Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Forgive the Neighborhood Bullies?
by Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:12

My family is blessed to live on a cul-de-sac where our seven-year-old boy freely rides his bike and plays for hours without having to contend with busy traffic. The contention he faces most often is unfortunately the unkind words and actions of the other boys around the block.

Knowing that our little guy isn't perfect, my wife asked our son after one recent occurrence if he had done anything to provoke the attack. "No, mom" he replied as he held the little spot on the side of his head where a hardened dirt clod missile had made impact just a few moments earlier. "He's just mean. I'm never playing with him again." She commended him for walking away from the fray instead of taking matters into his own hands—an impulse which generally tends to make matters worse.

While we have tried to help our son (and ourselves) understand that we live in a sinful world in which things like this happen, we still struggle to respond in a way that demonstrates the grace of the Lord to neighbors He has called us to reach. One habit that seems to bring about the right change in our hearts is to talk to the Lord about it as a family during nightly prayers. We often close our time reciting "the Lord's prayer," which gently reminds us of our own sins as we say the line: "...and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

Thomas Watson, the great Cambridge scholar and Puritan preacher from the 1600s, wrote commenting on that phrase (in Matthew 6:12) "We are not bound to trust an enemy; but we are bound to forgive him." (body of divinity, p. 734).  Going further (p. 734), he asks: "When do we forgive others?"

Answer: "When we strive against all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemies mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them--this is gospel forgiving."

Watson, being the biblical scholar that he was, did not derive his answer from thin air. Each part of it comes straight from Scripture:

1. Resist thoughts of revenge: Romans 12:19, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

2. Don't seek to do them mischief: 1 Thessalonians 1:15, "See that no one repays another with evil for evil..."

3. Wish well to them: Luke 6:28, "Bless those who curse you."

4. Grieve at their calamities: Proverbs 24:17, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles."

5. Pray for them: Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

6. Seek reconciliation with them: Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

7. Be always willing to come to their relief: Exodus 23:4, "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him."

Today, there was peace in the neighborhood. All the boys were getting along again climbing up the tree fort and playing on the rope swing in our backyard. This side of heaven, our battle with unforgiveness may continue to wage; but Watson's biblical counsel and God's grace form the right strategy of gospel forgiving.

Intersecting Faith & Life: In what situations are you tempted to harbor unforgiveness?

How does God look upon unforgiveness? (read Matthew 6:15).

Is there a situation in your life today in which you can apply "gospel forgiving?"

Further Reading

Psalms 73:1

Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer

[Judy Harder]

Imperfect Communities of Peace
by Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"He gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:1)

Looking around at the seemingly fractured state of Christianity in the world today with all of its various camps and divisions, it's tempting to idealize the early church as a perfect time of peace and harmony. Instead of multiple churches in a city, there was just one. Instead of separate denominations, seminaries, and theological societies there was just a small, despised group of disciples who clung to Christ and turned the world upside down with the message of grace and salvation.

Then the book of James disrupts that rose-colored view of history with a more complete picture of the early churches. The Epistle of James was the first book of the New Testament written slightly more than a decade or so after Jesus ascended. Even a casual reading of this short letter shows that the author spilled a lot of ink addressing the ongoing problem of sinful human conflict among Christians. Why? Because Christians can, and do, still sin. And sin tends to bring about devastating effects.

But the Holy Spirit, through James's letter, instructed these believers how to become communities of peace in Christ's power. The seven implicit commands in James 4:1 are for us as well by extension. All seven commands hang together. Not one of them is optional.

1.     Realize the true source of sinful conflict (vv. 1-2a). It's not your circumstances. It's not your brother or sister. It's your own heart.

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have;

2.     Fear the serious effects of sinful conflict (vv. 2-4). In other words, don't take sin lightly.

2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

In life, we recognize that having a healthy fear of danger is the mark of maturity, not weakness.

3.     Humbly seek God's grace to overcome sin (vv. 6, 10). We Christians need to continually view ourselves as needy recipients of God's grace, not dispensers of self-made virtue.

