Every Day Light

[Judy Harder]

July 25

Out of Weakness - Strength!
For reading & meditation - Hebrews 11:30-40
"... out of weakness were made strong ..." (v. 34, KJV)

When I first felt the urge to write on the theme: "Strong at the broken places," I had great difficulty in tracing its origin. Then someone wrote to me, quoting the full phrase from the writings of Ernest Hemingway, who said: "Life breaks us all ... but many are made strong at the broken places." I felt this to be a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit, and began at once to put my thoughts together on this thrilling theme. It is a principle of life that the place in which a bone breaks and then heals will be so strong that, generally speaking, it will never break there again. In the same way, when the skin is cut and scar tissue forms, the healed part becomes tougher than the surrounding skin. If this happens in the natural, why not in the spiritual? The writer to the Hebrews tells us, in the passage before us today, that God is expert at taking the weaknesses of His children and turning them into strength. What an encouraging truth! A traveler in the Netherlands tells how his guide pointed out an historic site. "This is where the sea broke through," he said, "causing thousands to drown. But see - it is now so strongly reinforced that it will never break through there again." Have you been broken by life to such an extent that you feel an overwhelming sense of weakness? Then take heart - God specializes in matching His ability to your disability. By His transforming grace, your frustration can become fruitful. You can be strong at the broken places.
Prayer:

O Father, this sounds fine as theory, but can it really become a fact? Your Word says it can. I am ready and eager to learn. Teach me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

For Further Study
Ps. 34:1-22; 147:3; 1 Cor. 11:24
1. What is promised to the brokenhearted?
2. Why was Jesus broken?

[Judy Harder]

July 26

The "Inner-Stances"
For reading & meditation - 2 Corinthians 4:1-15
"We are handicapped on all sides ... we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!" (vv. 8-9, J. B. Phillips)

Why is it that while the same things can happen to us all, they may not have the same effect upon us all? The same thing happening to two different people may have entirely different effects. Why should this be so? It depends not so much on the circumstances, but on the "inner-stances" - or, in other words, our inner attitudes. As someone has said, "What life does to us in the long run depends on what life finds in us." Life's blows can make some people querulous and bitter, others they sweeten and refine; the same events, but with opposite effects. The Gospels tell us that there were three crosses set up on Calvary on the first Good Friday. The same event happened to three different people, but look at the different results. One thief complained and blamed Jesus for not saving Himself and them; the other thief recognized his own unworthiness, repented of it and found an open door to Paradise. Jesus, of course, saw it as the climax of His earthly achievements and made it the fulcrum on which He moved the world. What counts, therefore, is not so much what happens to us, but what we do with it. The same sunshine falling on two different plants can cause one to wither and die, while the other will blossom and flourish. And why? It all depends on the response the plants make. Although, of course, they both need water, one plant is more suited to hot sunshine than the other, and therefore responds with more life and growth, while the other shrivels up and dies.
Prayer:

Gracious heavenly Father, write this precept upon my heart so that I shall never forget it: it's not so much what happens to me, but what I do with it that is important. Thank You, Father. Amen

For Further Study
2 Cor. 11:21-29; 2 Tim. 4:7; Ps. 37:28; Prov. 2:8
1. What was Paul's testimony?
2. How did he sum up his life?

[Judy Harder]

July 27


Are Christians Exempt?
For reading & meditation - Matthew 5:38-48
"... He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (v. 45)

We are meditating on the theme, "Strong at the broken places," and we are discovering that although life deals blows to us all, those who meet life with the right responses and the right inner attitudes are those who turn their weaknesses into strengths. I know some Christians who believe that they ought to be exempt from the cruel blows of life. A young man who was stunned after failing his examination said, "I cannot understand. I prayed very hard before the examination, and I lived an exemplary life for the Lord. Why, oh why, should He fail me at this important moment?" Later he confessed to a friend, "As a result of God letting me down, my faith in Him has been shattered." I can sympathize with the young man's feelings, of course, but I cannot agree with his conclusions. Suppose prayer alone could enable us to pass examinations - what would happen? Prior to examination time, classrooms would be deserted, and everyone would flock to the churches for prayer and meditation. Not a bad situation, you might think. But what would happen to the minds of young people if prayer alone brought success? They would become blunted by lack of study. I suspect the young man I have just referred to was depending more on prayer than on diligent and painstaking study. Now prayer and study make a good combination, but prayer without study never helped anyone pass an examination. Christians are not exempt from the natural laws that govern the universe. We may through prayer be able to overcome them, but we are not able to avoid them.
Prayer:

