Thursday, 28 August 2014
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Friday, 22 August 2014
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Monday, 18 August 2014
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Thursday, 14 August 2014
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
MEANING FOR BIBLE VERSES AND PROMISES OF GOD - PART 3
CONTENTS
DANIEL 6 - Faithfulness Is Its
Own Reward
DANIEL CHAPTER 6
It pleased Darius, the Mede, to set over the kingdom a hundred
and twenty provincial governors to administer the whole
kingdom,
2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, so
that to them the governors might be responsible, and that the king
would suffer no loss.
3 Above all the other presidents and governors Daniel
distinguished himself, because of his surpassing spirit, so superior
that the king was planning to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 Then the presidents and governors sought some ground of
complaint against Daniel in the discharge of his official duties;
but they could find no ground of complaint, because he was
faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
5 So these men said, “We shall not find no ground of complaint
against this Daniel, unless we find it in connection with service to
his god.”
6 Whereupon these presidents and governors rushed in jointly
to the king, and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the chiefs and the
governors, the counselors and the rulers have agreed that the king
should establish an ordinance and enforce a strict decree, that
whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O
king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, lay down the law, and sign it as a document,
which cannot be changed forever, according to the law of the
Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.”
9 Therefore King Darius signed such a document in keeping
with this decree.
10 When Daniel learned that such a decree had been officially
signed and issued, he went to his house on the roof of which there
were chambers with windows opening toward Jerusalem, and
three times a day he kneeled and prayed and gave God thanks as
he was accustomed to do.
11 Then these accusers came in throngs, and found Daniel
praying and making humble petition before his God.
12 So they approached the king and reminded him of his
decree. They said, “O king! Did you not sign a decree to the
effect that any man who prays to any god or man within thirty
days, except to you, O king, should be cast into the den of lions?”
The king replied, “The thing stands fast according to the law of
the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
13 Upon this they protested to the king, “That man Daniel, of
the exiles of Judah, neither heeds you, O king, nor regards the
decree which you have signed; for thrice a day he continues to
pray to his own god.”
14 When the king heard these words, he was greatly distressed
and set his mind to deliver Daniel. He struggled till sunset to
rescue him.
15 But these men together rushed to the king, and said, “Know,
O king, that a law of the Medes and Persians, in particular a
decree of royal authority, cannot be changed.
16 So the king gave the order and Daniel was brought and cast
into the den of lions, the king, voicing the hope, “May your God,
whom you worship so faithfully, deliver you.”
17 Then a great boulder was brought and laid upon the opening
of the den and the king sealed it with his own seal and also with
the seal of his rulers, to prevent any possible change of plan about
Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace, and spent the night in
meditation and fasting, instead of enjoying his usual diversions,
and his sleep fled from him.
19 In the morning, as soon as it was light, the king arose and
went in haste to the den of lions.
20 When he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried in
a tone of anguish and anxiety, “Daniel, servant of the living God,
has your God, whom you worship so regularly, been able to save
you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered the king, “O king, live forever!
22 My God sent His angel, and shut the lions’ mouths, and they
have not hurt me; because He found me innocent, not having done
you any injury.”
23 Then the king was exceeding glad, and ordered that Daniel
be lifted out of the den. So Daniel was lifted out, and no kind of
hurt was found on him, because he had trusted in his God
DANIEL CHAPTER 6
Faithfulness Is Its Own Reward
This chapter contains the fascinating story of Daniel in the
lions’ den. As you read it just as the Bible tells it, you will
agree that it is one of the best stories ever told.
Moreover, it contains a great lesson, for it is a story of fidelity,
honor and uprightness. It highlights the fact that these virtues are
rewarded in life, though perhaps not without suffering and
hardship.
King Darius, recognizing Daniel’s extraordinary ability and
trustworthiness, had made him head over the nation, directly
under the king himself. Naturally other leaders in the country
became jealous. These men tried in every way to “get” Daniel.
But no fault could be found in him, even though they went over
his record and actions with a fine-tooth comb.
Then cunning enemies figured out a plan to unseat Daniel.
Knowing that Daniel worshiped the eternal God, they tricked the
king into establishing a decree that any man who worshiped a god
other than the king himself for 30 days would be thrown into the
lions’ den.
Once the king made an edict, it was unchangeable according to
the law of the Medes and the Persians, and even the king could
not set it aside.
Daniel, of course, faithfully prayed to the Lord. His enemies
then made this fact known to the king, who was angry with
himself for being tricked. But there was no way out of the
dilemma, so he gave orders that Daniel be thrown into the den of
lions. But he believed, or at least hoped, that Daniel would
survive.
