The In Between

January 21

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Ephesians 4:1

There were tears mixed with laughter at the dinner. There must have been three

hundred people in attendance. All of them had come to share precious memo-

ries of the man they had laid to rest that morning.

He had not been a pillar of the community, nor was he well known out-

side this circle of friends. Yet his life had a profound effect on the people he

touched.

A philanthropist of sorts, Byron had given over seventy percent of his

meager earnings to others in need. He’d held on loosely to what he had; it was

his way of giving to the Lord. He never made it public and would have denied

any connection to the prosperity others enjoyed due to his generosity. He lived

a simple life in a simple home.

His wife had preceded him in death. He’d kept her memory alive by spend-

ing time doing things they’d done together: walking in the morning dawn,

watching the sunrise, or watching the eagles soar over the river bottoms, so

majestic and awe inspiring. Simple. Yes, that was how he’d seen himself.

But these people knew him for who he really was. He’d shared selflessly

with each one of them somewhere between the day of his birth and today. They

each had a personal story of his eager generosity. And together they repre-

sented his in between.

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Gravestones are purchased to memorialize the life of loved ones. On them we

place a date of birth and a date of death. But what happens between those two

dates is how we will be remembered.

In verse four of today’s text, Paul spoke of “one hope”: the hope we have in

Jesus through His Holy Spirit. It is His Spirit at work in us, the Spirit of God

Who teaches us how to live. Our response to His urgings can make a differ-

ence in the lives of untold numbers of those in need if we respond accordingly.

How will we be remembered for our in between?

Prayer

“Spirit of God, lead me. Help me make a difference in

the lives of those who need a special touch. And help me

remain obscure whenever my pride screams for recognition.

Help me be a vessel of hope. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Splendor of the Son*

January 19

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give

you rest.

Matthew 11:28–30

The rain sounded so relaxing with a cadence that lulled you into restful slum-

ber. It fell all through the night. In the early morning hours, when the tem-

perature was at its most frigid point, layer upon layer of ice formed, causing

tree branches to bow down, almost touching the ground. As the sun rose over

the horizon, the boughs glistened with dazzling beauty. And although the rays

of sunshine continued to dance on the frozen limbs, the temperature remained

at the freezing point.

Some branches that had been shielded from the full cascade of rain began

to gently ease upward as droplets of water fell from their grasp. Some remained

bent and looked as though they longed for relief.

Unfortunately, the early morning sun hadn’t reached many of the heavier,

ice-laden branches, and they snapped, broken and lifeless—branches that had

glistened in the splendor of the sun, branches that wished to grow, but could

no longer bear the strain of the weight.

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What a tremendous waste that so many trees would be destroyed because they

weren’t strong enough to bear the additional load. And so it is with us as the

wounds and disappointments accumulate, causing unbearable strain because,

due to embarrassment and pride, we cut ourselves off from the critical help we

need. We pridefully believe that no one else could ever understand. And so the

wounds continue to build, weighing heavily on us, our emotional and spiritual

stability ready to break at any moment. If we refuse to share our pain, it will

eventually consume us.

Jesus never meant for us to carry such burdens alone, and we should never

allow them to cling to us until they gradually overwhelm us. Unlike the tree,

we need not be broken. We can be wonderfully wholehearted, overcoming the

seemingly insurmountable pressures of life if we turn to Jesus. Jesus wants to

carry our burdens so that through His efforts we will reflect the splendor of

the Son.

Prayer

“Jesus, thank you for giving me rest. Help me learn how

to give you all my burdens, both great and small, so the

things of this world don’t overtake me. Amen.”

* Written b: Nancy Clouston

 Angry Blessings

December 14

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Walking through the mall, the kids were passing out gospel literature, inviting

everyone they encountered to join them for worship. Many took a moment to

look at the material they had received, saying thank you. Some were noncom-

mittal, and a few just snatched it from the youth, proceeding on, locked in their

private worlds.

Then one man made a scene. After receiving the leaflet, he’d continued for

a few strides when the message of the material hit him. Turning on his heel and

hollering in a loud voice, he returned to the young man who’d given him the

tract. He was clearly trying to make a scene. “Take this mindless propaganda

back! I couldn’t care less about your church and its services! You have no right

to pass this religious junk out in a public place! Why, I’m gonna get security

and have you thrown outta here!” With that, he spun around, looking anxiously

for someone in authority.

The young man was undaunted. He’d heard this type of social speak before.

