Every Opportunity

When I received the friend request, I knew the name sounded familiar. I repeated the name several times, and it dawned on me. The young lady had been a member of a teen Bible study I had co-taught several years earlier. It was so good to reconnect and find out that she was doing well. Now in high school, she continues to grow in Christ through an outreach on campus.

Knowing that I have the opportunity to impact lives for Jesus Christ is truly humbling. Beginning in my own family, each day offers me the chance to teach the principles of God's Word from ordinary experiences. The words of Moses reiterate this fact, "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up," (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; KJV). Basically, it should be natural to speak of the Lord and His ways. And to speak of Him often. Every time an occasion presents itself, whether to family or a new acquaintance.

Life is full of difficulties. From sibling rivalries to unfair treatment, what better time to introduce the caring, compassionate Savior, who invites us into His presence? "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need," (Hebrews 4:16). No matter what the difficulty, He wants us to leave our burden with Him, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you," (1 Peter 5:7). As prayers are lifted, and answers are received, faith in a mighty God begins to grow.

Good times can also present challenges. There is a delicate balance between enjoying a victory, and becoming prideful in its wake. Being reminded of the One who gave the victory goes a long way in cultivating the right attitude. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." (James 1:17a). Reviewing God's many blessings keeps us focused on His goodness, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever," (Psalm 107:1).

Numerous opportunities to share Christ's principles present themselves every day. I only need to keep my eyes open for the teachable moments. Each day we get the chance to make a mark on those who are in the sphere of our influence. Are we diligently teaching the ways of the Master? Pointing others to the Truth?

As you consider those on whom you have an impact, pray that the Lord would equip you to make much of Him! May we have the excitement of Peter and John, who boldly proclaimed, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard," (Acts 4:20).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunities You give me to influence others for You. Equip me with the ability to share Your principles naturally with those You bring across my path. Help me to keep my eyes open for teachable moments, and communicate Your ways so others may grow in their faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.

  

*A re-post from 10/2010

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!

Pure Trust

It began like any other walk. The route was the same. The evening temperature refreshingly cool.

As I walked my dog, Precious, I noticed a yard that was occupied by two medium-sized, fairly muscular, black, dogs. They barked a stern warning. We rounded the top of the hill when I noticed it. Instead of responding by barking, Precious continued to focus on me, a look of inquiry on her face.

Her eyes never left my face as we continued past the house, black dogs barking all the while. No lunging, no display of aggression, and no barking. Just the upward tilt of her face, searching mine for a clue as to what she should do...

Trust. Pure and simple. Precious trusted me. She knew I would keep her safe. What a response!

Our lives are filled with challenges. How do we respond? It's easy to give in to our flesh and do what comes naturally - retaliate. After all, don't we have 'rights'? Or do we die to self, turn our faces upward, and seek the face of our Master? Trusting Him. Confident in knowing that He will give us the guidance we need to face whatever situation threatens us.

Choose His way. Tilt your face up to your Heavenly Father, who promises to give wisdom to all those who ask. Respond in faith, knowing He is trustworthy!

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that You can be trusted. Help me choose Your way when I'm faced with life's challenges. Amen.   

  

The Parenting Challenge

Parenting. It's a word that can strike fear in the hearts of the bravest. It's a job filled with rewards and challenges. Many a young couple will head home from the hospital with their bundle of joy, unsure whether they'll remember all the baby care basics. After all, babies don't come with instruction manuals.

I remember bringing our daughter, Riley, home for the first time. It was March, and yes, there was snow on the ground. The first couple days were a bit of a blur, but I DO remember the incessant crying. It was referred to as colic, and no matter what it was called, it was hard to deal with. Imagine being a new Mom, and feeling totally inadequate as your newborn squalls for hours. I was convinced I must be doing something wrong.

With each new year, the challenges change. Some are easier to deal with than others, and with clear direction from God's Word, the right guidance can be given. But parenting isn't easy!

Throughout history, parents have been faced with challenging situations. Remember Hannah? She had prayed for a child for years, and yet she remained childless. One year when she and her husband made their annual trek to the temple, Hannah prayed earnestly, "O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life..." (1 Samuel 1:11; KJV).