6 He gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

4.     Pursue God and you will not pursue sin. (vv. 7-8) Such an obvious, self-evident truth needs little explanation.

7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

5.     Keep your hearts tender to sin (v. 8-9)

8 Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

To this originally Jewish audience who were the first recipients of James' letter, it would be common knowledge that the Hebrew word for heart in verse 8 means conscience. Rather than talking about the blood-pumping organ in our chest, James refers to the inner person, the soul, the conscience.

Moses recorded that Pharaoh "hardened his heart" (Exodus 8:15), which meant that Pharaoh had seared his conscience from heeding God's will.

When Scripture speaks of a tender heart as in 2 Chronicles 2:27, it's talking about a sensitive conscience.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

We may mentally know the source of sin and possess a genuine fear for the effects of sin, but without an alert and tender heart to the presence of sin, we fall into sin.

6.     Don't judge each other in sinful ways (v. 11)

11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.

We wrongly think that we can hide our sins by highlighting the sins of others. We sinfully judge through subtle forms of gossip and slander, both of which grieve the Spirit and divide the family of God. It's important to have discernment. And that means Christians can, and should, use sound judgment about whose professions of faith are credible. Jesus Himself said that we evaluate not by a person's words but by what fruit is shown in his or her life (Matthew 7:20). But rather than judge in sinful ways, we follow Christ's way of restoration spelled out in Scriptures like Matthew 18 and Galatians 6:1.

7.     Trust God to work in each other's lives (v. 12)

12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

I recall hearing biblical counselor, david powlison, once say that a wonderful trait about true Christians is that they love the light; and when given the truth, they'll embrace it.

While that may not always take place as immediately as we would like, if the other person is truly a believer, he has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him and will ultimately be drawn to the truth. James 4:12 reminds us that God is, indeed, able to save. The great promise of Philippians 1:6 comes to mind, "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

When living out these commands by God's grace, Christian individuals can become churches that are communities of peace. Imperfect, yes. Nothing will be perfect until Christ returns and his glorious kingdomcomes. But until then, Christ doesn't call his sheep to be passive about the dangers of unchecked sinful conflict.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Our struggle with flesh is over only in heaven, but we are called to embrace the struggle and fight the flesh, not surrender to it.

Further Reading

Not What You Wanted?
What is the Kingdom of Christ?

[Judy Harder]

Sex, God, and a Lasting Love
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. – Proverbs 31:10

We live in a culture obsessed with sex, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. From the moment we get up in the morning, to the second we fall back asleep, we are bombarded with images and slogans designed to generate our physical desires. Like many Christians, I grew up listening to sermons about the sin of premarital sex. Over and over I heard pastors talk about the sanctity of marriage, the spread of diseases through casual encounters, the risks of unwanted pregnancies, etc. While I took these warnings to heart and stayed celibate, another part of me was too embarrassed to admit that I just didn't get it.

To me, most of the sermons just sounded like fear-mongering. As long as both people were careful and consenting adults, was it really that bad? For a long time I chose to ignore my questions, hoping the answers would eventually just come to me, and ironically enough, they did. I was working part-time at an amusement park with a bunch of other teens when I overheard a co-worker boasting about a girl he'd hooked up with the previous week. I was beginning to tune him out when a realization suddenly struck me.

He didn't care about this girl; and odds were she didn't care about him either. They didn't know each other's hopes and fears, or the character traits that defined their identities. They had both just used each other for their own gratification. To each other, they were both a disposable pleasure.

But look now at how the first marriage is described in Genesis 2,

"So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." – Genesis 2:21

God created sex, physical intimacy, to be a lasting love. Its purpose was to be the greatest connection between two people who knew one another, loved one another, and were loved in return. What our world offers in comparison is nothing more than a cheap knock-off. Be careful to guard your hearts and minds, and don't allow lust to gain a foothold in your life. Remember, God made us to be more than a disposable pleasure.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Consider your own heart and mind, are you pursing a lasting relationship?   

Further Reading

Song of Solomon 7:1-13

[Judy Harder]

Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

For the last several years, my wife and I have dabbled in gardening. I say "dabbled" because each year has brought more frustration than juicy cucumbers. First, we realized the importance of finding a spot that gets enough sunlight. Then, we discovered the joys of unfit or exhausted soils. Most recently, we've found how much deer like to nibble on just-about-to-bloom plants.

