Friday Night Lights - Karen Huffaker

 

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. 

~Psalm 32:11 NASB

It’s fall, which means it’s time for football to return. Excitement and anticipation build as fans await the first game kickoff under the Friday night lights.

Cheerleaders serve breakfast for the players. Later, coaches prepare them mentally and physically and serve them a hearty meal beforehand.

Families gather, wearing their teams’ logos on clothing, gear, and accessories. And don’t forget the cowbells, pom pom shakers, and tailgate parties. The community comes to life after a lazy summer.

But do we do the same in our worship of God? At the games, there is gladness, shouting, joy, hand waiving, singing, swaying to the drum beats, clapping hands, and stomping feet. Our worship should incorporate these enthusiastic displays and expressions of emotion, whether in private or public.

When the school band marches onto the track, it reminds me of the hymn, We’re Marching to Zion. The psalmist said to be glad, rejoice, and shout for joy.

We don’t have to be shy, quiet, solemn, or embarrassed. Nor must we look sad or serious. We have every reason to be joyful and express our gladness for what our Savior has done. Jesus saved us. We have victory in Him. The game has already been won.

Let the overflow of your joy be evident to everyone around you.

Tweetable: Are you excited about worship? 

Karen Huffaker is a freelance Christian writer. She has taught children’s Sunday school and single mom’s Bible studies and written poetry. She is from the Deep South and loves reading Christian books, devotionals, genealogy adventures, fishing, and all things family. She is also passionate about her grandchildren’s sporting events. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book 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 the Unimportant Becomes Too Important - Martin Wiles

But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. Mark 4:19 NLT

Sometimes, the unimportant becomes too important.

Marcin Muchalski was taking a morning stroll along the Williamsburg Bridge when a mugger surprised him, took out a gun, and requested his cell phone. Thinking the robber would not shoot him in the middle of the Williamsburg Bridge at seven in the morning, Muchalski dared the robber to pry the gun off his cold, dead hands. The robber obliged by shooting Muchalski in the leg. Instead of handing over the phone, Muchalski limped away as fast as he could with phone in hand. The robber, who had more sense than Muchalski, decided not to chase the man. The phone wasn’t worth a murder charge.

Or take Marie Murphy, a New Jersey teacher who got a call saying her house was on fire. She rushed home, not fearing anyone was in danger. She knew her husband--and her mother, who had been staying with them--was not in the blazing house. So what drove Murphy to run into a blazing house and risk her life? Baseball tickets. More specifically, her season tickets to see the Phillies.

She ignored all her other possessions—even the certificate of fire insurance—to save her tickets. Luckily, she made it out before everything else—the house included—went up in flames. Although she and her husband had to live in a motel for a while after the fire, they were able to settle with the insurance company. Murphy was also surprised at school one day when a Phillies fanatic tossed a bunch of Phillies merchandise to her, including a framed World Series ticket. Perhaps around this time, she thought about how foolish her actions had been, especially when she learned the Phillies would have reprinted her tickets because they burned in a fire.

And then there was Guita Sazan Silverstein. She left her two-year-old son in her car on a hot summer day while shopping. When she returned to her car, she discovered she had locked herself out. With temperatures in the upper 80’s, her child was at risk of heat stroke. She called for help. When the firefighters arrived, they told her they would need to break one of her car windows. Silverstein told them no. After all, the car was an Audi.

Silverstein came up with a compromise. She would drive more than a mile to her home and retrieve her spare keys—even though her son had already been in the car for twenty minutes. After borrowing a car to drive home, firefighters broke the window anyway and rescued the child—who by this time was unresponsive but luckily revivable. When the mother returned, authorities arrested her for reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor (source).

I’ve never made the same mistakes as Marcin, Marie, or Guita, but I have made more than my share of other poor choices. And I have let the not-so-important become important on more occasions than I care to mention.

Jesus tells the story of a farmer scattering seeds. The seed fell on various types of soil, some infested with thorns. As the seed sprouted and grew, the thorns choked out the plants. According to Jesus, this represents those who let the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for things distract them. Those who hold too tightly to a cell phone. Those who rush into a burning home for sporting tickets. Or those who let a shopping excursion put a child in danger.

