'The Belt Buckle'

June 1

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me".

Psalm 138:7

The first thing George remembered was waking up in the Emergency Room, hearing his father's voice, “Do whatever it takes!” His father was imploring the doctors and nurses that slowly came into focus around his son to please save his son's life! He was slowly gaining consciousness, but awareness and intelligent thought still evaded him. He instinctively knew he had been in a serious accident. But the when, where, what and how weren't yet tangible.

“Your son is fortunate to be alive according to the statements of those at the site of his accident. EMTs say his helmet was scraped almost completely through and the handlebars were bent at a ninety degree angle from the impact. We believe his belt buckle absorbed the impact by the looks of the damage done to it and the bruising around his abdomen.” The doctor continued, “Had that handlebar not hit the buckle it would have penetrated his abdomen, doing who knows how much damage. He's going to be sore for some time but it's a miracle he's not laying here with extensive trauma to his midsection.”

That triggered the memory hiding just outside George's grasp. He remembered the quick glimpse of a pick up truck running a red light too close for him to maneuver his 1979 RD 400 motorcycle around or stop short of colliding with the truck.

More snippets would return over the years but it would take years for George to come to the understanding that not remembering everything about that day was a blessing. One thing he knew in his heart about that day was God had used that belt buckle to save his life.

†

How many times has God, unaware to us, protected us from serious injury or death? I'm sure we can all relate to George's situation, we have all had 'close calls' or 'unexplained circumstances' that changed the direction of our lives. I know I was reminded of several possible Heavenly interventions over my lifetime.

But did we, at that moment, recognize the hand of God at work, or were they simply coincidences? It is my belief that we will be surprised upon our arrival in Heaven to find out there were many more times God intervened in the circumstances of our lives, moments that had eternal implications, events that could have or would have changed the path we were on. Perhaps giving us more time to invite Jesus to come into our heart. If you are reading this and have not yet asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior I invite you to do that now. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. That choice must be made prior to our death. This life is fleeting. Eternity is forever. Hell is full of people who thought they had more time.

Prayer

“Thank You, Lord, for your conspicuous protection, for Your mighty right hand that saves me. Thank You for watching over me. Draw me closer as I ponder such love. Love that sent Your Son, Jesus to die in my place so I could spend Eternity with You. Amen.”

 You Can’t Take Them Back

April 18

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings

healing.

Proverbs 12:18

“Get out of my house! Now!” Logan shouted at his sister, pointing toward

the door. The muscles in his neck bulged with the fierceness of his attitude; his

face was contorted in rage. 

In one single moment, Logan had lost control of his actions, and his tongue had become a weapon. Emotion overrode intelligence and restraint. He regretted his words the moment he heard them out loud, but he couldn’t take them back now—his pride wouldn’t let him. Doggone her anyway! he thought. I didn’t ask for her opinion!

Stunned beyond understanding, Sarah turned and ran from the house;

the wound was immediate. Jumping in her car, she slammed the door, started

the car, ripped the shifter into reverse, and backed out of the driveway. In her

confused state, Sarah backed right into the path of a dump truck carrying a

load of gravel to a nearby construction site. 

Rushing out the door, Logan saw events unfolding; he was too late to help. He watched in horror as the power of his words affected his sister’s life. Sarah would spend three weeks hospitalized in traction, and would need to learn to walk again.

h

One of our greatest struggles is controlling our tongue. James wrote a whole

chapter about it. Solomon speaks to the recklessness of our words, the lack

of consideration we give to how our speech affects others. Logan would have

given anything to take back the venomous arrows he lodged in Sarah’s heart.

But once they’re out, they can’t be recovered.

None of us is exempt in this matter.

We know how much it hurts to be wounded by someone’s speech, so why

is that so hard to remember when we find ourselves in moments of critical

decision? Preparation and the lack of it. It’s a wise man that thinks ahead. He

understands the consequences of his words and acts accordingly. Kind words

bring healing and favor. Harsh words pierce and destroy. Once past our lips, we

can’t take them back.

Prayer

“Help me bring favor in times of crisis, Lord. And

forgive me for the times my tongue wounds. Teach

me to think ahead. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Where Do Goldfish Go?

April 17

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples.

Isaiah 11:10

It was a somber occasion. Goldie the goldfish was being laid to rest in the

backyard beneath the big maple tree. Six-year-old Lynn and ten-year-old Pete

had tears in their eyes as Daddy shoveled dirt over the little box they’d helped

him construct. “Will we see Goldie when we get to heaven, Mommy?” came

Lynn’s wonder-filled question.