Master gardeners we are not. All those visions of vegetables and fruits dancing in our freezer have met the brown reality of stunted corn and shriveled peas.

You see, we come at this with some serious deficiencies. Namely, we have no idea what we're doing. Everything we've learned about clays and fertilizer and propping up pumpkin vines has come from a book I picked up at Tractor Supply and various YouTube videos. We've cut back the weeds on our ignorance page by page because neither of our families really did much in the way of horticulture (unless you count cutting the grass).

But that doesn't mean we've been completely unsuccessful. In fact, every time we pick something from our garden that's actually edible, it's pretty much a party. "We have beans. Who wants to do the bean dance?" I have no shame when it comes to herbal success.

Perhaps that's because my spiritual growth has come pretty much the same way. Everything I've learned about God, salvation, faith, and love has come from the Bible I picked up in 2003 (and all the others since then) and the examples of Christians I've met along the way. I stumbled along for years, trying to figure out my newfound freedom in Christ, trying to grasp what it means to be an effective ambassador for Him.

Over and over, I kept trying to make things grow. I'd rush to this fad for spiritual success, dig into this surefire method to overcome my sin nature, and pluck up whatever Christian book that had the answers. Surely the next one would help me be fruitful. Surely this pastor/writer/author/blogger has the best answers for how I can really do what God wants.

The whole time, I missed what Paul said to the Philippians: "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." The fruit comes from Him. God prepared the works for us (Ephesians 2:10), and He provides the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Those other sources of wisdom are fine, but they were never any substitute for Christ being formed in me (Galatians 4:19).

It takes time (and will take much, much more), but I wouldn't trade it for all the juicy cucumbers and plump beans in the world, even the ones in my own little garden.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Being fruitful takes time. It's easy to think that some expert has the answer you need to get where you want to be, to overcome the challenges you face. But they probably don't. While most of those books and conferences can be useful, they're no substitute for good, old fashioned growth in Christ. Time, prayer, and Word—there's no getting around how much we need them. They produce the true "organic" fruit.

[Judy Harder]

Love is On the Move
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" -Matthew 25:37-40

"On the corner of 5th Street / a homeless man needs to eat / down on the edge of town..."
-Leeland, "Love is On the Move"

Actually it was 14th Street. 14th and Cary.

I was driving slowly across the cobblestone of downtown Richmond, one block away from pulling into my parking garage before work. However, I noticed a new addition to my morning drive: a middle-aged man with sandy hair sitting on the corner, facing me. He was holding a cardboard sign which read "STUCK LIKE CHUCK." I had never seen him there before. On my way to work this morning I had already passed a beat-up looking group of teenage boys hitch-hiking on the side of 95 south, so by now my maternal instincts were driving me crazy.

I specifically made sure that I made my way to the office via the man with the sign. Before I walked past him I stopped and asked, "Sir?" He looked up at me. His skin was very weathered and tan, but his eyes were electric blue. Almost shocking. "Do you need some food?" I asked.

He sort of looked down, as though thinking, Well, I can't pay my bills with food... But he looked back up at me and hesitantly conceded, "It sure would help." I gave him part of my lunch I had packed for the day, said "God bless you, sir," and tried not to cry.

It's so hard to translate Christ's mandate to love the poor into modern, daily city life. What if I give someone money and they just go buy drugs or cigarettes? What if I help a hitchhiker and they put a gun to my head? How could my pitiful Tupperware container full of fruit possibly help a genuinely struggling man? But Christ made no bones about it: we at least have to try. Not just the important, desperate, convenient people. God's empathy extends to "even the least of them" – He feels both their pain and their gratitude.

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" –James 2:15

"Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" –James 2:5

Intersecting Faith and Life

How can you be a powerful, physical force for God's love? In your life, who are the poor, "the least," that Christ would have you notice?

Further Reading/Listening

Love is on the Move – Leeland (Essential Records, 2009)   

Matthew 25:1

James 2:1

Permission to Feed the Poor?

