The Devil We Know

In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free.
Psalm 118:5

Doug and Cheryl had never been in this part of town. They ran a homeless shelter on the north side but had felt led to the east side tonight. It was an especially cold evening, and they’d come here to pass out blankets and coats.
Passing among the men and women huddled around fire barrels, they shared words of encouragement, speaking of God’s love and how He wanted to make a difference in their lives.
“Lady,” one man responded in anger, “if God loves everybody so much, then why are there so many homeless people? God doesn’t give a rip about us!” He turned his back on Cheryl and walked away.
“Please, sir,” she pleaded. “He does care. He sent us here to help you.”
He turned back momentarily, and in a trembling voice and with bitterness in his eyes, he said, “Lady, I don’t want your charity! And I don’t want God’s either!”
Doug tried to follow, hoping to reason with the man, but was cut off by one of the man’s friends. “He’s been here a long time, mister,” the man said. “He’s bitter about the past. You mean well, and we appreciate your kindness, but his memories outweigh your gift.”
Taking a blanket for himself, he said, “Give him time to see how others respond. Maybe someday he’ll figure out that God didn’t put him here.”

†

Sometimes we prefer the devil we know to the deliverance we don’t understand. Fear of the unknown can keep us from investigating our inner selves and keep us from finding out there is strength within that would fight to see ourselves set free.
One of the hardest lessons regarding free will is that God is no more to blame for our poor choices than He is responsible for the decisions we get right. He can only suggest. Then we are free to do as we please.
There is no forcing hope on someone who resents his or her circumstances yet refuses to change. Only when we give God permission to care can we overcome the devil we know.

Prayer

“Lord, sometimes I feel untrusting and alone. Help me see these chains of bondage for what they are: lies to keep me bound. Deliver me from Satan’s lies. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Our Daily Bread

Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11

The Ryersons were in for the evening. So upon hearing the doorbell, Christian asked his daughters if one of them was expecting a caller. “No, Dad,” they answered in unison.
Rising from his chair, he answered the door, surprised to find three young children pressed against a diminutive woman, trying to hide within the folds of her skirt. They peeked at him with shy smiles. “Excuse me, sir,” the woman began. “I saw the light in your windows. My car has broken down, and I would like to use your phone if I could to call for assistance.” She appeared to struggle with her own shyness but remained resolute about getting this matter resolved.
“Come in, please,” Christian said, waving his hand for them to enter. “There’s a fire in the hearth if the kids would like to warm themselves,” he added, winking at the children, who looked hopefully up at their mother.
“Yes. Go ahead,” she responded. “But behave yourselves, do you understand?”
“Okay, Mommy!” they hollered over their shoulders, running for the warmth emanating from the den.
Christian ventured, “Perhaps I can take a look at your car while you and the children remain here? I might just be able to repair it.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put you out,” said the woman quickly.
“It’s no problem.” He assured her, grabbing his coat. “Which way down the lane and how far is it?”

†

God sends our daily bread as we need it in myriad forms.
Are we ready, like Christian, to be used to meet a need at an unexpected, and possibly at an inconvenient time in the name of kindness and compassion? Or more aptly defined, in the name of the Lord?
The Lord’s Prayer is not an empty petition to be recited by memory with no thought of its depth or meaning. How better to show the love of the Father than by the giving of ourselves rather than our possessions?
It’s far easier to offer our phone than our services. And being used as a blessing is not a requirement. But if this were your wife and children, would you not pray they find their daily bread?

Prayer

“May You find me willing to be used as someone’s daily bread today, Lord. Amen.”

