fifty dollars.

h

Trusting God for everything comes by experience. It’s not automatic, and it

requires development. Retrospect causes us to shake our heads, wondering how

we could have ever doubted.

The young pastor and his wife would live to experience many more bless-

ings in ways they couldn’t quite comprehend. That’s how a big God does

things—in little, intimate ways. We remember it when He stoops low enough

that we feel His breath on our face. That’s when we learn about faith and trust.

The God who moves mountains moves people to action and, in turn, moves

us to trust Him. Divine moments are just that—divine. Learning to recognize

them as such comes with experience.

Prayer

“Precious Father, teach me to trust You for everything

in my life. Help me to know the difference between

wants and needs and use me to help You meet those

needs in others’ lives. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 A Great Follower

June 16

Come, follow me.

Matthew 4:19

Jesse was in his senior year of high school and still hadn’t gained acceptance to

one of the three major colleges on his wish list. He’d sent applications to two of

the three but had been denied admittance due to what they stated was “a lack

of leadership quality.”

Deciding to try a different approach with the third school, he wrote on

his application that he was quite sure they were looking for students who were

great leaders. “Eventually I hope to become a great leader. However,” he wrote,

“I am a great follower.” Depositing the envelope in the mailbox, he began the

tedious wait for their response.

Three weeks later, his father handed him a letter that had arrived that

morning. It was his response from the third school. Looking at it with appre-

hension, he felt this was his last opportunity for acceptance into an Ivy League

college. Slowly, he opened the envelope, pulled the letter from it, and read his

fate. “We are happy to announce that we have several openings for followers.

We were inundated this year with applications from great leaders and needed

to fill the requirements for each category. We congratulate you on your accep-

tance for enrollment.”

Jesse smiled at the amusing response his comment had elicited.

h

Jesus wasn’t looking for great leaders when he called the Twelve. And it’s a

good thing for us they didn’t need to be. They were ordinary men with their

own faults, yet they each had something that Jesus saw and intended to nurture.

If leadership skills were a requirement, then most likely none of them

would have qualified for the position of apostle.

What a lesson for us! These ordinary men couldn’t lead anyone anywhere

when Jesus first asked them to leave everything behind and follow him. Yet

each one of them dropped everything, deciding to see what this Man could

show them.

They were the epitome of the term follower. And over the next three years,

they were transformed into great leaders who changed the world.

Before we can become great leaders, we must learn to be great followers.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, take my hand and lead me. I

want to be a great follower. Amen.”

 Outside the Boat

June 15

Come.

Matthew 14:29

Standing in water up to his chest, Shamar encouraged his young son to jump

into his arms. Standing along the edge at the deep end of the pool, Jamal was

having second thoughts. Looking down at the water, he was suddenly worried.

The shallow end was one thing; this was completely different! “I don’t know,

Daddy,” Jamal began. “It’s so deep. I’m afraid!”

“It’s okay, Jamal. To be afraid, I mean. I was scared the first time I jumped

off the end of the dock into your grandpa’s arms at the pond on his farm.

Grandpa understood my apprehension. He promised that he wouldn’t let any-

thing bad happen to me and that he would not let me drown. And I won’t let

anything bad happen either, buddy!” Shamar promised. “If you want to wait,

it’s okay. But I’m sure you can handle it. Just make up your mind to do it and

jump! Come on, Jamal. You can do it,” he encouraged.

You could see that Jamal had come to a decision. “Okay, Daddy. I trust you.

Here goes!” he hollered. And with that, Jamal launched himself off the side of

the pool and into a new level of faith.

h

Faith is grown experientially. We all face difficult decisions. Our response will

be determined by our faith in Jesus. Peter is remembered more for sinking in

doubt than for the steps he took outside the boat. Yet he was the only disciple

with enough faith to try! He knew that when Jesus said, “Come,” things would

be okay. He didn’t think to ask how many steps Jesus would ensure. He didn’t

ask if his action would end in drowning. He simply stepped out of the boat.

