Bullied

March 5

Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men of violence … they make their

tongues as sharp as a serpent’s.

Psalm 140:1, 2

Carl wet his pants in the third grade. The teacher wouldn’t let him out of class.

Her rule was, “You go before or after, not during classes.” Seated right behind

Carl that day was the class bully. Bully’s harassment of Carl began that day. He

never let up, always calling him derogatory names.

After years of Bully’s abuse, Carl became aware of two things: he was

afraid to stand up for himself, and nobody else was going to do it for him. He

lived in constant fear of his next encounter with Bully.

Carl never forgot those years and became an angry man because of those

unresolved wounds, venting his anger in ways that caused additional pain for

himself and those he loved. He developed a quick temper and frequently spoke

in clipped sentences to let people know they were an annoyance.

God tried to help Carl, but Carl was angry at God for allowing Bully to

do the things he had done. For all intents and purposes, Carl appeared to be an

upstanding, confident man. In silence, Carl’s private wound continued to ache;

he refused to talk about it.

h

Carl isn’t alone. Many of us walk around with deep, secret wounds inflicted by

the bullies of the world, hoping no one will ever find out. Satan wants us, like

Carl, to remain silent, for in the silence there is no healing.

God wants those who have known bullies to come to Him for healing. He

alone can take away the pain. He alone can speak His truth into the wounds of

our heart. God is heartbroken over the bullies of the world because they abuse

free will.

Free will means that God could not stop Bully from doing what he did

anymore than He would stop us from committing the sin in our lives. To do so

would mean we had no free will. But God is there in our pain, asking us to let

Him heal our wounds. Free will is ours in this matter also.

Prayer

“Come and set me free from this pain, Lord. Speak Your truth

to my heart. Bring healing to my soul. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Comfort Zone

March 4

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord

will be kept safe.

Proverbs 29:25

David received a call from a friend who was offering free tickets to the political

event of the year. His first impression was negative; he disliked political socials.

After a moment of discussion with his wife, they accepted the generous

offer. David and Gwen were determined to see what God would lead them

into at this event.

In black tie and evening gown, they walked into the ballroom. Finding a

table amidst the hundreds of people was uncomfortable for David. Surveying

the room, they found a relatively vacant table occupied only by a retired pastor

and his wife. The couple introduced themselves and was seated.

They were joined at the table by a county commissioner and his wife, as

well as one of the wealthiest men in town. As the evening progressed, David

and Gwen spoke openly with everyone at the table but had extended conversa-

tions with the wealthy businessman. David exchanged business cards with the

man as the evening ended, expecting this might be his last contact with the

man. David was surprised and delighted to receive a phone call from him the

next day. Over time, God built a strong relationship between these men, allow-

ing one to share his faith and the other to share his wisdom.

h

God will never ask us to go somewhere and do something He’s not willing to

equip us for. Had this couple decided to yield to the negative inclination of

the initial contact, they would have missed out on a relationship that enriched

their lives. They were not looking for what this rich man’s wealth could do for

them. They were looking to see where God could use them to deepen this man’s

relationship with God.

Fear of power and even money can keep us from experiencing unique rela-

tionships with some of God’s most creative individuals. When we open up to

possibilities and expand our horizons mentally, God will expand them literally.

Prayer

“I’m uncomfortable in some situations, Lord. Help me

put that fear to rest. Teach me to bring my fear to You,

where it belongs, in Your hands. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Not on Our Own

March 3

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to

all who believe.

Romans 3:22

As they reached the trendy restaurant, the couple noticed the scruffy-looking

teenager soliciting passersby on the corner. Panhandlers were a city staple. “Got

a couple bucks, mister?” came his routine greeting. “What are you doing out

here, young man? And where are your parents?” the woman asked, the mother

inside her rising up.

“Whadda ya care, lady?” came his defensive response. “I got no parents. I

take care a’ myself. You got any cash or not?”

“Have you eaten, son?” spoke the man, kindly. “We would be honored if

you would join us for dinner.”

Unsure why, he accepted their offer.

