Time Out! Devotions

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Several weeks after one of my conferences, a friend shared with me the story of a dear Christian woman who had attended. She had lived in a deep depression for several years. She “survived” by leaning on her friends, three counseling sessions a week, and a variety of prescription drugs.

During the conference, this woman realized that her support system included everybody and everything but God. She had not cast her anxiety on Christ and she was anything but dependent on Him. She took her conference syllabus home and began focusing on her identity in Christ and expressing confidence in Him to meet her daily needs. She radically threw off all her other supports (a practice I do not recommend) and decided to trust in Christ alone to relieve her depression. She began living by faith in God, rather than men, and renewing her mind according to Scripture. After only one month, she was a completely different person. The support of a caring community can become a poor substitute for our own personal relationship with God.

Persons who want to move forward in Christian maturity can certainly benefit from the discipling of others. And those who seek freedom from their past can be helped through the counseling of others. But ultimately every Christian is responsible for his or her own maturity and freedom in Christ. Nobody can make you grow. That’s your decision and daily responsibility. We absolutely need God, and we also need the support of one another. Thankfully, none of us walks through the disciplines of personal maturity and freedom alone. The indwelling Christ is eagerly willing to walk with us each step of the way.

Prayer: Lord, I affirm my total dependence on You for daily growth, victory and freedom.

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Freedom in Christ

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Dear Friend,

I’m writing to say thanks. I wish I could thank you personally, but I don’t know where you are. I wish I could call you, but I don’t know your name. If I knew your appearance, I’d look for you, but your face is fuzzy in my memory. But I’ll never forget what you did.

There you were, leaning against your pickup in the West Texas oil field. An engineer of some sort. A supervisor on the job. Your khakis and clean shirt set you apart from us roustabouts. In the oil field pecking order, we were at the bottom. You were the boss. We were the workers. You read the blueprints. We dug the ditches. You inspected the pipe. We laid it. You ate with the bosses in the shed. We ate with each other in the shade.

Except that day.

I remember wondering why you did it.

We weren’t much to look at. What wasn’t sweaty was oily. Faces burnt from the sun; skin black from the grease. Didn’t bother me, though. I was there only for the summer. A high-school boy earning good money laying pipe.

We weren’t much to listen to, either. Our language was sandpaper coarse. After lunch, we’d light the cigarettes and begin the jokes. Someone always had a deck of cards with lacy-clad girls on the back. For thirty minutes in the heat of the day, the oil patch became Las Vegas—replete with foul language, dirty stories, blackjack, and barstools that doubled as lunch pails.

In the middle of such a game, you approached us. I thought you had a job for us that couldn’t wait another few minutes. Like the others, I groaned when I saw you coming.

You were nervous. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other as you began to speak.

“Uh, fellows,” you started.

We turned and looked up at you.

“I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite … ”

You were way out of your comfort zone. I had no idea what you might be about to say, but I knew that it had nothing to do with work.

“I just wanted to tell you that, uh, our church is having a service tonight and, uh … ”

“What?” I couldn’t believe it. “He’s talking church? Out here? With us?”

“I wanted to invite any of you to come along.”

Silence. Screaming silence.

Several guys stared at the dirt. A few shot glances at the others. Snickers rose just inches from the surface.

“Well, that’s it. Uh, if any of you want to go … uh, let me know.”

After you turned and left, we turned and laughed. We called you “reverend,” “preacher,” and “the pope.” We poked fun at each other, daring one another to go. You became the butt of the day’s jokes.

I’m sure you knew that. I’m sure you went back to your truck knowing the only good you’d done was to make a good fool out of yourself. If that’s what you thought, then you were wrong.

That’s the reason for this letter.

Some five years later, a college sophomore was struggling with a decision. He had drifted from the faith given to him by his parents. He wanted to come back. He wanted to come home. But the price was high. His friends might laugh. His habits would have to change. His reputation would have to be overcome.

