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“Intimidator.” He was once proud of the name—but
not anymore.
Richard and his brothers had a reputation. Brawny
and bad to the bone, they didn’t take anything from anyone. Messing with them
was bad news. They would gladly take you down—for little or no reason at all.
Their violent words were matched by violent behavior. Fights were their
business, and they went looking for them. Richard wore his nickname well and
was more than willing to show anyone why he had it—until someone more
intimidating than he showed up.
Richard discovered God wasn’t scared of him and
was more than willing to fight for his soul. He couldn’t bully God . . .
couldn’t even touch him. But God could fight him in ways he couldn’t defend
himself against. He could hurt his conscience and his heart. He could bring out
the soft side of him that he let no one else see.
Richard still speaks about his nickname—but in
the past tense. That’s who he was, but it’s not who he is now. He saw the
light.
Paul saw a light too. He was also big and bad—but
in the religious field. This new “Way”—Christianity—had to be stamped out. So
he busied himself arresting Christians and dragging them off to jail, where
many of them were put to death. Until he saw the light. The same light Richard
saw thousands of years later. The light of a greater “Intimidator.” An
intimidator who informed him that he was traveling the wrong path.
God doesn’t intimidate with catcalls, fights, and
threats. He intimidates with the truth about us. We’re sinners in need of help,
and he’s the only one who can assist us. We can’t work to be good enough for him
to accept. Someone better than us—someone perfect—had to suffer for our sins.
And in his love, God allowed his Son to take our place on a rugged cross. All he
asks for in return is our love and obedience.
Relationship was why God created us in the
beginning and why he died for us in the end. No matter how intimidating we may
try to be, we cannot out-intimidate God’s truth about who we are and what we
need to do.
Feeling intimidated? Accept God’s truth, love the
Great Lover, and experience life at its best.
Father, I draw nigh unto you, for nothing else
will satisfy the hole in my heart.
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Some of the hardest work in life seems to produce no visible result. We keep praying, serving, encouraging, forgiving, showing up, or doing the right thing, yet nothing appears to change. Discouragement whispers that our efforts don’t matter.
Paul wrote to people who needed endurance. He did not pretend that doing good would always feel rewarding. Instead, he acknowledged weariness and then pointed believers beyond the immediate moment. The harvest will come at the proper time.
That does not mean every faithful action produces the outcome we imagined. God is not a machine that returns exactly what we put in. Instead, it means faithfulness is never wasted simply because we cannot yet measure its effect.
A kind word may stay with someone longer than we know. A prayer may shape our own heart while we wait for circumstances to change. A quiet act of integrity may influence a child, coworker, neighbor, or friend without ever becoming visible to us.
Faith often asks us to keep planting before we can see anything growing.
If you are tired today, do not confuse invisibility with uselessness. Rest when you need to rest. Ask for help. Then return to the good God has placed before you.
Keep doing the next faithful thing. The harvest belongs to God; faithfulness belongs to us.
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Primary Website: https://douglasvandergraph.com
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Accusations can sting—especially the false ones.
Norris couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Didn’t you know she was ____?” “Couldn’t you smell ____ on her breath?”
It was bad enough that he’d just had his wife
confess unfaithfulness and tell him she didn’t love him anymore. Now the
spiritual leaders of the church he pastored accused him of a cover-up. But he
didn’t know she was ___. And he had not smelled _____ on her breath. He had his
suspicions—but no solid proof. Resigning was his only choice.
I’ve experienced a little of what Norris tasted.
I, too, remember a time when a comment I made was taken out of context, and it
almost cost me my job. Being falsely accused hurts—and can come at a high
cost.
What the psalmist was accused of, we aren’t told.
The missing information isn’t important, though. He trusted God to give him
victory over his accusers.
Jesus also faced false accusations.
When he cast out demons, the religious authorities said he was empowered by the
prince of demons. False accusations eventually led him to the cross.
Early Christians also knew about false
accusations. Ironically, they were accused of being atheists. Not because they
didn’t worship or believe in any god, but because they neither acknowledged the Roman Caesar as a god nor believed in the Roman pantheon.
