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Welcome Home
by Max Lucado
I came home one night to find the place unusually quiet. Molly was gone. She’d slipped out unnoticed. The search began immediately. Within an hour we knew that she was far, far from home. Now, if you don’t like pets, what I’m about to say is going to sound strange. If you do like pets, you will understand.
You’ll understand why we walked up and down the street, calling her name. You’ll understand why I drove around the neighborhood at 10:30 P.M. You’ll understand why I put up a poster in the convenience store and convened the family for a prayer. (Honestly, I did.) You’ll understand why I sent e-mails to the staff, asking for prayers, and to her breeder, asking for advice. And you’ll understand why we were ready to toss the confetti and party when she showed up.
Here is what happened. The next morning Denalyn was on her way home from taking the girls to school when she saw the trash truck. She asked the workers to keep an eye out for Molly and then hurried home to host a moms’ prayer group. Soon after the ladies arrived, the trash truck pulled into our driveway, a worker opened the door, and out bounded our dog. She had been found.
When Denalyn called to tell me the news, I could barely hear her voice. It was Mardi Gras in the kitchen. The ladies were celebrating the return of Molly.
This story pops with symbolism. The master leaving his house, searching for the lost. Victories in the midst of prayer. Great things coming out of trash. But most of all: the celebration at the coming home. That’s something else you have in common with Molly—a party at your homecoming.
Those you love will shout. Those you know will applaud. But all the noise will cease when he cups your chin and says, “Welcome home.” And with scarred hand he’ll wipe every tear from your eye. And you will dwell in the house of your Lord—forever.
From Traveling Light
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2001) Max Lucado
Your Devotional Sponsor:
No Extra Credit Needed
by ARLENE PELLICANE
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV) My husband James was working hard with the kids in the front yard, fixing parts of the fence and driveway. They had been sweating for hours.
I didn’t even put him up to it.
Our neighbor dropped by and made a comment that caught my attention: “You must be scoring some major extra credit with your wife!”
In my neighbor’s mind, chores like sealing the driveway and fixing the fence were almost direct “commands” from a wife’s honey-do list. In his mind, I must have been the happiest wife in the neighborhood! But in my family, I don’t notice things like creaking fences or chipping driveways. I’m pretty oblivious to those details. I can’t remember ever making a home improvement honey-do list for James — partly because of the way I’m wired, and partly because James always tackles the home improvement projects way before I perceive them. As I thought about the assumption that my husband was scoring major extra credit points with me, it made me think of God.
There are times when I do something and think, Wow, this will really score some extra credit with God! But in reality, maybe I’m just busying myself with things God never asked me to do.
Perhaps some activities filling my calendar need to be deleted to make room for the things on God’s to-do list. Thankfully, the Bible helps us understand what’s most important to the heart of God.
Consider today’s key verse from Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Another Scripture defines true religion: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27, NIV).
When one of the religious teachers asked Jesus what the most important commandment was, Jesus replied with these truths straight from the Old Testament, “… ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31, NIV).
These things matter to God. To steer us toward them, we can ask ourselves questions like:
How can we use our time and finances to help the poor?
How can we show justice, not just in a courtroom, but in a living room when our kids bring us a problem?
How can we walk with God daily, making our social media feeds a fragrant offering to Him?
Sometimes my kids miss homework deadlines. Then they must get busy doing extra credit to make up some of their lost points. That’s not how God works. He’s not a teacher waiting to “grade us” on our Christianity.
What a great reminder: We don’t have to put in extra credit to get in God’s good graces. He’s already our loving Father who simply wants to walk with us.
Heavenly Father, how amazing that You, the God of the universe, want to walk with me! Help me understand what is important to Your heart. I want to love You and love people, serve the poor, and act justly. Keep me on Your path and away from sin. Keep my heart unspoiled by the world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (NIV)
1 Samuel 15:22, “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’” (NIV)
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When You Feel Like You Can’t Hear from God
by Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV)
Friend to Friend
I was so confused. I was talking to God, but it seemed He wasn’t talking to me. There seemed to be a barrier between us. I was a single, twenty-years old, and needed to make an important decision about my future, but I wasn’t hearing from God.
Mr. Thorp was an older, godly gentleman who mentored my Christian friends and me during our teen years. After one of our Bible study meetings, I asked him to pray for me.
