The Good Fight

February 7

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we

will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

She’d left the house in a huff—the typical Sunday morning routine lately. Kids

in tow, arguing, “If Dad doesn’t have to go to church, why do we?” She pressed

on, angry and feeling defeated. This was a battle she no longer felt like fight-

ing; she was ready to give up. “Are You watching, God? Do You care about my

family? I hate fighting with Rick.” He’d been wounded at church years ago and

refused to allow it to happen again. “Why did You let that happen, Lord? Don’t

You care that he was wounded?”

As she pulled into the parking lot, she glanced toward the digital marquee

in front of the church. Doing a double take, she looked back. Today’s message

read, “I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, but I am watching. God.” Staring

at the marquee as the message scrolled by once more, she sensed God’s pres-

ence and peace. “Give me strength, Lord.” she whispered.

h

We are never alone. Occasionally, when it seems He is nowhere near our galaxy,

the God Who set the stars in the sky and calls them by name, kneels down and

speaks ours.

Singlehandedly rearing children in the Lord was never God’s design.

Many deal with spouses who would rather play nine holes, sleep in, or just

relax and read the Sunday paper than attend church.

If you are one who is fighting this battle, remember that God is at work

while you are being faithful for both of you. He wants you to know this is a

battle for your children’s future and spiritual direction, as well as your spouse’s.

When you choose to fight the good fight, you follow the exhortation in Gala-

tians. Those who walk away from God must come back on their own. It’s called

free will. But God says, “Do not become weary, for at the proper time you will

reap the harvest.”

Prayer

“Lord, give me strength to continue this fight. Heal

my heart and the wounds of those I love. Bring

resolution to painful memories and restore us to

complete spiritual health. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 A Matter of Perspective

February 6

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My

ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your

thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8–9

Through a clear and cloudless sky, the jet banked hard left, preparing for final

approach. Looking out the window, the businessman saw the hand and heard

the voice of God. There, below him, was a single, fluffy, white cloud. Centered

on the cloud was a perfect, vibrantly colored rainbow—not an arch as we see

from the ground, but a perfect circle. And in the center of it all was the shadow

of his plane cast by the noonday sun.

In that moment God whispered, “This is My promise. There is no place

that exists outside my love; no valley is below this circle; no mountain rises

above it. There is no east; there is no west; there is only my love. This is My

promise.”

There wasn’t time to snap a picture before the plane leveled out, but that

didn’t matter; he would never forget the image. A sense of peace replaced his

harried and stress-filled mind.

h

Following the flood, God promised Noah to never again destroy the earth with

water. His covenant was the first recorded rainbow. “I have set my bow in the

cloud.” Never having witnessed one before, Noah must have been awestruck!

In the fourth chapter of Revelation, John describes how God remembers

that promise: “A rainbow resembling an emerald, encircling the Throne of

God,” not arching above it, but encircling the throne, all encompassing and

never ending, just like God’s promises.

The image and the whisper through the window of that plane let the busi-

nessman know that God was aware of his life and the problems he faced. From

God’s perspective, the things we deal with and witness each day are usually not

what they appear to be; there is a purpose. God asks that we trust Him to work

in our lives for that purpose.

Prayer

“Lord, I don’t look at things the way You do. Help me to

see what You see as I look at the issues of my life. Help

me to trust in Your promise. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Soiled Parts

February 5

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we

set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.

For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

1 John 3:19, 20

The walls were soiled and stained; the wallpaper was curling at the edges and

hanging loose in places. The furniture was run-down, sagging cushions and

gouges in the wood. The curtains were torn but still not much light penetrated

them, and the dust took on the appearance of silt. It was dirty and repulsive

here. That was all right; the more silt covered, the better.

She came here so seldom she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been

here. Pausing, she looked amidst the rubble. It was then she noticed Him

standing there, just inside the door. She’d almost forgotten; she’d invited Him.

He was waiting for her to acknowledge His presence, but what was there to

say? It was all here for Him to see, those things in her life she was ashamed of

and not sure how to deal with. Time seemed to drag on forever, but He never

moved. She knew He was waiting for her to speak. “I can’t seem to get rid of

these things,” she said. “I try and try.” He spoke softly, “Will you let me help?”

She awakened with a start. What a dream! Jesus had just seen the darkest part

of her heart and still loved her!

h

Omniscience doesn’t mean knowing some things; it means knowing every-

thing. God’s desire is that we come into a relationship with Him where mean-

ingful conversations about the issues of our heart bring healing.

His hope is that our hearts will bend in such a way that we give Him those

silt-covered parts for cleansing. He wants us to know the truth: belonging to

Him removes condemnation from the heart.