Against All Reason

The flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2

Ten-year-old Nancy and her older sister, Rachel, jumped off the school bus and ran into the house. It was a frigid winter afternoon. The house was cold!
“The furnace is out,” Nancy said, her disappointment evident. “Your turn,” Rachel responded. With Mom working all day for a church-affiliated conference center, the girls were responsible for restoking the furnace.
Nancy headed to the basement. Tossing some kindling on top of the few remaining coals, she opened the damper a bit to get a draft going, adding larger pieces of coal and wood on top of the kindling.
Twenty minutes later, she checked on the fire; it still hadn’t caught. So, opening the damper completely, she watched until the wood began to burn. “Finally!” she said, closing the furnace door and heading back upstairs.
Fifteen minutes later, it hit her. I forgot to shut the damper! Running to the basement, she saw the furnace glowing red hot! I’ve got to cool the fire down somehow!
Grabbing the garden hose, she opened the furnace door with gloves, stood back, and sprayed. Foohm! The fire’s reaction was immediate; Nancy’s reaction was instinct-driven. Her eyes slammed shut, just as hot ash, soot, and flames shot out the furnace door!
Having heard the roar from upstairs, Rachel ran to the basement. There stood Nancy—covered in soot from head to toe, except for her eyes, which she’d managed to open again—miraculously unharmed. Rachel broke into hysterical laughter.

†

It was a miracle the furnace hadn’t exploded the instant the water hit it. It defied the laws of physics. Flames and hot embers had been ejected from the furnace and had landed on her, and though blackened, even her clothes had not been singed. Nancy had not received a single burn.
Through the hand of God, Nancy was spared tremendous pain and injury, horrible disfigurement, and possible death. The realization of what could have happened has been spoken of fondly during the ensuing forty years. The picture of that little ten-year-old girl, assaulted by fire yet unharmed, speaks of God’s protection as loudly today as it did back then.

Prayer

“You, God, are the God of promises and miracles, and we give You praise. Amen.”

The Sunday Paper

Cast all your anxiety on him, for he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

One minute Stevie was laboring through snowdrifts, the next he was flat on his back.
A rural paperboy, Stevie was held captive under the weight of two hundred Sunday edition papers jammed into the bags crisscrossing his shoulders. It was 3:15 a.m., and there was no one he could call on for help.
Slight of build, it was all he could do to hoist the bags in place before leaving the house on his early morning trek. His route usually took him an hour and a half to deliver. The deep snow would increase that by fifty percent. But right now it stood to be several hours! He realized he had to extricate himself if he didn’t want to spend several hours waiting for someone to miss him and come looking.
Spurred on by the thought of freezing to death at the tender age of eleven, he managed to dig himself out from under the bags. Free of his predicament, he left one bag lying there, returning for it in a circuitous route after emptying the first bag.
Stevie learned two valuable lessons that morning: never carry more than you can handle, and fear is a great motivator!

†

God never intends us to carry the burdens of life alone. We make that choice ourselves. Today’s headline speaks of sharing the load. Too often we try to extricate ourselves from the burdens of life. We struggle under intense, self-inflicted weight, not understanding that God is right beside us, waiting for us to ask for help. As with Stevie, we sometimes try to carry more than we are meant to. Succeeding on our own in the beginning, we come to believe that it is God’s plan for us to do it ourselves. If we do that enough times successfully, we end up like Stevie—with the weight of the world on our shoulders.
As we learn to become God sufficient instead of self-sufficient, we find that our burdens decrease as our dependency on God increases.

Prayer

“Teach me to share, Lord. Sometimes I’m not so good at it. I’ve been told to be self-sufficient in order to be strong. Show me the benefits of giving You the heavy weight of daily living. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Don’t Let Me Go

If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us from here.
Exodus 33:15

Don and Candy had a decision to make. Their attorney had called, telling them they had been given Candy’s childhood home, a Brownstone duplex in Ohio, in an estate settlement. Her aunt, who had lived in the upstairs apartment, had recently passed away, leaving Candy the property with a clear deed.
But, having worked in their church’s youth ministry for over twenty years, they felt a strong call to stay here in California and minister to the kids of their neighborhood. They were unsure of whether their time here was to come to an end at this time.
Lying in bed that night they discussed their options and prayed, asking God to show them what He wanted them to do. During the night both dreamt the same dream. In the dream they were driving away from the duplex, waving goodbye to a stranger standing on the porch. Upon awakening, they shared their dream with each other and came to the conclusion God was telling them to rent out the duplex and stay in California for now.

