They
tried not to, but they just couldn’t help themselves.
Computer
class. I’m the teacher, assigning my students papers to write. The trouble? Two
middle school classes and several high school classes using the same computers.
On those computers existed the files of all the students who used them
currently and had in the past. Any student could access or alter any of the
files. And some of mine had.
How
did I know? Some students in the class finished assignments too quickly. When I
investigated, I discovered their antics. Finding a file of another classmate
who had already completed the assignment and then copying and pasting it into
their document. After renaming it their own, they proudly said, “I’m done.”
One
young man, more honorable than the rest who didn’t admit what they had done,
approached me and asked if he could do what his classmates had done. I told him
no. He didn’t. Others did it without asking. I took the opportunity to remind
them about plagiarism and its consequences, both inside and outside the
classroom. Since I’m older and wiser—and probably would have done the same
thing when I was their age—I figured out a way to help them do the right.
Martin
Luther King, Jr., said, “On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it
expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it polite?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it
right?”
Paul
must have known how easy it can be to tire of doing the right things,
especially when the crowd typically does the wrong thing. He encouraged the
Thessalonians to keep doing right, regardless of what others did.
Doing
the right takes courage. For the one young man who refused to follow the
example of many of his classmates, doing right meant more time working on the
assignment—and even doing so at home while the others probably played video
games or socialized with their friends.
Standing
alone comes with a price. So does ignoring the pressure from others to take the
shortcut, even if it violates moral principles.
Only
by God’s grace and strength—given by His indwelling Spirit—can we consistently
do the right thing, which the Bible defines as integrity. Added to this is the
necessity of believing absolute truth exists. Cheating is lying, and God has
said we shouldn’t.
Ask
God for courage to do the right thing—under all circumstances.
Prayer: Father, give us the courage to obey
Your principles and commands.
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Weary? Me too.
It seems the more we get to do, the more there is to do. And I get sideways on what is important, what can wait, and what simply has no significance in the kingdom.
When Jesus met the Samaritan at the well, He knew she was much the same. She was doing the same old, same old, not enjoying it, and sensing there was something more.
If we scale our days around eternity, they shape something holy instead of hurried. I am ready to trade and give up going to the well a dozen times with my list for that one time with my Lord. I am ready to fill up with Him in exchange for the world that empties me of my peace. He is crazy good at simplifying.
I have mastered multitasking. My race needs to see Heaven in the distance. My pace needs to be full of passion. My attitude needs to reflect what He is instead of what I am not. My end game should be less of me and a whole lot more of God. He promises to carry the heaviest load, and His grace shines in the deepest water.
Don’t be weary. Be filled with hope.
Tweetable: Where do you find hope?
Cathy is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. She met her husband Brian while studying in Paris, France. They make their home in Geneva, IL, with their four children and their daughter-in-love. She loves writing about the wonder and whimsy of life and her love for Jesus. Her first book is Destination: Fierce, Moving from Fear to Fierce. Learn more about Cathy at www.cathyjoyhill.com.
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I knew serving overseas in Niger wasn't going to be easy.
Niger has a different culture, food, and language. But the frustration increased when I was left alone. Initially, I was with a team, but the married couple returned to the States for the summer, leaving me alone. The problem intensified when I had to take care of a dog with an obnoxious bark.
A storm of trouble came from both inside and outside of my four walls. Then the figurative became real when rains came and added a new layer of misery as the rainwater came up through the shower drain and flooded the house.
I wondered how much more I could take. Then, more dreaded news came: my dad had passed away in the States.
Grieving is hard enough to do with friends in a familiar setting but more difficult when doing it alone. I could have easily fallen into the sin of despair, thinking no one cared.
Fortunately, I was not alone. A friend connected me to a family from South Africa who helped me experience some much-needed fellowship and took the time to visit me during my mourning.
Job's wife told him to curse God and die. Later, friends told him he had sinned. But Job knew we must accept both good and trouble for it all comes from God.
Through my trouble, I understood the sufficiency of God's love and grace, no matter the situation. Trouble can drive us toward the only immovable Rock that can help us weather life's storms.
Is trouble flooding you like water coming in through the shower drain? Are you trying to figure out how to deal with things independently? Ask God to help you realize others can help you see God’s sufficiency.
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Ingredients
They
are gone, but not forgotten.
In
our area of the United States, hummingbirds arrive in late March or early April
and stay until mid-October. A few weeks before their arrival, I hang three
feeders for the scouts who arrive earlier so they can tell the later arrivers.
One feeder outside our back-porch window, one outside our dining room window,
and one outside our kitchen window. Almost anywhere we sit or stand in the
house, we can view the beautiful little birds feeding.
Hummingbirds
are diligent little creatures. Even with three feeders, I must refill the
feeders every couple of days. And, the birds, though small, are aggressive and
territorial. One will sit atop the feeder or perch on the feeder stand, waiting
to run off any intruders. Their wings beat quickly, and their flight speed is
amazing, requiring a lot of nectar to keep them going.
