Then Who?

July 20

If anyone … sees his brother in need but has no pity … how can the

love of God be in him?

1 John 3:17

The little girl looked so forlorn. Her mother looked as though she were fight-

ing back tears. A covert glance revealed smudged faces and dirty clothes.

Lord, please send someone to minister to whatever problems they’re facing. Meet

their needs, Sherry silently prayed as the elevator stopped on her floor.

“Why not you?” God softly invited.

Oh, Lord, I’ve got to get to work, she rationalized and stepped off the elevator.

“If not you, then who?” God whispered.

What am I supposed to say? Their personal issues are none of my business, she

argued.

“Compassion is everyone’s business,” came the soft reprisal.

Turning back, Sherry hesitantly spoke. “Excuse me. I don’t want to offend

you, but it appears as though you could use some help. Is there something I

can do?”

The tears refused to be held back any longer. “I’m sorry,” the mother began.

“It’s been so difficult lately. I lost my job. Cyndi and I have been living in

homeless shelters. I came here in hopes of getting a job, but the way I look, I’m

afraid no one would hire me.”

Reaching into her purse, Sherry pulled out a brush and began brushing

the little girl’s hair, listening as the mother told her story. “Maybe I can help,”

Sherry began.

h

We may not own a business and be able to hire the unemployed or have spare

rooms to offer, but we can still reach out to those in need in whatever capacity

we are able. Whether we choose to see it or not, hardship surrounds us.

The third chapter of John’s first letter deals with how we are to respond

to God’s love. He invites us to mercifully emulate that love to a world in need.

It may take a few extra minutes, and we may be a bit uncomfortable, but

when we encounter someone in need, we should mentally trade places, as if we

ourselves were the one in need. And then remember God’s challenging appeal:

if not you, then who?

Prayer

“Father, thank You for the loving sacrifice that made

me right with You. May You find in me a willingness

to be Your hand of mercy when You call. Amen.”

Hope with a Smile

July 19

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one

another.

John 13:35

Sally awakened at 4:00 a.m., said a hearty “Good morning, Father” as her

feet hit the floor, and headed for the shower. She dressed and headed for the

kitchen to fix breakfast for herself and Tiger. “Hiya, kiddo,” she greeted the big

cat, stroking his sleek fur.

Eggs cooking, she spooned tuna delight into Tiger’s dish. “Eat it all now!”

she said in mock sternness, then chuckled as Tiger cocked his head at her.

Dishes done, she headed out the door, ready to meet the day. She loved the

short drive to work as it often afforded her a beautiful sunrise or a full moon

hanging in the waning night sky.

Sally volunteered in the day surgery unit of the local hospital.

With a smile on her face and a servant’s heart, she set about putting things

in order. “I love the quiet,” she would say. “When I arrive, there’s no one here

but me. I like that.” Arranging doctors’ charts and nurses’ orders, preparing

each room by making sure everything was ready was Sally’s way of ministering

to the staff.

Those rounds complete, Sally took her station in the lobby, greeting every-

one scheduled for surgery. She took names and met needs, adding quiet words

of encouragement and comfort or a prayer offered from a heart that had felt

their pain and known their fears. Sally was the bright spot in their day; she gave

them hope with a smile.

h

A servant’s heart is a precious thing. Out of it flows kindness with compassion

and tenderness through encouragement. It’s born of a deep love for others, a

selfless love like Jesus showed us on Calvary.

Servanthood is this great ability to rid others of their heartache and fear,

rejection and pain, if only for a little while.

Jesus calls those who give of themselves in this way His disciples. And

for good reason. They love with abandon, holding nothing back, lifting others

above the struggles they face. Such an extravagant love makes a remarkable

impact, and it begins with a mind-set that brings hope with a smile.

Prayer

“Help me love like You do, Lord. Use me to brighten

someone else’s day. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.”

 It Ceases to Be a Gift

July 18

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us … if it is con-

tributing to the needs of others, let him give generously.

Romans 12:6,8

Bobby was fifty-three and single. He owed two thousand dollars on student

loans, had three credit cards maxed out, and two signature loans totaling sev-

eral thousand dollars. The remarkable thing about his financial situation was

that all this debt was on behalf of other people. Bobby had literally taken on

the cash flow problems of others in an effort to help them out during tough

times. Bobby was a giver; he was always helping others out. People assumed

Bobby was wealthy; no one ever suspected he was going into debt on his or

her behalf.

