Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

May 16, 2011

Be on Your Guard
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 2 Peter 3:17, NIV

Who of us doesn't remember a film, television show, book or play with some swordsman in chainmail declaring, "On guard!" before engaging in a duel with someone else?

In that type of adversarial situation, the warning is said to alert the other party that "I'm armed, so prepare to defend yourself." And in light of the current belief battles going on today within evangelical Christianity, that meaning has been front and center in my head and heart—especially after reading through today's verse in 2 Peter.

I did a little further study and found what I read in the New Testament portion of The Bible Knowledge Commentary to be quite helpful in understanding this passage:

If readers were not careful, they could be carried away by the error of lawless men ... The verb "carried away" emphasizes a group or corporate movement. False teachers are not satisfied with ambushing one or two, now and then, here and there; they want to sweep large groups of people away from the correct doctrine of Christ. Those who keep company with such people are in danger of being led astray.

I don't need or want to name prominent names or cite recent book titles or the like within the Christian bubble, as I'm sure that one or many have already come to your mind by this point in today's devotional. Sadly, false teaching is everywhere these days and only seems to be gaining momentum as we head further into the twenty-first century.

It's alarming, for sure, to hear those who are in pastoral, shepherding or leadership positions mishandle God's Word or imply that there is suddenly a new "change" in the meaning of scriptural doctrines that trained theologians and Bible scholars have agreed upon for centuries prior.

But Truth is supposedly relative in the world where we now live, isn't it? What's true for you may not be true for me and so forth. Right? So how do we arm ourselves and follow Peter's instruction to "be on your guard" as believers?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

First, there's grace. Unmerited favor from God. How do we grow in that? By reminding ourselves continually of what God did for each and every one of us. If we don't understand grace, then we will never know who God is, what he stands for and what a right relationship with him looks like. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:. When we get that, in turn, our lives will be lived from a place of humility and in testimony of what God has done through us.

And then there's knowledge. We will only grow spiritually and know God as much as we can in this life if we know the Word. And that doesn't begin and end only with what someone says the Bible says (which isn't bad in and of itself). But it means reading the Bible for yourselfon a continuing basis, so that it will take root in your heart and inform your thinking and your actions. There is no better way to mature in the Lord and know Truth (and be corrected in your thinking, if it's "stinking") than to spend time getting to know God through the Word.

No one else can have your spiritual relationship for you. And anyone who leads you away from Truth is leading you away from a secure position. So be on your guard. And get in there, dig deep and know His unchanging truth.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Are you ready to confront false teaching and see through the devil's schemes to trick and deceive—even in Christian circles? Always consider the source and always measure what you hear or read against God's Word.

Further Reading:

Matthew 7:15-20, NIV
Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV
2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV
1 John 4:1-6, NIV

[Judy Harder]

May 17, 2011

Bless His Heart, but...
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me." - 1 Thess. 5:11

Beware if ever you hear a southerner begin a sentence with "bless his heart." I often follow that genteel saying with the critical conjunction "but," and some criticism of motive or action is about spew forth. An example would be, "Bless his heart, but he just doesn't get it at all," or "Bless his heart, but he is making things difficult for himself."

That's criticism at its veiled best – distant, underhanded, and with a pretense of concern.

We all like to pretend that we're good at "speaking the truth in love," don't we? But how often do we arm ourselves with the "bless his heart" mentality, thinking that we can throw out any comments by prefacing them with a benign statement? Instead of crafting our whole response in love, we think a quick show is enough.

When I was about eleven, I misunderstood a pastor's tongue-in-cheek statement about the "gift of criticism" and took him at his word. Criticism is a spiritual gift, I thought? Whoopee! I can be contradictory with a purpose, oh boy! I can defend myself with "the truth!" I'm making the world a better place by pointing out all its flaws! Thankfully, my mom caught up my bad theology pretty quickly.

This Sunday's sermon reminded me of that childish belief, as the pastor focused on Jesus' response to Mary and Martha at Lazarus' death. The story doesn't have much to do with criticism, but everything to do with speaking in love and truth at the same time. Read the story (John 11) for yourself, and note all of the ways Christ sympathizes with the grieving sisters, instead of stopping with a terse expression of truth or belittling them for not having enough faith. He even cries with them. He never lets them lose sight of who He is, but encompasses both truth and love in His responses.

