The Selfish Trinity

October 16

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.

Romans 12:3

During a work session to repair a parishioner’s house, the pastor pulled one

volunteer aside, away from listening ears. “John, I need to speak with you about

something.”

Having John’s undivided attention, he forged ahead. “God wants to use

each of us, and your assistance here is very much appreciated.”

He noticed a look of boredom dawn in John’s eyes. “John, your attitude

and actions scream, “Look at me!” You make people uncomfortable, and you

effectively steal the blessing God—”

“Look, Pastor,” John cut him off. “I hear you. But quite honestly, I do

things the way I want, or I don’t do them. Is that a problem?” You could tell he

expected the pastor to back off, believing they couldn’t get along without him.

What happened next took John by surprise. “It’s a big problem, John. And

I surely won’t force you to make changes you’re not willing to make. But if you

choose to continue treating others with disdain, I must ask you to leave. And I

mean our church, John, not just this project.”

Taken aback, John responded in anger. “Fine! I don’t need your high-and-

mighty church!” he said forcefully and left, slamming the door on the way out.

The mood in the house changed almost immediately; it was as though a

dark cloud had been lifted.

h

John suffers from a case of the selfish trinity: me, myself, and I.

Some would say the pastor was too strict. On the contrary: pride is a

sinister root, which if allowed to propagate, will pollute and choke out healthy

roots.

It led to the fall of mankind; Satan decided to elevate himself above the

throne of God and in doing so set in motion a series of events that led to his

and a third of the angels’ eviction from heaven; thus sin entered the world.

It is so subtle that we rarely, if ever, realize our own pride.

So in His mercy, God sends His Spirit to convict us. When convicted of

any pride in our lives, we should humble ourselves before God and deal with

the issue.

Prayer

“Is there any pride in me, Lord? If so, help me put it to

death so I might be humble before You. Amen.”

 Extinguished Flames

October 15

The devil prowls … like a roaring lion

1 Peter 5:8

As the pastor and his family returned home, he found an envelope tacked to

the parsonage’s front door.

Curious, he pulled it from the door and read. As he read, his face turned

ashen; the shock and confusion on his face caused his wife to ask what was

wrong. There were no words to soften this blow:

We, the leadership of the church, no longer require your services. We

therefore inform you that you have one week to vacate the parsonage.

We will find your replacement in due time and do not wish any future

contact with you.

Signed,

The Leadership

With no further explanation forthcoming and in total shock with inexpli-

cable heartache, they complied with the request, leaving the little church God

had called them to.

The young pastor agonized. Haven’t I spoken the true Word of God? Hasn’t

the community responded affirmatively since my appointment? And hasn’t God

shown me areas of needed growth I’ve been addressing? 

With astounding clarity, he understood; he had made the leadership uncomfortable, 

requiring growth. and a new level of commitment. He had become a threat to their 

little church.

Rumors spread by his accusers followed the young pastor, and he was

unable to secure future appointments. Jaded, he returned to secular work, never

to minister again from the pulpit.

h

What a profound loss. What an egregious act of abhorrent behavior. What an

insidious use of God’s children by Satan. Our enemy prowls, just as today’s

text tells us, like a roaring lion. But he also slips subtly in and out of our lives,

undetected and unidentified, using good-willed people to extinguish the fire of

God from the hearts of men. 

Failure to recognize or admit Satan’s influence in our lives will prolong our struggles. 

Without giving evil more power than it deserves, we must be aware of Satan’s 

willingness to use us against each other.

Satan is real; he hates the things and people of God, and he will use us to

attack each other. We must learn to recognize his tactics and then resist him!

Prayer

“Lord, make me aware of the enemy’s subtle

attacks. Help me to resist them. And use me as an

instrument of grace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 In Times of Need

October 14

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will

inherit salvation?

Hebrews 1:14

Lew had outlived his three-month life expectancy by two years before hospice

was called in. For those two years, Lew lived: visiting museums, taking walks

with his beloved, Patty, and working in his garden from time to time.

On the eve of his death, Lew kept calling for Judy. Judy was, as she put it,

Lew’s wash girl; her ministry had been to tenderly meet Lew’s bathing needs.

Knowing Judy wasn’t scheduled to work that day, Patty called hospice, asking

that they send her anyway. “Lew is asking for Judy. Please tell her.”