The king’s own faith had been growing because of Daniel’s
influence, and he fasted and prayed all night. In the early morning
he went to the lions’ den and, to his joy, Daniel’s God had
indeed preserved His faithful servant.
The king realized that Daniel’s God rewards honor, goodness
and fidelity, and so he proceeded to decree that Daniel’s God be
the God of his kingdom.
This story is a direct refutation of the cynical notions that “you
never get anywhere trying to be good,” that “honesty doesn’t pay”
and that “it’s only the clever who get theirs.”
In fact, the story of Daniel is actually a series of affirmations:
First, in life, honorable and faithful though we may be, there will
come times of great testing. Second, there will be misunderstanding,
hostility, even enmity. But finally, if we are loyal and true to
God, He will see us through no matter what. That is the great
truth: even in our “den of lions,” if we keep the faith, we shall be
saved and life will be good.
MEANING OF BIBLE VERSES AND PROMISES OF GOD PART 2
CONTACTS
ISAIAH 55- Living in Depth
EZEKIEL 37- Hopes and Dreams
Can Live Again
ISAIAH 55
Pause everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters, and he who
has no money, come, buy and eat; yes, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your
labor for what never satisfies? Listen carefully to me, and eat
what is good; let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear and come to me; hear, and your soul shall
live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the
unfailing mercies to David….
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him
while He is near!
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
schemings; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy
on him, to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
My ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and
do not return thither, but water the earth, and make it bring forth
and bud, and so give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be, which goes forth from my mouth; it
shall not come back to Me uselessly, but it shall do what I
purpose and accomplish what I commissioned it.
12 For you shall go out with joy and be led forth into peace, the
mountains and the hills breaking out in song before you, and all
the trees of the field clapping their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the
brier shall come up the myrtle; and they shall be to the LORD for
His renown, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
ISAIAH CHAPTER 55
Living in Depth
This chapter uses senses as hunger and thirst to illustrate truth.
If we hunger and thirst after God and the joy that He offers,
we may find God and happiness by coming to Him.
In the process, we must learn to listen, to really listen: “Incline
your ear and come to Me; hear, and your soul shall live.”
Mostly, we hear superficially but do not listen. God’s truth does
not penetrate the control center of our lives. But when you
“incline your ear,” lean earnestly toward God and with your
whole personality, then you will experience such quality and
intensity of life that your soul will live in depth.
But there is a cost to this benefit. God, in effect, makes a
proposition, an everlasting covenant. It’s this: You must forsake
any wicked way and stop thinking bad thoughts and return to the
Lord. It’s as simple as that.
This is a change that may not be easy. It requires discipline. But
the chapter promises that if we accept this covenant, life will be
so wonderful that it will be just as if the mountains and the hills
were singing and every tree was clapping its hands. Good things,
not bad things, will happen to you. And this flow of goodness
shall never cease as long as you live.
When life seems empty and you are not satisfied, when you
long for something that you can hardly describe, read this
passage, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible.
EZEKIEL CHAPTER 37
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and by His Spirit the
LORD brought me out and set me down in a valley which
was full of bones.
2 He led me all around them; and observe, there were very
many on the surface of the valley; and see, they were very dry.
3 He said to me: Son of man, can these bones live? I answered,
“LORD God, Thou knowest.”
4 Then He said to me: Prophesy over these bones. Say to them,
You dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 Thus says the LORD God to these bones: Notice! I will put
breath into you, and you shall live.
6 I will lay sinews upon you, clothe you with flesh, cover you
with skin, put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall
know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was ordered; and as I prophesied, there
was a noise, a rattling; and see, the bones were uniting, bone to its
[fitting] bone.
8 And as I looked on, see, sinews came upon them, and flesh,
and then skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then He said to me: Prophesy to the wind; prophesy, son of
man, and say to the wind, Thus says the LORD God: Come from
the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they
may live.
10 So I prophesied as He had ordered me, and breath came into
them; they lived and stood on their feet, an unusually large
army….
EZEKIEL CHAPTER 37
Hopes and Dreams Can Live Again
In everybody’s life, there are times when it seems that
everything goes wrong. Hopes and plans lie broken around
you. The things you looked forward to achieving have failed. The
spirit has gone out of you. And life seems dead and desolate.
At such times, reading the 37th chapter of Ezekiel will help. It
is an amazing chapter that, through picturesque symbolism,
teaches a great truth in a striking way.
