Sticks and Stones

August 3

Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival pro-

voked her till she wept and would not eat.

1 Samuel 1:7

Laura wiped at her tears as she walked up the drive; she didn’t want Dick to

see she’d been crying. “I hate mean people!” she vehemently cursed under her

breath, not noticing or caring as the bus faded into the distance.

Thoughts from today’s trip whirled through her head. Why does this always

happen? Why are people so mean? And why can’t people just leave me alone? She

would never get used to the stares and the names. I never hurt any of them, and

still they call me hurtful names, staring at me as if I’m some kind of monster! The

tears began anew.

At seventeen, Laura had been in an explosion involving a gas grill. It had

left her with burns over thirty percent of her body. The right side of her face

had required extensive cosmetic surgery, leaving disfigurement that could not

be hidden. She was still receiving monthly treatments to stretch ongoing skin

grafts.

Laura hated visits to the city. Because no matter how much she prayed, she

always saw that look and heard those comments.

Why couldn’t people see past the scars? “Why couldn’t You have just let me die

in that explosion?” she challenged God for the hundredth time.

h

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Most of

us have used this comeback as a form of protection for lack of a better defense.

The idiom is a lie; name-calling hurts.

And for good reason. It undermines our personal confidence while telling

us we are defective and unacceptable; it wounds a heart longing to be loved.

Hannah was so affected by name-calling that she wept until she couldn’t

eat! But God heard Hannah’s cry. And he hears ours too. Like Hannah, we too

might endure ridicule we do not deserve, but, in the end, our sorrow will turn

to joy. There is no guarantee that our situation will soon change, as there is no

shortage of mean-spirited people. But God hears our cry. And in time He will

take away our pain.

Prayer

“Lord, help me bring healing instead of pain. Guard

my tongue and words. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Connect the Dots

August 2

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

“Come look at my zebra, Mom!” Will called.

“Let me see,” Sheena said. “That’s great, honey!” she added, impressed with

the precision with which he had completed the connect-the-dots drawing.

“Thanks!” said the nine-year-old, the pride of accomplishment evident in

his demeanor. “An’ look at this! The stripes look like four scrunched letter Zs!”

he remarked, tracing each letter to emphasize his point.

What a vivid imagination, Sheena thought, wondering if she would have

noticed it herself. “You know, Will, your Uncle Ralph loved connect the dots.

And now he’s an architectural engineer.” Realizing Will needed a simple defi-

nition to make the connection from one to the other, she added, “An engineer

uses scientific knowledge and principles of how things work to construct build-

ings, bridges, and other structures.”

“I could draw a bridge, Mom!” Will said enthusiastically and began imme-

diately to draw a basic, one-dimensional blueprint with ruler and pencil. Five

minutes later, he held aloft the drafting job he had carefully completed. In

truth, it bore a striking resemblance to the intended subject matter, quite

impressive for a nine-year-old. Who knew? Perhaps her son might just follow

in her brother’s footsteps.

h

Connect-the-dot drawings do not provide entertainment alone. They teach the

basics in perceptual thinking. As a child, I eagerly guided my pencil from one

dot to the next, connecting each corresponding number to the next, revealing

the secret of the numbers. These simple drawings taught me the concept of

visualization and gave me the ability to understand how critical a sequence of

events and following directions are.

God’s Word is similar in nature. His written account of history provides

a starting point for our spiritual education and leads us through the steps of

maturation from infancy, where we are taught His precepts, to maturity in

Christ and how we are to conduct ourselves in His service. Each lesson has its

own built-in navigation system; as we complete one lesson in life, God’s light

illuminates our path to the next.

Prayer

“Lord, thank You for Your version of connect the dots. Lead

me as I trace my way through each lesson. Help me visualize

the path You have laid out for me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Alive and Free

August 1

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

Peter wasn’t sure if he was reaching these men. Only two of them had given

their lives to Christ in the time since he’d begun this Thursday night Bible

study at a prison just outside his community. He wasn’t too impressed with his

conversion versus attendance ratio. Right now he was waiting for the prisoners

to show up for tonight’s meeting following nine o’clock count.

Peter knew firsthand how these men felt, as he’d done a stretch of time

five years before. Released and delivered, Peter wanted to give other men the

opportunity he’d been given. He warmly remembered the day when that big

brute of a man, Ben Johnson, had looked him in the eye and said, “I’m not

dead or incarcerated, and I could be either. The reason I’m not is Jesus Christ!