Father, thank You for reminding me that even though I am a Christian, I am still governed by natural laws that apply equally to everyone. I cannot be exempt, but through You I can overcome. I am so grateful. Amen.

For Further Study
James 2:14-26; 1 Tim. 4:9-16; 2 Tim. 2:15
1. What is James teaching us?
2. How does Paul apply this to Timothy?

[Judy Harder]

July 28

How Do You Respond?
For reading & meditation - Hebrews 12:4-15
"Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace which God gives, for if he does there can ... spring up in him a bitter spirit ..." (v. 15, J. B. Phillips)

Today we must examine an issue that may be extremely challenging to us Christians, but we must face it nevertheless. Why is it that many non-Christians, though broken by life, succeed in becoming "strong at the broken places," while many Christians go through similar experiences and come out crippled and bitter? A few years ago I watched a television program in the United States in which a famous Jew, Victor Frankl, talked about his experiences in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. When he was brought before the Gestapo, they stripped him naked and then, noticing that he was still wearing his gold wedding ring, one of the soldiers said, "Give it to me." As he removed his ring, this thought went through his mind: "They can take my ring, but there is one thing nobody can take from me - my freedom to choose how I will respond to what happens to me." On the strength of that, he not only survived the Holocaust, but also developed his whole psychiatric system called Logotherapy, which states that "when you find meaning in everything, then you can face anything." Frankl, a non-Christian, survived the horrors of the Holocaust because he was sustained by an inner conviction that he would come through it, and be able to use the suffering to good effect. His system of Logotherapy is now being used to help thousands who have mental and emotional problems. If a non-Christian, bereft of redemptive grace, can respond to life in this way, then how much more those of us who claim to be His children?
Prayer:

O Father, whenever You corner me like this, You know my tendency to wriggle and try to get off the hook. Help me to face this issue and take my medicine, however bitter it tastes. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

For Further Study
Heb. 4; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; Lam. 3:22-23
1. Why can we come boldly to God?
2. What was Paul's inner attitude to his problem?

[Judy Harder]

July 29

Two Men - Different Reactions
For reading & meditation - 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
"... 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (v. 9)

We must spend another day examining this very important issue of why it is that some non-Christians seem to respond better to life's problems than many Christians. Just recently I heard of two different people whose business ventures collapsed. One was a Christian and the other an agnostic. The agnostic responded to the situation by saying, "I cannot determine what happens to me, but I can determine what it will do to me. It will make me better and more useful." He struck out in another direction, and his new venture prospered to such a degree that he won an award. The Christian responded to the collapse of his business by saying, "Life is unjust. What's the point of trying? I shall withdraw from the cutthroat world of business and concentrate on my garden." He had to undergo some in-depth counseling before he was on his feet again, and after six months he felt strong enough to rebuild a new and now prosperous business. What can explain the different reactions of these two men? We could explain it in terms of temperament, upbringing, and so on, but there is one thing that must not be overlooked - the Christian had access to the grace of God which, if utilized, should have enabled him to view the situation even more positively than the non-Christian. As a counselor, I understand why people respond wrongly to life's situations. However, my understanding of it does not prevent me from recognizing that the true biblical response to life's problems is to take full advantage of the grace of God and turn every setback into a springboard.
Prayer:

Gracious Father, help me to respond to everything in the way a Christian should. Help me to see that not only do You lift the standard high, but You also supply the strength for me to attain it. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

For Further Study
James 1:1-15; Eph. 3:16; Isa. 41:10
1. What does James teach us about trials?
2. What was Paul's prayer for the Ephesians?