Could he do it? Did he have the courage?

That’s when I thought of you. As I sat in my dorm room late one night, looking for the guts to do what I knew was right, I thought of you.

I thought of how your love for God had been greater than your love for your reputation.

I thought of how your obedience had been greater than your common sense.

I remembered how you had cared more about making disciples than about making a good first impression. And when I thought of you, your memory became my motivation.

So I came home.

I’ve told your story dozens of times to thousands of people. Each time the reaction is the same: The audience becomes a sea of smiles, and heads bob in understanding. Some smile because they think of the “clean-shirted engineers” in their lives. They remember the neighbor who brought the cake, the aunt who wrote the letter, the teacher who listened …

Others smile because they have done what you did. And they, too, wonder if their “lunchtime loyalty” was worth the effort.

You wondered that. What you did that day wasn’t much. And I’m sure you walked away that day thinking that your efforts had been wasted.

They weren’t.

So I’m writing to say thanks. Thanks for the example. Thanks for the courage. Thanks for giving your lunch to God. He did something with it; it became the Bread of Life for me.

Gratefully,

Max

P.S. If by some remarkable coincidence you read this and remember that day, please give me a call. I owe you lunch.

From In the Eye of the Storm
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1997) Max Lucado

2 Timothy 4:9-18 (NIV)

⁹Do your best to come to me quickly, ¹⁰for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. ¹²I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

¹⁴Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. ¹⁵You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Friendship brings us some of the greatest joys in life—but also can cause immense pain. If you haven’t experienced rejection or betrayal yet, you probably will someday. The apostle Paul learned to forgive others for their failures and reconcile with them when appropriate. Let’s discover how he dealt with betrayal and abandonment by trusted friends.

Friends Sometimes Fail Us

Despite Paul’s faithfulness to the Lord, his friends failed him. They weren’t reliable when he desperately needed them (2 Timothy 1:15; 4:14-16).

What are some reasons why friends might desert you in times of trouble? They . . .

1. Feel inadequate and/or unsure of how to help.
2. Don’t want to be identified with you in a conflict, for fear they could end up on the losing side.
3. Are jealous and hope to see you fail.
4. Selfishly don’t want to sacrifice their time to support you.
5. Judge you and thus excuse themselves from the responsibility to help you.

Forgiveness Must Prevail

Paul responded to betrayal and abandonment with forgiveness: “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them” (2 Timothy 4:16, emphasis added). Both Jesus and Stephen said something similar in the final moments of their lives (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).

Paul practiced what he preached—the importance of forgiving. Don’t be a fair-weather friend, interested only in what you can get from another person. Be willing to help even those who mistreated you in the past. Waiting for a chance to get them back—to let them down as they did to you—indicates that you have an unforgiving spirit.

The Presence of the Lord Sustains Us

Paul was able to forgive because he knew that God would never leave him: “The Lord stood with me” (2 Timothy 4:17). Although Paul’s friends all left, he knew that the Lord Himself was with him. Christ promises all believers, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

The apostle was able to forgive because he trusted God to empower him: “The Lord . . . strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Timothy 4:17). Paul could rely on the presence of God to accomplish his calling—taking the gospel to the world (Philippians 2:13). Chances are, people will persecute you, and some of your friends will abandon you in tough times. But God has promised that all adversity will eventually come to an end (1 Peter 5:10).

He was able to forgive because he was confident that God would deliver him: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). The Father may deliver us from hardship or through it (Isaiah 43:1-4). He also rescues us by bringing us home to be with Him. God delivered Paul by allowing Nero to execute him. Four years later, the ruler committed suicide. No one can violate the principles of God and avoid His judgment.