[Judy Harder]

Setting a Christian Example
by Sarah Piper

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:12

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like you had nothing to offer or that your contributions didn't matter? Ever had to prove yourself to others in order to gain their respect? Think back to your childhood—maybe you experienced this in a classroom or on a sports team. It's easy to be intimidated or overshadowed by those who are older, smarter, more talented or more experienced than we are. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul is writing to Timothy, a young believer. He encourages him not to give anyone an excuse to write him off as immature or undeserving of their attention, but instead to confidently set an excellent example of the Christian life.

Of course, Paul's message here doesn't apply only to Timothy, but to us as well. Even if we sometimes feel useless, God has a plan to use us for His glory in every situation. He enables us to live in a way that exalts Him and to bless others with our example.

In this verse, Paul names five specific areas in our lives that should be representative of a changed heart, the first of which is speech. This is probably one of the most difficult aspects of our character to keep in check; as James 3:6 says, "the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness." Although there's no denying that it's challenging, it's vital that we learn to control what we say since it often has a huge effect on others. Thoughtful and loving words can establish relationships, but just a few angry or careless words can destroy years of friendship.

Next, Paul emphasizes our conduct. In his letter to the Philippians, he encourages them to "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." As believers, we have a responsibility to represent Christ to the world through our actions. If we wear the label of "Christian," we must be willing to live our lives to that standard.

Perhaps the most essential aspect, love must also be characteristic of our lives. As Jesus says in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." More than anything else, our love distinguishes us from unbelievers. Christians are called to exhibit a kind of love that others would see as crazy, the same kind that Jesus showed us: unconditional, undeserved, and often unrequited—the type of love that makes people do a double take.

Next, Paul addresses our faith. As believers, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). We trust that the Bible is true, that Jesus was who He said He was, and that God has the ability to keep the promises He has made to us. This faith should give us courage to live boldly for Christ because we know God will love, protect, and provide for us no matter what.

Finally, we are called to be an example of purity. In the Beatitudes in Matthew 5: 8, Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Because of our fallen nature, we can't reach perfection in this life, but nevertheless, we are to strive to keep God's commands as a demonstration of our love for Him and gratefulness for the saving work He's done in our lives. As we grow in our walk with Him, He promises to purify us and make us more like Himself.

The characteristics outlined in this verse aren't easy to perfect by any stretch of the imagination. That doesn't give us a free pass not to work towards that goal, though. Paul challenges us to reach for a higher standard, not only to set an example for other believers, but also to make unbelievers wonder what we have that is so special that it changes everything about our lives.

[Judy Harder]

Go Ahead. Shine.
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life" Philippians 2:14-16a

The quick burning desire to be an astronomer came during year 3 of my college experience. That was after philosopher, writer (the first time), and English professor, but before anthropologist, high school teacher, and writer (the second time). You can't blame a guy for wanting to wring every cent out of his scholarships.

So, in year 3, I became convinced that I would study space because... well... because I loved planets and stuff. With the same gusto that had carried me through my philosophy phase, I charged into star charts and calculated orbits with fury and fine-tipped lead pencils. I pored over research on black holes and quasars and stared intently into the night sky trying to figure out how in the world someone could think that a certain cluster of stars could look anything like a person or a goat or whatever.

Then, reality hit in the way of astrophysics. The funny thing about studying the stars is that you have to be able to calculate distances, luminosity, parallaxes, and more fancy terms. I could crunch equations just fine, but that doesn't mean I found it more satisfying than, say, ripping off a bandage from my legs.

Before I came to know Christ, all that nadir gazing did produce one substantial result in me: deep, deep emptiness. You can't help but feel how small you are when you peer into the infinite-seeming inkiness of space. The more you see how incomprehensibly expansive everything really is, the more you feel speck-like in the cosmic order. The weight of eternity came crushing in on me.

And in that darkness, I needed light. This "crooked and depraved" man groped about for anything that would shine, some embers of hope. Not finding them in philosophy or books or even astronomy, the pressure just got worse. I kept feeling my way through the darkness into whatever classes the university offered, but through each of my potential career paths, I found nothing that could illuminate the road around me.