“Let’s read some Scripture about prayer before we pray,” Mr. Thorp suggested.
First he turned to Matthew 18:19-22:
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Then he turned to Matthew 6:8-15. Then to Mark 11:22-26.
Every passage Mr. Thorp turned to regarding prayer had verses about forgiveness either before it or after it. He stopped reading, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Sharon, I sense that God is telling you that you have unforgiveness in your heart. Have you forgiven your father for what he did to you and what he withheld from you?” (Mr. Thorp had walked with me on my spiritual journey and knew very well what had gone on in my home.)
I was stunned. “Mr. Thorp,” I respectfully replied, “I came here to pray about my future, not talk about my past.”
“But, Sharon, God can’t talk to you about your future until you obey Him regarding your past.” It was a rough morning, but a good one.
At that time in my life, I had been a Christian for seven years. My father came to Christ six years after me. He had been a violent, heavy drinker with a rage disorder who gambled, indulged in pornography, and had affairs. Dad hit my mom, terrorized my brother, and treated me as if I were non-existent. When he gave his life to Christ, he was truly a new creation. The change was and is one of the most miraculous transformations I’ve ever seen. Only the Almighty God could have orchestrated the twists and turns that led my father to the cross.
However, I had a niggling resentment toward my dad, which I clung to with a closed fist. Yes, I saw the change, but no, I didn’t trust him. I didn’t even like him. I still had nightmares, fits of fear, and trigger points of panic. Whenever Dad made a mistake— because lo and behold he still wasn’t perfect—the bitterness of my childhood rose up like bile. God was speaking to me through Mr. Thorp, saying, Now’s the time to let it go.
Mr. Thorp and I spent hours talking through the pain of my past and the purpose of forgiveness. We prayed. I cried. Finally, I cut my father from the noose of the past I held around his neck. In turn, God cut away the bitterness filling my heart and replaced it with a tender love of a daughter who saw her dad through the lens of grace. I was free.
Amazingly, after forgiving my father, my inability to hear from God was lifted. I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. I’m not saying that once you forgive, everything in your life will fall into place, But I do know that my refusal to forgive my earthly father hampered my communion with my heavenly Father.
So here’s what God’s asking you and me today…is there someone you haven’t forgiven? It’s time to cut them loose. Let it go. Forgiveness isn’t saying that what the person did isn’t wrong, but that you’re going to let go of the angry resentment, give the person to God, and live free. Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, and then realizing the prisoner was you.
Never once did Jesus tether our forgiveness to the caveat that the person we forgive has changed or asked for our forgiveness. Why? Forgiveness really isn’t about the other person at all… it’s about what we choose to do with forgive as Christ forgave us, and set ourselves free.
Let’s Pray
Lord, Today I choose to forgive _________ for ____________. I have been terribly hurt [misused, abused], but I am not going to allow the offense to control me any longer. Just as You have forgiven me, I now forgive ____________. I relinquish any need for revenge and place the consequences of this person’s action in Your hands.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
If you prayed that prayer of forgiveness, leave a comment and say, “I did it!” Let’s celebrate together.
Now It’s Your Turn
Consider this passage: “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:22-26 NIV)
Why do you think these two ideas are tethered?
Read Matthew 6:8-15.
Who is God calling you to forgive today?
What’s holding you back? Remember, the only person we hurt when we choose not to forgive is ourselves.
Your Devotional Sponsor:
Don't Try to Hurry the Harvest
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“. . . the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” James 5:7b
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Sometimes the things that count the most seem to take the longest to get here.
Some giant sequoias in California are 300 feet tall. That’s the height of a 30 story building! Yet each one began with the smallest of seeds that began growing and maturing since before the time of Christ! That’s a long time.
You may say that you’re going to serve God. Then you start to do something for Him, but when you don’t reap a harvest immediately, you get discouraged. Don’t try to hurry the harvest. In due season, you will reap.
ACTION POINT:
Have you shared Christ with people and yet they haven’t been saved? Read Isaiah 55:11 and Romans 10:13 and receive His encouragement.
Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.
