A Moment Away

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.

Acts 9:1

Ben had lived a rough life. As a matter of fact, he was still living a rough life.

Six feet two inches tall, two hundred forty pounds of solid muscle, Ben was an oil-field roustabout, making his living wrestling thirty-foot joints of steel pipe and pumping oil wells in the dead middle of winter. He was strong and seasoned. He was also opinionated as far as things related to the God of the Bible. Quick witted, he always made a derogatory comment when anyone mentioned God or Jesus, saying things like, “God is an excuse for weak people who can’t make it on their own!”

A friend once asked Ben what he thought he might say to God when he found himself standing before him on the day of his death. He contemptuously answered, “Why, I’m gonna ask Him, ‘Where’s the best fishin’ hole?’” Continu­ing to pray, this friend never gave up on Ben. He constantly spoke to Ben about God’s love, praying God would draw him into a saving relationship, perhaps on his own road to Damascus, like Saul. And after thirty years of witnessing, and interceding on Ben’s behalf, on a warm summer’s morning Ben invited Jesus into his heart!

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At times we may be tempted to give up on those who seem to have too rough an exterior toward the things of God. Tired of their rhetoric, we’re tempted to distance ourselves from their unseemly actions.

Saul’s story gives us hope. One moment he was cursing the kingdom, the next he was serving the King. Not everyone who rails against God, breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples, will be changed. But we are not to give up on them. They might be a moment away from nearing their Damascus.

Do you know someone like Ben? If so, ask God for another measure of the grace you were saved by and then extend it to the Ben God placed in your life.

Prayer

“God of grace, give us strength. Show us what the hard cases of life look like to You. Grant us wisdom to know what to say and then give us the courage to speak in love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The Wounds of a Friend

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Proverbs 27:6

As Kevin sat at the bar kindling a conversation with the girl beside him, he noticed Nathan come through the front door. Just great, he thought through his alcohol-tainted brain. Now I get to listen to Nathan’s fidelity sermon.

Nathan moved up beside Kevin and spoke just loud enough for Kevin and the girl to hear. “Hey, Kev. Missy was kinda wonderin’ what time you’d be home for dinner. She and the kids were hopin’ you’d take them to the movies later.”

Kevin watched his chance for a late-night rendezvous end as the girl got up and left. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’, Nate?” Kevin said heatedly, shoving Nathan against the bar.

“Kev, you’ll regret doin’ somethin’ stupid when you sober up. Come on. You know an affair won’t solve anything. Missy deserves better than this from you. All you’re gonna get from this kinda thing is trouble and heartache. The worst is that Missy and the kids’ll pay the heaviest price.” Nathan led Kevin to his car and drove him home, thankful that Kevin had not argued. It wasn’t the first time he’d opposed Kevin’s loose lifestyle. He hoped and prayed it would be the last.

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True friends don’t sit idly by and allow us to throw our lives away. When we care enough to be involved in someone’s life, we have a responsibility to him. If we see him making mistakes that could harm him or others, we have a responsibility to intervene in love.

Nathan’s strength and wisdom had spoken truth through the alcohol’s hazy temptation. Only the faithfulness of a true friend had prevented Kevin from making a huge mistake. Out of all the men in the bar that night, many whom Kevin considered friends, only one had proven worthy of the definition. All, save one, thought his actions were acceptable.

True friends tell us the truth. Confronting a friend in love can be uncomfortable. But that discomfort is only temporary.

Prayer

“Lord, give me strength to be a true friend. Help me to never look the other way when a friend’s life is at stake. May You bless me with a friend as faithful as Jesus. Amen.”

The Web

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

2 Corinthians 10:13

I watched as the wasp struggled to free itself from the web. The more he struggled, the more entangled he became. It began when the wasp spotted a fly stuck in the web, wings buzzing, franticly trying to escape. It seemed like such an easy meal. All the wasp had to do was kill a helpless fly. The moment he attacked, stinging the fly, the spider emerged from the funnel in the center of its web.

