A Pound of Salt

Let your conversation be … seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6

Neil had been looking for ways to witness to his neighbors. So when he saw one of them using a rickety stepladder to remove a broken tree limb, he grabbed one of his sturdy work ladders and headed over to help.
“Hey, Jeff? I saw you using that old ladder and decided I couldn’t let you do that when I have a much safer one. Here, let me help.” And with that, he set up his six-foot fiberglass stepladder, positioned it where Jeff could safely reach the big limb, and said, “Go ahead, I’ll hold it for you.”
Jeff asked one of his sons to lift the end of the heavy limb to remove pressure at the cut so the saw wouldn’t bind. Neil, trying to help, told the young man how to lift the limb. When instruction failed to bring the desired results, Neil grabbed the limb and held it aloft, showing the young man what he’d meant.
The limb was removed and dragged away. Neil took his ladder and returned home, believing he had just shared the love of Christ.
Two days later, he met the son while walking, and when he spoke, the boy did not answer. Disturbed, he asked what the problem was. The young man admitted he had been embarrassed when Neil had taken over.
Neil had done the opposite of what he had intended.

†

Too much salt tastes worse than none. Our best intentions, if not carefully considered, can bring harm. Neil’s offer of the ladder, though well-intended, exuded arrogance.
In his spontaneity, he hadn’t thought out how best to approach the opportunity. His desire to help was good, but he was ill advised in taking control of circumstances. Instead of a dash of salt, he dumped out the whole shaker.
Our actions need filtered through the question, How will what I do affect others?
What we do in the Lord’s name is meant to have a
profound, positive effect. We must take care to season and not saturate.

Prayer

“Lord, I never want to offend where I intend to show people Your love. Help me listen for Your guidance instead of rushing in ahead of You. Amen.”

It’s All About God’s Timing

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5:6

I smiled when I saw the caller-I.D, “Hi Don! How’ve you been?”

“Good, good!” he answered.

“What’s been going on?”

“Well…since I haven’t seen you lately I thought I’d touch base with you,” there was a controlled excitement in the tone of his voice.

“Sounds like something’s happened?” I prompted.

There was joy in his voice, “I got that miracle I’ve been praying for!”

“How? When?” I asked, genuinely excited for him.

“The other night I was watchin’ a ball game. When it ended I changed the channel to Donnie Swaggert. Just as I changed the channel Rev. Swaggert said, ‘If any of you need a healing, now is the time to get it!’ So I laid my hands on my stomach and claimed, ‘Lord, I believe in the work of the cross and all its benefits. I claim this healing in the Name of Jesus!’ Nothing strange happened and I went to bed thinking maybe nothing was gonna happen. But when I woke up the next morning, I was healed!”

†

During Don’s trials he always maintained that God could heal him, and would, when He chose to. He had been prayed for many times during his seven year struggle with this infirmity. So, why now? Had Don believed any different this time? Had he asked the right way this time?

I can tell you with certainty that neither reason ever stood as barriers to God’s ability and desire to heal Don. I can also say with certainty that it was all about timing: God’s timing. God desired to heal Don from the first prayer, but the time wasn’t right. How do I know that? Because Don didn’t receive healing before now.

When God’s timing (in due time) meets with our need, healing will most certainly happen. If you’ve been asking for a healing that you have not yet received, remain humble, keep asking in faith, and patiently await God’s timing!

Prayer

“Lord, I proclaim that Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary to secure my salvation and healing, and I wait in faith for Your timing. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Fidelity

He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:28

“Flirting, however harmless you might feel about it, is still being unfaithful to Gretchen,” Cal said. “It’s a temptation to take it a step further. Yes, it can make you feel alive. It wouldn’t be tempting if it didn’t. But it’s wrong, Randy. Gretchen deserves better. So do you.”
“But I don’t feel in love anymore,” Randy argued. “This other woman makes me feel appreciated and understood. I don’t get that from Gretchen. I’m tired of going through the motions.”
“You know, Randy, Patty and I felt the same way years ago. We’d lost the spark, and it felt too much like work to pretend. But we stuck it out and allowed God to lead us through counseling where we found out things had begun to overshadow our love; we’d stopped communicating.
“Randy, when someone of the opposite sex pays attention to us in a way our spouse hasn’t, we can easily form an unhealthy emotional bond. It feels right, and it tempts us to give up in spite of the covenant we made. You’ve got to fight the temptation,” Cal urged.
“How’d you get through it?” Randy asked.
“With a lot of work in God’s strength, and understanding that issues will always raise themselves up to assault our marriage. We fought for what we knew was right. And in the fighting, we learned that our love hadn’t died; it had become bogged down by the issues we faced.”

