Was That A Putdown?

"The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:

God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers,

adulterers - or even like this tax collector."

Luke 18:11 (NIV) 

            There is an “unspoken” rule when working out at the gym: never come in and take over any equipment without asking the people already working out if they are using it.

            That really is just common courtesy. Some people combine two or three machines at a time when exercising, making it necessary to adjust a workout routine around them.

            That was why, when I walked into the gym, I stretched and then asked a guy who was working out which machines he was currently using. His reaction made me smile – at first.

            He looked at my muscles compared to his (David vs Goliath) and laughed. “Oh, you and I won’t be using the same machines, I guarantee you” he replied and turned around, smiling.  As he moved away, he – perhaps unintentionally – flexed his arms in what seemed to be a “see why we do not compare?” movement.

            After I smiled and started my workout routine, I ran several responses through my mind: “I had shoulder surgery a year ago and I am just getting back into shape.” Or “They call me small but mighty” to “I just didn’t want my workout to interfere with yours” but I remained silent. Why?

            Because I was embarrassed. I work out 6 to 7 days a week and, for me, they are tough workouts. I am committed to what I do. No, I don’t look like him (and would never want to) but those few words made me feel like the workout I did was unimportant and inferior compared to his.

            Our interaction reminded me of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 who thought highly of himself. He compared his prayer time to that of a tax collector who had also come into the temple to pray. His prayer was not “have mercy on me” as the tax collector had prayed but rather “thank you that I am not like other men.” What a putdown to the tax collector! “Yes, you may be at the temple to pray BUT you don’t compare to me!”

            As I worked out, I found myself wondering if, as a Christian, I sometimes treat people with superiority and righteousness.  Someone tells me “I was so glad I could find time to read my Bible twice this week!” Do I praise them or do I respond with “Well, I read mine every day, without fail.”

            When someone shares “I finally got up the nerve to share Jesus with my neighbor!” what is my response? “How wonderful!!” or do I think “Nice, but I do that all the time.”

            To be honest, I am not sure if that “Goliath” at the gym was comparing his muscles to mine and laughing at me or if he was simply answering my question. My perception might have been wrong.

            But his reaction to my question really served as a wakeup call to me about my attitude as a Christian toward others and how I respond when they share their successes. May I never utter one putdown but always remember to build up!

            Father, I have no right to act superior to those around me. Forgive me for those times I put someone down. I pray my words will be filled with mercy and grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         When someone shares with you, is your first response praise and encouragement? Or do you try to top what they have to say with your actions?

Apply

·         When someone shares their success, listen carefully and focus on what they are saying. Then encourage and praise them.

·         Push to the back of your mind those things you have succeeded in and do not share them at this time. Remember the focus is on them and not on you.

Power

·         Luke 18:11 (NIV) “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.”

·         Romans 2:1 (NIV) “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”       

·         James 4:6 (NIV) “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Not What it Really Means

  “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep

 the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV)

The road sign said “curve – 45 mph” but as a sixteen-year-old driver, I knew what it really meant. After all, my seventeen-year-old classmate had told me herself. And she had been driving a year longer than I so she was obviously much wiser.

“They just put those numbers on the signs but it’s not what they really mean,” she told me. “They know everyone will drive faster than that. So when you see 45 mph, it REALLY means you can drive 50 or even 55,” she informed me. And I believed her logic and wisdom . . . until I tried it two weeks later.

“Curve 45 mph means 50,” I mentally reminded myself, and decided that I could go around the curve at 50 mph – well within the “they know everyone will drive faster” logic. That flawed reasoning almost caused me to end up in the ditch.

As I turned into the curve, I realized I didn’t have good control at the higher speed and I ran off the left side of the road, overcorrected to the right, and threw gravel from the edge of the road out into a field as I managed to slow my speed to – you guessed it – 45 mph.

Thankfully there were no cars coming from the other direction. My friend’s “it’s not what they really mean” advice – and my willingness to believe it – could have ended tragically.

Not believing what the signs in front of us say can get us into so much trouble when we apply it to God’s Word. Sadly, we tend to read His instructions to us and then put our own interpretation on it, to fit whatever situation we are in. No?

In Proverbs 16:28 we are warned not to stir up dissension because “a gossip separates close friends” but we justify our conversations with “this isn’t really gossip – just a comment I overheard” as we change God’s meaning of gossip to fit OUR logic.  The result? Friends and friendships are torn apart.

We are commanded in Exodus 20:14 not to commit adultery. But the human logic of “I’m not happy anymore, I don’t love him/her like I did, God wants me happy, doesn’t He?” replaces the Word and we put our own spin on God’s commandment for us. And marriages and families are broken in two.