Psalm 40:11 underscores our need for truth coupled with love: "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me." It's not a balance between the two, but a synthesis that blends the two into one fantastic mystery called the Gospel. Without God's truth, we don't know we need mercy. Without God's love, the truth blasts us to smithereens.

I wrote a while back about the power of the tongue for life and death. I think we undergo another "tongue transformation" when we focus on how God has dealt with us through this love/truth synthesis. How do we go on pointing out what's wrong with people and pretending like criticism is a gift when we realize how much is wrong with us? More than our words change; our attitudes do, too.

The sermon on Lazarus' death concluded by reminding us that "love demands an answer." If God was simply a God of truth, Christ's death on the cross wouldn't have happened, would it? It was because "God so loved the world" that Christ came to extend mercy that goes beyond the harsh truth. How do we respond?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  How can you extend love instead of criticism today? With your spouse, family, friends, co-workers? Contemplate this: Christ's sacrificial love is where our hope comes from. How does that hope shape your words?

Further Reading

The Gift of Cynicism
Women: Put the Power of Your Words to Good Use
John 11

[Judy Harder]

May 26, 2011     

Defying Gravity
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." – 1 Chronicles 29:14

While I was in elementary school, family friends made the decision to leave the States for Kiev, Ukraine. This family of seven, including children my age, had to downgrade from a four bedroom suburban home to an 800 square foot flat. That meant getting rid of a house full of clothes, toys, yard tools, furniture, dishes – a whole host of personal preferences and "needs." Each family member had the luxury of one big trunk as they moved halfway around the world.

For this family, however, the joy of sharing the Gospel in a former USSR satellite nation outweighed all their possessions. My dad asked his friend how he was handling the sudden "loss." His answer was telling.

"Actually," the new missionary responded, "this is the most freeing thing I've ever done."

This family found a special freedom far before I began to sniff it out. For me, this reorientation is coming slowly, helped along recently by a little book called The Treasure Principle. In it, Randy Alcorn uses a science metaphor to explain why our friends felt unshackled rather than empty. He writes:

It's a matter of basic physics. The greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts. The more things we own—the greater their total mass the more they grip us, setting us in orbit around them. Finally, like a black hole, they suck us in.

Consider our materialism that way – the more stuff, the more mass. The more mass, the greater its gravitational pull. And the harder it is to escape.

Compare this to David's exhilaration in 1 Chronicles. He is humbled not by how much God has blessed him with – but by how much God has allowed him to give away. The king of Israel, a center of the ancient world, found his joy not in the palaces and the women at his disposal, but in the act of returning to God was rightfully God's. How many of us can say the same?

We live in a physical, material world. But we have the chance to defy its hold on us with every cent, toy, and "need" that comes our way. Are you ready?

Intersecting Faith & Life: I want to relearn the joy of giving in a more tangible way than ever before. As Alcorn puts it, "We give because He first gave to us" the most valuable gift of all. What ministries, families, or other kingdom cause is on your heart?

[Judy Harder]

Read II Chronicles 18 -- 20

Highlights:

King Jehoshaphat relies on God, but his association with wicked Ahab, and later with Ahaziah, lead to some serious consequences.
Surrounded by vast armies of enemy nations, the people of Judah hastened to Jerusalem, bowed before God, confessed their sins, and prayed earnestly for God to protect them. They placed their confidence in God when the prophet Jahaziel said: Be not afraid . . . for the battle is not yours, but God's. . . . Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established (II Chr. 20:15,20). Then they began to sing and to praise the Lord.

Victory is always sure to those who trust in Him. When difficulties mount, misunderstandings arise, or situations you can neither deal with nor escape threaten you, reach out in faith and begin praising the Lord — the Christian's True Source of strength.

An important principle in praising God is to take your eyes off the alarming predicament and put them on Him as you pray unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:14,16).

Jehoshaphat was one of the most godly kings in the 500-year history of Judah. He appointed Levites throughout the country to read and instruct people in the Law of God. He forced the Baal and Ashtoreth cult followers, as well as the male cult prostitutes (homosexuals), out of the Kingdom of Judah (I Kin. 22:46; II Chr. 17:3-9). But Jehoshaphat made a serious mistake when he associated with Ahab, the Baal-worshiping King of the Northern Kingdom.

The marriage of Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram to Athaliah (18:1; 21:1,6), the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, opened the door to Baal worship in Judah and the eventual massacre of all of Jehoshaphat's sons and grandsons, except for one-year-old Jehoash (Joash), who was hidden by the high priest Jehoiada for six years (22:10-12).