†

No-fault divorce, disillusionments, and annulments are easily granted and too widely accepted. “If you aren’t happy, move on,” we say, putting our happiness ahead of our spouse, our children, and our commitment.
Marriage is meant to be forever, not until we get tired.
Fidelity is standing in God’s strength instead of our own, holding ground not meant to be given up. It’s where integrity is discovered and selfish ambitions are laid to rest.
Fifty percent of today’s marriages end in divorce. Statistics say that eighty percent of those who remarry will divorce again. You will take each unattended issue wherever you go. Great reward can come from not giving in to selfish desires. Stay and fight for what God ordained.

Prayer

“Weld my marriage to You, Lord. Help us stand and fight instead of giving in to the temptations of infidelity. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10

As Dell’s parents left the neurologist’s office, they were coming to grips with the truth that Dell wasn’t going to outgrow this.
He had just been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that manifests itself through various involuntary motor tics and vocalizations. The head jerking and rapid eye blinking now had a name.
As time passed, they helped Dell adjust to each new tic and the frustration it brought. They helped him develop coping skills for everything from homework to sleeping habits. It seemed like the battles would never end. And when they asked for a tutor at school, their request was denied because Tourette’s was not yet recognized as a learning disability. They were stunned.
It was difficult for Carolyn and Mark to watched Dell struggle, estranged from his peers because of his tics, belittled because he was different.
As months turned into years, they continued to ask God to take away this trying disorder that brought ridicule and tears. All God seemed to say was, “Be still,” and in place of healing came grace.
As Dell matured, God’s purpose emerged, and the desired healing was forgotten. Dell was a man of compassion with deep conviction. An accomplished musician, Dell graduated college with a degree in communications and music. God had elevated Dell above his struggles.

†

It’s easy to overlook the silver lining because we’re focused on the trial. Believing God has our best interest at heart can be a difficult thing, especially when it involves our children. It’s easy to forget that God intimately understands our heartache where our children are concerned.
How many of us would willingly have sent our only child to die for something he didn’t do, especially knowing he was going to die in place of the guilty party?
When storms hammer us, it’s natural to cry out for deliverance. It’s not natural to believe God would allow this to happen. So when we cry out only to hear Him say, “Be still,” it doesn’t make much sense. Have faith.
God is inviting us, like the psalmist, to focus on Him. And though the earth gives way … to not fear.

Prayer

“Lord, I have trouble trusting You when I can’t see Your purpose. Help me to trust You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

GPS

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:5

Dennis traveled to work by different routes each morning, which is quite remarkable since he traveled more than thirty-five miles one-way to his place of employment. But why would someone take a different route to work each morning instead of the quickest way possible, thereby minimizing travel time and saving fuel? Why? Because Dennis was called by God to intercede on behalf of people who would probably never know they were being prayed for. As he drove through each neighborhood he prayed, asking God to meet each need and draw the families to Himself.   

Dennis enjoyed his silent ministry, rising early each morning—having mapped out that day’s route the night before—to meditate on the morning’s drive. Then, he’d give his wife, Mary Ellen, a kiss, and set out to pray for the needs of the people on his chosen route.   

But this morning Dennis’ heart was troubled. God hadn’t been as forthcoming in verifying which route to take, nor had he sensed any explicit prayer-assignments for those homes he would encounter. Dennis reasoned that maybe God was asking him to be faithful in spite of the silence. As he backed out of the driveway, he vented his frustration audibly, “Do you even know where I am?”

God’s response was immediate... “I always know where you are, Dennis. I have not left you. Take heart! For you are My GPS…my God Positioned Servant!”