Having settled the matter, they headed into the restaurant with the young

man in tow. When the maitre d’ saw them, a quick, disapproving manner

assumed his countenance. It was his way of trying to discourage them from

bringing street trash into his establishment. This was an establishment they

frequented. So letting the maitre d’ know that the young man would be joining

them, they were grudgingly seated at their usual table. The young man couldn’t

believe what he’d just witnessed, someone taking a stand for him in the pres-

ence of resistance.

h

There are those who frown on persons who are unable to pull themselves out of

the mire under their own power.

Where would we be if God had left us to pull ourselves out of our own

sin? Without Jesus going to the cross, we would be damned for eternity. We

could not, regardless of the length of time given, manage to do something we

are incapable of.

Sometimes people need help. Salvation seeks out the surrendered, those

who are aware of their inability to defend themselves before a righteous God.

The maitre d’ has as much right to it as the orphan. If we assign salvation to

those who look worthy, we will miss opportunities to show others the door to

salvation in Jesus Christ.

Prayer

“I really don’t know whose heart You’re working on at

any given moment, Lord. Help me understand that

none are worthy, but all may come. Lead me to someone

in need of Your love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Not Crushed, Not Abandoned

March 2

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but

not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned.

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

Unable to find the restaurant they were seeking, they settled on this steak-

house. Their waitress was very personable and pleasant. She was a Hurricane

Katrina transplant, now living thirty miles inland. She hoped to get home to

the coast in the next couple months.

They asked her about how life had changed. She was quick to share how

her former employer had provided a fifteen-thousand-dollar debit card to help

with temporary relocation.

She spoke about how normal things had seemed the day the storm hit and

how much her life had changed since. She and her sister had gone to Florida

to ride it out. They had taken nothing with them, expecting to return home

in the morning. They returned to the neighborhood ten days later to find the

house gone. There was nothing left but the cement slab with the ceramic tile

still in place. Yet she quickly downplayed their loss, citing how others had lost

their lives.

When she finished, the group asked if they could pray with her. As they

held hands and prayed, tears fell. The waitress felt God’s embrace that night;

she felt loved.

h

Eighteen months after the storm, it was the first time anyone had offered to

pray for her. One act of love can bring the beginning of healing. They had

reached out to the waitress in sensitivity and obedience. 

God uses us when we are available and obedient. If we are willing to step out for the cause of Christ, He will teach us great and wonderful things. This small act of compassion produced several testimonies for the future. 

When we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, we discover the outcome is God’s goal, not our comfort. Mostly, we find that others are hungry for spiritual nourishment. Taking time to ask your waiter or waitress if he or she has a prayer need may be the first step to healing. God whispers in our ear, “Tell them I care.”

Prayer

“Show me the opportunities where a prayer can make a

difference in someone’s life, Lord. Then give me the courage

and strength to pray with them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 On Eagle’s Wings

March 1

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will

soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:31

It was clear and cold as she stepped out the back door, heading for town. The

sun had risen into a brilliantly blue winter sky. The snow on the ground made it

almost blinding. She spotted two cardinals sitting in the walnut tree at the back

of the property. There were few birds around this time of year.

Just as she reached the car, she heard a screeeech. Looking in the direction

it had come from, she spotted the eagle! He was just hanging there, circling

as if weightless. These were her birds! Well, God’s birds really. But she felt He

had given them to her. They had been His witnesses to her in rough times. God

had always brought them on just the right day at just the right time, letting her

know He was watching.

These majestic birds had migrated to this river bottom some twenty years

ago. They had made tremendous advancement; there were now some ten nest-

ing pairs in a twenty-square-mile area. Each time she witnessed the awesome

grace and beauty of the huge birds, she gave God thanks.

h

We are witness to God’s creative power and imagination. Eagles are but one

example of His love of beauty in majesty. They are also the model He chose in

Scripture to convey power, strength, and safety.

Isaiah pronounces God’s promise of renewed strength and the ability to

overcome, rising above the cares of the world if we trust and hope in the Lord.

God wants us to understand that our daily strength should come from Him

alone.

By putting our trust in Him, we will never grow weary. He doesn’t prom-

ise life will be easy. But if we allow Him to draw us apart from our labor, He

will replace our weakness with His strength. The text suggests that we do this

expectantly, trusting Him to produce in us a work we are incapable of.

Prayer

“Lord, we thank You that You send us signs of Your strength

to encourage us. Help us come to an understanding that we

can exchange our limited strength for Your unlimited power.

Teach us as we come in faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”