Set Them Free

July 4

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but to save the world through him.

John 3:17

Kevin had been the sole survivor of an attack on his M2 Bradley tank. Tears

began to build in Lauren’s eyes as she listened to her brother’s story. “The

IED came out of nowhere. One minute we’re haulin’ along, the next there’s

this deafening explosion, and there’s fire everywhere!” Then his voice lowered.

“Guys were screaming.”

Fighting for composure, he went on. “Next thing I remember is waking

up in Walter Reed. That’s where I found out I was the only one that made it;

someone from the Humvee behind us had pulled me free.” Kevin’s face mir-

rored the loss he was feeling. “They were my friends,” he whispered. “Why

them and not me? Why’d they have to die?”

“I don’t know the answer to your question, Kev,” his dad quietly answered.

“But sometimes good people die so that others might live.” He continued,

“Freedom will always have its casualties. War is a reality in the world in which

we live. When tyranny sets itself up to steal freedom from those who hold it

precious, there will be conflict. Your willingness to fight and set others free was

shared by each of your friends, son. Remember them. Never forget they under-

stood the sacrifice of freedom, just like you, and paid the ultimate price. When

others are held captive, our freedom, if it means anything at all, must rise up

and defend them in their weakness. We must set them free.”

h

When Satan set himself up against his Creator, he began the work of pitting

man against man, good against evil. Since then there have been casualties of

war. Sadly, there will be more.

Seeing what mankind had done to His plan, God undertook the means

by which we are set free. He submitted Himself to the hardships of a war He

could have won with the utterance of one word. Yet with a love so deep that He

could not bring Himself to destroy His Creation, He spoke to His Son, “We

must set them free.” And in one act of love, They set us free!

Prayer

“Mighty God, thank You for Jesus. May we never

take His sacrifice for granted. Amen.”

 Before We Get on the Bus

July 3

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

Proverbs 8:33

“Can I ask you something, Rueben?” Holly asked. “What do you do for devo-

tions? Which books do you use and what do you consider to be the most

important part?”

He said without hesitation, “For me, it’s not which books as much as it is

spending time with God each morning, Holly. Don’t get me wrong; books are

good, but He enjoys spending time with me. And I’ve found He’s always ready

to listen or talk. He loves having input in my day. 

Let me ask you a question,” he said, turning the tables. “When your children were in grade school, did you expect them to get themselves up each morning and get ready for school? 

Did you want them to fix their own breakfast and make sure they had their lunches

packed and didn’t miss the bus so you could sleep? Did you care who they got

a ride home with if they’d had an after school activity? 

The truth is that in the same way you wanted to be involved in your children’s lives, God wants to take an active role in yours. He wants to hear what happened yesterday at work and how you feel about today. 

He’s a hands-on kind of parent. Before we get on the bus, He’d like to have breakfast with us and send us on our way with wisdom and a hug. But it’s our choice.”

h

Spending time with God is not mandatory. He will not force us to listen to

wise counsel that would benefit us throughout the course of events we will face

today. Nor will He lean on us with instruction, regardless of the fact it may save

us untold grief or unnecessary detours. He has given us the freedom to share as

much of our lives with Him as we wish in whatever capacity we choose.

God knows relationships cannot be forced. He understands we can’t hear

what He has to say unless we listen willingly. We would be wise to seek His

instruction on a daily basis.

Prayer

“Create in me a hunger to meet with You, Lord. Help

me become wise enough to seek Your instruction daily.

Then help me learn to listen to what You say. Amen.”

 The Benefactor

July 2

They gave to anyone as he had need.

Acts 2:45

Deon had been injured ten months ago in an industrial accident but had

received no financial compensation due to his employer’s continued appeals.

They held that Deon’s own negligence had caused his injuries.

Rubber mill rollers had snagged his shirttail, pulling him toward certain

death. Deon had resisted until the shirt ripped from his body. Most of the soft

tissue in his back and rib cage suffered extensive trauma. He would be off work

for an extended period of time. It seemed the worst injury was that he wasn’t

going to receive any financial assistance.

Ten months with no income had depleted their savings, as well as their

children’s college fund. They had hoped worker’s compensation would restore

at least the fund. Now it appeared that wasn’t going to happen.

One morning in prayer, Deon sensed God say, “I am sending a benefactor.”