All of our relationships should be guided by the Scriptures: Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? . . . Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith theLord (II Cor. 6:14,17). And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. . . . Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:11,16).

Thought for Today:

Is not My Word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock into pieces (Jer. 23:29)?
Christ Portrayed:

By Micaiah, who told the Truth even though it was unpopular with his listeners (II Chr. 18:12-27). We are reminded of Christ when He spoke the unpopular Truth to the Pharisees (Matt. 12:1-14). Jesus responded: Now ye seek to kill Me, a Man that hath told you the Truth, which I have heard of God (John 8:40).
Word Studies:

18:1 joined affinity, allied himself by the marriage of his son to Ahab's daughter; 18:9 a void place, an open area near the city entrance; 18:15 adjure, command under oath; 18:33 at a venture, randomly without aim; harness, armor.
Prayer Needs:

Pray for International Broadcasts in memory of Iva Ann McElroy • Staff: Ilene Wallace • Government Officials: Sen. Kay Hagan (NC), Rep. Janice Schakowsky (IL), and Rep. Rich Nugent (FL) • Country: Hungary (10.1 million) in east-central Europe • Major language: Hungarian • New freedom has opened the door to evangelism and Bible distribution • 61.7% Roman Catholic; 24.4% Protestant; 12.5% non-Religious/Other; .8% Jewish; .3% Orthodox; .2% Marginal; .1% Muslim • Prayer Suggestion: Confess and repent of any known sin (I John 1:9).
Optional Reading: I Corinthians 13

Memory Verse for the Week: John 15:10

[Judy Harder]

May 27, 2011

The Dip Swimmer
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 
James 4:4-6

August is often monsoon time in Tucson, Arizona. The rains can come quickly, bringing flooding to dry ground not primed to soak them up. He always looked forward to that time of year, to the brief respites from the scorching zephyrs. But not this year. This year was his "nowhere year," the one between high school and college, the one where he lost sense of self, God, and purpose. Most of his friends had gone to school or summer projects. He himself would finally do so in just a few weeks. There was excitement in that knowledge, but also much apprehension. All he had known was Tucson. All he had was there. His best friend and his girlfriend and his family -- he'd be leaving them behind.

The leaving was becoming even more difficult because there were rifts growing. His girlfriend had requested a break because, among other things, he had begun to put on weight. Things weren't good between them. In fact, things weren't good anywhere. This was supposed to be one of the best times of his life, but all he felt was lost, left out, and lethargic. The weather wasn't helping. Neither was the fact that his Triumph TR6 convertible, the one he had received from his dad, the original owner, had finally died. He'd gone from driving that prime machine to a hand-me-up, dented Volkswagen Dasher from, insult of insults, his younger sister. His parents had opted to provide her a more reliable vehicle, a shinier, newer, cuter Honda Civic. It took him a long time, sad to say, to get over that.

On this night, he was also house-sitting for a friend of his mother's. It was a depressing apartment, containing two very depressing dogs. One was very old and mostly blind, and would spend each night spookily wandering from room to room. He would wake up and see it stalking the halls as if in trance. Freaky. The other one was a three-legged little mutt who was so scared of him that the very reason he was housesitting became obsolete! Every gentle attempt to let the dog out created so much fear in the animal that it would do its business in the process of running out the door, meaning he not only had clean-up duty, but still had to convince the frightened critter to come back inside!

So basically, he was bummed. Bummed and lonely. And the last thing on his mind was the Lord, even though he'd known Him for 10 years. He knew he had to get out of there and gain some perspective. Maybe Jay was around. His house wasn't too far away from Dog Central. He decided to try his luck in the monsoon.

As soon as he got to the Dasher, he should have known it was a bad idea. He'd left his windows down. He sat down anyway, right in the puddle of rain and dog hair and his sister's ancient cigarette ashes. At least the car started. He pulled it out onto Alvernon Road, and headed south toward Grant.

Grant Road, when he got there, no longer looked like a street. It was a rivulet. I don't know why, but he pulled out into it. For a while, the old wheezy car made its way slowly through the water. But eventually, it could go no more. He'd killed it. He stepped out into knee-deep water and looked to the heavens. A couple guys who were standing uphill in a shopping center watching the action helped him push the Dasher out of the street and up into the lot. Suddenly he heard shouts of joy and glee. He turned his head in time to see two kids in an inflatable raft cruise down a side street and out onto Grant, laughing all the way. Nice. Did anyone else want to mock him?

