The Grace Train

July 18

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:4

Running at full stride, the man grabbed the handle on the side of the boxcar and heaved himself aboard the train. He cautiously scouted around to see if he’d intruded on anyone, or anything. Finding neither man nor beast, he chose a secluded spot behind some cargo boxes and settled in for the ride.

Unbeknownst to him, the railroad guard had caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Unsure of what he’d seen, the guard decided to check the cars, one at a time, looking for anything out of place. Using his flashlight to illuminate the lanes between cargo pallets, he looked for anything amiss. Twice he thought he’d heard something but came up empty-handed. Finally, having satisfied himself he’d been seeing things, he returned to the caboose.

The man emerged from hiding as the door of the boxcar slammed shut. His transient lifestyle had taught him much of human nature. One of which was that most guards were fond of their comfort, and would only search for so long. There were those, however, who were relentless in their search, eventually finding and evicting him at the next stop. He’d learned the hard way that hopping trains wasn’t so hard; it was staying on for the ride that posed a problem.

†

God’s grace, when first encountered, is like taking hold of the handle on a boxcar and heaving ourselves aboard a moving train. We know we’re in for a ride, and we're a little bit scared, but it feels great!

Discovering grace is wonderful and exciting. Persevering in our relationship with God requires persistence...because it’s easier to catch the grace train, than it is to take the ride.

When we first surrender to God, He’s all about letting us know He’s there. As we mature in Christ, we feel a little less, our instinct learns to trust more, and we begin to learn to walk by faith. That’s how it’s meant to be. Constant reassurance requires no faith.

God is asking us to remain on board for the entire ride, persevering in faith during the times we don’t feel His presence.

Prayer

“Teach me to trust by faith, Lord; to know that You will always be wherever I am, ready to quietly guide each step. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Be an Encourager

July 17

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:24

Bill had a knack for getting the best out of anyone he met. He ascribed to the theory that you will always find what you look for. So he looked for the good in people and helped them maximize their potential.

Watching little league practice with Jay’s father, Bill remarked, “Ya know, Joe, I’m thinkin’ Jay is gonna make one heck of a shortstop!”

Joe smiled and nodded, “I’m a little prejudice, but I believe you’re right.” It felt good having someone with Bill’s baseball savvy speak well of your son.

Just then the coach called the boys in. As Jay passed by, he looked into the stands and caught Bill’s ‘two thumbs-up’ approval. He beamed as he headed into the dugout.

“You and Lenore have done a good job with that boy, Joe,” he said, paying Joe and his wife a well deserved compliment.

“Thanks, Bill,” he said, pleased with the remark. “He’s a good boy, well-mannered and willing to work hard. Why, he even asked if he could come with me to work this summer!”

“He’s gonna make some woman a good husband some day,” Bill said in response to Joe’s comment. They both shared a laugh, knowing that that day was still quite a ways off.

†

Bill’s philosophy was that there were only twenty-four hours in a day, and he was charged with using them wisely. He figured there was no better way to do that than to help others find their maximum potential, and help them achieve great things. The best way he knew to do that was by pointing out their strengths, and encouraging them to build on those things. He had a way of seeing the good qualities in others, and was committed to telling them he noticed.

God wants us to make the best of each opportunity to sow seeds of encouragement. We will always see what we’re looking for in others. Make a difference in someone’s life, look for the good and be an encourager, spur someone to great things!

Prayer

“Father, help me to be a blessing in the lives of those around me. Show me other’s strong points so I can encourage them to refine and grow those attributes. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Safe in His Hands

July 16

The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

John 3:35

Don was repairing his weed eater on the workbench in his tool shed when a sudden, loud buzzing, zipped past his ear. He felt a little silly for having jumped when he realized it was a humming bird.

It had come through the open shed door and flown right to the window above the workbench. Back and forth it flew, moving up and down and side to side, looking for an exit. Finding none, its little wings seemed to beat even faster. But it would not leave the window. Don gently reached up and tried to shoo the bird from the window by placing his hand between the bird and the glass. But to no avail.

