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.

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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.”

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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.”

 His Strong Right Hand

February 1

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life … with

your right hand you save me.

Psalm 138:7

Steve and Rita traversed the snow-covered rocks to the floor of the gorge. Vir-

tually unknown to the general public, Ice Rocks is hidden less than three miles

off the main highway and just yards off the beaten path. Yet without knowledge

of the rock formation, you would never suspect its presence.

A beautiful waterfall any time of the year, it is striking in mid- to late win-

ter. A crescent-shaped gorge with a waterfall in its center, it boasts stalagmite

and stalactite icicles as large as semi trailers. The gorge is sixty feet deep with

a forty-foot mound of rock in the center. The falls becomes a frozen chute in winter, solid on three sides, water continuously pounding the creek bottom.

Steve had Rita stand at the base of the falls to give the photo a sense of pro-

portion. Hearing a loud crack, they moved quickly away from the immediate

area. As they rounded the mountain of rock, putting distance between themselves

and the ice, they heard a thunderous crash. Something had let go! 

Returning, they found a forty-foot piece of ice lying at the base of the falls, right where Rita had been standing. Had they not been warned by the crack, Rita might have been killed!

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Steve and Rita had experienced God’s protection many times in their lives.

They recognized His intervention on this day, moving them out of harm’s way

with a warning crack. 

Although God is at work in all His children’s lives, we sometimes chalk His supernatural protection up to coincidence, good luck, or what some call fate. Regardless of what we read or see in movies, we are not two ships passing in the night. Nor are we feathers just floating about on the wind, guided by every breeze that comes along. 

Our Father has a strong right hand. With it, He preserves our lives. As His children, our choices will always be His concern. He protects us when we heed His warning. His desire is that we choose wisely, making some of the rescues unnecessary.

Prayer

“Thank You, Papa, for Your loving protection. Help

us recognize Your right hand at work in our lives so

we might give You praise. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Breath of Life

January 31

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and

breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a

living thing.

Genesis 2:7

The car came out of nowhere, slamming into the driver’s side door of her SUV.

The side airbags deployed immediately, preventing her serious injury. But the

man in the oncoming car had been ejected through his windshield, coming to

rest on the hood of her car. 

Regaining her senses, she climbed over the console and exited the passenger side door, coming around the front of the car to check on the man. Holding her fingers to his neck, she discovered he had no pulse.

Climbing up beside the man, she began first aid. Looking for blockage in his

airway and finding none, she pinched his nose and began respirations, then

pumped on the man’s chest. 

She continued CPR, and after five repetitions, the man responded, yet remained unconscious. He was transported to a nearby trauma unit where he eventually recovered from his injuries. The very person he hit had saved his life by providing the precious breath necessary to sustain his life.

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It has been said we breathe some of the very air Jesus himself breathed two

thousand years ago. Science says that all oxygen is recycled, stating that .00037

percent of all air molecules have been co-breathed by everyone who has ever

existed. Regardless of the validity of that statement, we have all been given

the gift of life. 

When God “breathed into his nostrils,” He created life and an oxygen-rich environment capable of sustaining that life. We should never mistake the truth of the statement made in this passage. He didn’t just bring Adam to life; He created an atmosphere that would sustain us forever, giving us an opportunity to understand the awesome power of God.

Prayer

“Breath of Life, we thank You for life-giving oxygen. Without

it, we could not survive. Help us to understand the power You

possess and Your desire that we become vessels of that same

power through the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we become

fresh breath in a stagnant world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Unequally Yoked

January 30

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 6:14

The farmer led the oxen into the stall preparing to put them under yoke for

plowing. He laid the wooden crossbeam over their necks. Next, taking the

yoke itself, he sent the stave end up through the hole on one side of the beam

while his son held the other end in place; he then spun on the wooden nut. 

At that moment, the low-side ox was stung by a bee. Jerking his head and causing the loosely tied cinch reigns to come undone, the ox stepped out of the yoke, causing the full weight of it to fall on the off ox, who twisted its head sideways under the strain. 

The farmer quickly grabbed the yoke, lifting it and relieving the unwanted pressure. His son grabbed the trailing reigns, coaxed the ox back into the yoke, and tightly tied the reigns to the stable cinch. Back under the yoke, the oxen shared the weight of the load.

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When we choose to disobey God’s directive not to become unequally yoked

with unbelievers, we expose ourselves to unnecessary problems and heartache.

Unbelievers don’t respond the same as believers to trials or difficulties. Unbe-

lievers do not adhere to God’s directives, nor do they care that we do. And

when problems arise, a believer can be left with the full weight of responsibility,

thereby twisting his neck out of joint, causing emotional turmoil. This diamet-

ric opposition can cause broken relationships.

Some of us enter relationships thinking, I can help them believe, and so

we go about implementing change in an effort to mold the person into the

image we desire them to be. In the end, we only cause or reveal insurmountable

barriers.

Only God can affect that kind of change. And His desire is that we leave

it to Him and not enter into those relationships unless the person changes. It’s

our responsibility to refrain from relationships with anyone who does not fol-

low God’s instruction.

Prayer

“All Knowing Father, help us to steer clear of relationships

that are not founded on You. Help us to deal rightly

with human desire. Please show us grace when we

fail to listen to Your decrees and gently bring us back

under Your instruction. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Proper Timing

January 29

Whoever obeys his commands will come to no harm, and the wise

heart will know the proper time and procedure.

Ecclesiastes 8:5

He stood silently by and watched as I swung the sledge against the wedge,

attempting to fell the tree. It was a big, old tree, seventy feet tall and spreading

out some forty feet. It would make a lot of firewood. I began to hear a chuckle

every now and again.

After ten minutes of pounding, I was tiring quickly and sweating profusely.

I’d made no progress, and he was openly laughing. In my wounded pride, I said,

“If you think you can do it better, have at it.” 

He stepped over, re-placed the wedge, and in three, well-timed swings, dropped the tree right were he wanted. Exasperated, all I could do was shake my head, smile, and ask, “So what’s the secret?” 

My father-in-law winked, pointed at the sky, and said, “You have to look up when you’re wedging a tree. You wait until the tree sways against the wedge, then, as it begins to sway the other way, you drive the wedge deeper and wait, driving it deeper with each swing. It’s all in the timing. To get the timing right, you have to look up.”

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Often, we struggle against unseen pressures, forgoing the council of those wiser

than ourselves. Instead of seeking their experience in regard to the pressure

we’re facing, we forge ahead, making our own way. 

Our self-sufficient mind-set doesn’t leave much room for admitting we could benefit from someone else’s wisdom, and our efforts are diminished when we navigate life on our own.

Like wedging a tree, we need wisdom concerning our actions in overcoming

the pressures we face. God, if we will allow Him, can move people and sway

things to work in our favor, moving them in such a way that it increases our

strength, not deplete it. “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” That’s

God, us, and others.

 

Prayer

“Lord, I tend to have tunnel vision at times. Please

whisper for me to look up to You. Help me change

from my self-sufficient ways in an effort to become God

sufficient. I admit I cannot do this on my own. Amen.”