Prayer

“Lord, there are things that I wish You didn’t know

about me, but You do. That You could still love me is

hard to grasp, so sometimes I act like You don’t. Help

me be open and honest with myself so we can talk about

the soiled parts of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Brokenhearted Prisoners

February 4

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom

for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1

She spilled some of the precious liquid as muscle spasms caused a twitch.

Cooking the smack was getting harder. It was just before 11:00 a.m., and her

stash was gone. She’d care in about two hours, just not right now. Firing the

load, she fell back on the couch, the rush driving every thought from her mind.

That’s what she was after, numbness. She wanted the pain to go away. For a sixteen-year-old, childhood seemed so long ago. 

Two hours later, she came to in restraints in the psych ward of a hospital where she underwent detox. She wasn’t sure when the young woman had begun visiting. She’d started out just sitting with her. By the end of the first week, she was helping her dress and eat. 

Then one day the young woman didn’t come. In her place was a book with a note paper clipped to it. The note read, “The rest is up to you. This saved my life; it can save yours too.” With tears running down her cheeks, she opened it at the bookmark. 

There was a verse highlighted with a name superimposed over two words; it read, “For God so loved Janet that he gave his one and only Son,” ( John 3:16). Tears flowed unabated as she sobbed. She didn’t know what her next move was; she just knew she couldn’t live like a prisoner anymore.

h

Addiction takes many forms, stealing the soul of millions of God’s Creation,

leaving them destitute and alone. Many die, still searching for that elusive “first

high,” not understanding their motives, and never having known or experi-

enced the love of Christ.

Those who have been rescued from addiction know it’s impossible to attain

true victory on your own. In Christ alone can we find the strength to live. He

will bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free!

Prayer

“Saving Lord, we petition for the souls of those lost in

addiction. Draw them near, tear down the veil the enemy keeps

in place, and set the captives free. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Useful Hands

February 3

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing

something useful with his hands.

Ephesians 4:28

He had come to the hardware store to buy a new ball glove. As he walked

by the fishing equipment, he was mesmerized by the brightly colored assort-

ment of lures. There were shysters, rapallas, spoons, and jitterbugs. But one lure

caught his eye more than the others. It was a chartreuse popper! For no reason

he could understand, the boy looked around to see if anyone was watching,

reached around the counter, and took the lure, pocketing it.

He left the store without even looking at ball gloves. He couldn’t seem to

get away fast enough! On his way home, he pulled the box from his pocket and

removed the lure. He couldn’t wait to try it out! Then, as unexplainable as his

first urge, he knew he must return it and apologize for stealing.

The storeowner listened to the boy’s story and proposed the boy work for

him until he had paid restitution. It took the boy two weeks of hard work to

pay his debt. He never forgot that lesson or the storeowner.

h

The owner of the hardware had been a wise man, understanding that the deed

could not go unpunished or the boy may repeat his offense. Contacting the

boy’s parents and using work as a way of teaching the boy the value of putting

his hands to good use, he was able to help the young boy with not only his guilt

but also caused him to be able to appreciate what he could accomplish through

honest labor.

Left unchecked, who knew what this young boy would do. The owner

understood that little thieves are easier to rehabilitate and always worth the

effort. He gave of himself for the future of the boy, understanding that, “But

for the grace of God, there go I.”

Prayer

“Lord, only You know the evil that inhabits the hearts

of men. Please lead me in such a way that I will not

judge others, nor fall under judgment myself. Cause

me to have useful hands. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 When Fear Becomes Trust

February 2

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is

in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its

roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes … and never

fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7, 8

The gentleman sitting across from him was six feet and four inches tall, three

hundred fifty pounds, and barrel-chested. He’d always been intimidated shar-

ing his faith with big men. Today’s circumstances changed all that. He felt God

urging him to pray with this man. He’d just been told that the medical equip-

ment the man needed to survive had been denied as he had no means to pay for

the machine or the care involved. Stuffing his fear, he asked the man, “Would

it be all right if we pray about this?” The man answered, “Sure, I guess.” He

prayed a short but direct prayer that God would have His way, removing any

obstacles between the man and the care he needed. Finished, they completed

the interview, and the man left.

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. Picking up the receiver, he heard

sobbing on the other end of the line. Through sobs, the big man explained that

upon his return home, he had listened to his voice mail. The lone message had

been the medical provider. The message said, “It’s against our policy, but we’re

bringing the equipment you need, and we’ll worry about payment later.”

h

When we answer God’s call, He works in ways we cannot imagine. He moves

the hearts of people that know and follow Him, and He works on the hearts

of those who don’t.

When God gets us in the classroom, He intends that we learn these les-

sons for future reference. The man behind the desk learned that he could share

his faith with anyone as long as God was in control. The big man had learned

to trust God for his very existence. Stepping out in faith pays exponential

dividends.

Prayer

“Almighty Father, teach me to trust You in every part of my

life. Help me to step out in faith and give the fear of my life to

You so I can be better used by You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”