The Candy Corn Reminder

“I do not understand what I do.

For what I want to do

 I do not do, but what

 I hate I do.”

 Romans 7:15 (NIV)

There is a small bowl full of candy corn sitting on my coffee table. It’s almost always there. I keep it as a reminder of something that happened to me as a small child and as a reminder of my behavior as an adult.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My parents played cards with several couples and we had gone with them to the home of a family we had not met before. As we were sitting on their sofa in the living room, we spotted a bowl of candy corn on the coffee table. That was a delicacy to us and one that we seldom had at our house.  

The daughter of this family frowned as she watched us dip into the bowl again and again. We truly were not trying to be greedy; we simply knew that we would probably not get another opportunity to eat candy corn for a long time.

We must have eaten almost all the sweet candy because she suddenly grabbed the bowl and shouted to her parents in the other room: “Those kids are eating ALL the candy! By the handfuls, Mom! It’s almost gone!” and gave us a look of ‘what is wrong with you’ that mortified us all.

  

I remember thinking as my face flushed with embarrassment that I would never treat anyone like that – ever.

Fast forward to my being a parent and buying my children a package of 12 juice boxes. I had just enough money to get them and told my kids to make them last all week.

When I came in the kitchen about an hour later and saw all 12 empty boxes, I blew up. “You kids drank ALL the juices at one time! Every single one! Now it’s all gone!” and gave them the ‘what is wrong with you’ look. I am sure they were mortified.

 Suddenly, I was not looking at 12 empty juice boxes but rather at a nearly empty bowl of candy corn and I could feel the sting of hurtful words and the weight of embarrassment.

The very thing I hate, I end up doing. That’s what Paul is saying in Romans 7:15. I know what is right. I know what I should do. But instead, I do the very thing that I hate.

  

Reading further in verses 18 and 19 of Romans, Paul states that he, too, has the desire to do what is good and right but he just doesn’t do it. Even Paul struggled with the sinful nature that urges us to ignore the right thing to do and instead to do whatever we want.  

There is an ongoing battle between our sinful natures and God’s will for our lives.

How thankful I am for the cross and for a Savior whose grace and mercy are mine when I ask for forgiveness and another opportunity to be Jesus to the world.

Let us keep on praying, confessing our mistakes and trying again. He who is faithful will never leave us. And His grace covers candy corn and juice boxes.  

Father, how many times have I said I would never treat someone a certain way, and yet I have. Forgive me and help me to focus on you and your will. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever seen or overheard something and thought “I would never do that” but later found yourself doing the very thing you said you would never do?

Application

• Find something, like my bowl of candy corn, to place in your home as a reminder of Romans 7:15.
• When you find yourself, as Paul did, doing the opposite of what you want to do, ask the Lord for forgiveness and ask the Holy Spirit to redirect you to God’s will.

Power Verses

• Romans 7:15 (NIV) “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

• Romans 12:9 (NIV) “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

• Romans 7:18 -19 (NIV) “. . . For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”

• James 4:17 (NIV) “Anyone, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

• Philippians 4:13 (NIV) “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  

Prayer in the Gym

“If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed

in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings

of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the

sea, even there your hand will guide

me, your right hand will

hold me fast.”

Psalm 139:8-9 (NIV)

            I truly love working out. Well, except legs day. I hate legs day. But all the rest of the time I love it! And I will admit that almost every time I work out, I pray for the strength to get through the next set of burpees or squats.

            But early one morning as I was lifting and praying, the prayers were not for me but for a friend of mine. I had received a message that Sam was struggling with his cancer; it had roared back and he was in a huge battle.

            So as I walked into the gym, I was praying for him. For strength and courage. For a peace in knowing that God was beside him. That his heart would be open to Jesus as never before.

            When I saw Al, someone who hates legs day almost as much as I do, I asked him to be praying for Sam. I shared a bit of what was going on and Al immediately said “Sure I will pray.” But he went one step further.

            As I was warming up, he asked a question: “Would you like to pray now?” Wow! Without a doubt my answer was yes!

