Every Day Light

[Judy Harder]

August 28

Moving Together into Victory
For reading & meditation - 2 Peter 1:3-11
"... make every effort to add to your faith ... self-control ..." (vv. 5-6)

God is willing to do His part in helping you in this battle with evil thoughts - but you must be willing to do yours. There is a teaching in some Christian circles that if we discover a need for change in our lives, we should passively wait upon God until He accomplishes it. It sounds so spiritual, but actually it borders on profound error. A Christian man once said to me: "I would like to be free from a certain sin I am involved in, but I find I am powerless to break away from it." I asked him what he expected to happen in order for him to find deliverance. He said, "I expect God to take away the desire for this sin and thus set me free." He was saying, in effect, "God is responsible for delivering me, and my task is to wait passively until He does so." That view is unbiblical - and what is more, it doesn't work. Although deliverance comes from God, we are the ones who carry it out. Let that sink in! The principle is this - you supply the willingness, and He will supply the power. Do you really want to win this battle against evil thoughts? If so, you can. Show God you mean business by putting the principles you have learned this week into practice, and you will pave the way for His miraculous power to work in and through you. Once you have done this, life's oppressive and evil thoughts will never be able to break you again. Here, too, you can become strong at the broken places.

Prayer: Gracious Father, thank You for reminding me that deliverance is a team effort. It involves the Holy Spirit and me. I supply the willingness: You supply the power. So let?s team up, Father, and move together into victory. Amen.

For Further Study
Dan. 1; Rom. 6:13; Eph. 6:13
1. How did Daniel and his friends deal with temptation?
2. What were the results of their resisting temptation?

 

[Judy Harder]

August 29

Coming Back from Doubt
For reading & meditation - John 20:19-31
"Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'" (v. 28)

We consider another important place where some Christians are broken - the area of deep and disturbing doubts. Some men and women have received Christ as their Savior and Lord, but yet are afflicted with paralyzing doubts. Some of these people go through deep agony of soul as they wrestle inwardly with doubt, ending up spiritually exhausted. Someone like this told me that she was a scientist and had serious doubts about certain parts of the Scriptures. "I'm afraid that one day I will wake up," she said, "and discover that science has disproved large chunks of Scripture." I could sympathize with her problem, but really her doubts were quite unfounded. Real science will never disprove Scripture, only confirm it. Half-baked science may appear to discredit the truth of God's Word, but real science can only validate it. I suppose the classic example of doubt is found in the disciple Thomas. We call him "doubting Thomas" - an unfair label if ever there was one. It's sad how we pick out a negative in a person and label him for that one thing. Thomas had his moment of doubt, but he came back from that place of weakness to become strong at the broken place. How strong? Let history judge. A well-authenticated tradition has it that Thomas went to India and founded a church there. Even today there are Christians in India who call themselves by his name - the St. Thomas Christians. They are some of the finest Christians I have ever met. Thomas had his doubts allayed in one glorious moment of illumination - and then he went places. So can you!

Prayer: O my Father, just as You took Thomas and changed him from a doubter to a man of amazing faith and achievement - do the same for me. For Your own dear Name's sake I ask it. Amen.

For Further Study
Ps. 37:1-40; Isa. 12:2; Luke 12:29
1. List seven steps of trusting given in verses 1-9 of this psalm.
2. What are five results of trusting?

[Judy Harder]

August 30

Truth - in the Inner Parts
For reading & meditation - Psalm 51:1-19
"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ..." (v. 6)

