Time Out! Devotions

KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL ALLOWS US TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM TO RESCUE US. TRUE RELIEF DOES NOT COME WHEN THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED BECAUSE MORE PROBLEMS ARE ON THE WAY! TRUE RELIEF COMES FROM AN ENDURING HOPE IN GOD’S ULTIMATE SALVATION. ONLY THEN WILL ALL TRIALS BE RESOLVED.

Psalm 62 (NIV)

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

² He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

⁴ They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies.With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah

⁵ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

⁹ Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,

¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

Prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress. Trusting God to be our Rock, rescuer, defense, and fortress changes our entire outlook on life. No longer are we held captive by hurtful treatment from friends or relatives, but are released to follow an unchanging God, our Rock and fortress.

When we weigh people on the scales of importance, certain things such as wealth, honor, power, or prestige add immeasurably to a person’s importance in our eyes. But God cancels out all of these things so that all people are weighed equally in His eyes.

What, then, can tilt the scales when God weighs us? The work we do for Him. Wealth, honor, power, or prestige add nothing to our “weight” in God’s eyes, but the faithful work we do for him has eternal value.

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up.

(Psalm 30:1 – NKJV)

In God’s book man is heading somewhere. He has an amazing destiny. We are being prepared to walk down the church aisle and become the bride of Jesus. We are going to live with Him. Share the throne with Him. Reign with Him. We count. We are valuable. And what’s more, our worth is built in! Our value is inborn.

You see, if there was anything that Jesus wanted everyone to understand it was this: A person is worth something simply because he is a person.

That is why He treated people like He did. Think about it. The girl caught making undercover thunder with someone she shouldn’t — He forgave her. The untouchable leper who asked for cleansing — He touched him. And the blind welfare case that cluttered the roadside — He honored him. And the worn-out old windbag addicted to self-pity near the pool of Siloam — He healed him!

(from No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado)

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.