Spirit & Heart

My husband and I once visited Washington, DC. We toured all the sites, walked miles daily, braved the Metro, hunted down local restaurants, and dined at a French bakery on the last day of our vacation.

While I savored my mouth-watering pastry, I noticed a homeless man outside, sleeping on a vent, trying to keep warm. His blanket was pulled over his head, but his feet stuck out. That’s when I noticed the thread-bare socks. I should buy that man some socks, I thought.  

Just that morning, I had read Matthew 25:43. But after discussing my plan with my husband, we decided that the drugstore was in the opposite direction of the hotel and church we were visiting. So, we walked past the man with holey socks. I showered at the hotel, put on my near-new socks, and attended a heated church with cushioned seats.

The preacher talked about looking the homeless in the eye because they, too, want to be seen. I was convicted and decided to return to the man, look him in the eye, and give him some socks. But when we walked by the French bakery, he was gone. I still hadn’t bought any socks.

My heart shrunk a bit that day. I’d distinctly heard God’s voice twice but hadn’t obeyed His command.

In Matthew 25, Jesus referred to sheep and goats. He cast aside the goats because of their unbelief, but He gathered the sheep for eternal life. Helping or not helping people experiencing poverty is not a salvation issue, but Jesus outlined specific directives for the believer—clothing the poor as one of them.

When I returned home from our trip, an email from the Nashville Rescue Mission asked me to donate to their homeless shelter. My gracious Father gave me a third chance, and I took it.

Find a way you can help the less fortunate. Then do it.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Leroy_Skalstad.)

We call 911 during an emergency, a life-threatening situation, injury, or accident. In 2018, America’s 911 system celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. When answering, the operators immediately ask about the nature of the emergency. Then they dispatch the help we need. However, weather, traffic, and location can determine their arrival time.

Unfortunately, the help doesn’t always come as quickly as needed. But this is not the case when we call on the Lord. He’s always right on time and has never lost a case.

In several instances, Jesus gave immediate help on the scene. Nearly everyone in Scripture who came to Jesus had trouble they couldn’t resolve.

In John 11, Jesus’ friend Lazarus became deathly sick. Jesus later received news that Lazarus died. By the time Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, accused Jesus of being late and blamed him for Lazarus’ death. But the story ended with a miraculous resurrection. 

In Luke 8, a Gadarene man is possessed by many devils and had been for a long time. He immediately met Jesus when Jesus got off the boat. This man lived among the tombs, cried out day and night, and cut himself with stones. He had been captured numerous times and bound with fetters and chains, but to no avail. The devils inside him accused Jesus of coming to torment them. After Jesus cast the devils out, the man sat at Jesus’ feet—clothed and in his right mind.

We should always be in good spiritual condition to respond immediately through prayer during emergencies. Emergencies won’t wait. Someone’s well-being or life may depend on our prayers. We may need to be someone’s first responder. Additionally, we all want someone standing ready in our crisis—someone who can get the job done.

Make sure you have an emergency plan in place in times of crisis. Be that person who is spiritually ready to help someone else.    

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Queven.)

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“May I take your order, please?” How many times do we hear that question in a week or month?

I recently read that the way some people spend time with God can be compared to fast-food fare or sitting down to a delicious meal at a fancy, fine-dining restaurant. It’s up to us.

When we become accustomed to living on spiritual fast-food, it’s like driving up to the window and quickly picking out an item or two on the huge menu. We might even be asked if we want to supersize it. This can become an I’m-Too-Busy-to-Slow-Down-and-Take-Time mentality. Although it might satisfy our hunger for the moment, we miss the needed nutrients.

On the other hand, when we make the decision—and take the time—to put everything else aside and sit down to a nice meal, we come away relaxed and rejuvenated, full and satisfied.

