Not Crushed, Not Abandoned

March 2

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but

not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned.

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

Unable to find the restaurant they were seeking, they settled on this steak-

house. Their waitress was very personable and pleasant. She was a Hurricane

Katrina transplant, now living thirty miles inland. She hoped to get home to

the coast in the next couple months.

They asked her about how life had changed. She was quick to share how

her former employer had provided a fifteen-thousand-dollar debit card to help

with temporary relocation.

She spoke about how normal things had seemed the day the storm hit and

how much her life had changed since. She and her sister had gone to Florida

to ride it out. They had taken nothing with them, expecting to return home

in the morning. They returned to the neighborhood ten days later to find the

house gone. There was nothing left but the cement slab with the ceramic tile

still in place. Yet she quickly downplayed their loss, citing how others had lost

their lives.

When she finished, the group asked if they could pray with her. As they

held hands and prayed, tears fell. The waitress felt God’s embrace that night;

she felt loved.

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Eighteen months after the storm, it was the first time anyone had offered to

pray for her. One act of love can bring the beginning of healing. They had

reached out to the waitress in sensitivity and obedience. 

God uses us when we are available and obedient. If we are willing to step out for the cause of Christ, He will teach us great and wonderful things. This small act of compassion produced several testimonies for the future. 

When we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, we discover the outcome is God’s goal, not our comfort. Mostly, we find that others are hungry for spiritual nourishment. Taking time to ask your waiter or waitress if he or she has a prayer need may be the first step to healing. God whispers in our ear, “Tell them I care.”

Prayer

“Show me the opportunities where a prayer can make a

difference in someone’s life, Lord. Then give me the courage

and strength to pray with them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 On Eagle’s Wings

March 1

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will

soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:31

It was clear and cold as she stepped out the back door, heading for town. The

sun had risen into a brilliantly blue winter sky. The snow on the ground made it

almost blinding. She spotted two cardinals sitting in the walnut tree at the back

of the property. There were few birds around this time of year.

Just as she reached the car, she heard a screeeech. Looking in the direction

it had come from, she spotted the eagle! He was just hanging there, circling

as if weightless. These were her birds! Well, God’s birds really. But she felt He

had given them to her. They had been His witnesses to her in rough times. God

had always brought them on just the right day at just the right time, letting her

know He was watching.

These majestic birds had migrated to this river bottom some twenty years

ago. They had made tremendous advancement; there were now some ten nest-

ing pairs in a twenty-square-mile area. Each time she witnessed the awesome

grace and beauty of the huge birds, she gave God thanks.

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We are witness to God’s creative power and imagination. Eagles are but one

example of His love of beauty in majesty. They are also the model He chose in

Scripture to convey power, strength, and safety.

Isaiah pronounces God’s promise of renewed strength and the ability to

overcome, rising above the cares of the world if we trust and hope in the Lord.

God wants us to understand that our daily strength should come from Him

alone.

By putting our trust in Him, we will never grow weary. He doesn’t prom-

ise life will be easy. But if we allow Him to draw us apart from our labor, He

will replace our weakness with His strength. The text suggests that we do this

expectantly, trusting Him to produce in us a work we are incapable of.

Prayer

“Lord, we thank You that You send us signs of Your strength

to encourage us. Help us come to an understanding that we

can exchange our limited strength for Your unlimited power.

Teach us as we come in faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 There Are No Soft Rocks

February 28

And do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 4:27

The driver slammed on his brakes! The bush the kid was hiding behind wasn’t

nearly big enough to keep him from eventual discovery. Panic gripped his

heart! Why had he thrown those limestone pebbles in the first place? He was

paralyzed by fear! Even though everything in him screamed run, his body

wouldn’t respond.

Time stood still; then a flashlight with an angry voice attached emerged

and started probing for him. “Who threw those rocks? Where are you?” He

sure was mad! As he was about to bolt, the beam of light found him.

Oh no! He jumped up and turned to run, but the man had anticipated his

move and intercepted him, grabbing his sweatshirt by the collar, pulling him

up short. “What do you think you’re doing, kid? You could’ve killed us!” At that

moment, he heard the little girl crying in the car.

“I’m sorry, mister!” he offered, scared to death. “I didn’t think it was such a

big deal. I thought it would be fun,” he blurted out, realizing this wasn’t fun at

all. It was about to get a lot worse when Dad found out!