†

How difficult it is sometimes when we experience the silence of God. It can be, and many times is, perplexing to know He’s there and yet not hear a peep out of Him. It’s one of the ways He teaches us to choose between right and wrong, as well as learning to stay committed, in the face of adversity.

He wants us to continue on in spite of His silence, growing in the knowledge and confidence that we are capable of making right choices. And if we make a mistake, He’ll be quick to nudge us through His Holy Spirit.

But never doubt His presence…you are His GPS!

Prayer

“Lord, lead on, and teach me to trust You in the silence. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

What Is Faith?

Now faith is being sure of … what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Helen was agnostic. “How can you believe in God?” she asked. “And how are you so sure He exists?”
Ronnie chose her words carefully. “I see God in nature and in the details of life. I've personally seen Him work in the circumstances of my life, and I hear Him when He speaks to my spirit, Helen.”
“So now you’re saying God talks to you? Yeah, right!” Helen’s comment was dripping with sarcasm. She refused to believe in God because she had never witnessed conclusive proof of His existence.
Ignoring Helen’s remark, Ronnie went on. “Answer this question, Helen. Can you prove God doesn't exist? For example, you can’t see the wind, but you know it’s there. When you flip on a light switch, you expect there to be light. And you know the sun will come up tomorrow no matter what. Each requires an act of faith to believe in. Why is it such a stretch to believe in a Creator?”
Helen didn't like where this was headed. “Each of those can be proven scientifically. What’s your point?”
“My point is that faith fails to be faith when we have tangible proof. You demand tangible proof of God’s existence, and unless you get it, you will continue to reject the possibility that there is Someone outside your control in control of your life. God asks us to believe without seeing.”

†

The thought of being subject to Someone else’s authority has caused multitudes great anguish. God’s existence challenges our life choices.
Any religion that denies Christ’s deity, meaning Jesus is the only way to heaven, shares an inability to believe God would condemn. They refuse to believe they are condemned, not by God, but by their own choices, and so they choose to disbelieve. In their unrighteous and unholy living, there is no room for admitting a Holy God cannot abide their actions.
Christians believe solely on His Word, the circumstantial evidence surrounding us and our ability to reason.
Our stance on whether or not He exists will not change that He does.
Faith is making an informed decision, aware that where we spend eternity hangs in the balance.

Prayer

“Give me words of truth to speak into nonbeliever’s doubt, Lord. Amen.”

Not By Sight

Walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Sandy’s mother, Gladys, was legally blind. Now in her eighties, Sandy helped care for her.
“Mom,” Sandy said. “Do you remember the day you sent me to school for the first time?”
“Oh, honey! That’s a day I will never forget! It’s funny you should ask,” Gladys responded with delight.
“Whaddya mean?” Sandy asked.
“I was thinking about that just last week. I felt so bad making you get on that bus. I cried most of the morning. I called your father and told him he’d have to stay home from work and send you himself if the crying continued!” She laughed. “I made it through those first few weeks with a lot of tissues and prayer. And I grew to trust God.” Gladys’s eyes were blind, but you could tell she was seeing those days in a way blindness couldn’t alter.
“Many a time I thanked the good Lord for His constant assurance. Not knowing the reasons for some of the trials we went through made it difficult. And though I didn’t always understand what He was up to, I learned to trust Him. As I trusted God, He proved faithful. Those lessons have come in handy. If I didn’t trust Him, I’d have become angry or bitter about my blindness. Knowing He has His reasons has allowed me to look past the obstacle and lean on His strength as I face each new day.”

†

God rarely explains the reasons for His actions. And we have a choice in response: anger and frustration or submission and trust.
Faith requires risk. When we take a calculated risk, we have some idea of how things will turn out. Yet sometimes we have no idea what God is up to. And that can be disconcerting if we dwell on what’s next.
Gladys could easily have spent her days questioning God about her blindness. Instead, because of her experience and years of walking with Him, she chose to believe that He would bring blessings out of difficulty. Having emerged victorious through the trials of her life gave her hope for the future.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me to trust. Show me how to have faith instead of giving in to the natural tendency to cut and run. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”