Well, what next? He had no cash, no coins. No cell phones in 1989. No ATM nearby.

There was only one thing to do: walk the rest of the way to Jay's house. Why not? He couldn't suffer much more, could he? It was a good 25 blocks. He'd gone about 24 of those in the rain when it was finally starting to let up. But through the parting drops he saw that he made yet another error in judgment. Rather than staying on the main road, where there was a bridge that crossed over a wash, he had taken a side street that dipped right down into it. It was going to mean another half hour if he backtracked, so he made his umpteenth stupid decision of the night. He tied his shoes around his neck, waded into the dip... and swam to the other side (kids, don't try this at home. He got lucky the current wasn't strong).

Emerging, he imagined himself as the creature from the black lagoon. Only several more houses to go. He knocked on the door. Jay's mother answered. She looked confused, then concerned, then sprang into action. "Oh my goodness! Get in here!" She got him towels and something hot to drink, and let him know Jay wasn't home yet. He was out on a date. She was going to bed, but he was welcome, as always, to wait up for Jay.

He sat in a dark corner of the living room, wondering how in the world he had sunk to this. He heard a key in the lock. He saw his best buddy enter, saw him notice a blob sitting in the corner, saw him realize he'd seen no car outside. When Jay recognized his pal, he paused, looked more closely, then... burst into laughter.

What happened next was an all-night conversation that would change both their lives. The gist of it was, "We've been giving lip service to our God and our church for a long time now. We've been part of this great youth group, but at heart we both know we love the popularity more than the fellowship. We've talked about the guys in our group who we know are authentic, who really study, really live the Word. Maybe it is time for us to be that, too? Maybe it's time to stop sinning and start taking Christianity seriously?"

Yes. We decided it was. In the morning the mercy was palpable and freeing. We went to the bookstore and bought a study guide on James. We drove up to Mount Lemmon, just outside the city, praising the Lord on the way and praying once we got there. With James's help, we decided to begin with practicality. We put away childish things. We took our eyes off ourselves, and we recognized that God had been active in answering prayers we'd prayed over a year ago (flippantly though they were spoken) that God would get our attention, develop in us humilty and patience, and a genuine idea of what following Jesus was about.

Relatively speaking, we didn't suffer much, though our achings were deep and real for the time. God put us on our knees, gently but firmly, and turned us around, which is the essence of humility, repentance, and restoration. The Dasher was definitely dead... but we were alive.

Only a couple years later, God gave me a gift, an incredible, forever reminder of that night and what I learned and how it would carry me through the future. It came in the form of a song by Rich Mullins. To this day, I believe that Rich must have been there, must have seen what transpired. For he wrote:

I see the morning moving over the hills
I can see the shadows on the western side
And all those illusions that I had
They just vanish in Your light.

Though the chill in the night still hangs in the air
I can feel the warmth of morning on my face
Though the storm had tossed me
'Til I thought I'd nearly lost my way

And now the night is fading and the storm is past
And everything that could be shaken was shaken
And all that remains is all I ever really had

What I'd have settled for
You've blown so far away
What You brought me to
I thought I could not reach.
And I came so close to giving up
But You never did give up on me.

I see the morning moving over the hills
I feel the rush of life here where the darkness broke
And I am in You and You're in me
Here where the winds of Heaven blow.

And now the night is fading
And the storm is through
And everything You sent to shake me
From my dreams they come to wake me
In the love I find in You
And now the morning comes
And everything that really matters
Become the wings You send to gather me
To my home
To my home
I'm going home...

Intersecting Faith & Life: 1. If a storm were to shake your life, and "everything that could be shaken was shaken, and all that remained was all you ever really had," what would it be that remained? 2. What would you have settled for that God has blown so far away? What has He brought you to that you thought you could not reach? 3. What does it mean to go back "to my home," even if you're actually about to start a journey? 4. When was the last time you shared your testimony? Make an effort to write it down or share it today.

Further Reading

Closer to You Than to Me, David Jeremiah
The Finger of God, Os Hillman
Lamentations 3:22-23

[Judy Harder]

May 30, 2011

What Hath Worldview to Do with Memorial Day?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..."
Genesis 1:26 NASB

Begun as a ritual after the American Civil War to honor fallen soldiers, Memorial Day seems to have broadened in recent years. Many people view it as a day to remember deceased friends and loved ones, regardless of military service. The propriety of this phenomenon is not so much the focus of this devotional. What is of interest, however, is the fact that there even exists a universal human urge to honor the dead. Thinking worldview-ishly—what perspective besides the Christian's is able to provide a consistent and satisfying explanation for this?