[Judy Harder]

July 30

Doing What Is Right
For reading & meditation - Philippians 2:5-16
"... continue to work out your salvation ... for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (vv. 12-13)

We ended yesterday by saying that the biblical response to all of life's problems is to take advantage of the unfailing grace of God, and turn our setbacks into springboards. I know that some will respond to that statement by saying, "It sounds good in theory, but it's hard to put it into practice. What about the hurts that some people carry inside them, that make it difficult or sometimes impossible for them to make use of God's grace to turn their problems into possibilities?" I do understand and sympathize with the wounds that people have, which sometimes militate against their desire to respond to life in a biblical way. I know from firsthand experience the arguments that people can put forward to avoid doing what God asks in His Word. However, I must take my stand, and so must you, on the authority of Scripture, and affirm that God never asks us to do what we are incapable of doing. Much of evangelical Christianity, I am afraid, is man-centered. We need a return to a God-centered position which does exactly what God asks, whether we feel like it or not. I freely confess that there are times when I don't feel like obeying God. I know, however, what is right - that God has redeemed me and that I belong to Him - and I do what He wants me to whether I feel like it or not. What controls you in your Christian life - your feelings or what you know God asks and expects you to do? Your answer will reveal just who is in the driver's seat!
Prayer:

Gracious and loving heavenly Father, teach me the art of responding to life, not with my feelings but with a clear mind and a clear resolve. Help me to do what is right - whether I feel like it or not. For Jesus' sake. Amen..

For Further Study
John 14:15-31; Luke 12:11-12; 1 Cor. 2:13
1. How do we express our love for Christ?
2. How are we enabled to do this?

[Judy Harder]

July 31

Get Hold of This!
For reading & meditation - Romans 8:28-39
"... we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (v. 28)

Before going on to examine some of the major ways in which life breaks us, we pause to review what we have been saying over these past few days. We said that while the same things may happen to us all, they do not have the same effect upon us all. Life's blows make some people querulous and bitter; others, they sweeten and refine. We also saw that the reason some respond to life positively and turn their problems into possibilities is because of right inner attitudes. There are many non-Christians who put us to shame when it comes to the question of rightly responding to life, and it is high time, therefore, that we Christians got our philosophy of living sorted out once and for all. If, as the Scripture teaches, God will let nothing happen to one of His children without supplying the necessary grace to turn the stumbling block into a stepping stone, then we ought to be ahead of the world in demonstrating how to meet whatever life sends us with confidence and faith. Be quite clear about this: no one can fully represent the Christian way of living until they commit themselves to believing that, though God may allow what appears to be a disaster in the life of one of His children, He does so only if He can turn it to good effect. If transformation is not possible, then God would never have allowed it to happen in the first place. So let this truth sink deep into your spirit - God only allows what He can use.
Prayer:

Father, I come to You now to ask that this truth be so impressed upon me during the weeks ahead that never again will I have to be reminded of it. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.

For Further Study
1 Pet. 4; Pss. 30:5; 40:1-3; Isa. 43:2
1. What is God's promise during trials?
2. How does Peter encourage us to respond to them?

[Judy Harder]

August 1

Never Soar as High Again?
For reading & meditation - 1 Peter 1:3-9
"These have come so that your faith ... may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (v. 7)

