Time Out! Devotions

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. Wash your hands you sinners, and let your hearts be filled with God alone to make them pure and true to Him. Let there  be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and sincere grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Then when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, He will lift you up, encourage and help you.     (James 4:7-10)

How can you draw close to God? James gives five suggestions:

• “Give yourselves humbly to God.” Realize that you need His forgiveness, and be willing to follow Him.
• “Resist the devil.” Don’t allow him to entice and tempt you.
• “Wash your hands (lead a pure life) and let your hearts be filled with God.” Be cleansed from sin, replacing it with God’s purity.
• Let there be tears, sorrow, and sincere grief for your sins. Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for them.
• “Realize your worthlessness.” Humble yourself before God and He will lift you up (1 Peter 5:6).
  

Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it. Only He who made the law can rightly judge among us. He alone decides to save us or destroy. So what right do you have to judge or criticize others?     (James 4:11-12)

Jesus summarized the law as love to God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), and Paul said love demonstrated towards a neighbor fully satisfies the law (Romans 13:8-10). When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God’s law.

Examine your attitudes and actions toward others. Do you build people up or tear them down? When you’re ready to criticize someone, remember God’s law of love and say something good about him or her instead. If you make this a habit, your tendency to find fault with others will diminish and your ability to obey God’s law will increase.

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)

Psalm 147:2-3 (NIV)

² The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

³ He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

A number of years ago, on Valentine’s Day, a couple was enjoying a romantic drive along a wooded section near Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Something white, shimmering in the trees, caught their eyes. Their investigation led them to a dead teenager hanging from a limb, a white bedsheet knotted tightly around his neck. A farewell note, laced with despair, was near the trunk of the tree. It was addressed simply to “Mom and Dad.”

I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created. . . . What frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence. . . . I am a bomb of frustration and should never marry or have children. It is safest to defuse the bomb harmlessly now . . . simply cremate me as John Doe.

Authorities circulated the youth’s description and fingerprints to police across the country. He was later buried—unidentified and unclaimed.

Grim and gripping though they are, such scenes and words are not that unusual. Our nervous age seems on trial for its life, and the fuse on the powder keg is becoming shorter by the day! Contrary to popular opinion, people who threaten suicide often mean it. The old myth “those who talk don’t jump” is dangerously false. Threats should be taken seriously.

Suicide, the ultimate rejection of one’s self, plays no favorites and knows no limit. In my files and memory are unforgettable cases that span the extremes: a successful banker, a disillusioned divorcée, a runaway, the son of a missionary, a mother of three, a wealthy cartoonist, a professional musician, several collegians, a Marine, a retired grandfather, a medical doctor, a middle-aged playboy, a brilliant accountant, a growing number of teens who were in junior and senior high schools. These individuals struggled with feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, insecurity, a lack of hope, intense perfectionism, alienation from meaningful relationships, and a tragic sense of feeling unloved and unlovely.

In all of this darkness, there is one beacon of light. People considering suicide usually want to be rescued. They leave clues that read, “Help me!” They drop hints, consciously or unconsciously, that announce their intentions.

Sensitive, concerned observers ought to be alert to the signals. Here are a few: (1) talk about suicide; (2) a sudden change in personality; (3) deep depression; (4) physical symptoms—sleeplessness, loss of appetite, decreased sexual drive, drastic weight loss, repeated exhaustion; (5) actual attempts; and (6) crisis situations—death of a loved one, failure at school, loss of a job, marital or home problems, and a lengthy or terminal illness.

These, of course, are not “sure signs,” but anyone that seems unusually suspicious warrants your time and offer of help. Occasionally, all that is needed is someone to step in and be a friend . . . a listening ear . . . a support to lean on . . . a shelter in the time of storm. That’s genuine Body life! That’s Romans 15:1 in action:

We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength.

Certainly you should contact your physician or ask advice from your local suicide prevention hotline if you become reasonably concerned. A close friend, a professional counselor, a church officer, or a pastor might also be of valuable assistance. Don’t hesitate to seek advice.

The need is urgent . . . and always great. During the time it took you to read this, numbers of people in America attempted to end their lives.

Day by Day, Charles Swindoll, July 2005,

Thomas Nelson, inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Purchase “Day by Day” here.

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and let your hearts be filled with God alone to make them pure and true to Him.

Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and sincere grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Then when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, He will lift you up, encourage and help you.

Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it. Only He who made the law can rightly judge among us. He alone decides to save us or destroy. So what right do you have to judge or criticize others?

(James 4:7-12 – The Living Bible)

Although God and Satan are at war, we don’t need to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Colossians 2:13-15; Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, Satan and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can resist Satan and he will flee from us.

How can you draw close to God? James give 5 suggestions:

• “Give yourself humbly to God” (4:7) – Realize that you need His forgiveness, and be willing to follow Him.
• “Resist the devil” (4:7) – Don’t allow him to entice and tempt you.
• “Wash your hands (lead a pure life) and let your hearts be filled with God” (4:8) – Be cleansed from sin, replacing it with God’s purity.
• Let there be tears, sorrow, and sincere grief for your sins (4:9) – Don’t be afraid to express your deep heartfelt sorrow for them.
• “Realize your worthlessness” (4:10) – Humble yourselves before God and He will lift you up (1 Peter 5:6).

“Realize your worthlessness” can also be translated, “Humble yourselves before the Lord.” Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. We do not deserve His favor, but He reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.

Jesus summarized the law as love to God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), and Paul said love demonstrated towards a neighbor fully satisfies the law (Romans 13:6-10). When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God’s law.

Examine your attitudes and actions toward others. Do you build people up or tear them down? When you’re ready to criticize someone, remember God’s law of love and say something good about him or her instead. If you make this a habit, your tendency to find fault with others will diminish and your ability to obey God’s law will increase.

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)