Because of Him I’m alive and free!” The smile on his face seemed to fit. There

was an evident sincerity in his eyes that said, “This freedom thing is awesome!”

Snapping back to the moment, Peter watched as the men began filing in

and taking their seats. When they were settled, he welcomed them and asked

them to join him in prayer. “Lord, each of these men has a story, and many

should be dead. I thank You that instead they’re alive. Help them see what they

can have in You. Show them how being one of Your children can conquer any

problem they face and how Your love can set them free. Amen.”

h

Prisons come in all forms, and death of the soul can take place long before our

physical expiration. Jesus wants to set us free.

Walking through life with burdens we were never meant to carry erects

walls of confinement. Any lifestyle that runs in opposition to God’s will keeps

us from experiencing the fullness of life, the joy and freedom we receive in the

Holy Spirit, and leaves us in jeopardy of losing our eternal life. As long as you

still breathe, there’s a chance to experience these things.

Ben said, “Because of Him I’m alive and free!” The antithesis is dead and

incarcerated.

Prayer

“Lord, set me free from this prison I’m in. Release

the chains of bondage and set me free! Amen.”

 Does It Matter to Me?

July 31

Train a child in the way he should go …

Proverbs 22:6

“Look, Gretchen, if you want to fight with the school board over this smut,

book-in-the-library issue, that’s your business. But don’t involve me because

it’s not my fight!” Luther said heatedly. “I don’t happen to agree with your per-

spective about our freedoms being taking away!” he said emphatically.

Gretchen was astonished. “How can you say that with a clear conscience?

By not taking a stand against the removal of God from every part of our society

or when they try to pass off smut for legitimate reading material, you passively

take their side!” she fired at him.

“I have taught my children the difference between creationism and evolu-

tion, I’ll have you know!” he fired back. “And they know about those books

too. I’ve forbidden them to read them!” He argued. “If more people took care

of these things at home, it wouldn’t matter what these liberal-minded lobby-

ists did. And we wouldn’t be having this battle!” he finished, face flushed in

irritation.

“Your children may know the difference,” she interjected. “But what about

your grandchildren? What makes you think your kids won’t read those books

anyway? Or don’t you care?” Gretchen couldn’t believe how anyone could

explain away his responsibility to take a stand against the advancement of evil.

h

Silence among the Christian community has been the greatest proponent to

the propagation of evolution and removal of our entire belief system from not

only our public schools, but society as a whole. There are very few times we

have the option on whether to engage the enemy or not.

The it’s-not-my-fight mentality, where we neither have the time nor wish

to be connected to anything that might make us look like a zealot, is too preva-

lent in the body of Christ today. We say ridiculous things like, “I don’t want to

make anybody angry; I just want to be Jesus to them.”

Be assured: Jesus would not tolerate what we allow because of our fear of

man! And to that we must ask ourselves: does it matter to me?

Prayer

“Lord, give me the sense and courage to take a stand and be

willing to defend our freedom of religion. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Saving for a Future

July 30

But he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

227

Proverbs 13:11

Patty and Glenna were twins. But that’s where any similarities ended. Patty

was a vigilant, careful saver.

Glenna had never learned the fine art of financial prudence.

Patty had gotten her driver’s license and was checking out cars on the

Internet, looking for a good deal.

Glenna never seemed to be able to pass up the latest fashion trend, DVD,

or techno gadget.

While Patty saved enough money to make a sizable down payment on a

dependable vehicle, Glenna gave no thought to the future. Her peers teased

her that she would need to marry into money if she expected to continue her

gotta-have-it lifestyle.

Patty put aside what she received for birthdays and Christmas, as well as

wages earned working evenings for a local department store.

Glenna, on the other hand, was spontaneous and rarely thought past her

next impulse purchase. Every time Apple came out with a new phone or iPad,

Glenna just had to have it. Consequently, when she needed a loan, she had

no credit established and was denied without a cosigner. Patty was also wise

enough to tell Glenna no when she asked if she would cosign.

h

Squandering money can be as harmful as worshiping it.

Setting and working toward financial goals builds discipline and allows us

to defer our need-it-now mentality.

Financial discipline can be difficult for many people; some because they

don’t believe it’s possible to save money on a limited income; others because

they cannot quell their desire to possess everything they see.