What do we do when we find ourselves assailed by honest doubts? Firstly, we must learn to distinguish between honest doubts and defensive doubts. Many of the doubts that trouble Christians concerning aspects of the Christian faith are made half-consciously into a screen to hide some moral weakness or failure. I am not denying that some people experience acute intellectual problems in relation to their faith, and it would be arrogant to suggest, or even hint, that everyone troubled by doubts is consciously or unconsciously using them as a screen. But because experience has shown that some do, this issue has to be faced. Ask yourself now: am I using my doubts as a "defense mechanism" to cover up some weakness or personal defect? A "defense mechanism" is a device employed by our minds to prevent us from facing up to reality. Adam used a defense mechanism when he blamed Eve for his sin. It is called projection - refusing to face up to personal responsibility, and projecting the blame onto someone else. Could it be that some of your doubts may be due to this? I am not suggesting, of course, that they are, but they could be. If you are willing to look at this issue objectively, or perhaps with the help of a wise and responsible Christian friend, then, I assure you, God will not withstand your plea. One hymnwriter said: Jesus the hindrance show, Which I have feared to see Yet let me now consent to know What keeps me out of Thee.

Prayer: Gracious Father, You know how difficult it is for me to see myself as I really am. Help me to be honest with myself - even ruthlessly honest. For I want to be as honest as You. Help me in this hour of challenge. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

For Further Study
Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 2:11; 10:1-6; 11:3, 14
1. What was Satan's approach to Eve?
2. How could Eve have overcome his strategy?

[Judy Harder]

August 31

Dealing Positively with Doubt
For reading & meditation - Acts 17:1-15
"... they ... examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (v. 11)

What do we do when we find ourselves assailed by honest doubt? Well, first we must recognize that doubts can be valuable if they motivate us to search deep and long for the answers. Perhaps it was this thought that led Samuel Coleridge to say, "Never be afraid of doubt ... if you have the disposition to believe." Unfortunately, there is very little sympathy given to those who doubt in most evangelical churches. Doubters are about as welcome in some congregations as a ham sandwich in a synagogue! It was because of the lack of concern shown in many churches toward those with honest doubts that two American missionaries, Francis and Edith Schaeffer, set up their ministry in a remote Swiss village. They established a center for those with doubts about their faith and called it L'Abri, which is French for "The Shelter." Hundreds made their way there over the years, and came back with their doubts resolved. Have you ever heard of Frank Morrison? He was an agnostic who, many years ago, set out to demonstrate the validity of his doubts about the resurrection of Christ. The more he looked into the facts, however, the more convinced he became that Christ actually did rise from the dead. He finished up writing a book entitled Who Moved the Stone?, which is one of the greatest evidences for the resurrection I have ever read. There are clear answers to all the doubts you may have concerning the Christian faith. Search for these answers, and the more you struggle, the stronger will be your faith.

Prayer: Father, help me today to understand that all things can contribute to my faith, including my doubts. When I realize this, then I will go far. Thank You, Father. Amen.

For Further Study
Luke 12:29; Heb. 11:6; James 1:6-8
1. What did Jesus teach about doubt?
2. What causes doubt, and how should it be dealt with?

[Judy Harder]

Every Day Light
     


September 1



John's Doubts about Jesus
For reading & meditation - Matthew 11:1-11
"... 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? '" (v. 3)

Although God would prefer us to believe, He is exceedingly loving and gracious toward those who struggle with honest doubts. Did you notice, when we were looking at Thomas the other day, that Jesus did not reject his doubting attitude, nor did He refuse his request for physical evidence that He was truly the Christ? Instead, Jesus said to him, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" (John 20:27). The passage before us today tells of another occasion when one of Jesus' followers became oppressed by doubt. John was in prison, and probably suffering great discomfort and disillusionment. John's messengers came to Jesus, wanting to know whether He really was the Messiah, or whether they should be looking for somebody else. John, you remember, had baptized Jesus and had introduced Him to the world with these words: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Does it not seem strange that John, who witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at His baptism, should now have doubts about who He was and the validity of His mission? How did Jesus respond to this situation? With tenderness and sensitivity, He said, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear ..." (Matt. 11:4-5). Our Lord could have rebuked the doubting disciple with strong words of reproof, but He didn't. Although He cares about problems, He cares more about people.
Prayer:

Thank You, Father, for reminding me that You see me, not as a problem but as a person. I know You are concerned about my doubts, but You are more concerned about me. I am deeply grateful. Amen.