As
the season wears on, the number of hummingbirds diminishes. Then, one day, they
are gone. I miss their antics . . . their beauty. I miss them hanging in
mid-air, watching me through the window or door. But I know if I hang feeders
in the spring of the next year, they’ll return. They’re dependable. God has
placed this instinct within them.
Jesus
knew His followers would feel sorrow after He left them. They had followed Him
for three years, and now He was leaving for heaven. But He told them they would
see Him again when their eyes closed in death.
I
mourn too when I think of all my loved ones who have gone on. As I get older,
fewer of them are around, and I think of the time when I’ll no longer be here
for my children and grandchildren. I miss sitting with my grandparents and
hearing their stories. I miss the cousins, aunts, and uncles whom death has
captured.
But
their examples keep me going in the right direction. I remember their love for
God and how they taught their family about God’s love, shared their faith, and
lived a consistent Christian example. They may be gone, but they are not
forgotten.
And
most of all, I have the example of Jesus, just as the early disciples did. His
example, more than any other, prods me on in the faith journey. As He promised
to return for His early followers, so He has promised to do the same for all
His children.
Don’t
let the death of friends and family rob you of the memories you have of good
examples. They may be gone, but you don’t have to forget them.
Prayer:
Father, may the memories of our godly ancestors keep us going in the faith.
Tweetable: Do you have hope for the future?
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It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man. Hebrews 11:4 NLT
His outfit of
choice for Sundays was typical for his generation.
Dark pants, a white shirt, black shoes. He sat in the same pew each Sunday. As I looked at
him from my vantage point, I noticed the same thing every Sunday: a single
dollar bill tucked neatly in his shirt pocket.
As the
offering plate was passed, he delivered his offering. Had he been like the
widow Jesus told of who gave everything she had, I would have marveled at his
generosity. But he wasn’t. His dollar didn’t represent a tithe, an offering, or
even a sacrifice. I happened to know a little about his financial situation.
His gift wasn’t a sacrifice at all.
Cain’s wasn’t
either. Since he was a farmer, it was natural that he would bring produce to
God as an offering. Yet that was the trouble—he only brought some. Abel, on the
other hand, brought several of his choice lambs to God. Blood wasn’t the issue;
sacrifice was. Cain just gave some while Abel gave his best. God saw the motive
and accepted Abel’s. Cain’s, he rejected.
My sacrifices
for God should be measured by his sacrifice for me. I have a son, but I
wouldn’t sacrifice him for anyone, regardless of how much I might love them.
God did, however, by placing his Son on a cross and then humanity’s sins on
him. This was the only way he could restore the relationship between us and him.
With proper motives, he made the ultimate sacrifice.
Why we give
what we do is important. We should give out of appreciation. We can never repay
God for what he’s done, but giving is one way we can demonstrate our love. How
much we give is also crucial. Single dollars—unless they represent all we have—will
only move God’s Kingdom work forward at a snail’s pace. Proportionate giving is
what God desires . . . a sacrifice joyfully given. God wants actions from us as
well. Money won’t substitute for actions that involve love and sacrifice.
Is there a
better sacrifice you could give God?
Prayer:
Father, we give our best to You because You’ve given Your best to us.
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By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Hebrews 11:3 NLT
I knew the furry
animal standing before me was a dog.
With my eyes,
I saw his characteristics. I heard a sound that someone had told me was a bark.
Dogs bark, so this must be a dog. I touched him. He was real and not a figment
of my imagination. I decided to smell him just to make sure. Sure enough, he
smelled like a dog. A little raunchiness mixed in with the doggie deodorant my
wife had sprayed on him. The only thing left to do was taste him. Since my
other four senses convinced me, there was no need to lick him to find out.
But how can I
explain the feeling that I shouldn’t take the route the GPS suggested? Or get
on my scheduled flight? Or help the lady whose car was broken down by the
roadside? My five senses appraised the situation, but my sixth sense drove me
in another direction.
Where the
beginning of the universe is concerned, my five senses serve no purpose. I can
see it presently, but what I see is the finished product. Only with the sixth
sense can I believe that a Supreme Designer created it out of nothing.
Faith in God
is my sixth sense. Some think it’s irrational, and from a logical standpoint,
it might be, but it’s the sense with which I choose to follow God and believe
all he’s told me. Forgiveness can’t be experienced with my five senses, but I
believe I have it. Nor can they prove the Spirit’s presence guiding me, but I
believe that as well. I can’t use them to conclude I have an eternal home in
heaven, but I’m banking on it.
In fact, our
entire Christian journey is traveled by using our sixth sense. That
overwhelming feeling that the journey is real, not just a crutch we’re using to
help us handle life. We must walk by faith—the sixth sense—not by sight,
hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting.
Are you using
your sixth sense?
Prayer: Father,
enhance our sixth sense so we’ll see every opportunity You send us and believe
everything You’ve told us.
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My Time Hop app
reminded me.
One year before, the
app showed my wife and I had joined our daughter and her two boys for a trip to
Granddad’s Apples in Hendersonville, NC—a trip we made annually, either with
them or someone else. This particular year, things had gotten busy. Had the app
not reminded me, we may have forgotten to go.