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A Prayer for Your Prodigal
By Chelsey DeMatteis
“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."So they began to celebrate. - Luke 15:24
I write this from a place of once being a prodigal daughter. Raised in the church from a young age I knew the way I should go, but the world had a firm grip on me. I confused chaos for fun and disobedience for being a confident girl. My heart was emotionally thrown to and fro, from choices I made that did nothing but leave me broken. I longed to feel whole, but I couldn’t find wholeness - I was blind to needing Jesus.
My mom had her morning routine of sitting in the front room on the couch each and every morning in prayer. She had done this for years but as the years went on, I know her prayers changed. As I began wandering the world, she became my frontline prayer warrior. She gave at least one hour of her prayer time each morning dedicated specifically for me to know the Lord.
As years went on, her days were laced with worry and wonder of how God was going to stop me in my tracks and turn my life around for Him. She wrestled, she invited others to pray, and she never gave up on me coming to know Jesus. Her powerful prayers of fighting for me consisted of this, “Lord I don’t know how you’ll do it, please don’t let it be too harsh, but let it be enough to get her attention.”
My mom’s prayers and the countless prayers of others who stood alongside her to pray couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams what God was going to do with me, how He’d get my attention, and then what he’d call me to do in my life. But his grace and their powerful prayers made the most beautiful backdrop to the testimony God has given me. Prayer, trust, and his timing led me to the moment I came to the end of myself and surrendered my life to him.
If you’re walking in that season of desperately asking the Lord to bring your child back to him, don’t stop. Keep praying and keep inviting others to come alongside you to cover that precious soul in His word. There is power in the name of Jesus and in Jesus, there is the gift of reconciliation which we see in the beautiful story of the Prodigal Son.
This father not only celebrated that his son came home to his earthly house but he celebrated that his son was now alive and found eternally. “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate (Luke 15:24). So while you pray and await the day for your child to surrender their life to Christ, continue clinging to this story of hope and praying it over your prodigal.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, for all of those praying for their prodigal child, I ask that you give them peace at this moment. I pray Lord that you would bring others alongside them to pray for their child in this season of wandering. God, I ask that you would do something in their child’s life to get their attention, not too harsh, but boldly enough they notice it’s you. Lord, help this prodigal to see their deep need for you and the life you have waiting for them that can only be found in you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
About the Author:
Chelsey is a wife, SAHM, devotional writer, and the host of the weekly aired Living With Less podcast, birthed from John 3:30. Chelsey loves serving in her local church ministries, but the greatest ministry she loves to watch unfold is the one that happens in her heart and in her home. You can find more about Chelsey at her website - www.ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
Your Devotional Sponsor:
Looking to God, Our Provider
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you remember when it was rare to hear of someone whose job was either threatened, or actually lost, due to changes or cutbacks? Well, that’s hardly news anymore.
These days it seems that almost everyone is struggling with financial problems related to job security.
You may be struggling and asking, “What good can possibly come from my financial problems?” They are wonderful opportunities to trust your Heavenly Father for your daily bread. I’ve always said that it’s better to have a Father who owns a bakery than to have a warehouse full of bread!
ACTION POINT:
Are you having financial woes? Do you know someone who is? Share with them the Good News of God’s provision and faithfulness.
Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.
Your Devotional Sponsor:
Facing Temptation
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When you face temptation, remember it is not a sin to be tempted. Temptation to sin is not sin.
If temptation were a sin, then Jesus would be a sinner, because Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus felt what you feel. He was just as much a man as though He were not God at all, and He was as much God as though He were not man at all. He was the God-Man, and praise God, Jesus never sinned though He knew those temptations.
ACTION POINT:
Are you facing a temptation today that you feel no one has ever faced? Turn to Jesus and He will meet you there.
Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.
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Jesus Is Praying for You
by Lynette Kittle
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” — Romans 8:34
Growing up it was comforting to know my grandparents and parents were praying for me. Many times their prayers were taken for granted but as they have passed away, I’ve become more aware of just how much their prayers meant to me.
Knowing they were daily interceding for me provided me with a strength, security, confidence, and support that God was leading in my life.
Just like their prayers encouraged me through life, I’ve realized there is another who is always praying for me, a risen Savior who is daily interceding on my behalf.
Hebrews 7:23-25 states, “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
If like me, you’ve experienced the loss of loved ones who you knew were interceding for you on a daily basis, or if you’ve felt alone at times thinking no one cares or is praying for you, realize that Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for you.