Don wondered if he could capture the bird by using both hands. Slowly, so as not to further alarm the frightened bird, he raised his cupped hands. Reaching the last inch, Don felt the tiny creature settle into his hands. As the bird felt Don’s touch, all movement ceased…its tiny wings stopped fluttering, and Don felt his teeny feet latch onto his finger.

Walking to the door, he extended his open hands. Immediately the bird flew away, unharmed. Don smiled as the mini jet streaked across the sky, heading for the nearest tree to rest.

†

Many times we find ourselves, like the hummingbird, looking for a way out of situations we were sure held the promise of something good; the path seemed clear and safe. So we ventured in, only to find out too late that it was a trap. Like the hummingbird, we were/are unable to find a way of escape on our own.

Like Don, God is reaching out to rescue us through the outstretched hands of His Son, hoping we will allow Jesus’ nail-scarred hands to hold us in that place of complete safety and rest.

Having placed all things in Jesus’ capable hands, God wants that to include us. But free will won’t allow His interference. That choice is ours. We can, however, rest assured that when we yield to Jesus, we will be safe in His hands.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, settle this restless spirit in me that tends to flutter in vain. Right now, I willingly place myself in Your hands. Amen.”

 Ephaphatha!

July 15

At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened.

Mark 7:34

Deaf and mute from birth, Jeremiah never used his disability as an excuse. Always laughing and pranking his classmates, Jeremiah had graduated Valedictorian of his High School Class.

Proud of his brother’s accomplishments, and wanting to understand his brother’s ability to rise above his disability, Justin decided to spend an entire week without speaking while wearing earplugs. The first three days of silence brought a deeper understanding of Jeremiah’s character and optimistic attitude. Refraining from talking was difficult for Justin. He couldn’t imagine the frustration of never being able to express himself verbally.

By day seven he was being left out of conversations and excluded from many everyday activities he’d taken for granted, which shed even more light on his brother’s determination to rise above the unfairness of life.

When the time came for the exercise to end, Justin asked Jeremiah if he would like to be the one to remove the earplugs. As Jeremiah did, Justin was startled by the loudness of his own voice. For a moment he felt guilty for being able to hear. But the same love that compelled him to experience Jeremiah’s world was looking back at him. He had a new appreciation for Jeremiah.

The biggest benefit from the past week had come when he realized the disability was not in his brother’s limitations, but in the hearts of those who allowed Jeremiah’s disabilities to define him as a man.

†

What began as an exercise born out of love for his brother, ended in Justin’s delivery from bondage; the bondage of self.

When we see disabilities there is something within us that screams there is something desperately wrong…“This is unfair! No one should have to go through life this way.”

In other words, we focus on the disability. And in doing so, we totally miss the person; not realizing the truth is that we are unable to see past the surface. And then it hits us: we are blind! We are the ones with the disability…

We need Jesus to speak ‘Ephphatha!’ over the eyes of our heart.

Prayer

“Open the eyes of my heart as You did the deaf mute’s ears, Lord Jesus. Help me see people as You see them. Not as defective, but as someone who deserves my respect and not my sympathy. Amen.”

 Honor Your Parents

July 14

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12

After five years of seeing the continental United States from a pickup truck and travel trailer, my parents were considering slowing down. Having sold their home to pay for their retirement vacation, they were thinking about selling the RV package to buy a small house, or buy into an assisted living community. What they didn’t know was that my husband, Joe, and I had been talking about purchasing a house large enough to accommodate our family, and Mom &Dad, nearer to where we worked.

I must admit, I was more hesitant than Joe. But God gave us peace about it, and we decided to broach the subject with Mom during the next catch up phone call. When Mom called that Friday, I told her we’d been considering moving to the Mt.Vernon, Ohio area to be closer to our jobs. In a bold move for Mom, because she doesn't ask for much of anything, she responded, “Would you and Joe think about getting a home where a grandma and grandpa could live as well?” I laughed as I shared with her that Joe and I had been talking and praying about that very situation! 

From that point forward, God opened and closed doors to guide each and every move, allowing us to have the desired space within our budgets, and see the dream fulfilled. I learned that if you truly open your heart and allow God to lead you, wonderful things will happen!        