Death is like that, Dad thought as he finished the burial. It brings out those

difficult-to-answer questions.

Mom thought for a moment and then said, “Well, honey, the Bible says

when we die, if we love Jesus, we will live with Him forever. I don’t know if

Goldie will be there when we get there, but it won’t be so important since you’ll

be with your best friend, Jesus.”

Daddy added, “The Bible also says that there will be animals in heaven

and that little children will lead them. So since other animals will be in heaven,

maybe Goldie will be there too. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Satisfied with these answers, the kids prayed that they would get to see

Goldie when they got to heaven and then somberly went off to play.

h

Scripture is explicit in its revelation of animals in heaven. The eleventh chap-

ter of Isaiah leaves no doubt as to their presence. It does not, however, tell us

whether our pets will be there. But just as the mother in today’s story revealed

to her children, our priorities will change the moment we are in the King’s

presence. We will no longer grieve the loss of our pets, nor will our hearts ache

with that emptiness created by their passing. We will stand in awe of the Son

of God and experience unparalleled joy under His banner of love.

To a young child, the hope of seeing their pet is enough. As we mature in

Christ, the hope of seeing Him fills any void the death of an earthly pet might

leave.

Prayer

“Death seems so permanent, Lord. Please be close and comfort

us while we wait to be with You in our permanent home.

And if Goldie is there, please tell her we said hello! Amen.” 

 What Will Your Harvest Look Like?

April 16

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.

Galatians 6:10

Before she lifted dinner, Nancy had one last errand to run. “I’m taking a plate

to Dorothy. I’ll be right back; then we’ll eat!” she hollered from the kitchen and

headed out the back door, across the yard to her next-door neighbor’s.

As she came through the door, Dorothy said, “Oh, hon, you didn’t have to

do this. But it sure does smell wonderful! You’re just too good to me.” Tears

filled her eyes.

Nancy loved to give of herself to her seventy-something neighbor. “I just

figured you might be tired after doing yard work all day, and I didn’t want you

to have to spend time making yourself something for dinner, too. Besides, it

blesses me to see the smile on your face!” she teased as she brought the food to

the table, placing it in front of Dorothy. “I’ll come back later to get the plate,

so don’t fuss about it,” she spoke over her shoulder as she headed back out the

door.

h

God could meet every need for everyone, so why doesn’t He?

Because He has chosen to exhort us to do good to all people. In essence,

He’s saying, “If something is going to get done, I’d like you to do it.”

Servanthood 101 is a lesson in crop production. This classroom gives

us ample opportuities to learn how to sow seed from the heart. When Paul

advised the church in Galatia to do good, he was challenging them to sow good

seed. He challenged them to prove a point: what goes around comes around.

It’s a spiritual harvest law. As we move the focus off our self-centered nature

to one of compassion, off of our me-first attitude to a this-matters-more-than-

my-personal-comfort mind-set, we see this law in action.

God challenges us to do random acts of kindness on His behalf, not look-

ing for something in return, but to bring His blessing with the understanding

that He rewards His servants.

Prayer

“Help me look for and see opportunities to serve others,

Lord. Stretch me for Your purposes and teach me to

have a servant’s heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Me-ism

April 15

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility

consider others better than yourself.

Philippians 2:3

Gretchen slowed her vehicle as she approached the construction area. With no

flagmen to direct traffic, and even though the road crew was working in the

opposite lane, vehicle after vehicle continued to ignore Gretchen’s legal right-

of-way by pulling out from behind the crew and into her lane, hurrying toward

their destination.

As car after car repeatedly disregarded traffic laws and safety, Gretchen

fought for composure, resisting the urge to lay on her horn and shake her fist

out the window in protest.

Finally, after some twenty additional vehicles played follow-the-leader,

one vehicle stopped, deferring to Gretchen’s lane of traffic. As she eased for-

ward, Gretchen observed the driver giving her a shoulder-shrug, with hands

raised in the I have no idea why people do what they do? gesture. It was his way

of letting her know he’d noticed her predicament and that he appreciated the

way she’d handled the long line of impatient drivers.

Someone had been watching! Gretchen smiled, returned the gesture, and

was extremely thankful she’d fought the urge to retaliate. “What kind of witness

would it have been if I had gone off on one of them, Lord? Thank You for helping me act as one of Your children should,” she prayed silently.

h

Many, if not all of us, have experienced me-ism. It’s blindingly apparent in

other people; but how often do we barge ahead, failing to consider others and

whether what we are doing will have an adverse affect on them?