As 1 Timothy 2:5 explains, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
His ascension to Heaven did not stop His ministry to you. Along with paying the price for your sin, He is alive and serving as your advocate before the Father.
And why might you need an advocate? Because as 1 Peter 5:8 describes, you have an adversary, the devil, who is seeking to devour you.
Still you can rest knowing Jesus is pleading your case before the Father. 1 John 2:1 states, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Furthermore, Hebrews 9:24 describes how, “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”
Jesus has not taken His priestly duties lightly, but rather has carried His love, concern, and ministry to you to the very throne room of God.
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A Lesson in Humility
by Max Lucado
Jesus… made Himself of no reputation… He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5, 7–8
Deflating inflated egos is so important to God that he offers to help. He helped me. I recently spent a week on a book tour. We saw long lines and crowded stores. One person after another complimented me. For three days I bathed in the river of praise. I began to believe the accolades. All these people can’t be wrong. I must be God’s gift to readers. My chest puffed so much I could hardly see where to autograph the books. Why, had I been born two thousand years earlier, we might read the gospels of Matthew, Max, Luke, and John. About the time I wondered if the Bible needed another epistle, God shot an arrow of humility in my direction. We were running late for an evening book signing, late because the afternoon signing had seen such long lines. We expected the same at the next store. Concerned, we phoned ahead. “We are running behind. Tell all the people we’ll arrive soon.”
“No need to hurry,” the store manager assured.
“What about the people?”
“Neither one seems to be in a hurry.”
Neither one?
By the time we reached the store, thankfully, the crowd of two people had tripled to six. We had scheduled two hours for the signing; I needed ten minutes. Self-conscious about sitting alone at the table, I peppered the last person with questions. We talked about her parents, school, Social Security number, favorite birthday party. Against my pleadings, she had to go. So I sat alone at the table. Big stack of Lucado books, no one in line.
I asked the store manager, “Did you advertise?”
“We did. More than usual.” She walked off.
The next time she passed I asked, “Had other signings?”
“Yes, usually we have a great response,” and kept going.
I signed all the books at my table. I signed all the Lucado books on the shelves. I signed Tom Clancy and John Grisham books. Finally a customer came to the table. “You write books?” he asked, picking up the new one.
“I do. Want me to sign it?”
“No thanks,” he answered and left.
God hit his target. Lest I forget, my daily reading the next morning had this passage: “Do not be wise in your own eyes” (Prov. 3:7).
When you’re full of yourself, God can’t fill you.
But when you empty yourself, God has a useful vessel.
From Cure for the Common Life Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2006) Max Lucado
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Father's Day, or Thanksgiving? A Retrospective
by Shawn McEvoy
I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter his courts with praise
I will say "this is the day that the Lord has made"
I will rejoice for he has made me glad
~ "He Has Made Me Glad"
Make no mistake – I’ll never be "happy" that my father passed on at age 57. I am not exuberant that he did not get to know his incredible grandchildren, or give his daughter away on her wedding day. I ached for his father, who had already lost a young wife to cancer and his eldest son to a car accident in the prime of life. I still haven’t grasped the void he left in the lives of his fishing buddies or his work community. I never wished for my mother to enter her golden years without the love of her life beside her. And yet ...
I had joy then, that day, even as I delivered my father’s eulogy, and I have joy now.
God rejoices in the coming home of His saints, even if those who knew my father understand that by some definitions, he was no saint. But this was a man -- my best man -- who came to know the truth of grace, who experienced no fear or pain in encountering death, and whose final days were made comfortable by knowing it hasn’t even entered into the heart of man what God has in store for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9).
I’ve come to see that Dan McEvoy was a lot of things to a lot of people who still feel the void he left. This history has allowed me to see a lot of outpouring, the greatest of which was the phone call we received in the hospital from an old friend. My father’s liver had been conquered by melanoma which had metastasized there. When Mrs. Miller – a woman of my grandmother’s generation – telephoned to say her good-byes, she tearfully asked whether there was any way Dan could keep living if she donated her own liver. I’m not even sure of the ethics there, and we were beyond the help of a transplant, but all I could focus on was: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
And so, I remain thankful. And as I tell you why, I hope you’ll not only follow Paul’s lead to "rejoice with those who rejoice," but that no matter how good, rotten, or unfair your own situation has been with your own father, you’ll find some small cause for gratitude.
