Hidden or Bare?

August 7

Nothing … is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare.

Hebrews 4:13

Jeremy had been dealing from the bottom of the deck, so to speak, living a life committed to Christ on the outside while entertaining a hidden secret. He loved Jesus but seemed unable to resist the temptation of gambling. He wasn’t sneaking off to the local casinos or playing online poker; Jeremy was addicted to lotto tickets. Things had gotten out of hand. He’d purchased more than three hundred dollars worth in the past month. Bills were being ignored, and his stress level had spiked.

He’d run into a few members of his congregation at the local convenience store while buying tickets, but had covered up by lying, saying he was getting them for a neighbor.

As it turned out, a recovering gambler had observed him scratching tickets in the parking lot. Sensing God’s leading, the man approached Jeremy’s car. He tapped on the window, causing Jeremy to jump as if stung; the shock and distress on his face told the man all he needed to know.

Caught and embarrassed, Jeremy’s immediate thought was, This is none of his business! But he kept it to himself. “Hey, Mark. What’s up?” he said.

“Hey Jeremy, how’s this lotto ticket thing working out for you?” Caught off guard by Mark’s candidness, Jeremy just sat in stunned silence, unable to answer. And in a moment of clarity, Jeremy realized God was giving him an opportunity for freedom. He’d sent Mark, who knew a little something about this corner of hell.

†

If we believe the evil we do will not be uncovered, we are deceived. God’s Word declares He sees everything. But the deceit-filled heart whispers, “You will not be found out or required to pay the consequences of your indiscretion.” We buy the lie, living in blissful ignorance until it all comes crashing down around us.

There is a depravity in hidden sin. It can convince and pervert the purest of hearts, successfully convincing us that God isn’t really watching.

But His Word says otherwise. Anything hidden will be spoken of from the rooftops (Luke 12:3).

Prayer

“You alone know everything about my life, Lord. Cleanse my heart and keep me from the lies of hidden sin. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Instruments of Grace

August 6

Each one … faithfully administering God’s grace.

1 Peter 4:10

At seventeen, Kellen was a repeat offender.

Marshal was his newest probation officer. “You tired of the juvy system yet? ‘Cause if you keep shopliftin’, you’re gonna find out what it’s like to be tried as an adult. And they’ll introduce you to our wonderful prison system.”

Silence.

“I don’t get you, Kellen.” That wasn’t exactly true, but he wasn’t ready to tell his story. “You’re a good-looking kid, star athlete, good grades, then bang! You throw it all away. What for? A few trinkets?”

“Like you care,” came his smug reply.

Marshal spoke softly. “What makes you think I don’t?”

“No one else ever did. What makes you different?” Kellen shot back.

“Look, Kellen, you may find it hard to believe, but I do care. I’ve a better understanding of your life than you might think.” What Kellen didn’t know was that Marshal had done time for petty theft as a teen. Then someone had taken an interest in his future. They had cared enough to reach out; it had changed Marshal’s life.

He continued, “I’ve been where you are, Kellen. And someone cared enough to get involved. Things were screwed up on the inside of me. My stealing was a cry for help. And because they understood that, things changed. It can happen for you too if you want it to. How about it? Can you try to trust me?”

“I don’t know why I do it,” Kellen finally responded honestly.

“Now that, I believe,” said Marshal.

†

Moral and ethical patterns are set at an early age. What we learn or don’t learn in our youth shapes our values. Under ideal circumstances, we grow and mature and make adjustments to those values until they are tempered with wisdom and integrity. But most kids don’t grow up in an ideal world.

Today’s society throws pitches to our children they are not ready to hit. And their immaturity doesn’t stop them from swinging. Mistakes are made; consequences arise.

But the mistakes need not be permanent or the consequences life-ending. We can reach out in grace and compassion with an offer to lead those who would otherwise remain lost, into the saving grace of God.

Prayer

“Make me an instrument of your love and grace, Lord. Use me to affect change. Amen.”

 Broken

August 5

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit …

Psalm 51:17

The Sunday service had begun as it did each week with the worship team leading the congregation in praise and worship. Nothing unusual there, the people’s praises inviting God into the atmosphere.

Then God showed up, and it was personal.

Conrad loved singing and praising God. Suddenly, in the midst of worship, he felt an enveloping presence, a fullness he’d never experienced before. From deep inside his being he heard a voice speak.

Jerking his head up and looking around to see who was watching, Conrad was momentarily stunned. Seeing no one looking his way, he closed his eyes once more. As he did, he realized the voice had come from inside. And the moment that realization hit him, he heard it again. “Broken. You must come broken.”

To say Conrad was startled was a gross understatement! God had never spoken to him like this! Regaining his thoughts, he whispered, “What do You mean, broken?”