We turn now to examine some of the ways in which our lives become fractured, and what we can do to become "strong at the broken places." We begin by looking at the brokenness which comes about through failure. Probably someone reading these words is caught up in a vortex of gloom due to a failure. You may be feeling like the man who said to me: "I am stunned by my failure. My life is shattered into smithereens. I read somewhere that 'the bird with the broken wing will never soar as high again.' Does that mean I can never rise to the heights in God which once I knew?" I reminded him of Simon Peter - a man with one of the worst track records in the New Testament. He was prejudiced, bigoted, stubborn, and spiritually insensitive. Again and again he got his wires crossed, such as the time when he attempted to divert Christ from going to His death in Jerusalem (Matt. 16:22), or his insistence that they should stay on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4). Then, on the eve of Christ's crucifixion, he denied and even cursed his Lord. I can imagine Satan whispering in his ear: "Now you're finished. Burned out. A failure. You'll be forgotten ... replaced." But by God's grace, Peter rose from failure to success. He became "strong at the broken places." Because he refused to live in the shadow of his bad track record, his two letters are enshrined forever in the Scriptures. Failures, you see, are only temporary tests to prepare us for more permanent triumphs.
Prayer:

O Father, I see so clearly that no failure is a failure if it succeeds in driving me to Your side. All things serve me - when I serve You. Amen.

For Further Study
Exod. 2; 3
1. How did Moses fail God?
2. How did God deal with him?

[Judy Harder]

August 2

Incisive Questions
For reading & meditation - Ecclesiastes 7:21-29
"So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom ..." (v. 25)

What steps must we take, when broken by failure, to ensure that we become strong at the place of weakness? Keep in mind that the principles we are considering are not only corrective, but also preventative. The first thing we should do, whenever we have failed in anything, is to analyze the reason for the failure. These are some of the questions you should ask yourself: Have I contributed in any way to this failure by such things as inattention to detail, lack of preparation, naivet?, wrong timing, disregard of moral principles, or insensitivity to other people?s feelings? Another question is: What does God want me to learn from this failure? It is difficult, of course, to sit down and question yourself like this when failure strikes; but, as soon as possible after the event, try to assess the lessons that can be learned by honestly facing your emotions - such as hurt, anger, anxiety. Remember, when we stop learning, we stop living. Yet another question to ask yourself is this: Has God allowed this failure so that His purposes for me might be made clear? I know a man, well-known in evangelical circles, who, when he was in his teens, mapped out a career for himself. Although a brilliant student, he failed the entrance examination into his chosen profession. When the news was broken to him, he simply said, "Lord, I just know You are involved in this: what do You want me to do?" This was the moment God had been waiting for, and He showed him a new path that has made him Christ's ambassador to millions.
Prayer:

Father, help me to face my failure in the knowledge that some good can be wrested from even the most depressing circumstances. Show me that incisive questions can bring incisive answers. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

For Further Study
James 3 and 1:5; Prov. 2:1-5; 3:13-14
1. What are the characteristics of earthly wisdom?
2. How are we to obtain wisdom?

[Judy Harder]

August 3

Looking Failure in the Face
For reading & meditation - John 13:12-32
"... 'Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.'" (v. 31)

The second thing we should do when failure strikes is to face it in the knowledge that with God something can be made out of it. The account before us today tells of Christ's betrayal by Judas. Notice how Jesus first accepted the situation before He went on to make something out of it. The Master said: "What you are about to do, do quickly." He made no attempt to ignore the situation, sweep it under the carpet, or pretend it was not there - instead He calmly and deliberately faced reality. Before we go any further, make up your mind to face up to all of life's problems, because if you try to ignore them, you will become inwardly demeaned. The account continues: "As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. When he was gone, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. '" Not only did Jesus accept the situation, but He moved on to turn it into victory. No self-pity, no egotistical concern - He took charge of the situation and made the betrayal contribute to His victory. Was Jesus hurt by Judas' betrayal? I should think so. But instead of spending the night wallowing in self-pity He looked at the situation from God's point of view and quietly affirmed: "Now is the Son of Man glorified." It may take you a little while to be able to respond to difficult situations in the way Jesus did, but remember this - the resources on which the Master drew are yours for the asking.
Prayer:

Father, I see that my life will be made or broken at the place where I acknowledge and deal with my failures. Help me not to run away from them, because in You I am more than a match for anything. Thank You, Father. Amen.

For Further Study
Matt. 26:58-75; Luke 24:12; John 21:15-19; Acts 2:14
1. What was the progression of Peter's failure?
2. How did he face his failure?