REFUSING HELP

(1 Corinth. 12:7 ~ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.)

In 1869, John Roebling dreamed of building a massive bridge over the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Unfortunately, at the outset of the project, his foot was crushed in an accident. In the recovery process, Roebling insisted he knew best and took charge of his own medical care. After refusing help, he began to show signs of tetanus. Before long, Roebling’s jaw had knocked into a permanent smile. Seizures and dementia plagued him until his death weeks later.

The Bible records a story about an independent person who balked at the help offered to him. Naaman, a great warrior of Syria, suffered from leprosy. He sought out the prophet Elisha for healing but had preconceived ideas about how the healing should take place. So when Elisha sent his messenger to tell him to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times, Naaman was enraged. But Naaman’s own servants gave him the wise advice: “My Father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” (1 Kings 5:13). And so Naaman followed the prophet’s simple instructions, and his leprosy was cured. (…and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. -1 Kings 5:14).

God gives us gifts to aid each other (1 Corinth. 12:7). But self-sufficiency shuts the door on much-needed help. Let’s be open to the helping hand He provides. –Dennis Fisher

The Lord extends His gracious hand
To those in desperate need,
He lifts them up, He helps them stand
Through caring saints and loving deeds. –D. De Haan

[read- 2 Kings 5:1-14]

THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING HELP IS HUMILITY

GETTING THROUGH

(Psalm 85:8 ~ I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints…)

Gone are the days when a real person greets you on the other end of a phone call. It seems as though whenever we try to “reach out and touch someone”, we are greeted with a computerized voice.

I’m glad that this isn’t true of our Father in heaven. He is always there. No voice-mail boxes, no “press 2 for more grace” and no “call waiting” interruptions. Thankfully, “Call to me and I will answer you…” (Jer. 33:3) has not been replaced by, “All lines are now busy. Your call is important to Me. Please stay on the line”.

Yet I wonder what kind of access He has to us?

Communication with God is a two way street. He speaks to us through us His Word when we come attentively before Him in prayer with absolute submission, and through the clear voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He paid a great price to keep the lines open so that we can experience the great joy of being still long enough to know that He is God (“Be still, and know that I am God;…” ~ Ps. 46:10). As my grandmother’s favorite hymn ‘In the garden’ says:

And He walks with me, and talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known. –Miles

The joy of hearing His voice is a call you don’t want to miss! –Joe Stowell

[read- Psalm 46]

IS GOD GETTING THROUGH TO YOU?

MY PRINCE

(Ephesians 5:25 ~ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her)

People around the world reacted with a shock in September 2006 when news broke that Steve Irwin, the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, had died. His enthusiasm for life and for God’s creatures was contagious, making him a favorite personality worldwide.

When his wife Terri was interviewed shortly after Steve’s death, her love for him was obvious as she said through her tears, “I’ve lost my prince”. What an affectionate way to memorialize her husband! She saw him as her prince and her best friend.

The husband-wife relationship is often viewed today as anything but the tender one that Terri and Steve must have shared. We see bitterness, insults, animosity, distrust, desertion and discouragement in most families everywhere. How much more desirable it is to see true love—to see a husband unashamedly cherish his wife, to unselfishly be her ‘prince’.

How can a husband continue to love his wife in a more princely way? Try these suggestions: Listen—enjoy those tender times when she can unburden her heart without fear, just as a true friend would. Love life—find ways to add fun and pleasure to your marriage. Lead spiritually—guide the way into prayer and intimate fellowship with the Lord. Be based—lead the family to be based on the true source of every joy, peace, rest, happiness and blessing- which is Christ the Rock alone.

Men, be a prince to your princess. –Dave Branon

Honor your wife and in love with her dwell,
Yield to the Savior and all will be well;
Peace He will give to both husband and wife,
Blessing their marriage with joy throughout life. –Anon

[read- Ephesians 5:22-33]

MARRIAGE THRIVES IN A CLIMATE OF LOVE AND RESPECT

SHHH… QUITE, PLEASE

(1 Kings 19:12 ~ After the earthquake came a fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper)

In recent years, the spread of personal digital music players has resulted in concerns about hearing loss. The design of the music players and their earphones has been the target of complaints and lawsuits. Long-term exposure to music at a high volume has been shown to cause serious hearing impairment. In a sense, too much hearing can result in an inability to hear.

We live in a world filled with noise—noises designed to sell, plead, persuade, and mislead. In the midst of this cacophony of sound, it is easy to miss the one voice that matters the most.