False accusations are a part of life at some
point during the journey. They may or may not have anything to do with our
faith, but they likely will. Those who accuse have ulterior motives. Perhaps
they want our job. Maybe they hate the morality that comes along with our
belief system.
Jesus responded to false accusations by making himself
like a sheep going to slaughter: silence. Reacting with anger, cursing, or
other forms of violent behavior won’t do the trick. Nor will appealing to our
legal rights. These things will only serve to damage our witness before others.
The best course of action is to turn the matter
over to God. He said vengeance belonged to him—not us. Praying over the matter
and praying for the person making the false accusations will bring peace to our
souls and keep us from doing anything that will hinder God’s cause.
Let God handle false accusations made against
you.
Father, when others falsely accuse us, give us the strength to respond in a godly fashion.
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Ingredients
1 POUND GROUND BEEF
½ POUND SAUSAGE
15-OUNCE JAR PIZZA SAUCE
2 CANS BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
1 ½ CUPS SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE
1 CUP SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
Directions
BROWN MEAT AND DRAIN.
STIR IN PIZZA SAUCE.
CUT BISCUITS IN FOURTHS.
PLACE IN A GREASED 13 X 9 INCH CASSEROLE DISH.
TOP WITH MEAT MIXTURE.
BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR 20-25 MINUTES.
SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE AND BAKE FOR 5-10 MINUTES LONGER OR UNTIL CHEESE MELTS.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
Some battles have nothing to do
with picking up a weapon.
Military blood runs through my
family’s veins. My father did a stint in the National Guard and then the Army,
serving overseas in the Formosa Crisis. My father-in-law retired from the Army
after serving in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. A brother-in-law served in the
Air Force, and a nephew did time in Iraq. Even both of my children did short
stints.
When I entered my teenage years,
the Vietnam War was nearing an end—at least America’s involvement in it. The
military draft was still in force, and I feared I would end up in an endless
war. But it did end—along with the draft.
Although I’ve never served in the
military, I admire those who have and do. And although I’ve never fought in a
military battle, I’ve fought several other battles: Are my parenting skills up
to par? On what grounds do I make this decision? How will I care for my aging
parents and in-laws? Should I keep this job or look for another? How will I pay
for the move? Why am I depressed? Can I get through this divorce? Will I ever
find someone to love me?
The psalmist knew military battles, but he also knew other battles that didn’t
require picking up a weapon. No matter what kind of battle he fought, God armed
him with what he needed to win.
God gives all the armor we need to
fight the battles with the enemy of our soul—and the battles we sometimes fight
with God. He gives us the helmet of salvation. Thoughts determine actions. We
have the power to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and
admirable. We have a breastplate of righteousness, given when we placed our
faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is our shield, and we take the gospel of peace
wherever we go. Our clothes are girded with the belt of truth—which determines
everything we say and do. And we have God’s Word to guide every decision we
make and action we take.
When the battles come, victory is
certain if we adorn ourselves with the full armor of God. Don’t let life’s
battles defeat you. Claim the victory that can be yours.
Father, thank you for giving me the
weapons I need to win every battle in life.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
When God stoops, our perspective changes.
As I walked out the front door early one winter morning, a few sprigs of green greeted me in a planter pot on the steps. Oh, yes! Where I live, the daffodils emerge in the middle of winter, promising future sunshine. I stooped low to admire these stalwart stems. The prompt in my photo challenge group was “Winter Is Here,” so I grabbed a photo with my iPhone. After all, when our hips and knees limit stooping, we multitask when we’re in that position. A day or two later, the word picture in Psalm 113 of our Mighty God stooping down to look on His creation took shape in my mind.
John’s gospel describes how Jesus noticed a man who was blind from birth. The encounter became a lesson that showed God’s purpose and power. In his daily walk on earth, Jesus saw those who needed his attention. He filled in the picture from Psalm 113 as he stooped to make mud, using his own saliva and dirt as part of the healing process.
Jesus gets down on our level and shines his light, giving us spiritual sight. How lovingly Jesus showed us the Father. And we, too, can show Christ to others.
Think of ways you can thank God for his attention to you in sending Jesus, his Son. Celebrate that as we prepare to enter the holiday season.
Father, I thank you for stooping to send your Son to die for our sins. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