†

We all have difficult choices in which we would like to know that our final decision was inspired by God. And God will not always be as conspicuous in His answers as He was with Don and Candy. Yet, learning to listen for His response to our prayers and petitions can be achieved. Hearing God is not rocket science, but it does require active listening on our part.
By reading and studying God’s Word each day, we learn to draw on Spirit-inspired insight and wisdom hidden for us within the pages of Scripture. There are tremendous benefits to submitting everything to God and asking for His guidance.
As in Moses’ case, we should cry, “If You’re not where I’m going, don’t let me go!” Through active listening can we develop the ability to hear God’s response to our requests.

Prayer

“Please let me know Your will for the days and events of my life, Lord. Teach me to listen and hear what Your Spirit reveals to me and then act accordingly with courage and peace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Mourn Just a While

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

In a daze at the graveside, the young parents were thinking about that moment three days ago when the switch to the respirator had been turned off. Their infant son, Michael, had been born with no brain function. Prenatal ultrasounds and sonograms had been business as usual. There had been no cause for alarm, no telltale signs, until Michael was born.
A void so vast with a sense of unending pain gripped them as they laid their son to rest. They were to begin grief counseling with their pastor tomorrow. An older couple from church had called last night to offer words of comfort and hope. Right now, comfort was elusive and didn’t feel like an attainable goal. They felt the pain of a loss so unspeakable that it tore at their hearts with relentless realization. Their son was gone! They didn’t know if they would ever recover. Quite honestly, today, they didn’t much care about the future. In time, they would learn that grief is a process. Comfort would come. But today they mourned.
The older couple had reached out in experience. They had lost twin daughters several years before in a car crash. They knew firsthand the pain that gripped this young couple, and they wanted them to know that God could heal their pain. It would not go away immediately, but with love and support, they would weather this storm.

†

The loss of a child seems so unfair. Death has a way of seeming final. And comfort is so elusive in a child’s unexpected passing.
Mourning is a process; it teaches us to respect and appreciate the sanctity of life. The process of mourning grows us in ways nothing else can; it causes an urgency of purpose, and focusing on that purpose is where the healing begins.
Death is not the end; it is the promise of a new beginning. Mourning may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Prayer

“Abba! We cry out in our pain. Bring comfort and peace to those who know this pain. Bring direction to their lives this day. Show them how to bring this pain to You so they might be healed and find peace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The Spotlight

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
Psalm 77:14

The officer listened as the radio dispatch reported a westbound motorist in the eastbound lanes of the interstate he was patrolling. The driver was traveling in the wrong direction at a high rate of speed, heading toward his position. Entering the westbound lanes, he turned on his spotlight, hoping to alert eastbound drivers to the danger while systematically looking for the wrong-way vehicle. Radio reports told him that he was ahead of the vehicle, so he slowed down.
Scanning back in the direction the vehicle was coming from, he spotted the car’s headlights, a stark contrast among the taillights in that lane. He could see motorists taking evasive action to avoid the oncoming car.
As the vehicle approached, he matched its speed, shining his spotlight on the driver-side window in hopes of getting the driver’s attention. Finally, the driver responded and pulled over. As two other cruisers pulled up, he turned off the spotlight.
Just as the light winked out, he remembered the repair order he’d issued on this car two weeks before for a broken spotlight. Trying the spotlight once again, it failed to work. Exiting the cruiser, he used his flashlight to illuminate the spotlight. He noticed the same broken bulb from two weeks ago lying at the bottom of the lens. The repairs had not been completed!

†

There are those who question whether God still performs miracles. Some feel the need to explain how things happen.
Whether you believe this story or not will be determined by Who you perceive God to be. By explaining how things happen, we maintain a false sense of control over them. If we are unable to explain the how of events, we are then required to believe by faith.
God continually displayed His power among the nation of Israel during the exodus, yet they continued to rebel because miracles themselves do not ensure belief.
The story above is true. Events are related exactly as they happened. God is big enough to make a broken spotlight work. He leaves the belief part up to us.

Prayer

“Teach us to have faith, Lord. And forgive us for our doubt. It’s not always so easy to believe without seeing. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”