For Further Study
Rom. 8:18-39; John 8:1-11; 3:16-17; Rev. 12:10
1. Who condemns us?
2. How did Jesus respond to the woman caught in adultery?

[Judy Harder]

September 2

Decide to Believe
For reading & meditation - James 1:2-12
"... when he asks, he must believe and not doubt ..." (v. 6)

Another important principle to employ when dealing with honest doubts is this: Make a conscious decision to doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs. Living an effective Christian life, as we have been seeing, depends on how willing we are to exercise our wills in favor of God and His Word. To do this requires faith in the fact that God has revealed Himself in His Son and through the Scriptures. As a teenager, I had many doubts about the Scriptures but, one night, I made a conscious decision to accept them as the eternal and inerrant Word of God. Notice, I said "a conscious decision." I decided by an action of my will to doubt my doubts and believe my beliefs. I then found an astonishing thing. Both doubt and faith are like muscles - the more you flex them, the stronger they become. I had been using the muscles of doubt to a great degree, but unfortunately, I had failed to exercise the muscles of faith. When I made up my mind to accept the truth of God's Word by faith, muscles I never thought I had began to function. Now, many years later, those muscles are developed to such a degree that I find, where God is concerned, it is easier to believe Him than to doubt Him. I trace the beginnings of my own spiritual development to that day long ago, when I decided to take what one theologian called "the leap of faith." Perhaps today might become a similar day of decision for you. Decide to doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs. Now!

Prayer: O God, perhaps this is the secret: I have used the muscles of doubt more than the muscles of faith. From today, things will be different. I decide to take You and Your Word on trust - now let it work. Amen.

For Further Study
Heb. 11; Matt. 15:21-28; 17:20; Rom. 10:17; 12:3
1. What different aspects of faith are shown in Hebrews 11?
2. How did the Canaanite woman overcome the obstacles that confronted her?

[Judy Harder]

September 3

Do Your Emotions Take Over?
For reading & meditation - Psalm 103:1-22
"... the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him ..." (v. 17, RSV)

We continue exploring ways in which we can become strong at the broken places caused by deep and disturbing doubts. Another point we should keep in mind in relation to this question of doubt is that some doubts are rooted more in the emotions than in the intellect. Our emotions are an important part of our being, and they can do much to make our lives either miserable or meaningful. When emotions take over, they cause our thinking to waver, so that we can come to faulty conclusions about life. Ask yourself this question now: am I a person who is ruled more by my emotions than by my intellect? If you are, then it is likely that your doubts are rooted more in your feelings than in your mind. Many years ago, a Christian university student came to me complaining that he had serious doubts about the inspiration and reliability of Scripture. As I counseled him, I heard the Spirit say, "This is not an intellectual doubt, but an emotional one." I explored with him the area of his feelings, and he confessed to me that he could never remember a time in his life when he ever felt that he was loved. When the emotional problem was resolved, his doubts vanished of their own accord. His problem was not intellectual, but emotional. Reason and emotion are both important in life, but decisions, especially decisions about the Christian life, must be built not on what we feel to be true but on what we know to be true.

Prayer: My Father and my God, help me trace my problem to its roots and meet me at the point of my deepest need. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For Further Study
Job 1-3
1. What were some of the feelings Job expressed?
2. Did he allow them to give rise to doubt?

[Judy Harder]

September 4



Thomas, the Doer
For reading & meditation - Acts 1:6-14
"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth." (v.

Recognize that if you could not doubt, you could not believe. So don't be threatened or intimidated by your doubts. Robert Browning put it like this: "You call for faith: I show you doubt, to prove that faith exists. The more of doubt, the stronger faith, I say, if faith o'ercomes doubt." Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ's strongest disciples. One commentator points out that Thomas, being a twin, must have developed an early independence of judgment that made it possible for him to break with his brother and become a follower of Jesus. This is an assumption, of course, but I think it is a valid one. It was that independence, perhaps, that led him to reject the testimony of the other disciples when they said, "We have seen the Lord." Jesus did not reject Thomas because of his doubts, but said to him: "Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" (John 20:27). Suddenly his doubts vanished, and he was transformed in that moment into one of Christ's most committed disciples. Up until then, no one had called Jesus "God " They had called Him, "Messiah," "Son of God," "Son of the Living God" - but not "God." Here Thomas the doubter leaped beyond the others, and became the strongest believer of them all. And this faith of Thomas?s did not stop at faith - it resulted in mighty achievement. The doubter became a doer. And how!