The Lord answered Hannah's prayer. Imagine her satisfaction as little baby Samuel filled their home with joy. But Hannah had given the Lord her word, and when Samuel was weaned, she took him to the temple and told the priest, "For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord," (1 Samuel 1:27-28).

No doubt, in the few years Samuel was at home, Hannah had patiently taught him the things of the Lord in preparation for his apprenticeship at the temple. Each year Hannah visited her son, and brought him a new coat. Surely those visits served as additional opportunities to instruct her son. Because Samuel chose to listen to his mother's voice of wisdom, it's recorded, "And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men," (1 Samuel 2:26).

King David was a phenomenal ruler, but parenting proved a big challenge for this man of God. I'm sure it was hard for David to balance his time between his duties as king, and his responsibilities as a father. As a result, he was faced with some serious disobedience from his boys, who were now young men.

Amnon raped his sister Tamar. Look at David's response, "But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth," (2 Samuel 13:21; KJV). The sentence stops there. His anger probably consumed him, yet he failed to punish Amnon. David failed to hold him accountable for his actions.

Another of David's sons, Absalom, took revenge into his own hands and murdered his half-brother Amnon, two years after the incident. For some reason, David didn't confront Absalom either. It's unclear why David withheld much-needed discipline from these two sons.

Although David made mistakes, it's reassuring to read the words penned about him, "And when he (God)had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will," (Acts 13:22; words in parentheses mine; italics mine).

Neither Hannah nor David were perfect parents, and a perfect parent doesn't exist today. Fortunately, the Lord gives grace and wisdom liberally. Lean on Him and His guidebook when raising your family!

What do you struggle with as a parent? How has the Lord proven to be faithful in your parenting?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the opportunity to be a parent. Help me to study Your Word and find the grace and wisdom I need as I try to be a godly parent. I pray my child/children will love You with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Overcoming Obstacles

At a loss. For words, that is. Ever been there? Some refer to it as 'writer's block.' I prefer to think of it as an obstacle in my path that may require some creativity to overcome, but something that can be tackled, nonetheless. Reminds me of the 'road closed' sign we saw the other day.

We were cutting it a bit close for our daughter, Riley's, senior piano recital. As we approached our destination, we saw it. The sign that stood like a sentinel warning us that exactly one and a half miles up the street, the road was closed to through traffic. We would only be allowed to pass through if we were residents along that stretch of the road, which obviously wasn't the case. How would we reach our destination? We weren't familiar with an alternate route. Fortunately for us, the construction was farther down the road than we needed to travel. We made our turn off the main road and arrived in plenty of time to enjoy Riley's performance. No obstacles.

Most of the time, obstacles prove themselves to be far more of a challenge. I'm thinking of two crafty cousins who love to sneak up on me when I least expect it. They enjoy nothing more than erecting blockades to prevent me from moving forward. Formal introductions aside, meet Fear and his relative, Discouragement. These two love nothing more than to play off one another's antics and cause havoc in my day. No matter the task for the day, when I begin acknowledging Fear's raspy whispers, doubts flow into my mind. Am I really up to the challenge of writing a devotional? There are so many talented writers out there, why would an agent choose to represent my work? I'm already behind on my work in progress, it's probably too late to make my deadline...You get the idea.

Depending on Fear's success, Discouragement wastes no time in adding his two cents worth. Regardless of his words, his objective is to deprive me of hope. Zap my confidence. These close cousins, working in tandem, create a pretty effective duo. But the blockades they erect can be tackled and overcome. God's word to the rescue!

I'm invited to believe the words of God penned by the apostle Paul , "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13; KJV). I can choose to think on the truth and dismiss the lies. I'll never know if I'm able to write a devotional series unless I try. If it's the Lord's will, I'll find the right agent to represent my work, in God's timing. I can't let the failures of yesterday shape my today. Through Christ, I can choose the right attitude for each task He's called me to do.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for who You are. Help me to see obstacles from your perspective - as challenges that can help me grow in my walk with You. Allow me to feast on Your word today, so I can effectively combat the 'road blocks' I encounter. Thank You for the truth of Your word. Amen

What do you do when you encounter an 'obstacle' on your daily path? How does it affect your productivity for the day? How do you overcome the challenges you face? I'd love to hear from you!