Jesus states very clearly in Matthew 22:39 that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves but we rationalize “surely He doesn’t mean MY neighbor! Their dogs run everywhere, they never mow their lawn right, their kids are too loud” and we ignore the very people that we should be loving as Christ loves us.  A possible friendship is replaced by harsh feelings and an unchristian attitude.

My encouragement to you is to follow Deuteronomy 4:2 in every area of your life. Take Jesus at His Word. Do not add or take away from what He says. He knows what is best for His children. And He truly means what He says.

Father, I have to confess that there are times when I decide to put my own spin on your Word instead of doing as you say. Forgive me for not obeying; help me to follow your commandments of love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·        Can you think of situations where you knew God’s Word but decided that you knew better than He did what He really meant?

·        Did you obey Him or did you put your own interpretation in place of His Word?

 

Apply

·         Journal today’s Power Scriptures. Think over the last few weeks and instances when you needed to apply God’s Word and journal those situations.

·         Journal what you did in each one. Did you follow Him or did you change what He said to fit your situation? Ask the Lord to show you how you should have reacted.

Power

·         Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV) “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

·         Proverbs 30:5-6 (NIV) “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

·         Isaiah 40:8 (NIV) “The grass withers and the flowers fail, but the word of our God stands forever.” 

Quit Focusing on the Giant

 “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of  the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.’” I Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

 

Watching the Miss Universe contest has always been a fun experience for the gals in my family. We pick out our favorites and keep score as to who looks the best in each gown and swimsuit and answers the tough questions without messing up.

 

One year we were unanimous in our selection: Miss USA. She was perfect, tall and shapely with beautiful hair and eyes, and wearing what we believed was the most gorgeous gown any of us had ever seen. She was favored to win the entire contest by all the media from day one of the competition.

 

But then the completely unexpected happened. Anticipation was high as Miss USA was announced and she walked out, smiled at the crowd – and fell! Hard. To her credit, she got right up but she tripped twice as she walked the rest of the runway for the judges and the crowd.

 

There was total shock from everyone in the audience as well as those of us watching at home! What in the world had happened to this beautiful young lady? Commentators believed they had the answer: she had taken her eyes off her runway performance, they speculated and had focused instead on the huge crowd. If they were correct, it was a big mistake and it cost her the Miss Universe title.

 

Compare that to the conversation recorded in I Samuel 17:45 that David is having with Goliath, the Philistine standing tall in front of him. David was only a boy in this confrontation and the giant standing before him was a 9’tall man intent on killing him with a sword while David held only a few stones and a sling as a weapon.

 

 And yet David’s focus was not on the giant but on the “God of the armies of Israel.” Oh, he saw the giant standing there. But David was zeroed in on the One who laughs at giants and equips His children for battle with Truth in the form of stones and a sling. And the result? The giant fell and David was victorious for the Lord.

 

We all have giants in our lives. Oh, maybe not the 9’ tall Goliath variety. But just maybe they are worse. What about fear? Fear can grip us by the throat and threaten to strangle us. Maybe a spouse is addicted to porn or drugs, or a child has been diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease. Or perhaps we have a prodigal son or daughter who hasn’t spoken to us in months or years.

 

So what do we do when we stand before a giant? Do we focus on it? Not according to David in our Scripture. Here are some suggestions. First, call it what it is. Pray “Lord, I need your help. I am facing a giant and it is (fill in the blank).” By doing that, you are admitting there is something in your life that you cannot fix but God can. He knows your fears. He understands your battle.  

 

Secondly, ask the Lord to arm you with His power and then run toward the giant. That’s what David did. He called out Goliath for what he really was and then he ran to him to do battle. Lastly, refuse to let that giant back in your life. Trust God to arm you with courage and strength, just as He did David.

 

My encouragement to you today is to take your focus off your giant and place it on the God of the Universe, the Ultimate Giant Slayer. He will not let you down.

 

 

Father, help me every single day to focus on you instead of the giants in my life. Use me as a giant slayer no matter what I am facing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• What are some of the giants in your life that you face every day?
• Where is your focus? On the giants or on the Giant Slayer?

 

Apply

• Make a list in your journal of the giants you are facing. Share the list with a prayer warrior in your life and set a time to pray together weekly.
• Listen to the Lord speaking to your heart as He leads you in the battle against each giant.

 

Power

• I Samuel 17:45 (NIV) “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.’”

 

• Colossians 3:2 (NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

 

• Proverbs 4:25 (NIV) “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”

 

The Fine Print

 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

 

When my oldest daughter became engaged, she immediately attended every wedding fair and bridal show within a 200-mile radius. Part of the attraction of many of the booths were free drawings for everything from a honeymoon to wedding photos to cakes.

 

 The only requirement for each one was to sign your name, address, and phone number on entry tickets. So, she signed up for literally hundreds of “free” offers. There was only one problem – but it ended up being a big one.