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Rarely as children do we contemplate how our actions affect others. Unin-

formed choices usually lead to consequence rather than reward. Unrestrained,

pranks can, and often do, graduate to more daring exploits in order to elicit

excitement. 

Childhood traits are patterns that become footholds for the enemy.

Left unchecked, they become strongholds. It requires substantial effort to

unlearn bad behaviors, so it is critical that we help our children learn good

behaviors that breed character and integrity. Well-informed children stand a

much better chance of making right choices more consistently. This requires

investment of ourselves and our time in our children in order to raise up care-

takers for their generation.

If we fail to do this, our children will reap the harvest of their own experi-

ences. We will be leaving them open for innumerable enemy footholds.

Prayer

“I love the children You have entrusted to me,

Lord. Help me invest in their character and future.

Help me nurture them instead of allowing the

world to raise them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Rebuilding Hope

February 27

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s

people who are in need.

Romans 12:12, 13

As they boarded the plane to return home, there were mixed feelings of fulfill-

ment and abandonment. The destruction seen on TV was incomprehensible

prior to having witnessed it firsthand. Walking among the ruined buildings,

seeing the empty lots where nothing remained and where lives had been lost,

had been sobering. They had come here to give of themselves, to try to help

make a difference in someone else’s life, to share God’s love with those who

weren’t able to pick themselves up on their own.

The number of homes that had been swept away by Katrina was mind-

boggling. They had spent a week working out of a church that had been con-

verted into a workstation/sleeping quarters/diner/clinic, and yes, still a church

on Sunday and Wednesday. They had been the tenth crew to have worked on

this specific house and were privileged to have completed all the necessary

repairs and construction. It was time for the family, who was currently staying

in Ohio, to come home.

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Paul exhorted the Roman church to be encouragers not only in word, but also

in deed. They were to share their resources with those in need. Because there

are still those in need around the world, those same words apply to us.

Jesus said, “You will always have the poor among you.” His hope was that

we wouldn’t leave them in their need. He asks and expects us to take an active

part in rehabilitating those who can’t make it on their own.

Does it matter to you why your children have needs? Or do you help meet

those needs because you love them or because they may not be able make it on

their own?

As children of God, we are to look for, not away from, opportunities to

restore hope and help for those less fortunate around the world and in our own

neighborhood.

Prayer

“I know it’s as important to pray as it is to go, Lord. Help me

know how to share with those in need around the world and

in my backyard. Tell me if I am to go. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Little Buddy

February 26

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always

protects.

1 Corinthians 13:6, 7

He ran onto the field, dragging the portable water fountain behind him. As

each player took his turn drinking, he’d smile at Pete and rub his head.

Pete was team manager and waterboy. Standing four feet tall at age twelve,

he was affectionately known among these athletic young men as their little

buddy. Nobody bullied Pete, whether at a game or in school. If the players got

wind of someone giving him a hard time, they paid him a visit and convinced

him to rethink his actions.

Pete had had growth issues. And despite his short stature, instead of mak-

ing fun of this little sixth-grader, the team adopted him in brotherly love as a

full-fledged member. And, as a member of their team, he was afforded their

protection. And protect Pete they did. As Pete grew older and taller, the bond

remained. These young men would always feel a special connection to Pete, one

born in love. Eventually, out of college and settled in his career, Pete hosted

the football team’s Web site. It was his way of paying forward the bonds built

in those early years.

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There are almost an identical number of references in Scripture admonishing

us to refrain from oppression and harm as there is instructing us to encourage

and protect. We are to not only abstain from ridiculing others but also stand

with them against oppression.

Psalm 83 instructs us to, “Defend the cause of the weak … maintain the

rights of the poor and oppressed.” The members of Pete’s high school football

team chose to support rather than devalue his life.

We are all given opportunities to come alongside others, to become their

encouragers. Many times these opportunities are ripe with confrontation, and

we may feel uncertain and uncomfortable. But wrong actions must not go

uncontested. If left unchecked, they foster growth. We are called to take a

stand against the fear mongers of the world.

Prayer

“I get uncomfortable in the midst of controversy, Lord.

Help me do the right thing, to stand in love against

those who would defile and beat down those who are

weak or those who are tired. I am a soldier of Christ.

Help me act like one. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”