Conclusion: What kind of friend are you? Are you dedicated to those you love? Or do you often disappoint them? Perhaps you are faithful, but your friends consistently fail you when trouble comes. I urge you not to hold it against them. Hurt and rejection are painful but unavoidable parts of life. Healing is always available if you are willing to forgive. And you and I can take comfort in knowing that the most faithful Friend—the Lord Jesus—never leaves our side, even if everyone else deserts us.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from InTouch.org)

(by Max Lucado from UpWords Ministry)

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.

He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.

All day he looked for the dove’s return.

Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the …

You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You’ve known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You’ve seen the floodwater rise, and you’ve likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You’ve been on Noah’s boat.

And you’ve needed what Noah needed; you’ve needed some hope. You’re not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn’t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.

That’s all Noah needed. And that’s all Noah received.

Here is how the Bible describes the moment: “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!” (Gen. 8:11 NIV).

An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn’t that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.

Don’t we love the olive leaves of life?
“It appears the cancer may be in remission.”
“I can help you with those finances.”
“We’ll get through this together.”
What’s more, don’t we love the doves that bring them?
Perhaps that’s the reason so many loved Jesus.

To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, “Yes!” And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.

Have you received yours? Don’t think your ark is too isolated. Don’t think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won’t you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

Love always hopes. “Love … bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4–7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

(from the February 2010 issue of In Touch devotional magazine)

The Kind of Gift That God Values Most

Luke 7:36-50 (NCV)

³⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table.³⁷A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster jar of perfume³⁸and stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, kissing them many times and rubbing them with the perfume.³⁹When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If Jesus were a prophet, he would know that the woman touching him is a sinner!”

⁴⁰Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

Simon said, “Teacher, tell me.”

⁴¹Jesus said, “Two people owed money to the same banker. One owed five hundred coins and the other owed fifty. ⁴²They had no money to pay what they owed, but the banker told both of them they did not have to pay him. Which person will love the banker more?”

⁴³Simon, the Pharisee, answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.”

Jesus said to Simon, “You are right.” ⁴⁴Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss of greeting, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in.⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷I tell you that her many sins are forgiven, so she showed great love. But the person who is forgiven only a little will love only a little.”

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹The people sitting at the table began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace.”

It’s easy to recognize Christ’s love as extravagant—after all, He gave everything He had. But what can we give back to Him to show our love and gratitude? Many Christians make sure they do what they believe is expected of them: being involved with church, gaining knowledge about the Bible, and avoiding immoral behavior (as well as those who engage in it). But is this what makes God feel truly loved?

Luke 7:36-50 tells of a sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet at a Pharisee’s home. In this account, the Lord teaches us what showing love for Him looks like—and what it doesn’t look like.

Unafraid of drawing criticism or looking undignified, the woman demonstrated gratitude and love by sacrificing all she had. Her lavish deed far surpassed the cultural courtesy expected of the host—who, in fact, actually shirked his responsibility for the sake of reputation and appearance. The kind of love God desires is heartfelt and focused on glorifying Him, not on looking super-spiritual or “respectable” (Luke 21:1-4).

Only the “broken in spirit” grasp how vital and priceless the Lord’s forgiveness is. The issue wasn’t whether the woman’s sins were greater than the Pharisee’s. Rather, she understood her desperate need for Christ, which allowed her to love Him more. God is after authenticity; if we want a deeper relationship with Him, we must come as we are (Psalm 51:17; Matthew 5:3; 9:11-13).

Self-sufficiency and spiritual pride blind us to what God truly values. Humbling ourselves brings us closer to His heart (Psalm 138:6; Matthew 23:12-15; James 4:6-8).

The woman came to Jesus labeled by her sins, but she left with a new identity: forgiven, loved, and accepted by the Lord. When we come to Him without pretense and fully receive His forgiveness, He gives us freedom from our old identity (Ephesians 2:4-9; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17).

Questions for Reflection

1. How do you show your gratitude and love for God?
2. Are you quick to repent and admit when you are wrong, or do you consider it more important to appear righteous or even superior to others?
3. What would giving your best to God and “laying down your life” look like in your current circumstances?