Deeply Within

August 9

I have hidden your word in my heart.

Psalm 119:11

“Okay, now repeat after me,” Ms. B instructed her Sunday school class. “You

did not choose me …”

“You did not choose me … ” the children echoed.

“But I chose you … ” Ms. B smiled as she saw the look of determination on

one young boy’s face.

“But I chose you … ” He was squinting his eyes to help focus.

“And appointed you … ” It was difficult to hold her laughter as she looked

from face to face.

“And appointed you … ” The volume was increasing. You could see their

hearts were completely given to this memorization exercise.

“To go and bear fruit.” She almost whispered it to see their response.

“To go and bear fruit.” Giggling could be heard as they followed suit and

whispered their responsive statement.

“Can anyone tell me what fruit Jesus is talking about?” Ms. B asked.

“Bananas!” one child hollered.

“Apples!” came another. Fruits of every kind were being hollered out.

Finally, Ms. B, laughing and smiling, held up her hand and called for

silence. “Those are all fruits and good answers,” she said, smiling brightly. “But

the fruit Jesus is talking about in this verse is about how we live our lives and

how other people know we belong to Jesus because of how we act” (Galatians

5:22).

h

There are times each day that we could benefit from God’s words. They are

meant to bring us strength, joy, and purpose.

Scripture memorization is essential to our spiritual well-being. Each verse

we commit to memory can comfort us in times of trouble and sorrow, be used

to fend off attacks in times of temptation, and enrich our walk with God, but

only if they have been planted deeply within. If they are not there to begin

with, we cannot recall them when we want or need to.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the words He memorized as

a young boy were used to counter the attacks of Satan. Jesus knew He needed

His Father’s words to resist the devil. Do we need more reason than this?

Prayer

“Lord, help me begin to hide Your Word deep in my

heart, so it will be there when I not only need it, but

when I want to meditate on it. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 It’s the Filling That Matters

August 8

Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil

heart.

Proverbs 26:23

Five feet nine inches tall, long auburn hair, and deep green eyes, she was stun-

ning! Clark almost tripped as he turned to get a second look at the woman

he’d just walked past. “Wow! I’d love to get to know her,” he said, nudging his

buddy, Brad.

“No, you wouldn’t,” came Brad’s unexpected reply. “She’s a snob, Clark,”

he said.

“Aw, you’re just jealous,” he quipped.

“Let me tell you a true story, Clark,” Brad said and proceeded. “Every-

where this woman goes, she commands attention. Everyone who sees her jock-

eys to meet her and to be seen with her. Yet few ever get the chance. Those who

do usually regret ever wasting time trying.” Looking to see if he was making

any impression, he continued. “My father was present on one occasion when

a young man about her age approached her at a dinner party. He shyly asked

her to have a drink with him in the restaurant bar. Dad said the woman briefly

looked at him and with disdain in her voice, said, ‘It would be a tremendous

waste of my time, and I would die before I would be seen with the likes of you.’

And with that, she turned her attention back to her sycophant admirers. Clark,

I’m telling you, she’s as vile on the inside as she is beautiful on the outside.”

h

Created in God’s image, there are, regrettably, times we don’t resemble Him

in the slightest. Our exterior may be bright and shiny, but our soul can be

riddled with poison, leaching out into our surroundings, polluting everything

it touches.

It isn’t enough to look the part of a Christian. We must share similarities

with our Creator. And the similarities must penetrate deeper than the surface

of our existence. God, unlike us, is concerned with the heart. He barely slows

down to see how we look on the outside.

What people see when they meet us is important, because Who we repre-

sent can be seen in our attitude. But the shell is not as important as the filling.

Prayer

“Make me beautiful on the inside, Lord. And help me look

past other’s shell to find the goodness within. Amen.”

 Hidden or Bare?

August 7

Nothing … is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and

laid bare.

Hebrews 4:13

Jeremy had been dealing from the bottom of the deck, so to speak, living a life

committed to Christ on the outside while entertaining a hidden secret. He

loved Jesus but seemed unable to resist the temptation of gambling. He wasn’t

sneaking off to the local casinos or playing online poker; Jeremy was addicted

to scratch-off lotto tickets. Things had gotten out of hand. He’d purchased more than

three hundred dollars worth in the past month. Bills were being ignored, and his

stress level had spiked.

He’d run into a few members of his congregation at the local convenience

store while buying tickets, but had covered up by lying, saying he was getting

them for a neighbor.

As it turned out, a recovering gambler had observed him scratching tickets

in the parking lot. Sensing God’s leading, the man approached Jeremy’s car.

He tapped on the window, causing Jeremy to jump as if stung; the shock and

distress on his face told the man all he needed to know.

Caught and embarrassed, Jeremy’s immediate thought was, This is none of

his business! But he kept it to himself. “Hey, Mark. What’s up?” he said.

“Hey Jeremy, how’s this lotto ticket thing working out for you?” Caught

off guard by Mark’s candidness, Jeremy just sat in stunned silence, unable to

answer. And in a moment of clarity, Jeremy realized God was giving him an

opportunity for freedom. He’d sent Mark, who knew a little something about

this corner of hell.

h

If we believe the evil we do will not be uncovered, we are deceived. God’s Word

declares He sees everything. But the deceit-filled heart whispers, “You will not

be found out or required to pay the consequences of your indiscretion.” We buy

the lie, living in blissful ignorance until it all comes crashing down around us.

There is a depravity in hidden sin. It can convince and pervert the purest of

hearts, successfully convincing us that God isn’t really watching.

But His Word says otherwise. Anything hidden will be spoken of from the

rooftops (Luke 12:3).

Prayer

“You alone know everything about my life, Lord.

Cleanse my heart and keep me from the lies

of hidden sin. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Instruments of Grace

August 6

Each one … faithfully administering God’s grace.