He’d gotten started in this back-door philanthropy by helping his younger

brother pay off a high-interest loan.

A bean counter of sorts, Bobby enjoyed seeing people set free from the

financial burdens holding them back. When word would come about someone

in need, Bobby offered a gift large enough to meet the need. His credit report

was spotless, so he never had trouble financing his ministry.

One prior beneficiary had gone on to secure a home loan because of Bob-

by’s generosity. He offered to pay everything back, but Bobby had declined his

offer, saying, “If I allow you to pay me back, it ceases to be a gift.”

h

Not many people would consider a small mountain of debt a blessing. But

Bobby did. And each day he went looking for ways to use his gift. Out of the

generosity of his heart, Bobby lifted the burdens of family, friends, and strang-

ers alike, anonymously giving through third parties when practical.

Today’s text says that each of us is gifted in some way. In it, Paul points out

that we are to use that gift to make other’s lives better. It is God’s desire that we

discover what our gift is, and that we put it to use.

Prayer

“Lord, show me what my gift is, then lead me to

a place of selfless desire to give of myself in light

of Your Great Gift. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 As Is

July 17

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom.

Proverbs 23:23

The price was attractive, but something didn’t feel right. It could be either a

blessing or a sham. “I don’t know, Michael. This car should cost almost twice

the asking price,” Brice warned. “I can’t tell you what, but something’s not

right.”

“Aw, you’re just jealous ‘cause I found such a sweet deal! I’m buying this

car.” Having made up his mind, Michael secured a loan and purchased the

vehicle.

Three weeks later, the transmission began to slip. Taking the car to a local

dealership, he discovered the previous owner had taken steps to temporarily

hide the mechanical problem in order to sell the car.

Angry at being played for a fool, Michael called the man. “I’m returning

the car! You deceived me!” he accused.

Unfazed, the man responded, “You bought that car as is. As it is now yours,

I don’t care what you do with it. Sell it for all I care!” he said, chuckling as he

hung up.

What had looked like such a sweet deal had become one of the worst deals

Michael had ever made. He should have listened to the wisdom of his friend

and at least had the vehicle checked out before buying it.

h

We live in a world where Satan influences some of the most harmless-looking

people. When we fail to be wise or refuse to listen to wise counsel, we can be

taken in. And to make matters worse, Satan gets us to attack ourselves. “You

deserve a break. Look how sweet this deal is!” he whispers. We shove aside our

doubts and bury the truth in denial for the glitter of the moment.

And when we’ve made the deal, he sits back, laughing. “You knew what

you were getting into. You bought the package as is. Now live with it!”

It’s tempting to sell ourselves short when something appealing, yet toxic,

appears. God exhorts us to purchase the truth and not exchange it for a seduc-

tive lie, to get wisdom and hang on to it with a relentless grip.

Prayer

“Help me listen for the truth in the midst of all the

lies, Lord. Then help me hang on to it. Amen.”

 Help Me Remain Humble

July 16

Have mercy on us, O Lord … for we have endured … much ridicule

from the proud … much contempt from the arrogant.

Psalm 123:3, 4

Kendal’s business partner was one of the most obstinate people he’d ever met.

The fact that he was his brother-in-law only made matters worse. Try as he

might, Kendal couldn’t seem to understand the man’s what-I-say-goes attitude.

He dominated the office; absolutely nobody tested his resolve. Because of his oppressive demeanor, they had lost several good employees over the past year.

No one, including Kendal, could reason with him. He would listen to what

you had to say and then look you straight in the eye and say, “If you have a

problem doing what I told you, I can get someone else in here to do your job!”

Kendal confided to his wife that her brother’s attitude had become so bad

that he didn’t know how much longer he could continue working in the stress-

filled atmosphere.

“Honey, I wake up each day not sure whether to say, ‘Good morning,

Lord’ or ‘Good Lord, it’s morning.

’ I don’t look forward to my work anymore.”

His brother-in-law’s attitude was emotionally draining, and he wasn’t willing

to compromise his sanity much longer. “Help me remain humble, Lord!” he

prayed.

h

Many of us have worked for or know domineering employers who do not

understand how relationships are meant to work from an authority stand-

point. Somewhere along the line, they developed a need to dominate instead

of nurture.

In today’s text, the psalmist petitions God for mercy from the position of

a slave to his master on behalf of a people who have endured rough treatment

at the hand of oppressors.