Prayer: O God, what a prospect - my faith, at first so tentative, can, through Your illumination and my response, become a driving force. It can not only save me, but send me. May there be no limits! Amen.

For Further Study
Matt. 8:1-13; Rom. 10:17; 14:23; Heb. 11:1
1. Where does faith come from?
2. What did Jesus say to the centurion?

[Judy Harder]

September 5

Danger in the Home
For reading & meditation - Matthew 11:25-30
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me ... and you will find rest ..." (v. 29)

Another area of life where many are broken is through troubles in the home. "Life " as Hemingway put it, "breaks us all " but perhaps nothing is quite as painful as being broken by difficulties in one's home. Have you been broken by problems within your family circle? Then take heart - out of the brokenness God can bring strength. What kind of troubles bring us to a breaking point in the home? These are just some of them: incompatibility, disagreements, separation, threats or the action of divorce, insensitivity, bickering, quarrels, misunderstandings and violence, not to mention such things as alcoholism, drug abuse, mental and emotional breakdowns, child and adolescent rebellion, or gross neglect of the aged members of the family. Even in some Christian homes, things can get pretty desperate. A study completed at the University of Rhode Island described the American home as the most dangerous place to be - apart from a war or a riot. It's also getting like this in Britain. All of us have experienced some hurt through broken relationships in the home. Many, out of loyalty to their families, face the world with a smile, but inwardly they are bleeding. I know a woman who was heartbroken by her husband?s adultery and the rebellion of her children, but today she has recovered and is busy staunching the bleeding wounds in other people's hearts. So it can be done. To those of you broken by troubles in the home, our Lord says, "Learn from Me: I will make you so strong at the broken places of your life that you shall minister to others out of that hidden strength."

Prayer: O God, You know how easy it is to blunder in this delicate and difficult business of relationships. I need
someone to lead me in the right way. You lead me, Father - I will follow. Amen.

For Further Study
Pss. 46:1-11; 147:3; Luke 4:18; Matt. 12:20
1. What did God say to the psalmist in the midst of upheaval?
2. What does God promise the brokenhearted?

[Judy Harder]

September 6

Our Three Primary Needs
For reading & meditation - Colossians 2:1-10
"... in Him you have been made complete ..." (v. 10, NASB)

The first principle we must learn if we are to recover from the brokenness caused by troubles in the home is: Depend on God, and not on anyone else, to meet the deepest needs of your personality. Allow this truth to take hold of your innermost being and you will become a transformed person. The most basic needs of our personality are these: (1) the need to be loved unconditionally (security); (2) the need to be valued (self-worth), and (3) the need to make a meaningful contribution to God's world (significance). Human beings can only function effectively to the degree that these needs are met. If they are unsatisfied, our ability to function as a person is greatly hindered; if they are adequately met, then, other things being equal, we have the potential of functioning effectively. Notice, however, this important point - our needs for security, significance, and self-worth can be fully met only in a close and ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not let Christ meet those needs, then because they have to be met in order for us to function effectively, we will attempt to get them met in and through others. Although many do not realize it, this is what draws many people toward marriage, because they see the possibility of having their needs met through their partner. But no human being, however loving, kind, and considerate they may be, can fully meet these needs. I say again: they can be met fully only in a close and ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, I sense that I am on the verge of something big and challenging. Help me to grasp this, for I sense that if I do, I shall become a transformed person. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

For Further Study
Eph. 1; 2
1.Where is Christ?
2. Where are we?