 

A free signup for a wedding dress had a very small sentence with an even smaller font at the end of the form which stated, “The signer agrees to switch his/her phone service to Rainbow Phone Exchange.”

 

My daughter had not read the fine print of that sentence and had signed her name along with my home phone number. Imagine my surprise when, a month later, I received my phone bill from a new company with double the rate of the previous one.

 

It occurred to me that Ephesians 2:8-9 does not contain any hidden fine print, but I often act as if it is there when it comes to God’s gift of grace to me.

 

My human thinking says that somewhere in the Word there must be tiny letters at the end of a chapter that state “Come to me after you have taught a Bible study and fed the poor and not missed a day of church and not sinned for an entire day, and I will accept you.” In other words, after you have done a certain number of good deeds, you will have earned your salvation from God.

 

Nowhere in the Bible are there hidden conditions to God’s gift of grace. When you become the “signer” and hand your life over to the Lord in faith, you do not have to fear the hidden fine print with a list of “must be good enough first” items. Grace cannot be earned and is not deserved. But it IS a gift of love given to us, through faith, from our Father.

 

It took several days of long phone conversations for me to get my phone returned to the original company and the form with the fine print to be deleted. But it only takes an act of faith to receive the gift of grace from God.

 

Father, I do not understand your love gift of grace but I accept it now and thank you with all my heart. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

·         Have you ever felt like you needed to “do” something to earn grace from the Lord?

 

·         Does Scripture say anywhere that grace must be earned?

 

 

Apply

·         Journal Ephesians 2:8-9 and underline the word “grace.”

 

·         Thank the Lord that salvation does not depend on you but rather on God’s desire to save you by His grace.

 

Power

·         Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 

·         II Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

 

·         Romans 11:6 (NIV) “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” 

Doing Nothing

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”

II Kings 22:2 (NIV)

 

 

It is always a frustration working at school to have a student with zero motivation to learn. Not a 50% desire or even 5% but zero. Michael, a new 7^th grader at our middle school, was such a student.

 

He did nothing in the classroom. No homework, no reading, no math, no writing. His homeroom teacher and I had talked many times, trying to figure out how we could motivate him to make even a little effort to learn. She shared with him how bright he was and how he could do anything but he told her that he really didn’t care. At all.

 

            The teacher asked me if I would try to encourage Michael so one day, we sat in an empty classroom talking as I tried to find out how to help him develop a desire to learn. He had no hobbies, he told me, and really didn’t want any. Finally, I had an idea. Maybe there was someone in his life that he admired who could offer encouragement and instruction to inspire him. “Who do you look up to, Michael?” I asked him.

 

“My uncle,” he told me. “I want to be just like my uncle.” Fantastic! A breakthrough! “That’s great,” I exclaimed. “What does your uncle do?” A huge smile spread across his face as he replied, “Nothin’ He don’t do nothin’ and I wanna be just like him!”

 

Scripture tells us in II Kings that Josiah had a decision to make. He had become the new king in Jerusalem at eight years of age. He needed instruction and encouragement as he led his people. He could have chosen any number of officials around him and modeled their beliefs in his life. Instead, he chose to follow his father David’s example and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.”

 

Yes, his father David made mistakes in his life – I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t. But David was also a man who God said was “after his own heart” (I Samuel 13:14) and tried every day to follow Him.

 

Next to the Lord and His Word, who do you pattern your life after and look to for wisdom and advice? A Christian friend or couple who live what they believe and will pray with you about God’s will in your every decision? Or someone who will agree with whatever you decide if it makes you “happy” by the world’s standards, including the choice to do nothing for the Lord.

 

Because he chose to follow the example of his uncle, Michael, unfortunately, became a carbon copy of doing absolutely nothing with his life. What about you? There are a lot of people in this world who will tell you that “doing nothin’” in your spiritual life is fine. I encourage you instead to seek out those who will encourage you to do what is “right in the eyes of the Lord.”   

 

Father, help me to look for your wisdom and guidance through the prayer warriors around me and not through those with worldly wisdom. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Can you name people that you consult for wisdom with difficult decisions?

 

• Is their wisdom grounded in the Word or the world?

 

 

Apply

• Call one or two prayer warriors that you know and ask them to consider being someone you can look to for spiritual guidance.

 

• Contact them when you have decisions that need to be made, listen to their guidance, and pray together over the outcomes.

 

Power

• II Kings 22:2 (NIV) “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”

 

• Psalm 119:33 (NIV) “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.”

 

• Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV) “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

 

  

Does My Name Matter?

 

 “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.

I will never blot out his name from the book of life,

but will acknowledge his name before

my Father and his angels.”