In 1997, my father finally decided he needed a Lord and Savior. This was the only prayer I ever really begged God to answer for me, and He came through, not in my time, but in His time. After he made that decision, I knew my faith would be such that whatever happened, whenever it happened, the rest of my life, I would be okay.
With item number one of thanksgiving in place, I am able to say I am also overflowing with thanks for these things:
I am thankful that Dad was the best man in my wedding, and put his hand on my shoulder during the ceremony.
I am thankful that my parents stayed together, especially considering it was Christianity that almost broke them up in the early 80s. They not only endured that rough spot in their marriage, they made it better, loving each other "more than yesterday and less than tomorrow" right up until the end.
I am thankful that my friends Jay and Bill considered "The Danner" a second father.
I am thankful for Christmas 2000, when our family rented a mountain cabin and had our best Christmas ever – not even knowing it would be our last one with the guy that glued all our crazy personalities together.
I am thankful that we cheered my sister as she walked across the stage to complete her degree, and that Dad got to read the essay I wrote about his life and our relationship for one of my graduate courses.
I am thankful for the way my mother’s mother and sisters adored my father, and were never shy in telling me about it.
I am thankful my father gave me everything I needed growing up, and everything I need to go on. As I told him in the inscription to a book I gave him, "you have shown me the ways to be strong, now perhaps you can also show me the strength of being weak." He did.
I am also thankful for the little things: Post-Thanksgiving "turkey sangs" … playing catch by the pool ... the "let’s-do-it" support when I announced I wanted to stay out of school a year before attending a small Baptist college in Oklahoma (although hearing the words "full tuition" didn’t exactly make this hard thing for him) … the somber day we spent in Dallas touring the JFK assassination site … every fishing trip we took. I am even glad I never beat him at tennis.
I am extremely grateful for the eight full days we spent laughing, crying, thinking, praying and just being quiet before he died. We agreed that regardless of whenever either of us were to leave this earth, there was naturally a finite amount of time we could possibly spend together, and so sometimes we just sat, and we loved it. He asked me how I could bear to continue to wipe down his face, or help him move in bed. I got to tell him that I was certain a year from now I would give anything to wring out his washcloths just one more time.
Mostly, I am thankful for the stories and the memories we have and which we shared with each other during our final days. I’d like to tell you two of these.
One day when I was very young, my father and my aunt were tanning beside our pool. I had been playing on the steps. My aunt suddenly realized the splashing she was hearing was not a good sign. They noticed me floating face down in the water. Dad jumped in and yanked me up, only to see me spit water and say, "That was fun; let’s do it again!" I am not sure why this story was so special to Dad (after all, he got in trouble), but he told it often. Maybe it was his reminder of fragility, love, and responsibility.
In any case, 13 years later it was my turn to pluck him from the water. We had taken a friend’s pop up trailer to Arizona’s Roosevelt Lake. We had just set up camp and rented our pathetic little aluminum boat with the outboard motor. We were preparing to head out for "the evening feed," when I saw a light bulb go off over my father’s head.
I could tell his back was not up to an evening of sitting on the hard metal benches that pass for seats. He ran to the campsite, and returned with a folding lawn chair which he smugly placed over the middle bench. He sat down, facing the rear of the craft, and said, "You’ll have to drive, Shawn-o, heh heh." He had his fishing pole in one hand, a silver bullet in the other, a big grin on his face, and on his head, a cheap ball cap he had bought at a convenience store that morning which simply said, "Captain." How apropos.
As we made our way out of our cove and past the no-wake buoys, the wind began to whip up some whitecaps on the water. As soon as we were past the buoys, I revved the motor, and accidentally turned the rudder to starboard just as a wave struck the port side of the boat. Wham! We went perpendicular to the water before the boat slapped back to the surface. I looked up, relieved, until I noticed The Captain was no longer in the boat!
His fishing gear was still there, his beverage was unharmed, and his ridiculous throne was still upright, but he had abandoned ship, and was now floating somewhere behind me as the boat continued to surge forward. Now I did a very odd thing. Instead of simply circling back in a wide arc to get him, I panicked and hit the kill switch on the motor. Now stopped, I could hear a faint voice crying over the waves, "Shawn-o, come baaaaccck!"