So Deon and his wife looked up the definition of benefactor: one who bestows

a gift.

They agreed this seemed a bit far-fetched, yet prayed and continued to

trust God for their welfare.

Two weeks later, in the midst of foreclosure on the house, an anonymous

donor provided a large check earmarked for their mortgage. Over the next six

months, checks sufficient to cover expenses showed up in their account. They

would never discover who their benefactor was, but they never stopped asking

God to bless their anonymous supporter.

h

What a tremendous modern-day demonstration of today’s text—God using

His children to meet some of His other children’s needs! In this same situation,

would we give out of our abundance or even believe for the benefactor?

Believing God in the lean times does not come natural. It requires faith

that He exists, that He cares, that He can do all things, and that He will always

act in our best interest.

If He asked for all our earthly possessions, would our salvation through

Christ Jesus be enough? Trusting God in times of plenty is not remarkable.

Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in him.” Would we echo Job’s

sentiment?

Prayer

“Teach me how to trust You, Lord. When I get discouraged,

show me that You’re there. May I come to know that

You are my true benefactor. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Art of Listening

July 1

Listen to advice and accept instruction.

Proverbs 19:20

Gary’s patience was being tested. His young trainee continually interrupted

his instruction, trying to finish Gary’s sentences. Yet each time he spoke out

of turn, he found himself embarrassed as Gary showed him the error in his

assumptions.

“Look, Bobby, I know you’re intelligent,” Gary began. “But every time you

interrupt, you display an inability to listen to instruction, and you extend the

length of this training session. Please listen and hold your responses and ques-

tions until we complete each phase. All right?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I just get kinda nervous in these situations. I want you to

know I’ll be able to handle whatever you give me to do. I don’t want to upset

you. I really want this job and want to impress you. I guess that was a crash and

burn effort.”

“Look, Bobby,” Gary confided, “we don’t mind training someone who is

willing to learn. That type of person takes instruction well. And that’s who

we’re looking for.”

“I understand. If I promise to listen, will you give me another chance?” he

asked, his countenance showing he meant what he said.

Gary was sensitive to the young man’s uneasiness. “Sure, Bobby. It’s under-

standable that you’re a little bit nervous. But in the future … I suggest you train

yourself to listen. You’ll learn a lot more.”

h

Listening is a discipline. Bobby is not unique. We’ve all spoken out of turn only

to find out we were wrong. It’s easy to want to showcase our experience. But in

our eagerness to succeed, we can speak when we should be listening. A willing-

ness to show ourselves teachable is far more attractive than continually trying

to outguess or impress someone.

Active listening is the art of controlling our emotions and our tongue,

trading our silence for knowledge we might not possess. Failure to listen robs

us of vital knowledge that may benefit us in the future. It also shows us as

immature and impulsive. It is better for us to remain silent and be thought a

fool than to open our mouths and confirm it.

Prayer

“Help me learn to listen, Lord. Still my tongue and

open the ears of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Life’s Roller Coasters

June 30

Great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.

Jeremiah 32:19

“How’ve you been, Oren?” Tyrel said as he hugged his friend, eager to catch up

on what had happened since they’d last seen each other.

“Good,” Oren responded. “But it’s been a little disappointing. I recently

lost an opportunity to expand my business. I met with a new investor several

times, and everyone seemed satisfied. They called, saying things were almost

complete on their end. That was four months ago. I haven’t heard from them

since.”

“I’m sorry, Oren. But don’t give up. Who knows? Maybe they’ll call today.”

He tried to encourage his friend with a metaphor. “It sounds as if you’ve been

on a roller coaster ride. They’re thrilling and frustrating. But we learn a lot from

taking the ride.” He continued, “Just seeing the coaster elicits a thrill! Kinda

like you, looking forward to growing the business. The first big hill is scary,

but anticipating the drop is thrilling! The next thing we know, we’re falling at

breakneck speed. We involuntarily scream and feel like we’re losing control. We

get freaked out and want to jump. But that would be suicide! Oren, the hardest

part of the ride is trusting the operator. God knows what’s best for your life.

Just hang on and trust Him.”

“I do. But sometimes I wish the ride wasn’t so wild,” Oren said.

h

We can all identify with Oren. We’ve been on life’s roller coasters, where the

rides have been some of the toughest lessons we’ve ever learned. Yet apart from

these disappointments, we gain no appreciable experience, and our spiritual

growth becomes stunted. Learning to lose gracefully pays dividends.