Paul urged the Philippians to act like Christ instead of the world. For in

doing so they would provide a good witness and find opportunity to share the

gospel. How many times have we regretted our actions after the fact, wishing we

had it all to do over again? Someone is always watching. And when we bull our

way through life because of a sense of entitlement, the selfishness of me-ism

speaks loud and clear. On the other hand, if we imitate Christ, we, and those

who need to see Him, won’t rob God of the opportunity to be seen.

Prayer

“Help me put my selfish ambition and me-ism

to death, Lord. Teach me to consider others

ahead of myself. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 When He Calls

April 14

And this is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands.

2 John 6

Clay sensed God calling him to assume a more prominent role in Dennis’s life,

so he took Dennis up on his job offer. Currently in the midst of a writing proj-

ect, he felt he could handle both. Three months into his new position, he was

experiencing writer’s block. He couldn’t seem to silence the marketing voices at

the end of the workday and recover the writer once again. 

Unable to formulate even a single sentence, his writing had come to a standstill. The sales position wasn’t providing enough income to justify staying on, yet this wasn’t about the money; this was about Dennis. Since the writing project had also been commissioned by God, Clay struggled over what to do.

After praying for revelation, Clay realized that God wanted him in close

proximity to Dennis for now, mentoring and nurturing him. So, out of obedi-

ence, he would stay on with Dennis, and the book could wait. Clay had learned

through experience to trust God. He knew that if and when God wanted the

book completed, He would fan the flames of literary creativity. His task right

now was to be God’s voice in Dennis’ life.

h

Spiritual flexibility is one mark of spiritual maturity.

There will be times when God will ask us to drop what we’re doing just to

see if we’ll obey. This can be a frustrating experience for someone who is rigid

in their faith, especially if there are no open lines of spiritual communication.

Knowing what God wants at any given moment requires talking with

Him. Trusting Him enough to let ourselves be moved from one assignment

to another requires faith and an even temperament. These are virtues gained

through experience.

As our children grow, they are given opportunities to learn the benefits of

obedience. Some lessons come hard-learned. We can almost hear God whisper,

“But don’t you love it when they respond immediately when you call?”

Prayer

“Lord, sometimes I don’t do spontaneous very well.

Help me submit my will and life to Yours. Show me

what today’s right thing is. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Into Satan’s Domain

April 13

On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

For unto us a child is born.

Isaiah 9:2, 6

There had been no end to the frustration and struggles Rena had endured.

It seemed like the deck had been stacked against her from birth. Born two

months premature to a drug-addicted mother who couldn’t support her, she’d

been in and out of foster care until the age of twelve and had finally found a

permanent home with the Donaldsons.

Rena, who suffered with subdued mental acuity, had struggled in the

school’s special needs class. She couldn’t seem to make the pieces of the puzzle

fit. The Donaldsons prayed that before the next school year something would

break in their daughter’s favor.

When next year arrived, Mom led Rena into her new classroom. They were

greeted by bright colors and life-size animated figures pasted on every wall in

the room. On the chalkboard was a pastel rainbow arching over the words,

“Welcome to Miss Jenny’s Classroom!” Rena pulled Mom down to her level

and exclaimed, “I like this place, Mommy! Can we stay awhile?”

Miss Jenny greeted them with a bright smile, knelt down, and said, “I’ve

been so excited and just couldn’t wait to meet you, Rena. Welcome to my class-

room! We’re going to have so much fun!”

h

In one brief moment, Rena’s struggles changed. Instead of it being Rena

against the world, it became Miss Jenny and Rena in a partnership that could

see possibilities for the future. Miss Jenny loved to turn on the lights for those

who struggled to understand. She was gifted in discerning a child’s needs and

developing a curriculum to meet those needs.

When Jesus entered Satan’s domain over seven hundred years after Isaiah’s

prophecy, it was a light-switch event. In one brief moment, Israel had a new

teacher; One Who cared about their welfare and future.

Jesus showed them a brighter path that led out of the darkness into His

marvelous light. You can hear Him say, “I’ve been so excited and just couldn’t

wait to meet you!”

Prayer

“Father of the bright and morning Star, we give thanks for

Your precious gift of light and love. Teach us to faithfully

follow Jesus’ path through this dark world. Amen.”