When later the doorbell rang, Patty was pleasantly surprised to find

Brenda, Lew’s RN, smiling through the door at her! “I just left the Healing

Hands of Christ seminar and felt led to stop by and see Lew. Would that be

okay?” she asked.

“Oh, yes!” Patty exclaimed, welcoming Brenda with a hug.

After simmering a pot of hyssop, frankincense, and myrrh, Brenda anointed

Lew with the spices, salving his hands and feet and head while hymns softly

played. As she finished, Lew lifted his right hand, pointing toward the corner

of the room.

“Do you see someone, Lew?” Brenda asked. His head nodded yes. “Is this

someone you know?” she prompted. He shook his head no. “Is this someone

speaking to you?” she asked.

“Can’t you hear him?” Lew said in wonder.

“No, we can’t,” they replied.

“It’s the Angel of the Lord, come to take me home.” Trying to sit up, Lew

remarked, “You can’t take a trip lying down!”

h

God’s conspicuous attention through the persons of Judy and Brenda, as well

as revealing His Angel’s presence as He took Lew home, was personal.

And this is the hope we have in Christ Jesus when we choose to accept

Him as our Lord and Savior.

It is appointed unto man once to die; we will not escape this life alive. But

we can take great comfort in the knowledge that having made the choice to

become one of God’s children, in times of need, we will be tended by minister-

ing spirits.

Prayer

“Loving Father, be near to those who are in need today,

regardless of the reason. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Root of Jesse

October 13

From his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Isaiah 11:1

They planted the sapling in the corner of the yard. “Daddy,” his young

daughter questioned, “can we use it for a Christmas tree someday?”

He chuckled at her optimism; she saw potential in this small, vulnerable sap-

ling. “You bet, honey. We’ll nurture it to make it the best Christmas tree ever.”

She cocked her head curiously. “What does nurture mean, Daddy?”

“It means we’ll need to love this tiny tree, honey, and treat it with tender-

ness. We’ll need to cut away dead branches and unwanted growth. We’ll have

to make sure the roots have a chance to grow deep so it will grow big and

strong.”

Then, as an afterthought, he added, “The weather will actually cause the

roots to grow deeper. As the wind and rain, sun, and cold weather beat down on

the sapling above ground, the little tree will tell its roots to grow deeper, giving

it the ability to stand against the harshest weather.”

So for eight years they nurtured the tree, shaping it by cutting back

unwanted growth.

Over time, the pine grew strong and tall. Then something unexpected hap-

pened. Birds began building their nests in the tree’s sheltering branches and ate

its pine nuts for life-giving nourishment.

When the time came to harvest the tree, the girl decided to leave it for

God’s wildlife. And instead of cutting it down, they decorated it right where it

stood, giving the birds the most beautiful home in the neighborhood.

h

Our heavenly Father is also optimistic when He looks at us. He sees great

potential in each of us. He wants to be our refuge when spiritual winds blow,

nurturing us, growing us to maturity.

When we are assaulted by spiritual elements, He patiently waits for us to

seek His assistance. As we come, He prunes away unwanted, sinful growth,

leaving us stronger and better equipped to stand against the trials of life.

As we grow, we can see our roots being anchored in the root of Jesse. Only

there will we find the spiritual nourishment necessary for our own sustenance

and be able to bear fruit for His kingdom.

Prayer

“Lord, grow my roots deeper. Make me a strong branch, able

to bear fruit for those in need. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Coming Storm

October 12

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds beat against the

house; yet it did not fall.

Matthew 7:25

Her husband had always known what to do: stay and ride it out or to seek

shelter inland, away from the fury of the storm. Yet he had died six years ago,

and this decision was hers alone.

As the surf pounded the sand with increasing intensity, she sensed the fury

of the coming storm. And although the storm was still hundreds of miles out,

she realized it might be a direct hit. They’d prepared for storms many times

over the years, closing shutters against the strong winds. They had even rebuilt

twice, saying, “We will not give in to this unwanted aggressor.”

She watched the waves pound with a force that belied the storm’s awesome

power and knew this one would be bad. Having been through some rough

storms in the past, she decided to board up and head inland, taking the kids to

her sister’s, not risking their lives to protect inanimate objects.

The storm bore down on the coast, rending wooden structures as if they

were made of cardboard. When she was finally granted access to her neighbor-

hood, she found only piles of debris shoved up against the palms; not one shred

of the house was left standing.