Elijah having heard Jezebel’s threats and the voice of his own fear, fled to a cave to hide. (1 Kings 19: 1-3, 9) In the cave he was confronted with the overwhelming noise of wind, an earthquake and fire (1 Kings 19: 11-12 ~ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there came a fire, but the Lord was not on the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper). Then the cave grew silent and the voice of the Lord—the only sound that mattered—broke through as ‘a still soft voice’ (vs. 12-13).

If we are to hear God speaking to our hearts through His Word, we need to pull away from the noise of the crowd. Only when we learn to be quite can we really understand what it means to commune with God who cares for us.

In our ‘quite time’ today, let’s make an effort to listen for the voice of God. –Bill Crowder

Speak, Lord, in the stillness
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen
In expectancy. –Grimes

[read- 1 Kings 19:1-12]

TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE, TURN DOWN THE WORLD’S VOLUME

JESUS SETS US FREE

(John 8:32 ~ Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free)

Perhaps no one since the apostle Paul has written more graphically about the experience of spiritual bondage than the great theologian Augustine (A.D. 354-430). Although blessed with extraordinary intelligence, in his younger years he had wallowed in deep depravity.

Looking back, Augustine gave this account of his struggle: “I was bound by the iron chain of my own will. I was rather an unwilling sufferer than a willing actor. And yet it was through me that habit had become an armed enemy against me, because I had willingly come to be what I unwillingly found myself to be."

Many of us have gone through a similar struggle. We wanted deliverance from sin yet found ourselves unable to shake off the chains of habit. Then as we turned in faith to Jesus, we were liberated and could repeat the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn: “Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke- the dungeon flamed with light! My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”

Jesus alone can break the shackles of sin in life. Receive Him as your Savior, and “the Truth shall set you free” (Jn. 8:32). –Vernon Grounds

Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee. – Sleeper

[read- Galatians 5:1-6]

TRUE FREEDOM IS FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE

SAY “NO” TO SELF-HELP

(Ps.28:7 ~ The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…)

The idea of self-help is popular because it supports the notion that we are in control. In the words of the poem ‘Invictus’: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
But we are not! Eventually something happens that reminds us how out-of-control life is, and no self-help book can help us make it right.
Thankfully, Christians are not in the business of self-help. Quite the opposite! To become at true Christian it requires that we admit our helplessness and acknowledge our total dependence on God. “…apart from Me, you can do nothing”, said Jesus (Jn.15:5).

The ancient Israelites were always getting into trouble for trusting human strength rather than God’s (Jer.17:5 ~ This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord”). Yet even after their failures, the Lord said, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer.17:7-8).

When especially difficult circumstances or strong temptations invade our lives and remind us of our powerlessness, we have an all-powerful God who works on behalf of those who trust Him. —Julie Ackerman Link

Neither strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown on Jesus’ name.
In this our strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide”. —Newton

[read- Jeremiah 17:1-8]

WHATEVER DOES NOT BEGIN WITH GOD WILL END IN FAILURE

2,000 YEAR-OLD SPROUT

(Ps.92:12-15 ~ The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him”.)

In June of 2006, Israeli doctors and scientists successfully germinated a 2,000 year-old date palm seed. Found at the Herodian fortress of Masada on the west bank of the Dead Sea, the seed was tagged “Methuselah” for the man with the oldest recorded age in the Bible (Gen. 5:27 ~ Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years,...). In addition to the challenge of awakening a long-dormant seed, the team also wanted to learn more about the tree praised in Scripture for its shade, food, beauty and medicinal qualities.

The date palm has an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the tree is linked to the temple and presence of God. The New Testament describes excited crowds praising God and throwing palm branches at the feet of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

God’s promise to bless the world through a descendant of Abraham (and line of King David) also lay dormant for 2,000 years (Gen. 12:1-3, Is. 7:14, Is. 9:1-7, Is. 11:1-5). Finally, the Seed of promise sprouted. That Seed was Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. Soon the story of His resurrected life would go out to every nation on earth.

The miracle is now ours to experience. Time is not a factor. Neither is the barren ground of circumstance. All that matters is that we allow our hearts to be the soil in which Christ is welcomed and worshiped. – Mart De Haan

God’s promise like a tiny seed
May seem to be an empty thing,
But hidden in that tiny seed
Is life that awaits the warmth of spring. – D. De Haan

[read- Psalm 92:12-15]

GOD NEVER MAKES A PROMISE THAT HE WILL NOT KEEP