We looked at our
calendars and settled on the one Saturday each of us could spare. Fall weather
had descended, so the views and the temps were pleasant. Everyone else must
have thought this day was a good one to visit, too, because people gathered as
thick as flies.
As usual, we began
our time at the apple orchard by strolling through the corn maze. A place that
makes me nervous—I think about getting lost in two acres of corn taller than I
am—but a place the grandboys enjoyed.
The two things the
grandboys relish the most—the cow train and the apple cannon—required waiting
one hour each in line. But we did because that’s what they wanted to do. Then
we wanted Granddad’s famous apple doughnuts, which required another hour's wait.
This time, our youngest grandson fell asleep and lay in my arms while his mom
purchased our goodies.
Later, we picked a peck of apples. Then, we finished off the day by letting both boys jump on the huge bouncy bed.
When the day ended,
we were all exhausted, but it was a good tired. With the psalmist, I could say
that children—in this case, grandchildren—are a gift from the Lord to be
enjoyed.
Children and
grandchildren both spell love the same way: TIME. I recall going on vacations
with my parents, but I don’t remember them doing a lot of other things with me.
Mom always worked at her job or around the house, and Dad always did church
stuff. I want my grandchildren to remember something different about their Pop
and Meme when we’re gone.
So, my wife and I
make efforts to teach them by a consistent Christian example, by reading Bible
stories to them, and by taking each little opportunity to teach them about
God’s love and about our love for them. Simple things, such as when the oldest
asked why there were so many varieties of apples. I told him because God created
them that way.
Take time to enjoy
your children and grandchildren. After all, you never know how much time you
have to do the family thing.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the moments You give us to do
the family thing.
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Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT
Fred wasn’t a
business major in college, but something one of his professors said made
perfect business sense: “If your outgo is greater than your income, your upkeep
will be your downfall.”
Fred and
Jenny’s journey through four years of college with children in tow wasn’t easy.
Although he received federal grants that covered most of his tuition, daily
living expenses were taxing. He worked part-time on campus, and Jenny worked a
full-time job at a local daycare center.
Fred quickly
discovered he and Jenny would have to live by faith. And they did. They did
their part and depended on God to do his. As they lived by faith and followed
God’s plan, God saw that the bills were paid, the groceries bought, and their
other daily needs met. The outgo was greater than the income, but faith
supplied the difference.
As he
struggled with readers who considered working for their salvation, the writer
reminds them God’s acceptance is based solely on faith—and not hope but know.
Confident assurance.
Like Fred and
Jenny, several of my years have been lived with greater outgo than income. Not
necessarily because of unwise decisions—although there’s been a few of those—but
because of economic conditions and others’ decisions that have affected me. By
faith, I’ve trusted God to keep his promise that he’ll take care of me . . . and
he hasn’t disappointed me.
My greatest
expression of faith, however, concerns the future, not the present. It involves
the hope that what he’s promised will come true. He has promised forgiveness of
all my sins, and I believe him. No condemnation awaits me. He’s promised me an
eternal home free of sin and its incorrigible effects, and I believe that
too. He’s assured me of a new heaven and
earth, restored to the condition of the original one. I’m anticipating that as
well.
Do you have
faith in your future?
Prayer: Father,
thank You for the future hope we have through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 KJV
The Lord is
my shepherd, I will not want . . . but I do. A new car would be nice. One that
doesn’t register 225,000 miles. A vehicle I could trust driving on vacation
without worrying about a breakdown. One that has a shiny paint job instead of
one covered in overspray.
The Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want . . . but I do. A home with more space would do
just fine. Instead of 1100 square feet, I’ll take 2200. One that has an extra
bedroom for visitors. One with an office area with floor-to-ceiling bookcases
that will host my entire library. One that has a yard to enjoy instead of four-square feet of fake grass.
The Lord is
my shepherd, I should not want . . . but I do. A nice cushy retirement nest egg
would suffice. One that will allow me to retire early. Enough that my wife and
I can live comfortably on and even have a little left over for recreation. Sufficient
to keep me from having to work after I start drawing Social Security.
The Lord is
my shepherd, I will not want . . . but I do anyway. For once, I’d like to enjoy
more money than month. After the bills, enough to splurge a little. Nothing big.
Just a few wants satisfied now and then. A few play toys.
The Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want . . . but I do. A stress-free year. Just one with
no deaths, sicknesses, losses, or tragedies. Nothing that causes pain.
David knew
all about shepherding. He was one in his younger years. A large part of
shepherding was ensuring the sheep had plenty of the right type of grass to
munch on. Poisonous varieties could kill them. He knew what they needed, and
they trusted him to lead.
I should
follow suit. God has never given me all I want—he knows I wouldn’t handle it
well. But he has consistently given me everything I need. I’ve never lacked the necessities of life, and he has always given me strength for anything he’s
asked me to do. He’s a trustworthy shepherd. I should not want—and I won’t when
I trust him to direct my life.
Who’s your
shepherd?
Prayer: Father,
we trust You to lead us safely and sufficiently through our life’s journey.
Tweetable: Who is your shepherd?
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