Only now did she realize with clarity how important the decisions of life

could be. She was thankful for having made the right one.

h

Many times, spiritual storms strike without advance warning, giving no sign

of the coming struggle. They develop quickly, like a tornado out of a supercell

thunderstorm, leaving no time to prepare or run for shelter.

Because of this frequent lack of warning, we must take steps ahead of time

to shore up the structures most vulnerable and valuable: our spiritual being.

Jesus says the only way to assure survival from these storms is to build our

lives on a solid foundation by immersing ourselves in His Word, spending time

with Him in prayer, and meeting with others of like mind. We can prepare for

the coming storm.

Prayer

“I need Your protection, Lord Jesus. Teach me

how to stand on You and Your Word as the

Foundation for everything I do. Amen.”

 Words of Life!

October 11

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

John 6:63

“Mom?” Steph said, calling for her attention. “Jesus said that our flesh counts

for nothing and that only the Spirit gives us life. Then He said the words He

spoke are spirit and life. Is He referring to the written word alone? Or do His

spoken words have more meaning for us?” 

Steph had been given a religion class assignment to explain what spiritual life 

meant to her. She’d focused on the New Testament, the red-lettered spoken words 

of Jesus, to be more precise.

“Well, what do you think He’s saying?” her mom prompted, wanting her to

answer the question for herself before she received any outside influence.

“I guess I think it’s a combination of both,” she said with a tinge of unresolved doubt.

“So why do you feel He meant both?” Mom asked.

“Well, first of all, I believe He’s talking about the natural life versus the

spiritual life, specifically, eternal life versus eternal damnation. And that if

we rely on ourselves for all the answers, we’ll become introspective and self-

deceived by thinking we can walk through life apart from God without any

need of a Savior.” Then she added, “I believe when we speak God’s written

word, it comes alive, you know, sharper than any two-edged sword. So what do

you think?” she asked.

“Sounds to me like you’ve got things well in hand, honey,” Steph’s mom

said, noting the twinkle of satisfaction in her daughter’s eyes.

h

How many times have you read, read, and reread the same verse of Scripture

only to have it jump off the pages in one blindingly revealing moment? Every-

one who has ever been a student of Scripture will have this phenomenon occur

many times over his or her studies of the Bible. 

It is the inherent Word of God, our lifeblood, which the Holy Spirit opens for our 

understanding as we prayerfully read. God intended us to study His Word in order 

that we would, through that nourishing act, receive the life of the Spirit.

Prayer

“Lord, reveal spirit and life to me as I read Your

written account of the story of Your love for me

and all mankind. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Enemy Within

October 10

Who am I?

Exodus 3:11

“Why did you just up and quit?” Reece was trying to understand how someone

with Tim’s drive and intuition would abandon his life’s goal. So far he hadn’t

figured it out. So once again, he asked, “Why’d you pull up short, Tim? And

why now?”

“You really want the truth?” Tim seemed to resent the questioning of his

motives.

But as Reece looked into Tim’s eyes, he recognized something from hav-

ing seen it in the mirror himself: fear.

“You’re afraid, aren’t you?” he said, bewildered. “I can’t believe it. You of all

people, afraid of what the future holds. So you’re pulling the plug before you

lose control?”

Reece was dumbfounded. He’d never suspected his closest friend wasn’t as

sure of himself on the inside as he appeared on the outside.

This had him stymied. “Tim … ” He struggled for the right words with

which to encourage his friend. “I’ve watched you take on challenges that would

have brought many a good man to his knees. You always stressed that to believe

in myself only required the knowledge that God’s always got my back. You

gonna tell me now that you really don’t believe that?”

“It’s not that simple,” Tim blurted. “What if people don’t respond favor-

ably? Then what?”

“Well, my best friend is always telling me, ‘Just put one foot in front of the

other and see where God leads you.’” Reece said, knowing that had been what

Tim needed to hear.

h

Our greatest enemy to accomplishing God’s tasks is the one within. We all,

at some level, fight Moses’ battle against inner fear. Satan introduces doubt

couched in the fear of rejection and failure or even our past. He intends to use

them as a means to stop us from reaching for a higher level of accomplishment.

Self-sufficiency is a weighty and dangerous thing. Only when we realize

that God will equip us completely for His work will we forge ahead.

Only God can defeat this enemy within. And then it’s only if we allow

Him into the battle.

Prayer

“Lord, I hate being afraid. And I don’t readily admit to fear.

Please send someone to encourage me to reach higher for

Your purposes if I begin to falter. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”