The prophet Ezekiel was taken out by the Lord and shown a
wide valley that was full of dry bones stretching as far as he could
see. Here a great host had perished and their white bones lay stark
and desolate. Nothing could appear more hopeless than a valley
of dry bones, grim and silent.
But the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy: meaning, to believe and
affirm that, by God’s power, even these dry bones could live
again.
The story dramatically tells how the bones came together: flesh
came upon them. Life was renewed, and a great host of living
men marched out of the valley of death.
The incident is designed to remind us of the truth that when
God’s spirit really comes upon us, that which is harmonious with
His spirit shall live in us. Old dead things such as dead hopes,
dead dreams, dead ideals, shall take on a new vibrant quality. The
dead bones of our lives shall live again.
Your great hopes, dreams and ideals are not dead if you let God
breathe into them the breath of fresh spiritual life. The spirit of
God can revitalize anything. With God, life can always be vital,
always dynamic. Life is renewable.
MEANING OF BIBLE VERSES AND PROMISES OF GOD
CONTENTS
JOSHUA 1 Secret of Courage and Strength
PSALM 91 Protection and Guidance Always
JOSHUA CHAPTER 1
Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the
LORD said to Joshua, the son of Nun, the assistant of
Moses:
2 Moses My servant has died; so now arise, pass over this
Jordan, you and this whole nation of Israel, to the land which I
give them.
3 Every place on which the sole of your foot shall tread, I have
given you, as I said to Moses.
4 Your territory will be from the desert and yonder Lebanon as
far as the great river, the river Euphrates, including all the land of
the Hittites, even to the great western sea.
5 None shall hold out before you all the days of your life. As I
was with Moses, I shall be with you. I will never fail you, and I
will not forsake you.
6 Be resolute and strong; for you will enable this people to
inherit the land, which I vowed to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be very resolute and strong, to keep practicing the whole
Law, which Moses My servant commanded you; do not depart
from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper
wherever you go.
8 This book of the Law must never depart from your mouth;
you must meditate on it day and night, so that you may keep
living in accord with all that is written in it; for then you will
prosper.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be resolute and strong! Be not
afraid, and be not dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go….
JOSHUA CHAPTER 1
Secret of Courage and Strength
I like the first chapter of the Book of Joshua because it reassures
us that God will always be with us; He will always help us.
The chapter tells about a man who was in a real spot. The great
leader Moses had died and Joshua was made leader of the people.
He must have had qualms about his ability. But he rose above any
self-doubts, for the Lord told him that even as He had been with
Moses, so He would be with him as well.
God reminded Joshua that because of His guidance and support
nobody would successfully oppose him. The Lord made a very
explicit promise: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
This story reminds us that, when we have a responsibility that
looms large, when we are a bit frightened and overwhelmed, we
must not be discouraged for God will be with us too. He will
never fail us, never leave us.
But that isn’t the whole story. We have to do something too.
First, we have to be strong and courageous. Second, we have to
do everything that God commanded us to do; we must be
obedient. Third, we are not to look to one side or the other, but to
go straight ahead.
If we do these three things, all will go well, for we have the
promise: “The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
So, whenever you need to feel support, courage and strength,
read the first chapter of the Book of Joshua.
PSALM 91
He who lives in the secret shelter of the Most High lodges in the
shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will testify of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my
God; in whom I am trusting.”
3 Certainly it is He who rescues you from the hunter’s trap, and
from the fatal pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you
will find protection; His faithfulness is a shield and armor.
5 You will not fear night’s hidden terrors, nor the arrow that flies
in the daytime,
6 Nor the plague that lurks in darkness; nor the calamity that
spreads havoc at noontime.
7 A thousand may fall right beside you and ten thousand at your
right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8 You will merely see it with your eyes and witness the sinners’
reward.
9 For Thou, O LORD, art my refuge. Since you, too, have
established the Most High as your shelter,
10 No harm shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your
tent.
11 For He gives His angels orders regarding you, to protect you
wherever you go.
12 They will support you with their hands, lest you strike your foot
against a stone.
13 You will trample on the lion and the adder; you shall tread upon
the lion cub and on the snake.
14 Because he has anchored His love in Me, I will deliver him. I
will place him securely on high, for he has faith in My name.
15 When he calls upon Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in
trouble; I will rescue him, and honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with long life, and show him My salvation.
PSALM 91
Protection and Guidance Always
When my mother died, her Bible lay open on her bed to the
91st Psalm. That great psalm was part of her life. Partly
because it meant so much to her and partly because it is so
profoundly helpful, I have made it part of my life also. The 91st
and the 23rd Psalms are the greatest of all the psalms to me.