Of course, I wouldn't have put it in those terms back then. At that point, I just knew something was messed up, and I couldn't figure out what. I needed the "word of life." But I didn't know I needed it, and I didn't know where to find it.

Intersecting Faith & Life: That's where we come in as Christians. People like the old me don't always even know what gnaws at them. Some have so subverted the pain that it plays out in pursuits of passion: They mute it with noise, clutter, medicine, or flesh. They prefer to find ways to ignore the crushing weight.

And then they see the stars. At least, they should see the stars. I don't necessarily mean the stars in the night, since city lights drown them out for most of us now days. I mean, they need to see the stars around them who shine through their Jesus-emulating behavior. That light has the power to both expose their blindness and help them see.

So, shine. People like the old me are counting on it.

For Further Reading

Philippians 2

Matthew 5

[Judy Harder]

Do You Have Unfair Expectations?
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" (Exodus 4:11)

Last week one of the ladies in my office brought some veggies burgers to give away during lunchtime. She is sometimes sent free products or games through a certain company in exchange for spreading word about them and sending in pictures of her friends & co-workers enjoying the free product. I'd never had a veggie burger, but I thought, Hey, I won't say no to a free lunch!

Several people showed up to the break-room to sample the burgers, but everyone was a little nervous to actually eat them. I went first, my expectations low and my mind open.

It wasn't bad! In fact, I found it tasty and would eat it again. Later I chuckled to myself, thinking, there's no way my husband would enjoy this. You see, my husband is a pretty big fan of a good burger. And, while the veggie burger was tasty in my opinion, it didn't really taste like a beef burger. It had its own unique flavor. But it would be hard to give my husband something that looks like a burger and then tell him that it won't taste like a burger. Basically disappointment would inevitably happen.

And that got me thinking even further. Isn't that an epidemic that the human race has most of the time? We have such specific expectations about things. We hear a movie quoted and praised to death, set our expectations sky-high, and by the time we watch it, we can't appreciate it because it doesn't live up to the hype. More harmful than movie expectations, however, are the expectations we subconsciously place on our spiritual life, or our relationship with Christ.

"I'm supposed to feel ____ when I worship...right? But I don't feel it. There must be something wrong with me."

"Why don't I hear God's voice when I pray? Abraham did. Moses did. Does God hear me?"

"My friend _____ speaks in tongues. I've never done that. Does that mean I'm not filled with the spirit?"

But Scripture tells us that every human being was created unique, in God's image, and you have a different part to play in the body of Christ than your neighbor does.

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body... If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be" (1 Corinthians 12:14-18).

Intersecting Faith and Life: The next time you allow your expectations to deflate you, remember that expectations rob us of joying in the here-and-now. Be present! Be thankful! Remember that your experiences and your role in the church are meant to be unique and shouldn't be compared to anyone else's.

Further Reading

1 Corinthians 12

The Comparison Trap

How Can I Come to Terms with Unrealistic Expectations?

[Judy Harder]

Unqualified
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. -Deuteronomy 13:4

Sometimes I feel like, as a Christian, I'm no good. I have no memory for Bible verses, I don't have any gifts in leadership or preaching, and I've done some pretty stupid, not to mention embarrassing, things while trying to serve Christ in the past. In moments like these, I try to remember Gladys Alyward.

Gladys Alyward was a London-born woman who became a missionary to China in the 1930's. Another missionary named Mrs. Lawson had invited Alyward to China, where the two women would run an inn and tell Bible stories to the passing travelers. Lawson and Alyward were the only foreigners in the city, at a time when Europeans were looked on with great distrust by the Chinese, and not long after her arrival, Mrs. Lawson suffered a severe fall and died a few days later.

Only a few weeks after Lawson's death, Alyward was approached by the city's Mandarin. The government had decided to put an end to the ancient practice of foot-binding, and this meant the government needed a foot-inspector, a woman (someone who could invade the women's quarters without scandal) who would patrol the district and enforce the decree. Though Alyward was now running the inn by herself, she chose to accept the position and used it to minister to countless individuals.           