1 Peter 4:10

At seventeen, Kellen was a repeat offender.

Marshal was his newest probation officer. “You tired of the juvy system

yet? ‘Cause if you keep shopliftin’, you’re gonna find out what it’s like to be

tried as an adult. And they’ll introduce you to our wonderful prison system.”

Silence.

“I don’t get you, Kellen.” That wasn’t exactly true, but he wasn’t ready to tell

his story. “You’re a good-looking kid, star athlete, good grades, then bang! You

throw it all away. What for? A few trinkets?”

“Like you care,” came his smug reply.

Marshal spoke softly. “What makes you think I don’t?”

“No one else ever did. What makes you different?” Kellen shot back.

“Look, Kellen, you may find it hard to believe, but I do care. I’ve a better

understanding of your life than you might think.” What Kellen didn’t know

was that Marshal had done time for petty theft as a teen. Then someone had

taken an interest in his future. They had cared enough to reach out; it had

changed Marshal’s life.

He continued, “I’ve been where you are, Kellen. And someone cared enough

to get involved. Things were screwed up on the inside of me. My stealing was a

cry for help. And because they understood that, things changed. It can happen

for you too if you want it to. How about it? Can you try to trust me?”

“I don’t know why I do it,” Kellen finally responded honestly.

“Now that, I believe,” said Marshal.

h

Moral and ethical patterns are set at an early age. What we learn or don’t learn

in our youth shapes our values. Under ideal circumstances, we grow and mature

and make adjustments to those values until they are tempered with wisdom

and integrity. But most kids don’t grow up in an ideal world.

Today’s society throws pitches to our children they are not ready to hit.

And their immaturity doesn’t stop them from swinging. Mistakes are made;

consequences arise.

But the mistakes need not be permanent or the consequences life-ending.

We can reach out in grace and compassion with an offer to lead those who

would otherwise remain lost, into the saving grace of God.

Prayer

“Make me an instrument of your love and grace,

Lord. Use me to affect change. Amen.”

 Broken

August 5

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit …

Psalm 51:17

The Sunday service had begun as it did each week with the worship team lead-

ing the congregation in praise and worship. Nothing unusual there, the people’s

praises inviting God into the atmosphere.

Then God showed up, and it was personal.

Conrad loved singing and praising God. Suddenly, in the midst of wor-

ship, he felt an enveloping presence, a fullness he’d never experienced before.

From deep inside his being he heard a voice speak.

Jerking his head up and looking around to see who was watching, Conrad

was momentarily stunned. Seeing no one looking his way, he closed his eyes

once more. As he did, he realized the voice had come from inside. And the

moment that realization hit him, he heard it again. “Broken. You must come

broken.”

To say Conrad was startled was a gross understatement! God had never

spoken to him like this! Regaining his thoughts, he whispered, “What do You

mean, broken?”

“You are holding on to burdens that are not yours. But unless you are bro-

ken, I cannot take them.” The Holy Spirit continued, “I want all of you. Even

the deeply hidden things, Conrad. You must be broken to be made whole.”

Conrad hesitated only a moment. “Take my heart, Lord. Make me whole.”

h

Completely broken in spirit, yielded to God at the purest level, requires our

desires to take a back seat to God’s will. Scary, but it’s actually where we are

the safest.

Satan says otherwise. He whispers, “It’s too great a risk; you will be

humiliated.”

Satan is a liar. Complete submission to God can be intimidating; volun-

tary vulnerability is not natural. But it is where pride yields to God’s Sover-

eignty in such a way that He can heal the deepest, darkest wounds of our heart.

God wants to take our broken pieces and fit them together in such a way

as to make us whole. He wants to set us free of the bondage of secret sin. To

risk our heart this way is to leave ourselves bare before the Lord. But the ben-

efits are worth any possible risk.

Our Savior is gentle and loving. He does not humiliate His children. He’s

asking us today, “Will you come broken in spirit?”

Prayer

“I sacrifice my broken spirit, Lord. Make me whole. Amen.”

 Dumber than Dogs

August 4

As a dog returns to vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11

Jeff considered himself a daredevil. His friends considered him foolish.

Jeff, and the rough crowd he hung with, thought it was a true act of cour-

age to go swerving; a game in which two friends, upon recognizing the other’s

vehicle approaching in their direction, swerved into the other’s lane, passing

each other on the wrong side of the road. It didn’t matter to them whether it

was a city street, highway, or country road.

Jeff and his boys had done this on many occasions. As a matter of fact,

they had done it so many times that it had become boring. So they decided to

change the rules. Instead of swerving when you saw a friend, you just picked

a target vehicle coming your way and swerved into its lane, forcing the unsus-

pecting driver to slam on his brakes or yield his right of way by pulling off the

road. The boys considered it exciting and kept a running total of their swerves.

Jeff ’s wiser friends tried to persuade him to stop his foolish ways, but Jeff

just laughed it off, saying, “It makes me feel alive!”

Two days later, the headline in the local paper read: Teen Escapes Death

in Auto Accident!

h

A dog that eats his vomit doesn’t know any better. We, on the other hand,

should. God instilled in each of us a certain amount of common sense that He

expects us to use. To know the consequences ahead of time and choose to com-

plete the act is nothing short of rebellion and is a direct snub to God. To know-

ingly endanger ourselves or others is not some fun game; it is only foolishness.

We are responsible for our actions. We should not tempt God nor continue

doing foolish things for the sake of an adrenaline rush while denying the pos-

sibility of great disaster. If we continue in our folly, we are dumber than dogs

and will certainly end up paying a higher price than we ever thought possible.

Prayer

“Loving Father, I am capable of doing foolish things. Please

help me realize the error in my thought process before someone

pays a price he was never meant to pay. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 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.”