†

Without our parents we would be nothing…as in: we wouldn’t exist! Even considering that not all children are elated at their choice of parents; today’s text has proprietary significance. It is the first commandment with a promise. The Bible says, if we honor our parents, barring foolish and unforeseen mistakes on our part, God will always provide us with shelter.

Honoring our parents is the first step in honoring God. If we can’t do one, we aren’t doing the other. Not all of us will be called to board our parents. However…we are all called to bestow on them the honor they deserve. Besides…we owe them BIG!

Prayer

“Help me always bring honor to my parents, Lord, and glory to Your Name. Amen.”

 A Heart Bent Toward Jesus

July 13

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Gina’s heart was completely bent toward Jesus, “My job in food services was wonderful. I enjoyed the university…and the people I worked with,, but that job was taking a physical toll on me. My body couldn’t endure the constant strain. I felt that God wanted me to stay on campus, but without His intervention I didn’t see how that could happen. I only knew something had to change…and soon. That’s when a crisis of faith for my hearts desire occurred.” Seeing her eyes mist, I realized this was more than a simple occurrence, “That’s when the Book Store Manager’s position opened up. Several friends called to urge me to apply…so I did. I had an interview, and it went great! Then, a week later I received a phone call telling me they had chosen someone else...” Instead of resentment, her face mirrored her next statement, “I didn’t understand it, but this tremendous peace flooded my spirit as I heard God say, ‘You just need to not worry, Gina. I know your heart’s desire.’

“A week later, they called back, ‘The man we hired quit. He said this wasn’t the job for him. Are you still interested in the position?’” Gina chuckled as she added, “That’s when Jesus whispered, ‘Prosper…not harm you, Gina.’”

It was easy to see that much more than Gina’s employment issues had been settled.

†

Unshakable faith comes from having experienced great victories with God. It is a byproduct of having our hearts bent to God’s will through the unnatural act of surrendering our will. When God says, “Don’t worry” our nature is inclined to do otherwise. But by yielding our hearts to God we walk by faith. In turn, God fulfills His promise.

Today’s text says that a hope-filled prosperous future is what God has for each of His children. If we are ever to experience victory in our crisis of faith, we have to answer this simple question: “Do I trust God enough to give Him complete control of my life?”

Prayer

“Lord, I have this need to control things. Help me bend my heart’s will to Yours. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Dead Sea Syndrome

July 12

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 12:15

The wealthiest man in town, B.J. Carlitto, attended Winterville Christian Assembly. So when the Finance Committee met to discuss soliciting donations for construction of the new sanctuary, they decided to ask B.J. for a contribution.

Sitting in his spacious living room, they posed the question, “Seeing as you have been blessed with so much wealth, B.J., we figured you would like to make a sizable donation to the church’s building fund.”

“So, you’ve got this all figured out, do you?” he responded. “Did you know,” he asked, “that my widowed sister has no means of support?”

“No. We were not aware of that,” they replied.

“And,” he continued, “are you also unaware that my brother was injured in an accident and has no way of working to support his family?”

“No. We did not,” they replied, somewhat embarrassed.

“And did you know that my mother is in a nursing home that charges thousands of dollars a month for her care?” he added, a note of triumph in his voice.

Chastised, the men said, “No, B.J., we didn’t. We’re truly sorry for assuming.”

“As you can see,” B.J. said, “many people need my great wealth.” He paused, and to their utter amazement concluded with, “I haven’t given them one red cent. What makes you think you’re so special?!”

†

What a sad testament to the nature of greed. When we hoard what God has given us we become a stagnant pool instead of a flowing river of blessing.

Unlike the Sea of Galilee, where aquatic life abounds, there is no life in the Sea of Arabah (The Great Salt Sea or Dead Sea). Without the constant refreshing that occurs when water flows through a body of water, life is unsustainable.

Just like the Sea of Arabah, many people only consume, never knowing the satisfaction and fulfillment that come from being used by God to bless others.

When we hold on too tightly to what God has given us we are missing the point. God does not bless us so we alone prosper. He gives in the hopes we will become rivers of living water.

Prayer

“Lord, may Your blessings always flow through me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”