Sometimes it’s okay—and even necessary—to grab something on the go, but we can’t make it a lifestyle. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing and to seek God’s face continually. That doesn’t mean we have to be on our knees 24/7. We can have an attitude of prayer and talk to God all throughout the day, but He still wants us to set aside a special time to dine with Him. Those times allow us to experience His presence as He recharges our batteries and fills us with renewed strength for the journey ahead.

Babies can get by on milk for only so long. When the milk no longer satisfies and nourishes, their little stomachs growl, asking for something more substantial. It’s the same with us. We can only get by with the fast-food mentality for so long. Then our spiritual stomachs will growl, begging to be fed the life-giving meat of the Word.

Don’t allow yourself to become spiritually malnourished. Fill yourself daily with God’s Word.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Shutterbug75.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

One Friday morning in March, my friend Sarah taught me what friendship should be.

The dour weather matched my mood and state of mind. The night before, I had faced the horror of being ganged up on by a group of men who wanted my phone and bag—and made sure they got them even if it meant knocking my nose out of place.

So, on Friday morning, I was in bed, nursing a broken nose and heart, wanting to be alone yet grateful for the presence of my friend, Sarah. She sat with me silently, held me while I cried, hushed my blasphemous complaints, took me out to get ice cream and shawarma, downloaded a comedy Kdrama series, and watched it with me. It took me a couple of months to fully recover mentally from the ordeal, but what my friend did for me that day profoundly struck my heart.

Job’s friends understood the importance of grieving with a loved one, showing solidarity with a fellow friend, and going through rough patches with one another. They heard of his great loss, came from where they lived to see him, sat with him, and offered him whatever comfort they could.

Being around grieving people is challenging, even if they’re friends. No one wants a gloomy sidekick. But perhaps we could be an extension of God’s comfort to them when we sit with them in their silence and confusion and assure them of our love and support.

We may avoid friends who are in pain because it makes us uncomfortable or because we feel we will never understand how they feel and, therefore, can’t comfort them.

But if Job’s friends sat in silence with their friend for a week, we could call a friend and drive a couple of blocks to spend an afternoon drinking coffee or eating ice cream. Think of ways you can warm a friend’s frigid heart with your warm one.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Annie Spratt.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

Deer season had opened, and I was planning to bag “Mr. Buck.”

Deer season in the lower regions of my state opens almost two months earlier than in the other areas. My neighbor then was a retired pastor who loved hunting deer. Not having a weapon, I decided to visit the local Walmart and select one to help me capture my first deer. The shelves were filled with shotguns and rifles, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

After perusing the selection, I decided on one not housed in the gun rack. It lay on a shelf nearby. It and its ammunition were cheaper. I selected my pellet/bb gun, took it to the counter, gave the clerk my $35, and hit the door.

The following day, my neighbor and I set off bright and early. As I perched high in the tree, I saw Mr. Deer prancing my way. When he was in range, I zeroed in on him, pulled the trigger, watched the pellet bounce off his hide, and gawked as he swished his head around to lick the spot as if a fly pestered him. I had chosen the wrong weapon. Not really, but I would have had I done this.

I’ll never bring down strongholds with the wrong weapons either. Strongholds have a strong hold on me. I’ve fought out with some that were muscular and others that weren’t. I’ve wrangled with some that were sinful and others that were simply unhealthy and entangling.

While it’s important to know whether the stronghold is sinful, it’s more essential to realize God is bigger and stronger than the stronghold—regardless of what it is. God wants to help me bring down strongholds—those that are sinful and those that aren’t. Both can accomplish the same thing. They distract me, cause me to lose focus, ruin my testimony, harm my body, and prevent me from doing my best at God’s work.

Choosing the right weapon to fight strongholds is crucial. Just as a pellet gun won’t bring down a deer, personal efforts without God’s guidance won’t destroy strongholds. Worldly weapons won’t do; we need godly ones, like prayer, Bible study, spiritual armor, books on faith, and close fellowship with other believers.

Don’t try to fight your spiritual battles with the wrong weapons. God will supply the weapons that will ensure victory. All you must do is ask.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Shutterbug75.)