Take atheistic evolution, for example. 1How do invisible realities like love, honor, and dignity evolve by random processes in a purely material universe? These are enduring aspects of human personality. Each is non-material, but each is very real. Deep down, we all know that they exist. Yet atheistic evolution, which says that these things can be nothing more than the product of chemical reactions in our brains, renders them meaningless. (Somehow, that little factoid gets swept under the rug in biology class though, doesn't it?)

At a fundamental level, we know that these ideals aren't just the product of chemical reactions in our brains. Oh, someone might protest that they are just chemical reactions. But if you could follow that person home and observe him for a while among his friends and loved ones, you'd see a different story played out.

The image of God is something which humans cannot contain or fully eradicate. Sooner or later it pokes out and finds expression. In an unguarded moment, the God-denier looks into the eyes of his beloved, or cradles a child or grandchild in his arms and knows deeply that the love he's experiencing is not a mere product of bio-chemistry. In The God Who Is There, author Francis Schaeffer said it this way:

"Though your system may say love does not exist, your own experience shows that it does." (chap. 2, conclusion)

We humans have an insuppressible knowledge that love is real and that there is something eternal and significant about us. We may not be able to put our finger on it or explain it precisely, but the Bible says that the living God has made mankind in His image. At the very least what that means is that we are distinct from animals. The ability to reflect on ourselves and write an essay about it (or read one), sets us apart from every other species. This is a function of the image of God at work.

God specially created us as rational and moral creatures possessing complex, intangible elements of personality. We are self-conscious; we reflect on memories of ourselves and others; we experience love—on and on. These are distinctly human qualities. We are unique in our "mannishness" as Schaeffer called it. Elsewhere, he wrote concerning this, saying:

God thinks and we think. The world of thoughts is that which distinguishes me as a man.

...the battle for people is centrally in the world of thought.
(True Spirituality, chap. 9: conclusion)

Granted, people don't always live in full awareness of these deep truths. But a so-called "non-religious" holiday like Memorial Day can help shock the awareness back, if we pause to consider it.

As Christians, we are right to observe Memorial Day. Honoring the dead is something completely consistent with our worldview. We might also observe Memorial Day by looking for opportunities to graciously challenge others to think about where their worldview leads them, and why they do what they do.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
When a non-Christian friend, neighbor, or family member brings up the subject of Memorial Day, ask them why they think humans honor their dead. Seize the occasion to start a conversation that points others to their Creator whose image they bear.

Further Reading:
Colossians 3 (esp. 3:10)
The Myth of Neutrality (a worldview & apologetics study by Greg Bahnsen)
How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews, by Chris Daniel


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1The deficiencies of other worldviews are demonstrable re: honoring the dead. However, for the sake of brevity, the discussion is being limited here to atheistic evolution.

[Judy Harder]

 May 31, 2011     
     
   God Has a Plan... Really
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."-  Jeremiah 29:11

I had a rough time after graduating college. The economy was in the tank, and I was having trouble finding work. I was living with my parents, missed all my friends, constantly bored, and I was probably the only person from my university that had graduated without a girlfriend, wife, or fiancée.

I can remember on one particularly bad day, my mother came up to me and said, "Ryan, God has a plan." I don't remember what I said to that, hopefully something polite, but what I do remember is that underneath I completely snapped. I hate it when people tell me God has a plan. I wanted to scream, "I don't care if God has a plan! What about my plans? What about my goals, my dreams?  Does God care about them? Would God like to share this ingenious little plan of his, or is it just going to be a big surprise for later?"

Maybe you're like me. Maybe sometimes the future looks dark and hearing someone say, "God has a plan" is the equivalent to rubbing salt in an open wound. If you are, I've got some good news for you: the Bible is full of people like us.

David was promised to become the next king of Israel. But before that happened he found himself on the run from a half-crazy Saul who wanted to kill him.
Daniel and his friends became leaders and high officials, spreading God's word to Babylon. Of course, first they had to be kidnapped, renamed, and face death on multiple occasions.
Finally, Jesus' disciples believed they had finally found the one true Messiah, and then had to watch the Son of God be executed like a common criminal. Do you think there were ever moments when each of them wondered, "Does God really have a plan?"           
The truth is, God really does have a plan. We never know what tomorrow may bring, and we never know how past events, even a painful ones, might be used by God to create a brighter future. Life is tough, but that does not mean God doesn't care. He knows what he's doing; he's got a plan.         