Revelation 3:5 (NIV)

 

 

I have an old red sweater. The tag says, “This has been knitted especially for you with love by Patty Hallam.”  It is a comfort to me . . . it is precious to me.

 

Why? Well, first, it was made for me by someone who loves me – my sister.

 

Secondly, when I am hurting, when I am sad, when I need to hide away from the world for a while, I pull out that sweater and I wrap it around me like the hug from an old friend. I immediately have a sense of not only warmth, but security and peace.

           

But you know something? Some day when I am gone, that sweater will be given away, perhaps to Good Will.

 

Someone will look at it and the tag and say “Patty Hallam . . . who is that? Who cares?” and my sweater will no longer be a source of warmth and security, nor will it be considered precious but instead will be a rag for soaking up oil from an engine or tossed in the trash because it is no longer in style.

 

And why is that? Because no one will know the name of the person who worked so hard to create it out of love for another and they will not recognize its value.

 

How wonderful it is that Jesus not only knows each of our names but considers us precious in His sight. We read in Revelation 3:5 this beautiful promise: “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”   

 

Can you imagine Jesus speaking our names to His Father? And if that’s not enough to encourage us, we read in Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

 

How amazing is that! Our names are not penciled in which can be easily erased or written with permanent ink which fades with time but engraved by Jehovah Himself. And why has He done that? Because He created us. Because He loves us. Because we are precious to Him.

 

The name on a tag in an old red sweater may not mean anything except to the person who made it or the person wearing it. But the names engraved on the palms of our Father’s hands will be spoken with love in heaven for eternity.   

 

Father, thank you: for knowing my name; for loving me so much that you call me your very own child. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

 

R.A.P.  it up

 

Reflect

• Have you ever considered that God calls you by name as His child because you are truly special to Him?

 

 

Apply

• Tattoos are popular today. When you see a person with one, remember that our Father has an eternal “tattoo” of you on His hand. Lift him or her up and specifically pray that, if they do not know our King, they will seek His face.

 

• When the Lord lays someone’s name on your heart to pray for them, write their initials on the palm of your hand and as you look at your hand throughout the day, pray for that person.

 

 

Power

• Revelation 3:5 (NIV) “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”

 

• Isaiah 49:16 (NIV): “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

 

• John 10:3 (NIV) “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

 

Going Through the Door

 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

 

The doctor scheduled a surgery to remove a small fatty tumor on the back of my neck. He said that it was a minor procedure and he could do it in his office – no problem. He explained exactly what he was going to do and what he expected to find.

And yet, because it was on my neck, I was more than a little concerned. Yes, he’s a great doctor and no, he would not have said he could do the procedure in his office if he could not. But I still had considerable apprehension at what was going to take place.

Oh, I prayed about the surgery but my prayers went something like this: "Lord, I am really nervous about the surgery on my neck. What if there is a problem? What if something gets cut that isn't supposed to? What if I can't lie still like the doctor wants me to?" and on and on and on. Can you relate?

And then one day, after a month of approaching the Lord repeatedly with my “what if” sessions, I think He felt He needed to reassure me. I slumped in my chair and prepared to give God another list of possible complications with my upcoming surgery.

But my Bible fell open to the Old Testament and I found myself reading Deuteronomy 31:8. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  

Gently the Lord whispered to my heart “I am not going to leave you at the door of the doctor’s office and say “See you when you are done. I will never leave you – never! I will walk through the door, be there beside you through the surgery, and walk out through that same door with you. Just as I have always done. Always.”

I know. I know. How many hundreds or even thousands of times in the past has the Lord gone before me, making a path, and then stayed right by my side. And yet, here I was, facing the unknown and thinking that just maybe, on THIS journey, Jesus would decide not to go.

So let’s be honest: what “door” are you entering, afraid that the Lord will not go with you? Maybe it’s divorce or financial problems or a prodigal child. Or it could be health issues or broken friendships or a new job in a new town. Perhaps you have lost a loved one and are facing an uncertain future alone.

Whatever it is, rest assured that just as Moses shared with the Israelites that “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you,” He will be with each of us, no matter what we face or what “door” we may be going through. Always.

May I share with you that Jesus did just as He said. He stayed with me and kept me calm and at peace. I talked to Him during the procedure and thanked Him when it was over. And once again, as has happened so many times before, I knew with all my heart that my Father was faithful. May you have that same conviction today.

Father, thank you for your faithfulness to stay right by my side, no matter what I have faced in the past or will face in the future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Have you ever been faced with a “door” that you were truly afraid to go through?

·         Did you realize that the Lord was at your side and would never leave you?

Apply

·         Journal some of the “doors” that you have gone through over the past few years.

·         Beside each one, write a sentence of praise for how the Lord stayed with you through each one and never left your side.

Power

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

 

• Exodus 33:14 (NIV) “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

 

• Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”