“You are holding on to burdens that are not yours. But unless you are broken, I cannot take them. ”Holy Spirit continued, “I want all of you. Even the deeply hidden things, Conrad. You must be broken to be made whole.”

Conrad hesitated only a moment. “Take my heart, Lord. Make me whole.”

†

Completely broken in spirit, yielded to God at the purest level, requires our desires to take a back seat to God’s will. Scary, but it’s actually where we are the safest.

Satan says otherwise. He whispers, “It’s too great a risk; you will be humiliated.”

Satan is a liar. Complete submission to God can be intimidating; voluntary vulnerability is not natural. But it is where pride yields to God’s Sovereignty in such a way that He can heal the deepest, darkest wounds of our heart.

God wants to take our broken pieces and fit them together in such a way as to make us whole. He wants to set us free of the bondage of secret sin. To risk our heart this way is to leave ourselves bare before the Lord. But the benefits are worth any possible risk.

Our Savior is gentle and loving. He does not humiliate His children. He’s asking us today, “Will you come broken in spirit?”

Prayer

“I sacrifice my broken spirit, Lord. Make me whole. Amen.”

 Dumber than Dogs

August 4

As a dog returns to vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11

Jeff considered himself a daredevil. His friends considered him foolish.

Jeff, and the rough crowd he hung with, thought it was a true act of courage to go swerving; a game in which two friends, upon recognizing the other’s vehicle approaching in their direction, swerved into the other’s lane, passing each other on the wrong side of the road. It didn’t matter to them whether it was a city street, highway, or country road.

Jeff and his boys had done this on many occasions. As a matter of fact, they had done it so many times that it had become boring. So they decided to change the rules. Instead of swerving when you saw a friend, you just picked a target vehicle coming your way and swerved into its lane, forcing the unsuspecting driver to slam on his brakes or yield his right of way by pulling off the road. The boys considered it exciting and kept a running total of their swerves.

Jeff’s wiser friends tried to persuade him to stop his foolish ways, but Jeff just laughed it off, saying, “It makes me feel alive!”

Two days later, the headline in the local paper read: Teen Escapes Death in Auto Accident!

†

A dog that eats his vomit doesn’t know any better. We, on the other hand, should. God instilled in each of us a certain amount of common sense that He expects us to use. To know the consequences ahead of time and choose to complete the act is nothing short of rebellion and is a direct snub to God. To knowingly endanger ourselves or others is not some fun game; it is only foolishness.

We are responsible for our actions. We should not tempt God nor continue doing foolish things for the sake of an adrenaline rush while denying the possibility of great disaster. If we continue in our folly, we are dumber than dogs and will certainly end up paying a higher price than we ever thought possible.

Prayer

“Loving Father, I am capable of doing foolish things. Please help me realize the error in my thought process before someone pays a price he was never meant to pay. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Sticks and Stones

August 3

Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

1 Samuel 1:7

Laura wiped at her tears as she walked up the drive; she didn’t want Dick to see she’d been crying. “I hate mean people!” she vehemently cursed under her breath, not noticing or caring as the bus faded into the distance.

Thoughts from today’s trip whirled through her head. Why does this always happen? Why are people so mean? And why can’t people just leave me alone? She would never get used to the stares and the names. I never hurt any of them, and still they call me hurtful names, staring at me as if I’m some kind of monster! The tears began anew.

At seventeen, Laura had been in an explosion involving a gas grill. It had left her with burns over thirty percent of her body. The right side of her face had required extensive cosmetic surgery, leaving disfigurement that could not be hidden. She was still receiving monthly treatments to stretch ongoing skin grafts.

Laura hated visits to the city. Because no matter how much she prayed, she always saw that look and heard those comments.

Why couldn’t people see past the scars? “Why couldn’t You have just let me die in that explosion?” she challenged God for the hundredth time.

†

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Most of us have used this comeback as a form of protection for lack of a better defense. The idiom is a lie; name-calling hurts.

And for good reason. It undermines our personal confidence while telling us we are defective and unacceptable; it wounds a heart longing to be loved.

Hannah was so affected by name-calling that she wept until she couldn’t eat! But God heard Hannah’s cry. And he hears ours too. Like Hannah, we too might endure ridicule we do not deserve, but, in the end, our sorrow will turn to joy. There is no guarantee that our situation will soon change, as there is no shortage of mean-spirited people. But God hears our cry. And in time He will take away our pain.

Prayer

“Lord, help me bring healing instead of pain. Guard my tongue and words. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 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 definition to make the connection from one to the other, she added, “An engineer uses scientific knowledge and principles of how things work to construct buildings, bridges, and other structures.”

“I could draw a bridge, Mom!” Will said enthusiastically and began immediately 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.

†

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.”

†

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.”