Intersecting Faith and Life
Take some time to be alone and talk with God

Further Reading
Ephesians 1:4

[Judy Harder]

June 1, 2011

Giving Up the Funk
Laura MacCorkle, Senior Entertainment Editor

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do ... So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Romans 7:15, 21-25, NIV

I didn't sleep well the night before. So naturally, the next morning I was prepped to be in a funk. And on a Sunday, no less.

The coffee didn't taste as good, and my morning bagel wasn't that satisfying. Even the butter I slathered over and under and inside and around every toasted nook and cranny did nothing to lift my spirits.

I had gotten up later than normal, so I knew I wouldn't make it to the first service at church. Actually, I didn't want to make it. Didn't want to go to church at all. And so it was official: I was in a funk.

I then decided it was best that I stay home, because I was really tired after all. And how could I possibly drive the ten minutes to church, find a parking spot and pay attention during a thirty-plus-minute sermon?

As I was creating this rationale in my mind, something told me to call my mom. I thought sharing my stay-at-home plans for the morning would make me feel better. But after I hung up the phone, I knew it wasn't right. My cup was empty. Bone dry. And I needed to get it filled. Fast.

So I got it together and made it to the late service, but my funk was still ever present. Everything annoyed me: the perky greeters at the door, the music man leading the hymns too slowly, the off-center creases in the bulletin, the special music that wasn't so special, and even the pastor. His message was emotional and caused him to speak slowly and pause often—either for dramatic effect or due to his heart's softness in responding to the important subject matter: God's love and its expression through us (1 John 4:7-21).

Had I been sitting at the end of my row, I would have left. But (providentially, I believe), I was seated in the middle. So there I stayed with my heart of stone. I didn't smile. I didn't tear up. Everyone else around me did, though. They were open. They were ready to receive the message about the condition of their hearts.

As I drove away from church afterward and scowled at the sunny day around me, I asked the Lord to help me give up the funk. I didn't know what had caused it, and I didn't know why my heart didn't want to worship that day.

Like Paul contemplated in Romans, I did not understand why I was doing what I did not want to do. In my mind, I wanted to worship that morning. I wanted to receive. I wanted to love. But my sinful nature was battling and blocking; it wanted to control the desire of a child who really wanted to honor her Father. 

Over the next couple of hours, I got to the end of myself. And the stoniness of my heart—the rebellion—began to crumble. I softened. I teared up. "What a wretched woman I am!" I could have shouted, echoing Paul's sentiment. And I know that this transformation—this removal of my funk—was not of my doing.

Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! That is the answer, my friend. And truly, and ever so gratefully, it's all any of us should say when we understand our condition and when what we hate is what we do.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Are you battling the funk today? Although we still have a flesh nature this side of heaven, we also have Christ in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Don't give up. Ask your Heavenly Father to help you overcome so that he may be glorified in and through you.

Further Reading:

Romans 8:12-14

Galatians 5:22-25

[Judy Harder]

 June 02, 2011     

  Trust at High Speeds
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

I had been on a WaveRunner before. "No problem," I said to myself as I climbed on behind my husband last weekend. I looked down at the brackish water that was more chilly than refreshing and told myself firmly, "Remember, you like going on adventures with him." Sure enough, David looked back and grinned at me when we got away from the dock. He told me to hold on. Then he gunned it.

Jumping on a WaveRunner seems easy when I'm the one driving, because then I get to decide just how sharply I want to bank to catch that big wake. Or I can keep shooting out towards the Chesapeake Bay and avoid the wake altogether if I want. I can slow down if I scare myself, and I only "catch some air" if I'm good and ready - which, in reality, is almost never. Riding behind someone else, however, even when I trust him more than anyone, demands a leap of faith. The only thing I have to hang onto is his life jacket, and this guy in front of me gets to make the decisions while I peer over his shoulder. It's hard to anticipate or even see what is coming next, and leaning the wrong way when we bank could throw me into the cold water at 50 miles per hour.