The 91st Psalm contains the marvelous message that if you live
“in the secret shelter of the Most High,” you will live “in the
shadow of the Almighty.” This simply means that if your religion
is deep and not merely formal, you will have the protection and
guidance of God, always and in everything. He will be your
refuge, meaning that you will be under God’s loving protection.
He will deliver you from a long series of difficulties, fears and
troubles. No evil will ever befall you.
Though you may have plenty of difficulties, you will be able to
handle all of them, for God will give His angels charge over you.
This is to say that His goodness and love will always surround
you and will protect and guide you on the path of life. God will
not let you lose your way.
Among the many marvelous blessings that come from spending
your whole life in the secret place is the knowledge that when you
call upon Him, He will answer. He will be with you in any trouble
that may come to you. Your life will be long and at its end, you
will enter into eternal salvation.
So write this psalm on your heart. Embed it deeply into your
mind. Live by it. And, no matter how hard your life may be, you
will always be on top of things.
Monday, 11 August 2014
DAILY DEVOTIONS -7 DAYS OF BIBLE
INTRODUCTION
Every day you have an opportunity to feel God’s presence in
your life. These daily devotions—each with a Bible verse,
inspiring personal story and prayer—help deepen your
relationship with God. They give you quiet time for reflection,
and remind you of the importance of faith, hope and love in your
life.
Whether you want to start your day with a spiritual focus or
enjoy a sense of peace and calm before bedtime, these readings
will help you develop a practice of connecting your faith and
values with your everyday life.
CONTENTS
SPREADING THE LOVE
- THE STUFF OF LIFE
- OUR WIRELESS CONNECTION
- WINGED BEAUTY
- NO PAIN, NO GAIN
- JUDGE NOT
- GOD’S LITTLE SURPRISE
SPREADING THE LOVE
By Pam Kidd, Nashville, Tennessee
This woman was abounding with deeds of
kindness and charity which she continually did.
—Acts 9:36 (NAS)
Someone left this on my desk,” my husband David said as
he walked through the kitchen and tossed a gold box on the
counter. My name was written on the tag, but I couldn’t identify
the handwriting. I untied the ribbon; inside was a colorful array of
candy-coated almonds.
Smiling to myself, I popped one into my mouth and thought:
Someone is having a “Deanna Day.”
Candy-coated almonds have been my favorite treat since
childhood. I don’t remember how our friend Deanna discovered
my preference, but candy-coated almonds began appearing on my
birthday, Christmas, Easter. Always packaged in some clever way,
the candy told me I was special, cared about, loved.
After Deanna died in a terrible car wreck, our church family
began sharing stories of her thoughtfulness. Deanna had regularly
put envelopes of clipped cartoons and jokes on David’s desk to
help with his sermons. For Gloria, it was licorice. There were
well-timed phone calls to shut-ins and holiday open houses for the
lonely. Deanna’s kindness was endless, and her passing left a
gaping hole that I thought would never be filled.
Then I received the letter: “Dear Pam, I want you to know that
God speaks to us through your photographs…. Today is my
Deanna day. Remembering how Deanna used to write thoughtful
notes to people and how she always had a way of making others
feel good about themselves made some of us decide to take one
day a month to do something Deanna would have done. The
fifth day of every month is my Deanna Day and that’s why I’m
writing this note to you. Love, Mary Ev.”
My almonds had come mid-month, so they weren’t from Mary
Ev. There was really no way to know whom they were from,
because the ripples of Deanna’s kindness were spreading through
our entire church congregation and beyond.
Father, the world is waiting for me to act on Your teachings. Let
me make today my Deanna Day.
THE STUFF OF LIFE
By Rick Hamlin, New York, New York
God setteth the solitary in families....
—Psalm 68:6
Socks, shorts, T-shirts, jeans, khakis.
A lot of T-shirts in Tim’s pile. Twice as many as usual. I
guess that means soccer season has started. All those practices
after school mean one more dirty shirt a day. He loves soccer, but
he’s been worried about doing well on the team. The stakes are
getting higher now that he’s in high school. I want him still to
enjoy playing. I pray that competitiveness doesn’t get rid of the
fun.
Will’s socks. I can never match the socks right. Will’s grown so
tall and his feet are so long they look like flippers. He used to be
able to wear my shoes, but he’s outgrown my size. So why can’t I
tell his socks apart from mine? I have a pile of socks, and I’m just
going to have to put them in pairs and hope they find the right
drawers. He’s almost an adult, but when I look at his socks I
remember the tiny booties he once wore. God willing, he won’t
lose his childlike wonder as he grows into manhood.