Jesus is looking for those who would resolve in faith to discover how far

they can walk with Him outside the boat. It’s easy to remain faithful with

assurance all around. It’s another matter completely to take each step not

knowing where our foot will land. Jesus bids us, “Come.”

Prayer

“Sometimes I’m afraid, Papa. Help me answer Your

call with obedience built in faith. Cause my heart to

be strong in those moments of decision. Reach for me

as I step outside the boat. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Water Level

June 14

But Christ is faithful … and we are his house.

Hebrews 3:6

The new house had been delivered, and Dick had been given the job of build-

ing the piers upon which it would rest. As he loaded the truck, he noticed he

was missing the one item he needed most. Not finding it in the shop, he called

his boss. “Hey, Bob, do you know where the water level is?”

“The pieces are in the closet in my office,” he directed.

Retrieving the items used to construct the tool, Dick headed for the site

to complete the setup. Arriving on site, he put together the pieces that made

up the water level. Once set up, this unique tool gave Dick the perfect point of

reference without having to run a line level or set up a transit.

Dick began building twenty-four piers made of eight-by-sixteen-inch cin-

der blocks, positioning two side by side, and cross-stacking them four high.

Then, using solid oak lumber and shims to fine-tune each one, he completed

the erection of each pier. Two hours after he’d begun, the crane lifted the first

half of the house into position, setting it down on twelve of the piers without a

hitch. An hour later, the second half was sitting beside the first. As soon as he

completed the interior work and connected utilities, the family could move in.

h

A simple tool, yet extremely accurate, the water level provides a perfect point of

reference to work by. The manufactured housing industry employs it because it

is the most accurate tool available to ensure each pier is the exact same height.

Without it, eventually the house would sag in the low spots and heave in the

high spots, causing the interior walls to buckle. Doors would refuse to open or

close, and the customer would become disgruntled.

Verse 4 of today’s text says, “For every house is built by someone … ” If we

use anyone other than Jesus as the builder of our spiritual house, it will sag and

buckle. Only by using Jesus as our true point of reference can we hope to rest

on a secure foundation during the storms of life.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me to use Jesus as the foundation on which

I live. Keep me from using substitute reference points

that would lead to destruction. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Necessary Corrections

June 13

A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred

lashes a fool.

Proverbs 17:10

It was his seventh day in population, and he was standing at his cell door for

the midday count. Three times each day, the inmates were required to stand at

their cell doors while guards established their presence.

It hadn’t taken him long to learn to be at the barred door for count. The

guards hated it when things didn’t run smoothly. If you caused problems, it cost

you. If an inmate wasn’t present for count, he would incur the guards’ wrath.

It was amazing how some inmates would deliberately lay in their bunks, in

direct violation of the regulations. They knew the guards would punish them,

but something within them wouldn’t allow them to conform.

Troublemakers were given the most demeaning work in an effort to cor-

rect their behavior. This process was repeated until it broke their will. He’d

found out on his second day when he’d overslept that morning’s count. His

sack time had cost him scrub time on the mess hall floors with only a hand

brush and a bucket for company.

In three short days, he’d come to understand what the guards had told

him: “You’re here because you can’t follow the rules. You are full of pride. We

will assist you in making the necessary corrections.”

h

We discipline our children; we punish those who refuse to obey the law. When

order is replaced by chaos, necessary steps must be taken to restore stability.

When simple discipline fails, corrective measures must be taken to achieve the

desired results.

Solomon attributes a spirit of discerning wisdom to those who receive

discipline and make the necessary corrections. Similarly, he calls those who set

themselves up against authority fools. It would seem our pride and an inner

need to control our circumstances stand between us and a peace-filled life.

Pride is one of the worst forms of rebellion and one of the most destructive.

Our rebellious behavior steals our peace, leaving us with a choice whether

to respond and make the necessary corrections or continue on in frustration.

Prayer

“Help me rid myself of pride, Lord. I give You

permission to make the necessary corrections that will

restore peace in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”