Many impulsive people can’t view saving as a long-term prospect and have a

hard time putting “A lot of little investments makes a lot of money” in perspective.

Yet for those who have practiced this principal, they have found it works

very well.

Saving is a learned behavior. Preparing for the future requires restraint. By

setting goals and working toward them, we find it’s not as hard as we thought,

and it works. Saving a little at a time for the future will pay huge dividends.

Prayer

“Lord, help me reign in my desire to spend

when it’s not necessary. Teach me to save a little

at a time and watch it grow. Amen.”

 Stuck in Saturday

July 29

I tell you the truth … you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

John 16:20

Penny lay awake, the heartache tonight not much less than a year ago. She

hadn’t slept much since Richard had died.

Married only six months, Richard had died when his car skidded on a

patch of ice. The vehicle had gone over the guardrail above a deep gorge, roll-

ing several times before coming to rest at the bottom. It had been several hours

before he was found, and it had taken several more to remove him from the

wreckage; he’d lived for two days before succumbing to his injuries.

Penny was numb, yet her brain never shut down. She rarely went a full

ten minutes without it all playing back in her mind: the scene at the trauma

center, the two days in ICU, the funeral, and the emptiness. It seemed her life

was stuck on replay.

Penny cried out to God for answers, answers that probably wouldn’t relieve

the ache or make this any easier.

Family and friends felt she was stuck in her grief. They continued to min-

ister to her in love, praying that her outlook would brighten, bringing this

profound grief to an end.

h

Anyone who has lost a loved one or a friend knows the depth of Penny’s heart-

ache. Their absence creates a hole in us that refuses to be refilled; we’ve lost

someone so precious that to think otherwise would feel like betrayal.

Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, did what He could to reassure His

disciples of His resurrection. But on Good Friday nothing could take away the

sting, the shock, or the pain in their chests. And all day Saturday they tried

unsuccessfully to console themselves.

Then came Sunday!

The truth is if we live long enough, we will experience Penny’s pain. If we

love deeply, we will grieve the same way. But someday our grief will turn to joy.

It’s Jesus’ resurrection that keeps us from getting stuck in Saturday.

Death came on Friday, resurrection on Sunday, but there was a very long

day in between. It’s okay to grieve. But do it with hope.

Prayer

“Give us strength to walk on in the pain, Lord. Thank You

that, because of Jesus, this pain will turn to joy. Amen.”

 In My Time

July 28

Look up at the heavens and count the stars … so shall your offspring be.

Genesis 15:5

In the midst of doubt, Shane still knew God was there. But that didn’t bring

much comfort right now. Having stepped out in faith, Shane was still awaiting

the manifestation of God’s promise. “Answer this call and I will sustain you.

Trust Me.”

Shane had answered the call. Yet it was going on seven months and there

was no evidence of God’s provision. His financial situation was getting desper-

ate. Bills were overdue; he was stressed out; his faith was being tested. “I can’t

do this much longer, Lord!” he shouted.

Shane didn’t doubt God’s leading. Yet for him to be struggling like this

didn’t make sense. It felt as if he were missing something God was trying to

tell him.

“I don’t believe this is what You promised, Lord. If I’m missing something,

please show me what it is.” He was completely perplexed. “I refuse to give up!”

he shouted. “But I need some direction here, Lord.” Shane listened into the

silence that followed. No answer came.

Deciding to wait no matter how long it took God to show up, he wearily

said, “You know, Lord, I get a sense of what Abraham and Sarah must have felt

like when they doubted Your promise.”

h

Seven months is a bit short of Abraham’s twenty-year wait; but doubt is doubt,

and many of us have walked in faith with doubt as a close companion. God

understands and continues to guide us, like Abraham, to a place of complete

dependence on Him.

Abraham failed this test of faith by having Hagar bear Ishmael. Yet God,

in His infinite mercy, kept His promise, and Sarah bore Isaac.

And so it is with us: we fail and God remains faithful.

God is looking for a heart of obedience, completely turned to Him, a

heart that will wait for His perfect timing, serving as though they had already

received the promise.

As we draw closer to God, we realize that great faith comes by overcom-

ing great doubt. God says, “I have given you My promise; will you wait for it

in My time?”

Prayer

“Strengthen my resolve to trust You, Lord. Guide me

into an unshakable faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”