Connect the Dots

August 2

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

“Come look at my zebra, Mom!” Will called.

“Let me see,” Sheena said. “That’s great, honey!” she added, impressed with

the precision with which he had completed the connect-the-dots drawing.

“Thanks!” said the nine-year-old, the pride of accomplishment evident in

his demeanor. “An’ look at this! The stripes look like four scrunched letter Zs!”

he remarked, tracing each letter to emphasize his point.

What a vivid imagination, Sheena thought, wondering if she would have

noticed it herself. “You know, Will, your Uncle Ralph loved connect the dots.

And now he’s an architectural engineer.” Realizing Will needed a simple defi-

nition to make the connection from one to the other, she added, “An engineer

uses scientific knowledge and principles of how things work to construct build-

ings, bridges, and other structures.”

“I could draw a bridge, Mom!” Will said enthusiastically and began imme-

diately to draw a basic, one-dimensional blueprint with ruler and pencil. Five

minutes later, he held aloft the drafting job he had carefully completed. In

truth, it bore a striking resemblance to the intended subject matter, quite

impressive for a nine-year-old. Who knew? Perhaps her son might just follow

in her brother’s footsteps.

h

Connect-the-dot drawings do not provide entertainment alone. They teach the

basics in perceptual thinking. As a child, I eagerly guided my pencil from one

dot to the next, connecting each corresponding number to the next, revealing

the secret of the numbers. These simple drawings taught me the concept of

visualization and gave me the ability to understand how critical a sequence of

events and following directions are.

God’s Word is similar in nature. His written account of history provides

a starting point for our spiritual education and leads us through the steps of

maturation from infancy, where we are taught His precepts, to maturity in

Christ and how we are to conduct ourselves in His service. Each lesson has its

own built-in navigation system; as we complete one lesson in life, God’s light

illuminates our path to the next.

Prayer

“Lord, thank You for Your version of connect the dots. Lead

me as I trace my way through each lesson. Help me visualize

the path You have laid out for me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Alive and Free

August 1

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

Peter wasn’t sure if he was reaching these men. Only two of them had given

their lives to Christ in the time since he’d begun this Thursday night Bible

study at a prison just outside his community. He wasn’t too impressed with his

conversion versus attendance ratio. Right now he was waiting for the prisoners

to show up for tonight’s meeting following nine o’clock count.

Peter knew firsthand how these men felt, as he’d done a stretch of time

five years before. Released and delivered, Peter wanted to give other men the

opportunity he’d been given. He warmly remembered the day when that big

brute of a man, Ben Johnson, had looked him in the eye and said, “I’m not

dead or incarcerated, and I could be either. The reason I’m not is Jesus Christ!

Because of Him I’m alive and free!” The smile on his face seemed to fit. There

was an evident sincerity in his eyes that said, “This freedom thing is awesome!”

Snapping back to the moment, Peter watched as the men began filing in

and taking their seats. When they were settled, he welcomed them and asked

them to join him in prayer. “Lord, each of these men has a story, and many

should be dead. I thank You that instead they’re alive. Help them see what they

can have in You. Show them how being one of Your children can conquer any

problem they face and how Your love can set them free. Amen.”

h

Prisons come in all forms, and death of the soul can take place long before our

physical expiration. Jesus wants to set us free.

Walking through life with burdens we were never meant to carry erects

walls of confinement. Any lifestyle that runs in opposition to God’s will keeps

us from experiencing the fullness of life, the joy and freedom we receive in the

Holy Spirit, and leaves us in jeopardy of losing our eternal life. As long as you

still breathe, there’s a chance to experience these things.

Ben said, “Because of Him I’m alive and free!” The antithesis is dead and

incarcerated.

Prayer

“Lord, set me free from this prison I’m in. Release

the chains of bondage and set me free! Amen.”