"I’m trying – I can’t get the motor restarted!"
(Long pause) … "Row!"
So I tried to row, but the waves were pretty strong and the oars did not fit the oarlocks properly. Dad lost his shoes, his glasses, and the old-lady style sunglasses that he wore over his eyeglasses, and swam to a buoy. I eventually got the motor restarted, and went to pick him up. He got in the boat, still wearing his captain’s hat, and we went to a cove to start fishing. Nobody said anything.
After an hour of no conversation and no bites, I tried to apologize, but he would have no part of it. "That’s what I get for looking like Captain Jackass" he said.
Even though we each got a turn to raise the other from the water, I don’t think either case qualifies as any official kind of baptism. But I do think the moral is – you don’t ask a drowning man if he wants to be saved.
Too many of us are riding around in choppy waters on rickety thrones like our own Captain Jackass. Eventually, we’re gonna wind up in the drink. Hopefully, we’ll have the wisdom to understand what’s happening: Peace, be still. Trust in the arms that will raise you up again. His grace is sufficient for me, for Dan McEvoy, and for you.
One final "water" story – I used to tease my father about which of Tucson's many rest homes he would like me to place him in when he got older. The avid fly fisherman’s reply was always the same: "Shawn-o, you’ll find me face down in some trout stream long before I’m ever ready for a home." We always had a good chuckle about that.
Turns out he was right – sort of. No, he’ll never have to endure me placing him in a home, and while I do think he’s enjoying some beautiful trout streams, I don’t see him face down in one. Instead, I see him face down before the throne of grace, with his questions answered, his faith rewarded, and his spirit rejoicing. This Father's Day and every day, I rejoice with him. How could I do any less?
Your Devotional Sponsor:
The Gift of 3 Truths on Father's Day
By Justin Camp
We have an enemy, and it’s not those people we disagree with or who believe differently than we do. It’s not people on the other side of the political spectrum. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” - Ephesians 6:12
Our enemy is much worse. He is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). He pummels us with lies over the entire course of our lives. He pummels the men in your life again and again telling them who to be and what to do, what is real and what is right. His false messages are insidious because they don’t sound so bad... at first, at least.
But, of course, if we believe them, if we follow his lies, they debilitate us—keep us unsure of ourselves, merely surviving, tired and underutilized and isolated. And, eventually, they lead us to our deaths. So, here we are. In a world screaming for redemption, with a vicious enemy, with the odds stacked against us—against us ever living the way our God designed us to live.
Things can look grim. But they aren’t. Because opposite of all those lies is something much greater: the truth of God. The truth of Jesus Christ. And we can be agents of his truth—encouraging one another, telling the people in our lives the truth we see in them, helping them to stand strong in the face of all this deception and malice.
As a unique and powerful gift, here are three things you can tell your husband (and all the dads in your life) this Father’s Day:
1. He Is Never Alone.
Jesus promises he is with us wherever we go—when we’re home, when we’re at work, in tough circumstances, in every difficult call, every difficult meeting. “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Remind your husband of this. But tell him that you are with him too. Remind him of your wedding vows—to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. Remind him that you are a team, that you are with him in every victory and every failure, every joy and every struggle.
2. He Is Loved, No Matter What.
We are precious sons and daughters of an outrageously loving Father God. God’s love for each of us burns bright and true. It will never dim. Not ever. Not even a little. If you were to plot his love on a graph, the line would be high and flat. It wouldn’t fluctuate over time; it would never swing in response to our good actions—or even our worst. He doesn’t love us more because of the things we’ve accomplished or acquired in life. Remind your husband of this. But remind him too that you love him for who he is—the love of your life—not for what he does and what he brings home.