Coaster rides are difficult, frustrating, and sometimes even perilous.

But know this: God will never harm us. He wants to purpose our lives by

leading us to the center of His will. Sometimes that means riding the coaster

when it’s the last thing we want to do. Have faith! His Word assures us that

He is trustworthy.

Would you risk a wild ride with God for His promise of great and mighty

things?

Prayer

“Sometimes life scares me, Lord. I need reassurance.

Take away my fear and replace it with the faith that

knows You’re near. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Laughter-Filled Prayer

June 29

A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

This group was a sampling of the community: pastors and their wives, church

members from several different denominations, laymen and women alike. And

everyone was welcome.

This group believed that corporate prayer with likeminded people was

more important to their community than their inconsequential doctrinal dif-

ferences. A testament to their commitment was that they had been meeting

together for over eight years.

But there was something even more compelling at work that drew them

together each Tuesday at noon; they loved each other with the love of the

Father, and they laughed a lot, and not just the occasional chuckle or smile.

These people knew how to laugh together. They had grown to love each other

so deeply that it showed in the way they picked on one another. No one was

exempt from spending time in the hot seat. And none of them seemed to mind.

They had learned to share their lives, the victories and defeats. This was a

close-knit group. And the more they laughed, the more they loved. The more

they loved, the closer they got. They spent time praising the Lord and lifting

the needs of the community before the throne. They were dead serious when it

came to what they felt God had called them to. But they were never far from

the laughter.

h

It’s not a sin to laugh, even during prayer. Today’s text directs us to have a

cheerful heart. It’s hard to imagine being any cheerier than when we’re laugh-

ing. God loves to hear us laugh. He is not affronted by, nor does He disapprove

of, laughter-filled prayer.

When we come before the throne, we are to come in reverence. My dic-

tionary defines reverence this way: “A feeling of awe and respect and often of

love.” None of the three are out of line with laughter. When we laugh with our

friends, it’s not an act of irreverence; it’s sharing our joy.

God wants to be our closest friend. Prayer is spending quality time with

Someone we love. And although there are times to be somber as we approach

His throne, God wants to share our laughter too.

Prayer

“Lord, You are the author of laughter. May you find

me willing to share mine with you. Amen.”

 Before We Speak

June 28

The tongue is also a fire.

James 3:6

“Have you heard about Jeremy?” Katrina asked her brother. “No. What’s up?”

Phil responded. “Well, I’m not sure … ” she hesitated, then said, “I heard he was

back on pain pills.”

“That’s too bad. I like Jeremy,” Phil replied.

A week later, Jeremy was called into his employer’s office and immediately

terminated. They gave him no explanation other than he was no longer a good

fit for the company. Jeremy repeatedly asked for a more defined explanation but

they would say no more.

Shaken, Jeremy determined to put it behind him. But finding suitable

employment during the economic downturn took more than six months. In

that time he lost his car and used up his entire savings as well as his retirement

fund.

Two years later, Jeremy ran into a co-worker from his former employer. In

the course of their conversation, the man asked Jeremy if he was still having

trouble with pills.

A little surprised by the question, Jeremy told him, “No, I’m great. I’ve

been clean for six years.”

The man seemed surprised by the ‘six years’ and proceeded to tell Jeremy

that he’d been part of a conversation with Jeremy’s old boss and Katrina’s

brother, Phil, the week of Jeremy’s termination. “Phil told the boss you were

back on drugs. I guess he assumed Phil knew what he was talking about and

didn’t think it warranted further investigation. I’m really sorry man. I always

enjoyed working with you.”

Jeremy was sorry, too. But at least now he had the truth.

h

We are never to be careless with our words. Yet, many find fulfillment in

spreading gossip. Although untrue, Jeremy’s life was devastatingly impacted

by gossip. When we speak without concern for the consequence of our words,

we are taking someone’s integrity, welfare, and quite possibly their life in our

own hands.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” When we

hear gossip we have two choices: to lovingly confront the gossip, suggesting

they refrain from the practice of spreading rumors; or remove ourselves from

their presence, refusing to take part. What we say matters. At the peril of oth-

ers, we must consider our words.

Prayer

“Lord, guard my lips that I would not harm

another. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”