We are not told how God answered their plea or what action they took, if

any, against those who abused them. We only know they were oppressed.

When faced with heavy-handed authority, Paul instructs us, for the sake

of the oppressors, to gracefully endure persecution (1 Corinthians 4:12), leaving

retribution to God so that He might bring change.

It is okay to cry out to God for relief as long as we remember our humble

witness may be needed a little bit longer.

Prayer

“Save me from oppression, Lord. And until that day,

give me grace to endure. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 A Pound of Salt

July 15

Let your conversation be … seasoned with salt, so that you may know

how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6

Neil had been looking for ways to witness to his neighbors. So when he

saw one of them using a rickety stepladder to remove a broken tree limb, he

grabbed one of his sturdy work ladders and headed over to help.

“Hey, Jeff ? I saw you using that old ladder and decided I couldn’t let you

do that when I have a much safer one. Here, let me help.” And with that, he set

up his six-foot fiberglass stepladder, positioned it where Jeff could safely reach

the big limb, and said, “Go ahead, I’ll hold it for you.”

Jeff asked one of his sons to lift the end of the heavy limb to remove pres-

sure at the cut so the saw wouldn’t bind. Neil, trying to help, told the young

man how to lift the limb. When instruction failed to bring the desired results,

Neil grabbed the limb and held it aloft, showing the young man what he’d

meant.

The limb was removed and dragged away. Neil took his ladder and returned

home, believing he had just shared the love of Christ.

Two days later, he met the son while walking, and when he spoke, the boy

did not answer. Disturbed, he asked what the problem was. The young man

admitted he had been embarrassed when Neil had taken over.

Neil had done the opposite of what he had intended.

h

Too much salt tastes worse than none. Our best intentions, if not carefully

considered, can bring harm. Neil’s offer of the ladder, though well-intended,

exuded arrogance.

In his spontaneity, he hadn’t thought out how best to approach the oppor-

tunity. His desire to help was good, but he was ill advised in taking control of

circumstances. Instead of a dash of salt, he dumped out the whole shaker.

Our actions need filtered through the question, How will what I do affect

others?

What we do in the Lord’s name is meant to have a profound, positive

effect. We must take care to season and not saturate.

Prayer

“Lord, I never want to offend where I intend to show

people Your love. Help me listen for Your guidance

instead of rushing in ahead of You. Amen.”

 Fidelity

July 14

He who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:28

“Flirting, however harmless you might feel about it, is still being unfaithful

to Gretchen,” Cal said. “It’s a temptation to take it a step further. Yes, it can

make you feel alive. It wouldn’t be tempting if it didn’t. But it’s wrong, Randy.

Gretchen deserves better. So do you.”

“But I don’t feel in love anymore,” Randy argued. “This other woman makes

me feel appreciated and understood. I don’t get that from Gretchen. I’m tired

of going through the motions.”

“You know, Randy, Patty and I felt the same way years ago. We’d lost the

spark, and it felt too much like work to pretend. But we stuck it out and allowed

God to lead us through counseling where we found out things had begun to

overshadow our love; we’d stopped communicating.

“Randy, when someone of the opposite sex pays attention to us in a way

our spouse hasn’t, we can easily form an unhealthy emotional bond. It feels

right, and it tempts us to give up in spite of the covenant we made. You’ve got

to fight the temptation,” Cal urged.

“How’d you get through it?” Randy asked.

“With a lot of work in God’s strength, and understanding that issues will

always raise themselves up to assault our marriage. We fought for what we

knew was right. And in the fighting, we learned that our love hadn’t died; it had

become bogged down by the issues we faced.”

h

No-fault divorce, disillusionments, and annulments are easily granted and too

widely accepted. “If you aren’t happy, move on,” we say, putting our happiness

ahead of our spouse, our children, and our commitment.

Marriage is meant to be forever, not until we get tired.

Fidelity is standing in God’s strength instead of our own, holding ground

not meant to be given up. It’s where integrity is discovered and selfish ambi-

tions are laid to rest.

Fifty percent of today’s marriages end in divorce. Statistics say that eighty

percent of those who remarry will divorce again. You will take each unattended

issue wherever you go. Great reward can come from not giving in to selfish

desires. Stay and fight for what God ordained.

Prayer

“Weld my marriage to You, Lord. Help us stand

and fight instead of giving in to the temptations

of infidelity. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”