Time Out! Devotions

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

(Proverbs 21:4 – NIV)

Probably the most painful and least desired ways that God gets our attention is through failure. After all, nobody likes to fail. However, this is often the best way for God to get through to us.

Pride is something that can absolutely block your communication with God. It is one of the few things that Scripture clearly says the Lord hates (Proverbs 6:16-17; 8:13; 16:5). So, if there is pride in your life, God knows exactly what you need: a good dose of failure.

And that is what happened to Israel in Joshua 7. The new nation had just won a mighty victory in Jericho and, as a result, had become rather prideful. Considering themselves invulnerable after taking such a powerful city, they allowed faithlessness and disobedience to creep into their attitudes.

In arrogance, Israel ignored God’s battle plan for the little city of Ai—the soldiers were certain that they could take the small town on their own. But they were wrong. God denied them this victory, and the few men of Ai drove them back in a humiliating defeat.

God had blessed Israel with a shocking victory over Jericho, but He now needed to get their attention in another way. And you can be sure that God still speaks to us through failure when it becomes necessary.

If failure today can lead to great success tomorrow, isn’t the setback worth it? When unexpected failure occurs, be sure to check your response. Don’t just say, “Well, I blew it.” Instead, agree with God that “I messed up pretty badly.” But then ask, “Lord, what are You trying to tell me in this?”

(by Dr. Charles Stanley, from the October 2009 issue of In Touch devotional magazine)

O Lord, from the depths of despair I cry for Your help. “Hear me! Answer! Help me!”

Lord, if you keep in mind our sins then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But You forgive! What an awesome thing this is! That is why I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for He has promised.

(Psalm 130:1-5 – The Living Bible)

In the depths of despair, the psalmist cried out to God, “Hear me! Help me!” Despair makes us feel isolated and distant from God, but this is precisely when we need God most. Despair over sin should not lead to self-pity, causing us to think more about ourselves than God. Instead, it should lead to confession, and then, to God’s mercy, forgiveness, and redemption.

When we feel overwhelmed by a problem, feeling sorry for ourselves will only increase hopeless feelings; but crying out to God turns our attention to the only One who can really help.

Holding a grudge is like building a wall between you and another person, and it is nearly impossible to talk openly while holding a grudge. God never holds a grudge; when He forgives, He forgives completely, tearing down any wall between us and Him. Therefore, we can talk to Him about anything.

When you pray, realize that God is holding nothing against you. The lines of communication are completely open.

(from The Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)