Out on the open water, with the wind stinging my eyes and convincing me that I'm about to fly off my seat, I'm pushed out of my comfort zone and into something more exhilarating than I'd wander into by myself. And the whole experience stems from letting someone else sit in the driver's seat with not even a seatbelt for me. David knew I didn't want to capsize, and he directed the little WaveRunner accordingly. But he wouldn't let me be completely comfortable, because then we might as well take the paddleboat out and save gas. He made sure we got the full experience of saltwater, fun, and incredible views.

If I can trust my husband who loves me, how much more should I trust my Heavenly Father, who knows my fears, needs, and weaknesses far better. God desires to take us on an adventure that lets us experience Him and His creation more fully and joyfully than we can imagine. Focusing on our fear of some abstract unknown keeps us from being open to the adventure unfolding before our eyes every day. We tend to forget God's amazing promise, that "the LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deut. 1:. Fear and worry indicate that we don't really believe that promise, and that we think we'd do a better job steering. Instead, when we make a conscious decision to trust the Lord - even when life is way too busy and fast for our liking - we find the peace to take a deep breath, smell the salty air, and enjoy where He is taking us.

Intersecting Faith & Life: If you're comfortable with life now, are you open to changes in God's plan for you? If life is crazy now, do you try too hard to make sure everything is under control, instead of resting in God's promises? Roll down your car window for a minute today and feel the wind rushing by. Remember that the Lord of the universe, the One who controls the wind and the seas, calls us cast all our cares on Him (I Peter 5:7).

Further Reading

Proverbs 19:21
Philippians 4:6-7
The War over Worry

[Judy Harder]

June 3, 2011

Bearing With One Another
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3: 13-14

Sometimes I think the biggest stumbling block to living the Christian life exists in our interactions with other Christians. Those who profess faith in Christ are very capable of hurting each other – perhaps even unusually "gifted" at it.

Yes, fellowship within the Church can be wonderfully fulfilling, offering true glimpses of the unity we will experience in heaven. But (as life frequently reminds us) we're not in heaven yet, so our relationships with one another often fall short of the "Beatific Vision."

So what do we do when we're faced with failure in our relationships, especially when our fellow Christians fail to meet our expectations? Much has been said about the necessity of forgiving trespassers. Scripture makes it clear we are to imitate Christ and show mercy to those who have wronged us, and counselors have written extensively on the personal freedom one finds in forgiving even the most terrible sins. But I think sometimes it's not the huge transgressions that challenge us most. Sometimes it's the smaller infractions that wear on our souls.

Perhaps you've observed imperfections in another that open personal wounds, rub you the wrong way or just plain annoy you. Perhaps there is someone in your life that consistently brings out your ugly side or whose presence simply symbolizes something you desire but have not achieved. This kind of pain is often absorbed interiorly. There's no public stand to take, no 12-step program designed to walk you through.

Over time, we may find that we begin to keep count of this person's failings. We may catch ourselves gossiping about them or avoiding them in our daily lives. Each infraction is like a small stone that eventually builds a wall around the heart, a wall that stands not only between you and that person but also between you and Christ.

One of my favorite Christian heroes, St. Therese of Lisieux, faced such a situation in her community of cloistered Carmelite nuns. Behind the walls of her tranquil convent, relational strife simmered. Some nuns had maddeningly annoying habits that interfered with prayerful contemplation whereas others displayed a variety of mundane vices like laziness or sloppiness. St. Therese had a personal dislike for a particular nun who often acted unhappy and critical. She sought ways to avoid this person in her daily tasks – until she realized she was failing to love one of God's children. Therese had personally experienced Christ's love, with full knowledge of her invisible imperfections, so how could she justify failing to love this nun just because her faults were visible?

As her heart changed, so did her actions. Therese chose to smile at this young woman every time she passed her. She displayed unusual grace in their interactions, always ready to help with a task or share a kind word.

The change in Therese's demeanor did not go unnoticed. This nun made note to others that it seemed Therese had an unusual affection for her, and she began to return Therese's smiles.

I realize I would do well to imitate Therese more often. I struggle with the small acts of charity, the little things that only God notices. Yet, the decision to love in even the most seemingly insignificant ways transforms hearts. And while Therese's actions may not have brought on world peace, they brought Christ's peace to her world.

Intersecting Faith & Life: While it's good to speak out against wrong, some situations call for a silent gesture of love and grace. This week, perform a small act of kindness towards a person you find challenging to love. Remember that Christ knows all of our faults, yet His love never wavers.

Further Reading

Matthew 18: 15

The Command to Forgive