3. You Are Not Worried.
For husbands, it sometimes feels like worrying is just a part of being a man. They, like us, worry about the bad things that might happen—to them, to us, to our loved ones. So, they, like us, strategize and plan about how to get out in front of all those things. As we know, all that worrying can hang over our lives. It can haunt our thoughts and steal important moments—moments that should be joy-filled. But Jesus teaches us that we don’t need to worry. For he didn’t come so that we’d live lives haunted by fear. He came and died to set us free from such things (Gal. 5:1). He assures us that our Father God will take care of us, whether we worry or not (Matt. 6:26). Remind your husband of this, as well. But even more, tell him that you are not worried. Tell him you trust God. And tell him that you trust him too. Encourage him. Tell him you believe in him. Tell him that you know it’s all going to be okay, somehow.
Write your version of all these messages on a card. Or, perhaps better still, tell him with your own words, looking directly into his eyes. However you do it, surprise your husband with these uncommon, right-side-up gifts on Father’s Day.
About The Authors:
Jennifer and Justin Camp are married and writers. They co-founded Gather Ministries, a Christian nonprofit focused on discipleship and encouragement.
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WHEN CONFLICT COMES
About seven years ago, Debbie and I bought a house in Houston. We had all the inspections done, and the house got a clean bill of health. Roughly two months into the new home, we discovered termites. UGH!! They were well established and were eating the studs out in the master bedroom. We called the termite inspector who had failed to find the little intruders. He denied he made a mistake and did not think he was responsible for any treatment expenses. Obviously, we were in conflict with him.
A PART OF LIFE
Conflict is a part of life. No matter how closely you walk with God, you will still encounter times of conflict. The goal in life is not to avoid conflict at all costs... but to address conflict in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
Are you in conflict with another person at this moment? Is that person your spouse? Your son or daughter? Your mom or dad? Your boss or another co-worker? Your neighbor? What does God want you to do? The Book of Proverbs gives us great wisdom into dealing correctly with conflict.
1. Seek wise counsel. "Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance" (Prov. 20:18). Get a wise and unbiased third party to give you advice on the situation. You may be greatly in the wrong and not even know it. You may be so mad that you are unable to see the conflict from the other person's perspective. There are three sides to every argument: yours, theirs, and the unbiased truth.
2. Watch for pride. "Pride leads to conflict" (Prov. 13:10). Many conflicts are the result of wounded pride. If you at odds with someone, and your wounded pride is the main reason... confess it and reconcile. "God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble" (Jas. 4:6).
3. Watch for anger. "A man with a bad temper starts fights, but he who is slow to anger quiets fighting" ( Prov. 15:18). Conflict and anger are often joined at the hip. When you start to get angry, you need to back off the discussion. Many hurtful words are spoken in anger - I hate you... I wish I never married you... You are no good...You are stupid... You will never amount to anything. Once words like that leave your mouth, they cannot be retrieved. Better to bite your tongue and walk away from the argument than to start spewing words of anger that may indeed damage for a lifetime.
4. Take the high road. "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him" (Prov. 26:4). It has well been said, "Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." Always be kind, considerate and respectful even in conflict. Think of the other person as your boss (even if he or she is your child). If you were pleading your case with your boss, you probably would not resort to name calling, would not interrupt, would not be disrespectful and condescending, and would not threaten. Those are keys things to remember when involved in any argument.
5. Be quick with forgiveness. "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions" (Prov. 10:12). If you have been wronged, do not harbor a grudge in your heart. It will only hurt you. Bitterness is like burning your house down to kill a rat. It is STUPID! Forgive that person and give them over to the Lord. If you have wronged another, go to them with a broken and repentant heart and seek their forgiveness. Most people respond favorably (if not immediately, then eventually) to someone who is repentant and seeking forgiveness.
6. Don't get discouraged! No one has a track record of perfection when it comes to handling conflict. All of us have blown it with our family, our friends, our neighbors and people at work or school. What we need to do is get up and learn from our mistakes. Start putting God's wisdom from Proverbs into practice so that your conflicts can result in win-win outcomes and your behavior through it all can glorify Christ. Remember, "A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again" (Prov. 24:16).
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
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How I Came to Enjoy Raisins
by Shawn McEvoy
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. -- 1 John 2:10
Worst advertising slogan ever: "Two scoops of raisins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran." Blech. But apparently it worked on my mother, who bought the stuff like it was going out of style, while referring to delicious breakfast desserts such as Lucky Charms and Crunchberries as "cardboard." So unfair. So there I sat, choking down my raisin bran, or even oatmeal cookies with raisins in them, always suffering the same horrible fate: the bran or cookie part would be chewed and swallowed before the gooey chewy raisins, leaving me a mouthful of not-nearly-as-tasty goop.