A year after that, Alyward was once again summoned by the Mandarin. A riot had broken out at a local prison, and Alyward was told to calm it. The prison guards had heard of her strange religion and wanted to put it to the test, so Alyward had no choice but to walk into the rampaging prison. To everyone's surprise, when Alyward called for the rioting prisoners to stop, they did. She told them to select a spokesman for the prisoners whom she could speak with, which again, they did without argument. It turned out the prisoners were confined to close quarters all day, with nothing to do and nothing to eat but food sent to them by family members. Though prison reform was unheard of at the time, Alyward managed to gather equipment the men could use to grind grain, earning them money for food.

As the years passed, the people of the city gave Alyward the name Ai-weh-deh, meaning "Virtuous One." Her inn expanded to become an orphanage where she cared for over 100 children, and when the Japanese threatened to invade in WWII, it was she who led the children over the mountains to safety. Alyward continued to preach the message of Christ all her life until she died in 1970.

Funny thing about Gladys Alyward: when she first applied to be a missionary, she was turned down. The organization she'd applied for considered her "unqualified" to minister in a foreign country.

God loves unqualified Christians. Look at Peter - a day laborer and a coward. Look at Matthew, who was a tax collector and an outcast. Look at Mary, who the scripture say Jesus cast twelve demons from. Don't underestimate what Christ can do with your life. Give God one willing Christian, and he can change the face of the world.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you feel like an unqualified Christian? Don't feel down; pray to God and seek a place where you can serve him.

Further Reading 

Romans 12:11

[Judy Harder]

Wakeup Call
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! (Ps. 57:.

Somewhere along the line, I forgot that I hate mornings. As a kid, I loathed the early morning sunshine after staying up too long and gorging on late-night TV shows. My Saturdays and Sundays and summer stirrings usually began at 1:00—p.m., that is. Even in college, I picked classes that didn't require any matinal commitments on my part. If I could squeeze everything in from noon to four, all the better (which is part of the reason my university experience meandered through six years and countless majors).

But now, suddenly, I'm up at 5:00 a.m. And even worse? I like it.

I suppose there's something about aging that rewires the morning-hate genes in our bodies or weakens the dawn antibodies we've built up over our childhood. The condition obviously overtook my grandfather, who never met a four o'clock coffee he didn't like, and my father, who used to spring out of bed before I even went to sleep on summer nights. Genetic baggage like that will catch up with you.

So, here I am, awake to pray and scare the twitchy deer from our stubbly bean plants, awake to shush the early morning sleep whimpers from our dog, awake to roll life decisions through my recharged synapses before all the buzzes, whoops, and emails clog them up. Awake and alive.

David said that he would "wake the dawn" with his praises and prayers. Another psalmist, much later, cried for help in those dark, early morning hours. Suddenly being one of those early risers, now I understand why morning sun meant so much to them.

You see, for all my loathing earlier in life, there's something almost sacred about the first light. No, I don't mean God blesses one part of the day more than others; I mean that early mornings peel away distraction with rose-colored light. Early mornings smother doubts and fears in the same way they splatter dew on the grass. Those moments, before anything else bangs on the door of your brain, bring a clarity that fades away far too quickly. And I don't want to miss it.

That's why the boy who shuddered at the thought of eyes being open before noon is now the man who doesn't want to miss the pre-day lightshow. It's there that I find God waiting.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Mornings aren't for everyone. So, this isn't a devotional meant to guilt you into dragging your half-dead body out of bed before 6:00. Not everyone has had the night-owl genes swallowed by the morning ones, and it doesn't make sense to wake up that early only to pass out during prayer.

Really, the time of day doesn't matter; the focus does. I love those moments because their God's. I wanted to give something up, to put aside the comfort of a warm bed for the better things: reading and thanking.

For me, mornings make the most sense. For you, maybe it's a lunch break or an evening time when you might normally be watching Netflix. Whenever the time, you'll be amazed how fulfilling it is to lay it aside for God... and how He changes you.

Further Reading

Psalm 57

Psalm 139