Carol’s bandanas. I think my wife uses them at the gym. Funny,
I’ve never asked. I usually fold them into quarters so they can fit
into a pocket like a handkerchief. They come in beautiful colors:
turquoise, lemon, raspberry. And there’s the one that has the map
of nearby hiking trails on it. Reminds me of the spring day that
we took one of those trails and hiked to the top of a mountain. We
need to do that again.
Eventually everything’s sorted and folded. Laundry is done.
Sure, it’s a chore, but when I do it, I’m reminded of what I love
about the ones I love.
Lord, within this chore there’s something to be thankful for.
OUR WIRELESS CONNECTION
By Mary Lou Carney, Chesterton, Indiana
Hear my voice when I call, O Lord....
—Psalm 27:7 (NIV)
Sunday morning found me in the Seattle, Washington, airport,
waiting to catch a plane back to Chicago. I moved through the
crowded boarding area, too restless just to sit and wait. Other
travelers checked their watches, read their books or worked on
their laptops. But mostly, they talked on their cell phones.
I caught snatches of conversations as husbands phoned wives,
sons checked in with their mothers, sisters caught up on all the
news. It seemed as though everyone was talking to his or her
family!
Everyone except me. I looked at my new cell phone, cute and
snug in the side of my purse. Problem was, I’d forgotten to charge
it the night before, and my battery was too low to make any calls.
How could I have been so forgetful?
I was working myself into a bad mood when I happened to
glance out the window. The sky seemed to go on forever, a pale
blue broken by patches of angel-hair clouds. On the horizon,
stately pine trees poked their heads toward the arching expanse. A
wide-winged bird came briefly into view before veering off and
soaring out of sight. And like that bird, my spirit began to rise, too.
I don’t need a cell phone to communicate, I thought. So there in
the midst of the hubbub of Gate C7, I closed my eyes and began a
silent conversation. Hello, father. I just thought I’d check in with
you….
A few minutes later, as I boarded the plane, I watched the other
passengers stow their cell phones. Smiling, I patted the side of my
purse, grateful for the low battery that led to my leisurely preflight
conversation with my heavenly father.
How good it is, God, to know that I can always “phone home” and
find you waiting for my call!
WINGED BEAUTY
By Fred Bauer, State College, Pennsylvania
The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
—Psalm 104:12 (NIV)
While volcano-watching in Costa Rica, we stayed at the
Arenal Observatory Lodge, which originally was a private
gathering place for vulcanologists from all over the world. I was
captivated by the lodge’s grounds, with its beautiful trees and
flowers and birds—especially the birds. I’ve been an avid
birdwatcher ever since college.
Just outside our picture-windowed room, dozens of iridescent
hummingbirds sopped breakfast nectar from nearby blooms. And
the fiery flash of scarlet-rumped tanagers gave us all a thrill. But
there were many species I didn’t recognize.
One morning we heard a strange, metallic, eardrum-rattling cry
from a nearby tree, and we all raised our binoculars, searching the
branches for the culprit. At first our only clue was a huge nest that
hung down like an oriole’s cradle, but this one was huge, maybe a
yard long. When the creature bellowed again, someone spotted it,
and we all focused on the enormous black and chestnut bird with
a distinctive yellow tail. It also had a bluish cheek patch and an
orange beak.
Later, a naturalist on the grounds identified it as a Montezuma
oropendola. “Oro,” he explained, “is Spanish for gold, and
pendola, like a clock’s pendulum. If you watch, you’ll see the bird
swing its yellow tail like a pendulum.” The bird got its first name,
he explained, from the Aztec emperor who fed them on the palace
grounds.
All of which necessitated a history lesson on Mexico, the
Aztecs and Cortez, but what pleased me most was seeing my
kids’ and grandkids’ fascination with birds. Their enthusiasm
reminded me of a comment made almost 50 years ago by my
college ornithology professor Dr. Everett Myers: “If you study
them for only a season, you’ll be enraptured, and birds will give
you a lifetime of enjoyment.”
Thank You, God for teachers who open our eyes
To the beauty at our feet and the glory in the skies
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
By Edward Grinnan, New York, New York
Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you
should follow in his steps.
