The Beginning of Healing

June 8

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them

is not wise.

Proverbs 20:1

Sitting at the bar—well, slouching would have been a more accurate description—

Gil realized he’d done it again. He was half drunk and couldn’t tell you

how or why it had happened. He’d stopped here with the intention of having

one drink then going home. Must be my sixth or seventh, he thought, looking at the 

amber liquid in his glass.

It had been two years since he’d had anything to drink. The last episode

had seen him waking up in a holding cell, surrounded by a dozen other men.

He’d served six days in the county lockup for his involvement in a bar fight and

under the direction of the court, attended a few AA meetings.

I’m not a drunk, he’d thought at his first meeting. I only drink once in a great

while. How dare they associate me with a group like this! These people are mostly

bums; some of them are even homeless! This had been his egotistical attitude. Gil

had lost his job as a result of his nefarious behavior and had sworn it would

never happen again. So much for never. If I get arrested again, Belle’s gonna come

unglued! Then, another thought came unbidden. I can’t possibly be a drunk, can

I? Maybe I need help.

h

Addiction is found in all walks of life—teachers, lawyers, preachers, engineers,

public employees, sports writers, evangelists, steel workers, nuns, PTO moms.

The list knows no boundaries.

As future citizens of heaven, we are to be disciplined. Constant obsession

removes that ability. When we give in to cravings, it dishonors God and harms

our witness.

Addictions come in many forms. (Fill in the blank) If you can’t stop _____

when you want, if you find yourself in trouble each time you ____, if your fam-

ily life, relationships, or job suffer when you ____, or if you can’t control your

behavior when you ____, you have a problem. Facing the truth and asking for

help is the beginning of healing.

Prayer

“I submit my life and actions to Your care in this moment,

Lord. Renew my life and set me free. I’m good at hiding, Lord,

so cleanse me from the inside out. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 All-Star

June 7

… A people belonging to God …

1 Peter 2:9

He was the premiere player in the league; his followers numbered in the tens

of millions. A good man and role model, every kid wanted to be just like him;

most adults wanted to get to know him. Every corporate group wanted him

to endorse their product. And for good reason. His devoted followers bought

everything he put his name on.

His business manager had needed to hire an assistant to help with the

enormous number of calls asking for an appearance from this sports phenom.

His life had become a series of scheduled appointments. But he didn’t mind; to

him, it was part of his notoriety. He wanted to give back to the sport that had

given him so much.

One night while walking through his old neighborhood, he was wounded

in a drive-by shooting. His career was over.

When his sponsors found out he’d been partially paralyzed, his stock and

appeal plummeted; the endorsements stopped coming.

Tragically, besides his sister, Sheena, only his closest friends stuck by him.

Sheena had always been there. Having kept him grounded in the fame, she

continued to encourage him in this setback.

Slowly, with determination, he began to get better. As a Christian, the

same inner strength that had served him in his sports career fueled his determination
to rise above his so-called disability. He was, in fact, an all-star.

h

When the dust settles on our lives, what’s left is who we are. What each of

us needs to know is that we belong to God. He has given each of us a unique

gift, and we are expected to contribute to society. Just because we don’t excel

in sports, have a net worth in the millions, or do something exciting does not

negate our usefulness.

We may not picture ourselves as a tremendous success, but that does not

exclude nor exempt us from being productive members of society. Whatever

your disability, perceived or real, you are to make an impact on those you come

in contact with. You belong to a God big enough to make you an all-star. It’s

up to you to get in the game.

Prayer

“I want to feel like I make a difference, Lord.

Change my perspective of who I am and use me

to affect lives for Your kingdom. Amen.”

 Wherever I’m At

June 6

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is

pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … think about such

things.

Philippians 4:8

Brenan bumped in to Myrt at the post office. “How ya doin’, Myrt?” he asked.

“Just marvelous, Brenan. The sun’s not so hot just now!” she responded,

referencing them having been seated beside each other at a football game the

evening before. Early September games were played under the waning summer

sun. It could, and often did, get into the nineties. Yesterday evening had been

one such occasion.

Myrt was one of the community’s long-term residents, having lived her

entire life here. Brenan knew her to be cheery, with as positive an outlook as

anyone he knew. He enjoyed bumping into her and spending time in conversa-

tion; she was well spoken, always upbeat, with constructive thought and an

encouraging word for whomever she encountered.