With the wasp’s attention focused on the fly, the spider quickly attached a slender thread of silk to the wasp’s leg. Trying to break free, the wasp’s movements actually managed to get him more entangled. As the wasp weakened, the spider returned from the funnel and spun a cocoon of silk around its helpless prey.

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Like the spider in the story, Satan sets out to deceive his prey. The way he tempts us is always seductive. Although he cannot read our thoughts, he has seen enough of our poor choices to know how to tempt us. The truth is most sin feels good. But there are always consequences.

As in the wasp’s case, what Satan tempts us with will initially appear beneficial. He focuses our attention away from the things that ensnare us, hoping we will take the bait. The wasp saw nourishment and was lured into the web.

We must be on guard and remember that one poor choice can trap us in a revolving door scenario that appears to have no exit. Unlike the wasp’s confinement, our bonds can be broken.

As today’s text shows, there is always a way of escape. But we must choose to take it. When we enter in to a relationship with Jesus Christ, He will lead us to the way out.

Prayer

“Lord, please give me strength to resist temptation today. Help me relate to You in such a way today that I can see any temptation for what it is. Amen.”

Precious Time

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

James 1:22

“Read the directions, Mikey!” Bruce hollered. “I can’t teach you everything. Some things you just have to figure out on your own!”

Mikey was a question-a-minute kid, and Bruce didn’t feel up to it right now. It had been a rough day, and all he wanted was to finish reading his devo­tions before dinner.

“Dad?” persisted Mikey.

“For God’s sake, Mikey! Stop asking me questions! I told you read the directions! Can’t you see I’m reading my Bible?”

Mikey saw. But what he heard was, “I don’t have time for you. What I’m doing is more important.”

Mere seconds after Bruce’s outburst, God spoke to his heart; “My Son is worth your time, so is yours.”

Bruce found Mikey sitting on the basement steps, rejection written all over his little face. In his hand was a broken piece of the model he’d been working on. “I’m so sorry, Mikey,” Bruce spoke softly. “I will always have time for you,” he said as he wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders. “Can you forgive me for the hurtful things I said?”

Mikey’s bright smile and exuberant nod told Bruce this had been the right thing to do. The next few minutes invested in his son would be priceless!

†

Many times we allow our emotional and physical condition to reign over our spiritual lives. None of us are innocent. Thank God children are so resilient! But we can, and do, make the same mistakes with others we encounter on a daily basis.

The chance to touch hurting people as they pass through our lives is incal­culable. If slighted, they may not be as forgiving, and the moment may be lost. God asks us to live out the gospel, to give of ourselves—meaning time and possibly comfort—in an effort to raise others to a place they have never been, confident that Someone else has their best interest at heart.

Our actions speak what our words cannot. Whether listening to a wounded heart or assisting in a physical need, this scripture is a call to action.

Prayer

“In the beginning was the Word. Father, may the Word be found active and alive in me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Left at the IGA

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine … and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Luke 15:4

They were headed for the nursing home to visit Gramma. Sally, one of five girls, was asleep in the back seat when Momma stopped at the IGA. Living twenty-plus miles from the grocery store meant taking the opportunity to shop when it presented itself.

Awakening, Sally found the car empty. Getting out of the car, Sally entered the store undetected. Drawn to the shiny aluminum strip along the display cases in the cold-food section, Sally momentarily forgot her objective. The cool, variegated silver bar (at just the right level for a four-year-old) called to her, inviting her to run her fingernails against its irregular surface. Sally giggled as she ran to the meat case at the back of the store. From one end of the store to the other she went, fingernails gliding over the shiny, diamond-plated surface. It tickled her fingers!

As she turned to make her next pass, she could see up the long aisle and out the doors at the front of the store. She froze! Momma’s car was mov­ing! She was being left behind! She ran for the front of the store screaming, “Momma!” As she reached the doors, she was gently scooped off her little feet by a kindly woman. Comforting Sally and holding her close, she tenderly whispered, “Momma will be back, hon. Don’t you worry.” She knew the young mother would return. And sure enough, ten minutes later, through bullet-sized tears, Sally saw her Momma jump from her car, running, arms extended toward her.