I despised raisins. Thought about writing Kellogg's and telling them that backing off to one scoop would be plenty (nothing like getting to the bottom of the bowl and finding no flakes, only 10 little black things. Ew).
Flash-forward a quarter-century. I'm having a similar issue to the raisin problem with people. Specifically, I'm loathe to admit, some Christian people. No, I haven't been eating them, but sometimes, I do find us hard to swallow. Part of the problem, ironically, is my job! Here at Crosswalk we often receive angry emails from fellow Christians who don't like the movie we reviewed, the way we said something, the ad we ran, or the author we allowed to appear on the site. Criticism's fine, even justified; I just have a hard time when it comes with a "You call yourself Christian?" or a "Have you even read the Bible?" punch to the gut. Sometimes it feels as if we Christians are concerned more with hammering home truth no matter how bluntly, or railing against _(fill in the blank)_ than genuinely loving people and meeting needs. Of course, the obvious irony here is that I then, looking in the mirror, find myself in short supply on genuine love myself. Which is not where Christ wants any of us to be. In fact, in Revelation 12:10, the title "Accuser of the Brethren" is given to our enemy Satan at his judgment. Do I really want to claim that monicker for myself?
So what does this have to do with raisins? Well, recently I discovered I kinda like the shriveled little things! I pack 'em for snacks, and eat them with the kids. I like the nutritional value, the fiber, the chewiness. What's changed? My tastes? No. The raisins? No. Not the packaging, not the flavor, not even my effort (I'm not choking them down because they're good for me, I genuinely like them). I realized that what has changed is my perspective. It didn't happen overnight, but about the time "Craisins" (dried Cranberries) came on the scene, I began enjoying all sorts of dried fruits. And here's what I noticed: I like cranberries, ergo I like dried cranberries. I like apricots, therefore I like dried apricots. I love grapes, so obviously I... hate raisins? That didn't seem to make logical sense. Maybe it was time to give raisins another try. Maybe I shouldn't even think of them as raisins. Maybe I should just think of them as "dried grapes!"
That may sound extremely silly... but it worked! I felt like I had come into the light. The texture was suddenly different. The way I savored them changed... everything. And a fun new world of food possibilities has re-opened to me, simply thanks to a different way of looking at something.
1 John 1:5-7 & 2:7-11 talk about Light, who it comes from, what it helps us do, and what it shows about us when we walk in it. Light is a perspective-changer. It reveals the true nature of hidden or darkened things. It doesn't change them, but it can and does change how they appear, how they are perceived, and the details we notice. Our verse today says, "Whoever loves his brother lives in the light," and I think it also works backwards: "Whoever lives in the light will love his brother." It's not going to be easy for me to see fellow redeemed sinners - especially the angry ones - as Jesus does, but it's clearly possible, and commanded, and in the raisin example it wasn't about my efforts anyway - just turning on a light.
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Drawing from the Source
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2:13 NIV
For us as believers, contentment should be governed by inner attitude and the decisions we make rather than by external circumstances. Because Paul had learned this secret, he was able to experience joy and peace in any kind of situation--whether he was surrounded by friends or isolated in a Roman prison; whether he had plenty or was in great need.
The apostle understood what it meant to live in Christ and to have Christ living in him (John 15:1-9; Gal. 5:22-23). He had made a simple but profound faith decision to draw his life from the Lord and, as a result, had the calm assurance that what he possessed inside could never be stolen. He was confident in his identity as a child of the Almighty, with full access to the abundant life Jesus offers.
I want to challenge you--this week, when something threatens to steal your contentment, choose to draw from God; decide to stop drawing from other sources and trying to be in control. When you find yourself becoming flustered, anxious, or angry, stop and say, "Lord, You are my source, and I draw from You the capacity to be kind. I draw from You the forgiveness I need to extend right now. I draw from You the love I need to express." This decision is a matter of simple trust.
Watch and see how God will quiet your spirit and provide confidence when you draw only from Him as your source. You'll be surprised at your own attitude: when you respond from within--rather than from the flesh--Jesus will give you the ability to respond as He would.
From Dr. Charles Stanley
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