“Don’t infringe on my rights. There’s supposed to be separation of church and

state!”

You scream about your rights being violated, the young man thought, but you

don’t seem to have any problem trying to violate mine, he thought.

h

We can be sincere and be sincerely wrong. Screaming the loudest doesn’t auto-

matically make someone right. As our Constitution dictates, living in a free

world society gives us inherent rights. We may not agree with other people’s

choices, but we cannot attack them because we don’t agree with them or share

their ideologies.

We can, however, hold up and hold tight to our rights as children of God.

Our God-given rights are immutable; no one can argue them away. They are

ours to stand on for eternity. So when people holler or scream that we have

offended them because of our beliefs, we have a right to stand our ground

against intolerance.

 

Prayer

“Thank You, Lord, for rights that cannot be taken

away. Help me make a difference in this world for

You. Don’t let me be beaten down or discouraged by

a world that chooses to deny Your existence. Help me

exhibit Your love and mercy. In Jesus Name, amen.”

 The Right of Succession

January 18

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your

father and mother—which is the first commandment with a prom-

ise—that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the

earth.

Ephesians 6:1–3

The right of succession is a powerful thing. It tells little boys and girls that

freedom is just around the corner. Here is but one example.

The three boys had built a tree house for the ages. But they had gone against

their parents’ admonition to build it low for safety, on the first or second limb,

which was sissy stuff as far as they were concerned.

Instead, they built the tree house as high as they could. Besides, this gave

them a better vantage point from which to watch the neighborhood!

The floor was made of two-by-fours and plywood leftover from recent

construction on a nearby house. The sidewalls were made of interwoven twine

with no gaps big enough to fall through.

But young boys become bored quickly. And seeking a challenge, they began

climbing in from above, over the walls. Unexpectedly, one of the neighbor boys

fell, breaking his arm.

Their disobedience had caused serious injury. It also brought about the

dismantling of the tree house.

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Disobedience has consequences. And most little boys don’t think much about

their impulses. That’s why God created the fifth commandment: “Listen to

Dad and Mom. They’re not out to ruin your day; they’re just trying to keep you

from killing yourselves!” (Slightly paraphrased).

Quite honestly, disobedience isn’t limited to youth. Society tells us, “Grab

the gusto in life!” “Get what you can when you can get it!” and “Take care of

numero uno!” Grown-ups, as well as children, tend to think they know what’s

best and, in disobedience to God, reap death and destruction.

Paul in Ephesians reiterates God’s promise that if we are obedient: God

will bless us. Not necessarily with millions of dollars and perfect health, but we

will reap something more desirable: peace, love, and a clear conscience.

Prayer

“Lord, speak to me about each choice and decision

in my life. Help me be obedient to You out of love.

Teach me to not give in to the excitement and

allure of this world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Let’s Go Fishin’!

January 17

But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on

the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:39

Billy stood by as Cindy pounded mercilessly on Ryan. She had Ryan’s arms

pinned to the ground with her knees, taunting him, “So how’s it feel now,

tough guy?”

Cindy, sixteen, beautiful, and a tomboy, had come around the corner of

the house to find Ryan punching Billy in the face, and Billy’s nose bleeding.

Hollering, “Get off my brother!” she dove, tackling Ryan and rolling on top of

him. Ryan wanted to hit back, but he’d been raised to never hit a girl and to

turn the other cheek. Right now, he didn’t think much of his parent’s teach-

ing—this hurt!

He covered up the best he could, but Cindy still managed to land a few.

So much for her ever being my girlfriend! he thought. Besides, Billy and I fight like

this all the time. What’s the big deal?! When Cindy finally let him up, Ryan’s arms

ached from defending himself.

But true to how ten-year-olds view such matters, less than five minutes

later, he and Billy grabbed their fishing poles and headed for the creek, recent

events forgotten.

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Kids are able to take things in stride without placing blame or harboring

resentment. Ryan would never forget that beating. With fondness, laughter,

and exaggerated animation, Ryan told and retold the story to his children as a

way of leading by example, holding with the philosophy that “Boys do not hit

girls; little or big ones.”

Violence breeds violence; it never solves problems. Though turning the

other cheek is not an easy thing to do, Christ managed to do it. He lovingly

endured horrible beatings for me and you. With Jesus as our example, how

then, shall we live?

 

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, it doesn’t feel natural to back down when

confronted. I get embarrassed and want to strike back! Help

me do what You did when they beat You; help me understand

the true meaning of turning the other cheek. Amen.”