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Everything changed when Momma realized her child was nowhere to be found. Her purpose shifted from a visit to Gramma to a mission of finding her lost child.

Jesus feels the same way about those who have strayed from the flock. He will not rest until they are safe in the fold. Like Sally, we can become side­tracked by the things of this world. And like the kindly woman, Jesus will send one of His own to comfort and embrace the lost child until, through the tears, he sees Him coming. 

Prayer

“Thank You, Jesus, for always looking for us when we’re lost. Amen.”

T.J.’s Windmill

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Proverbs 4:1

T.J. was a Massey-Ferguson man himself. But he didn’t seem to mind his new six-foot windmill being John Deere green and yellow. The colors were a good contrast as it stood beside the American flag he displayed every day.

 When his grandson erected the windmill, placing it where T.J. could catch sight of it from his recliner in the living room, no one had any idea of the effect it would have on people’s lives.

T.J.’s house was situated in the bottom of a river valley running east to west, allowing the predominant westerly winds unbidden access to the windmill.

 Windy days were an event; not because watching the windmill itself was so interesting, but because something about that spinning windmill stirred T.J.’s memories, causing him to talk about the past. His ninety plus years spanned countless changes in our nation’s history. You never knew if you were going cotton picking in Mississippi, drilling oil wells in the hills of Ohio, or crossing Germany and France as a medical battalion aide during World War II. As a matter of fact, you could never be sure of what you were in for when the wind blew. But if you listened closely, there was wisdom, experience, and instruction to be gained.

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Listening is an art form. Listening to the elderly is priceless. Unfortunately, many of our elderly are discarded as senile and troublesome, despite the fact that their very presence proclaims they have yet to complete their final earthly purpose.

There is an untapped wealth of knowledge and experience stored within the memories of our elder statesmen and women. Solomon instructs us to gain wisdom at our fathers’ knees, not view them as spent and of little use.

By refusing to listen to them, we forfeit invaluable assistance and under­standing. We label them of no value. This is foolish at best and at worst is complete arrogance.

They are not meant to merely mark off each day until they die. We should avail ourselves of such knowledge before it fades.

Prayer

“Teach us to respect our elders, Lord. Help us recognize the value of their memories and appreciate their minds. Show us how to treat them with the reverence they deserve and the respect You decree. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

He’s My Son!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

John 3:16

Bob and Shari were concerned as they watched their eighteen-month-old son being wheeled toward the operating room. Knowing that he was in God’s hands the danger of open-heart surgery was still real, making the next three hours difficult to endure.

When the surgeon announced the procedure had been a complete success, Bob and Shari wept openly and unashamedly.

Their elation was short lived, however, replaced by the news that another child, whom they had come to know during their stay had died in surgery. They had grown close to the family, and this was an awful blow.

They sought out the parents and not knowing what to say, just hugged them and wept. Bob prayed for words that might ease their pain somewhat. In that moment, he felt God say, “I know how they feel. My Son also died when He didn’t deserve to. But because of My Son’s death, their son is with me! Tell them I love their son with the same love that sent my Son to the cross of Calvary.”

Through sobs, they listened to God’s message of love. Though nothing could truly ease their pain right now, Bob’s words brought the hope of a grand reunion in eternity.

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One child lives, another dies. It’s unexplainable, unfair, and feels so wrong that we can’t put words to the pain. Too many parents have felt the sting of the premature death of a child.

Infant death is so hard and so immediate that it can’t possibly be right. God says, “I know what you are feeling, child. Mourn for awhile, then allow My joy to fill your spirit. My Son has overcome the grave. Once here, you will never be separated again!”

Death brings a crisis of faith; do we believe in eternal life? If so, we have this hope that if we believe in His Son we have eternal life! The Father says, “Believe in Jesus; He’s My Son!”

Prayer

“Thank You for Your love that is so much deeper than ours. Thank You that You know how our hearts ache in times of loss. Thank You for Your only Son! Amen.”