A regular diet of God’s Word reminds us what the thorns of unimportance are. Prayer for strength we don’t have helps us distinguish between the unimportant and the important.

Father, give me wisdom to know the difference between the unimportant and the important.

If you enjoyed this devotion, please share it with your friends.  

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Passed Over - Martin Wiles

In honor of the LORD your God, always celebrate the Passover at the proper time in early spring. Deuteronomy 16:1 NLT

Having a team captain choose team members can be a frightening occurrence. There’s always the chance of being passed over. And I was. Often.

Sports were never my thing. I suppose my build fought against my involvement. While I loved attending games and watching sporting events on television, I never played a single one from first grade through graduation. Neighborhood games and PE classes were my only connection—and I hated both. Neighborhood friends never picked me first. Neither did the team captains. I was too skinny . . .  too shy. So, I settled for being passed over until the very last.

Being passed over can damage a young person’s emotions. Feelings of inadequacy surface quickly and often. These feelings affected more than my involvement in sports. They transferred over into academic life and relationships. As a teen, they upset my dating habits. Not until I became a young adult did my self-perspective change.

For the Israelites living in Egyptian slavery, being passed over was a good thing. It meant the death angel that traveled through the land and killed the Egyptians’ oldest children, along with the firstborn of all their animals, would pass over their homes. He would see the blood they had smattered on the doorframe and keep moving.

I didn’t enjoy being passed over by the popular girls or the team captains, but I am glad God passed over me when it came time to deal with my sins. Focusing on God’s love is easy; realizing there is a holy wrath side of His nature is more difficult—yet biblical.

We are born with sinful natures, but we are also responsible to God. Since God is holy, He can’t associate with sin. Sin makes us unworthy to serve on His team. Yet He is willing to pass over that if we do our part. For the Israelites in Egypt, it meant sacrificing an animal and spreading its blood on their doorframes. For us, it entails accepting what God allowed His Son to do on Calvary’s cross—pay our sin debt.

Knowing what Christ did isn’t enough. We have to incorporate Him into our lives. Being on the team doesn’t automatically happen.

Has God passed over your sin because you are in Christ?

Father, I thank You that in Christ You will pass over my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. 

Tweetable: Have you been passed over? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Joy in the Body - Martin Wiles

For the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

Buffed bodies and bragging rights. But not me.

The bragging started around middle school. I heard the remarks from male classmates: “I can bench press ….” Or, “I can leg lift …” Or I can squat with ….” I wasn’t one of the braggers. They either played sports—and were trying to build their muscles—or attempted to make an impression on some of the popular girls.

Me? I had no interest in sports. For one thing, I was as skinny as a rail. I could have buffed and toned it and been lean and mean, but I still wouldn’t have made the team. And my interest in girls hadn’t started yet. Nor were they interested in skinny boys—who, by the way, were shy also.

Although only a middle schooler, my joy came not from sports or girls but from another place: my relationship with the Lord. Dad and Mom taught me the need of attending to my relationship with God . . . making Him happy. I attempted this through spiritual disciplines that to me carried more importance than anything else. As a result, the girls ignored me and most of the boys made fun of me. But my joy remained.

As Ezra the priest, Nehemiah the governor, and the Levites read and interpreted God’s Word for the people, the people wept. They realized how far they had fallen below God’s standards. But Nehemiah encouraged them. God would forgive their sins. They needed to find their joy in serving the Lord.

I could have played sports, lifted weights, and served the Lord at the same time. Sports and weightlifting weren’t sinful. I decided, however, to find my joy in spiritual pursuits.

Weeping over sin almost seems a lost art. I’d rather use another word that’s less offensive and picture God as a God who overlooks sins. Sin offends God, but God also forgives when asked. When my slate is clean, I find joy by serving the Lord. Doing so changes my priority list. I don’t have to own certain things to find happiness—which is only momentary. Joy lingers no matter what I have and regardless of my circumstances.

Joy is the overflow of having received Jesus—along with His continual presence—and of living obediently to His principles.

Don’t look for joy anywhere else other than in your relationship with God.

Tell us how you handle self-esteem issues. 

Tweetable: Are you satisfied with your body?

Prayer: Father, may the joy we experience be found in our relationship with You.

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.