As Brenan turned to leave, he said, “As always, Myrt, it was good to see

you. Enjoy yourself today and have fun.”

“Wherever I’m at, I have fun, Brenan!” she responded with a laugh. As he

left, Brenan recognized the truth in her comment. He smiled as he thought to

himself, Yes, Myrt, life has never beaten you down. I have yet to hear you complain

or speak negatively in all the years I’ve known you.

h

We have a choice in how we approach life, in how we portray ourselves to oth-

ers, and our convictions are displayed in our attitude. We can, and do, display

optimism or pessimism, hope, or hopelessness. Our outlook will help or hinder,

encourage or discourage.

Unquestionably, people can read in our actions how we feel about matters

we deem important or issues of consequence. So what are they hearing when

our actions speak?

Though we should not allow what others think about us declare or define

who we are, we should care that they have a brighter outlook upon leaving our

presence.

Paul suggests we can do that by thinking about the right things. The axiom,

“Garbage in, garbage out” is relevant ‘wherever I’m at’.

Prayer

“Lord, let the light that comes from me be an illuminating

light and not a blinding one. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Nothing Is Something

June 5

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens.

Isaiah 40:26

Jill’s father turned his head toward her and quietly whispered, “It’s close to

bedtime, kiddo. Five more minutes then we gotta land this spacecraft, and you

gotta hit the books.” Jill’s passion for lying under the night sky had been passed

on to her by her father. He saw relevance in his and his daughter’s stargazing.

His own father had not seen things that way. “Get in this house and get

your homework done now!” he would scold. It seemed he couldn’t understand

his son’s fascination. He said the same thing every time. “There’s more to life

than watchin’ stars, boy. Go do somethin’ worthwhile!”

“Well, Dad,” he whispered into the night, “as far as I’m concerned, watch-

ing stars is doing something.” He wished his father could have understood his

interest. “And as long as Jill has a love for the heavens, I’m going to encourage

her.”

A few minutes later, Jill squealed with delight. A huge green blaze had just

arced from one side of the sky to the other! “Oh, Daddy, that’s the brightest

shooting star ever! I’m glad we saw it together!” She couldn’t see his smile but

could hear him say, “Me too, honey! Me too. Maybe someday you’ll get a closer

look from space. You just keep lookin’ up.”

h

Doing things that to some appear senseless or serve no relevant purpose does

not necessarily equate to doing nothing.

Not all of us are called to become astronauts, yet many of them had their

interest piqued by watching the night sky. The stars are beautiful, and seeing a

falling star fascinates each of us. You don’t have to aspire to be launched into

space to enjoy the stars.

Just because we don’t see the value of something does not negate it. With

an eternal perspective, seemingly meaningless things can have vast significance.

Prayer

“Lord, help me see the value in things that don’t necessarily

interest me. Help me encourage others to seek the things

that bring them joy in Your kingdom. Amen.”

  The Hope Of Our Righteousness

June 4

… according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my

hands he has rewarded me.

Psalm 18:20

The Simmons and Crafton families both appeared successful in the eyes of the

world, yet were diametrically opposed in beliefs.

The Simmons devoted their lives to God’s work. And God had blessed

them financially.

Not because of their actions, but because of their hearts. They made mis-

takes, but their hearts were bent toward God; their lives began an ended in

Christ.

The Craftons consistently ignored God’s invitations to know Him. They

were goal-setters, doing their best to amass as much wealth as possible, so they

could own as much stuff as they could. They drove the right cars, entertained

the most influential guests at the biggest parties, and worked for the most pres-

tigious firms in town. 

When the economy tanked, both families experienced financial loss of a magnitude most people could not comprehend.

The Craftons were devastated, crushed by the thought that they had lost

everything. Mrs. Crafton fell into deep depression, and in the ensuing weeks

lost all hope. Mr. Crafton committed suicide, leaving his family to fend for

themselves. The Simmons, on the other hand, understood that God had and

would provide for every need. Though they may endure hardship, nothing could

shake their security and hope in Jesus Christ. This security prompted them to

extend the hope they possessed to the Craftons in their time of tragedy.

h

Our belief, or disbelief in Jesus, and how we relate to Him, affects how we cope

with the setbacks and tragedies we experience. Wealth and fame are fleeting.