            So in a fitness gym, surrounded by equipment designed to make one stronger, we came together before the Strongest Power in the universe in prayer.

            He prayed for Sam’s heart, for his health, that someone would come into his hospital room and gently share the love of Jesus. For peace in the battle. And he praised the Lord for His control in every situation in life.  

            Some things didn’t change that morning. I still hate legs day and I despise burpees. But God, the Creator of the Universe, leaned down and met His children in a gym as they knelt before Him. Because He is always with us, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Even on legs day. 

Father, thank you for hearing us when we cry out to you, no matter where we are in this world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever thought that God only heard your prayers if you were in church or at a Bible study?

Application

• Journal all the places you normally pray.

• Can you think of places where you don’t usually pray?

• Journal those places as well and make an effort to be praying and praising at those times, as well. For example, mowing the lawn, while you are at a beauty salon, waiting in a long line at the grocery store.

Power Verses

• Psalm 139:8-9 (NIV) “If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

• Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

• Psalm 66:19 (NIV) “. . . but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.”

• Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

• Psalm 116:1 (NIV) “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.”

Innocent Bystanders

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who  believe in me

to sin, it would be better for him  to have a large

millstone hung around his neck and  to be

drowned in the depths of the sea.”

 Matthew 18:6 (NIV)

Subbing at school is always entertaining and a bit interesting – especially in the younger grades. A few weeks ago I subbed in a 5^th grade classroom in the morning and in a 2^nd grade classroom in the afternoon.

  

My conversation with a little boy in the afternoon class as I walked in the door went like this:

“Who are you?”

“Your sub for the afternoon.”

“Why weren’t you here this morning?”

“I was subbing in 5^th grade.”

“Hey! I have a friend in 5^th grade!”

“You do? What’s his name?”

“His first name is Donald.”

“I don’t think I had anyone in my class by that name. What is his last name?”

He paused and thought for a couple of seconds. Then an ah-ha moment:

“I think his last name is Trump.”

Comment from the boy beside him: “Your friend is on TV??!!”

Can I share with you that I laughed off and on for about 30 minutes? I did. But then something occurred to me.

Obviously these two little boys had seen and heard some of the political news – who hasn’t? But I realized that they were probably just “innocent bystanders” to what they were hearing and seeing at home.

Then I found myself asking a simple question: what are children hearing and seeing when adults are having other conversations at home?

For example, the phone rings and Mom whispers to Dad “Tell them I’m not here right now.” Or perhaps Dad gets too much money back from a purchase at a store and he laughs “I’m not saying anything – it’s their mistake!”

And the children watch and listen. And learn.  

Today’s Scripture from Matthew 18:6 is a crystal clear caution from Jesus. He says “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Wow. Jesus doesn’t get more direct than that.

We, parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, have a responsibility to guard what our little ones hear and see every day. No, we will not be able to shield them from everything that can hurt them spiritually but we can make sure that we are not directing them toward sin by our actions. Our actions. Our words. Our example.

We may not think they are listening and watching but they are. And if we are not careful with our words and conversations, we could easily lead them in the wrong direction spiritually.

I encourage you to guard the hearts of your children. Begin by guarding what you say and do. Innocent bystanders are always watching and listening.  

Father, please convict me of any actions that would cause a little one around me to fall into sin. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

R.A.P. it up

Reflect

• Have you ever been speaking about someone in an unchristian way and then realized that your children were watching and listening?

Application

• In your journal make three columns. Write “example” at the top of the first column and write “Christ-like” above the second column. Above the third column write “Scripture.”

• Now list a few sentences about conversations you have had or television or movies you have watched with your children listening, under “example” and place either a + or a – under the “Christ-like” column.

•  If you have placed a – after any sentence, look up Scripture references to help you get re-directed and write them in the third column.

Power Verses

• Matthew 18:6 (NIV) “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

• Psalm 19:14 (NIV) “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

• I Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

• Mark 10:14 (NIV) “When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”

• Proverbs 17:6 (NIV) “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”