Time Out! Devotions

(devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley from the August 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

Genesis 50:15-21 (NIV)

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

When life gets hard, we tend to get upset and wonder how soon the difficulty will end. But God wants us to focus on Him in times of trouble. As we do, we will discover He is doing important spiritual work during these “storms.”

Beliefs. The Bible contains what we need to know about our life in Christ and following Him. When circumstances are beyond our control, what we really believe will surface. The depth of our faith in God’s character and promises will become evident, as will any doubts or uncertainties we may have. For example, Joseph revealed strong belief when he acknowledged that God intended his hardships for his good (v. 20). There are bound to be times when we don’t succeed—like Peter, whose fear led to denying Christ—but we should think of trials as opportunities to grow and deepen our faith.

Transformation. As God’s children, we are to live our lives in a way that displays Christ’s character. But we are more like jewels in the rough, aren’t we? The heavenly Father can use the storms of life to transform us into His Son’s image.

Comfort. This blessing is not only for us but also for others. Our Father comforts us in our sufferings and asks that we share what we have received with other people (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Difficult times can come from our own mistakes, the schemes of the Enemy, or the hurtful actions of others. They can even be ordained by God. Regardless of the source, our Father works in them to benefit us and to bless others. What testimony about Him can you give to a hurting world?

Romans 8:10-18 (NCV)

¹⁰ Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. ¹¹ God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God’s Spirit is living in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from the dead, and he will give life through his Spirit that lives in you.

¹² So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want.¹³ If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.

¹⁴ The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.¹⁵ The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, “Father.”¹⁶ And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children.¹⁷ If we are God’s children, we will receive blessings from God together with Christ. But we must suffer as Christ suffered so that we will have glory as Christ has glory.

¹⁸ The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us.

While reading this week in chapter eight of Francis Schaeffer’s True Spirituality where he is speaking about freedom from the bonds of sin, I was reminded of the story of an experienced, 27 year-old rock climber named Aron Ralston. One beautiful spring morning in 2003, he jumped into his truck with just enough food and water for the day. He took off by himself and drove a hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City to his favorite spot—a remote canyon area that used to be the hideout for wild-west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

By afternoon, he was suspended seventy-five feet high off the canyon floor—climbing in a crevice that was just a few feet wide. It was a perfect day. But then without warning, a boulder suddenly broke loose from the rock wall above him, hurtled down and trapped Ralston’s right arm against the wall, completely crushing his hand. At that instant, Aron’s hand—one of his greatest assets—had now become his greatest liability.

Five whole days passed as he tried various ways to free himself—all to no avail. His efforts to chip away at the boulder with a pocket knife only made a small dent. Rigging up a pulley system to move the boulder proved fruitless.

Finally, a moment of decisive clarity came. The thoughts came fast and furious: he could break his forearm, cut through the muscle with his dirty pocket knife, detach his arm, and use a piece of rope as a tourniquet.

Aron explains that he was driven by “some sort of autopilot” as he went about the gruesome task of amputating his own right arm just below the elbow. After he was finished, Aron lowered himself down and began trudging slowly in the direction of his truck. Later, he stumbled across two hikers who used a mobile phone to call in a rescue helicopter. Amputating his right arm was a radical act, but it was one that saved his life and reunited him with his family.

God calls us to deal with sin in our life in a way that is surprisingly similar. The Bible doesn’t offer a laid-back, live-and-let-live approach at all. It’s so radical, that we don’t really like hearing about it or talking about it. Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” While Jesus was not literally talking about physical amputation, He was saying that sin’s deadly effects call for extreme measures. Even though it hurts, we must rid sin from our lives. In fact, our eternal destiny hinges on how we deal with sin.

Really? Well, why else would Jesus talk about hell in the same breath that He talks about how we are to deal with sin if He didn’t mean to teach that our eternal destiny hangs in the balance? Clearly, it’s a matter of preferring one destiny over the other. Outward behavior indicates what the heart primarily loves. If Aron Ralston had stayed there on the canyon wall with his hand pinned down by the boulder, he would have died. But because he was willing to kill his hand, his life was saved.

The same goes with us as we deal with sin. It really comes down to what we value most. Colossians 3:5 says, “Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” The world may tell us to laugh about sin, to lighten up about it, to tolerate it, and just let it be… that it’s not idolatry; it’s not an issue of worship. God says the opposite is true.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
What is robbing you of the blessings of peace with God?
What is keeping you from treasuring the Lord Jesus Christ above all other things?
Pray for grace to heed God’s radical call to amputate sin from your life in His strength.

(Crosswalk Devotional from Christianity.com)

Matthew 9:18-30 (NCV)

¹⁸ While Jesus was saying these things, a leader of the synagogue came to Him. He bowed down before Jesus and said, “My daughter has just died. But if You come and lay your hand on her, she will live again.”¹⁹ So Jesus and his followers stood up and went with the leader.

²⁰ Then a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of His coat.²¹ She was thinking, “If I can just touch His clothes, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, “Be encouraged, dear woman. You are made well because you believed.” And the woman was healed from that moment on.

²³ Jesus continued along with the leader and went into his house. There He saw the funeral musicians and many people crying. ²⁴ Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead, only asleep.” But the people laughed at Him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been thrown out of the house, Jesus went into the girl’s room and took hold of her hand, and she stood up.²⁶ The news about this spread all around the area.

²⁷ When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed Him. They cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with Him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?” They answered, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Because you believe I can make you see again, it will happen.” ³⁰ Then the men were able to see.

God changed a situation that had been a problem for years. Like the leper (Matthew 8:1-3) and the demon-possessed man (Matthew 8:28-32), this bleeding woman was considered unclean. For 12 years, she too had been one of the “untouchables” and had not been able to live a normal life. But Jesus changed that and restored her. Sometimes we are tempted to give up on people or situations which have not changed for many years. God can change what seems unchangeable, giving new life and hope.

The local synagogue rabbi didn’t come to Jesus until his daughter was dead — it was too late for anyone else to help. But Jesus simply went to the girl and raised her! In our lives, Christ can make a difference when it seems too late for anyone else to help. He can bring healing to broken marriages, release from addicting habits, and forgiveness and change to scarred lives. If your situation looks hopeless, remember that Christ can do the impossible!

Jesus didn’t respond immediately to the blind men’s pleas. He waited to see how earnest they were. Not everyone who says he wants help really wants it badly enough to do something about it. Jesus may have waited and questioned these men to make their desire and faith stronger. If, in your prayers, it seems as if God is too slow in giving His answer, maybe He is testing you as He did the blind men. Do you believe God can help you? Do you really want His help?

The blind men were persistent. They went right into the house where Jesus was staying. They knew Jesus could heal them and they would let nothing stop them — that’s faith! If you believe Jesus is the answer to your every need, don’t let anything or anyone stop you from reaching Him!

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Mark 11:24 (NIV)

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

John 15:7 (NIV)

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV)

Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Isaiah 54:13-14 (NIV)

All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.

Exodus 14:13 (NIV)

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.

Romans 8:14-15 (NIV)

Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

2 Samuel 22:2-3 (NIV)

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior.

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.