They will fade and fail in time. Yet a heart devoted to Jesus will stand the test

of time. For God will forever take care of, and reward those who love Him.

In today’s text, David, who was not faultless, was not boasting in his own

righteousness, but rather, was proclaiming his heart’s devotion to God, and

God’s faithfulness. Romans 3:22 says, “This righteousness from God comes

through faith in Jesus Christ.” Through Jesus Christ we can, like David, find

hope in the righteousness of God.

Prayer

“Lord, our relationship is what matters most to me.

Teach me to live by faith, trusting in Your provision.

Help me be a good steward of all that You give me, that

my ways will be righteous in Your eyes. Amen.”

 By Invitation Only

June 3

Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.

Luke 14:15

She had not always been a popular woman. But today they were begging for

an invitation to tonight’s party. Reporters lined the sidewalks by the gate, wait-

ing for her to appear and bless them with an invitation. They stood for hours,

waiting.

When the owner of the estate made her appearance, it was brief.

She smiled and read a short, prewritten statement: “As none of you

responded to my prior invitations, I have invited a select group to dine with

me tonight. My guests will be arriving momentarily. Please be considerate and

allow them to pass. Once again, this banquet is by invitation only. Please do not

attempt to gain entrance or you will be arrested, and I will press charges against

you.” With that, she returned to the house.

Ten minutes later, limousines from every escort company in the city began

pulling up to the gate. They provided proof of invitation and then drove to the

large portico and presented their guests to the hostess.

To the paparazzi’s amazement, the guests appeared to be beggars and

homeless people. The hostess had them chauffeured from their cardboard

homes as though they were royalty!

h

In the blink of an eye, all invitations to the feast in the kingdom will be sealed

and no more will be issued. The King will determine that the banquet should

begin, and there will be no admittance to those who do not have a personal

invitation.

Until then, God continues to issue an open invitation to any and all who

would receive Him. Because of the blood of Jesus we have the right to RSVP,

which is to tell the Host whether or not we plan to attend.

Those who respond will partake of all the goodness of the kingdom. They

will be seated in a position of prominence at the King’s table.

And just like those in today’s story, there will be many who will be turned

away, never having accepted God’s Son. Admittance to heaven is by invitation

only. Have you sent your RSVP?

Prayer

“I gratefully accept Your invitation today, Lord. Thank You for

sending Your Son to escort me to the dinner party. Amen.”

 The Knife

June 2

Fathers, do not exasperate your children.

Ephesians 6:4

At fifteen, Allen had been trying to get his father’s attention for as long as he

could remember. All he’d wanted was to play catch, a video game, maybe go

fishing or something. He just wanted to do anything with his dad, but his dad

was always too busy.

On an impulse, Allen took one of his dad’s special knives from his favorite

collection and sold it to a kid at school. He couldn’t tell you why he’d done it;

all he knew was that he was angry at his dad.

His silent cry for attention went unchecked for several weeks until one day

his dad asked, “Do you know where my knife is, Allen?”

“You mean the fancy hand-carved handled one in the case?” Allen baited

his dad, a look of defiance on his face.

His father bristled at his insolence. “Where is it, Allen?” he demanded.

Allen continued the farce. “Yeah, I remember seeing it somewhere; now,

where was that?”

“What’d you do with the knife, Allen?” his dad barked in response to

Allen’s attitude. He concluded with a consequence-inferred declaration, “You

tell me right now or so help me …”

“I sold it! Okay?” Allen screamed, red faced, tears streaming down his

cheeks. “So what? What’re you gonna do to me?”

h

Allen wanted what was rightfully his: love and attention from his father. And

though his actions were misguided, he contrived to get his father’s attention

any way he could.

When we fail to give our children our time and attention, they go else-

where to assuage their hunger for these inherent natural urges. Many substitute

drugs, alcohol, sex, and gang life—almost anything for the love they crave.

In the busyness of our society, our children quite literally are fending for

themselves. We shop them out to the closest family member or friend to give

ourselves time to fit one more thing into our already over-stuffed schedules,

only to find them disconnected, pregnant, and in trouble with the law.

Make no mistake: there is no replacement for our time. Our children need

not suffer exasperation. Give of yourself to those who matter most.

Prayer

“Lord, help me provide the love my kids need—

in time and affection, in connectivity and bonding.

In Jesus’ strength and Name, amen.”