—I Peter 2:21 (RSV)
Marla was one of the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate
people I’d ever met, which made it all the more dismaying
that she was so intent on causing me pain. Marla was my physical
therapist after I broke my arm last year playing softball. Her office
was across the street from mine, so I made my thrice-weekly
appointments for early in the morning before work.
The first couple weren’t so bad. She kneaded my arm and
stretched it a bit while we chatted amiably. This person wouldn’t
hurt a fly, I reassured myself. Then, the second week, we got down
to business. Marla would slowly twist my arm in one direction and
murmur, “Tell me when it hurts.”
“Yow!” I’d yelp. But rather than stopping, she would twist it
further. “Yow!”
Then she would hold it there.
“Count to three,” she’d say in her soft, soothing voice. I’d make
it to three in record time. “What you are feeling,” Marla explained,
“is good pain. Healing pain. You get better by going through it,
not around it. It’s the only way.” Still, as the weeks passed, more
and more I found myself playing hooky from PT.
It was during this time that I lost my mother after a long battle
with Alzheimer’s. When all the postmortem rituals were done, I
was left in a kind of emotional fogbank, trying not to dwell on the
darkening pain. I put in longer hours at the office
and pushed
myself harder at the gym. Then Marla called. “I haven’t seen
you for a while,” she said. “Don’t you want to get better?”
Her question was still running through my thoughts as I lay on
the therapy table the next morning. Marla carefully manipulated
my arm, tugging it in a direction I swore it would not go. When
she said to count to three, I did—slowly. It was the only way.
Lord, teach me to trust you to be my Guide from the darkness to
your eternal light, step by sometimes painful step.
JUDGE NOT
By Scott Walker, Waco, Texas
He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes...
—Isaiah 11:3
When I walked into my office this morning, there was a crisp
$20 bill on my desk. Puzzled, I asked my assistant Carol if
she knew where the money had come from.
Carol smiled and said, “That’s an interesting story, Scott. This
morning when I arrived at the office, there was a nice-looking
young man in the reception area. He asked if you were here. When
I told him it would be an hour or so before you arrived, he reached
into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to me. He said
that you had given him some money several years ago, and that he
promised he would repay you. He said to tell you he had a great
job now and to thank you. Then he left.”
As Carol talked, I suddenly recalled meeting that young man.
Late one Saturday night, I had been leaving the church office after
putting the finishing touches on a sermon. As I turned out the
lights and walked toward the door, I saw the silhouette of a man
standing on the steps.
I opened the door cautiously, and the man turned to meet me.
For a moment our eyes met, and I heard him say, “Pastor, I need
some help. My car is nearly out of gas, and I’ve got to get to
Austin tonight. Could you lend me some money? I promise I’ll
pay you back.”
How many times have I heard that line? I thought, and I
mentally formulated my reply: “The office is closed. There’s
nothing I can do.” At the same time, I felt my hand reach for my
billfold. Pulling out what I thought was a $5 bill, I realized too late
that I was handing him a twenty. I wished him luck, we parted
and the man melted into the night.
While I had quickly forgotten that moment long ago, he had
remembered. And now I could only be thankful that God’s spirit
had shut my mouth and guided my hand to my pocket.
God, may I always err on the side of grace as I give your love to
others. Amen.
GOD’S LITTLE SURPRISE
By Julia Attaway, New York, New York
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.
—Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
Mom, make my hair extra neat today. François is teaching,
and he doesn’t like messy buns.”
I dutifully sprayed on a little more water and twisted Mary’s
hair a bit tighter. I find it funny that Mary is aware of the
preferences of her various ballet teachers. Then again, it’s funny
that I know anything at all about putting up hair.
Before I had a daughter in ballet I knew nothing about buns.
Hair wasn’t on my radar; I would have happily gone through life
clueless about the subtle distinctions in using bobby pins and
elastics. But life with children takes funny turns, and I find myself
at middle age with a remarkable amount of knowledge about
things I never imagined I’d know.
I know about learning disabilities and cleaning snake cages and
organizing reenactments of the Revolutionary War. I can test for a
broken bone and distract a nap-deprived toddler during rush hour.
I know (sort of) what a vector is, and I’ve learned an astonishing
and heartbreaking amount about anxiety disorders. None of these
things were on my list of hoped-for accomplishments in life.
Yet somehow this pile of oddities has a lot to do with who I am
today. I’ve grown more from doing what’s been plopped in my
path than I have from pursuing my own interests. In a way, that’s
as it should be. I see what I want, but God sees beyond that to
what I need. There’s a lot that goes into learning how to twist a
bun into place.
Lord, whatever I want for myself, help me want what you want for
me more.
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