J.A.M.

Archive for the ‘Devotions’ Category

Helen’s and my day began this morning at 3.40am. Helen’s Mom, Cynthia Becker, has not been well now for the past five weeks. She has spent most of the time in bed with a back injury that she has struggled to conquer. It has left her in a lot of pain and breathless much of the time. We have been very worried. She phoned us at 3.40 this morning to say she was not feeling well. By 5.30am the ambulance had arrived to take her to St. Dominic’s Hospital. Helen went with her thinking it would be a relatively simple procedure and that she would be home in an hour or two. Our car packed up yesterday and is needing attention before it can be used again so a friend was going to fetch her at the hospital and bring her home.

By mid morning, when Helen was still not home from hospital, we realized things were getting complicated. We had at first been told that because of changes in my Mom In- Law’s Medical Aid, a R15 000 up front payment was required by the hospital in order to admit her. Tests were done in the waiting area and it was determined that she had developed Pneumonia in one Lung and because of this complication the admittance fee was increased to R30 000! We do not have that kind of money and it seemed that we would have to admit her to Frere Hospital instead. We were loathe to do that as she needs a lot of very specialized medical care and as a result of previous bad experience with the Frere and a generally bad reputation it was a terrifying thought.

We were both desperate as we knew there was no way we could raise that type of money in such a short time. By lunch time though, God had made a way for us and provided the full R30 000 through a very special person. I arrived at the hospital around lunch time and she was admitted to a ward where she is now being looked after. A rough road lies ahead as we are not sure how long she will need to be there and what the costs will be – but we are confident that God has got everything under control.

This evening friends of ours brought us supper so that we did not have to still organize that after such a rough day. The lesson in this for me is that God WILL make a way where there seems to be no way – and very often right at the very last minute as He did with us today. I want to encourage you that if you are going through a tough time right now in whatever area of your life – keep trusting that God has you in the palm of His hand. You can never fall out of His hand! He WILL make a way.

I cannot understand how people who do not have a relationship with God cope. What or who do they hold on to in times of crisis. Having a Christian family at Church is such a blessing and such a wonderful support as well. We’ve been receiving messages throughout the day and it has really been a wonderful support for Helen and I.

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” – Isaiah 65:24

Recently I rediscovered this very wise illustration. Do you see yourself in it?

One evening an old Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside us. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, lust and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

The Dictionary defines the word ‘Compromise’ as an agreement to make concessions on both sides of a difference or argument. Compromise is not always a bad thing. It’s about give and take. For instance in a relationship situation it is often necessary for both people involved in the relationship to see things from the other persons point of view and sometimes to step back and allow what you have been resisting against to take place. An example, for instance, would be to give up a Saturday morning which you wanted to spend doing nothing and instead go along with your partner to visit their parents which you may not always enjoy doing. Giving and taking and compromising in such instances is important for the healthy growth of the relationship. However, when compromising would mean the situation will go against your moral beliefs or what you believe to be ‘right’ it can present a problem. We need to always be true to ourselves and not engage in what could have a negative influence on the relationship.

With this as the background I would however like to look at another kind of compromise which is the worst kind – particularly for a person of faith – and here I would specifically like to speak about Christian Compromise. Years ago I was well known in my friendship circle for being a ‘No Compromise’ type of person. It was difficult to live up to and perhaps at times I came across with a bit too much zeal as is so often the case with someone ‘new in the Faith’. There is such a fine line between ‘pointing the way’ and outright judging of another (which we should never do). About six years ago now I went through a very rough patch in my own personal life which saw me compromising in the very way I used to speak against and I ended up feeling false and heaped a great deal of judgement on myself much of which needed to be dealt with in counseling. God has been gracious and gentle with me though and I believe the ‘fall’ was meant to happen as I have grown a great deal, albeit slowly, as a result of it. I struggle with compromise in different areas but I have learnt that the struggle is the very thing that keeps me close to God and is perhaps my proverbial ‘thorn in the side’ which Paul speaks of in Scripture. It’s a strange thing to realize that things that once had such a hold seem to fade away over time when a relationship with God is cultivated daily.

Yesterday I read a Devotion which challenged me greatly. The man who wrote it said the following :

“You know, I had a feeling that if we just read the Bible and didn’t know anybody, we’d have a pretty clear view of what God wants. Then someone we care about comes along and it kind of gets us confused about what the Bible says.” And I told him, “I think the problems start when a verse gets a face.” That’s true in a lot of areas. Today in Christian circles, we’re accepting of so much more stuff – stuff that we wouldn’t have touched like say ten years ago. Our sociology often decides more than our theology decides. Our culture decides more than our Christianity. We can only enjoy the full blessing of God if we insist on the high standards of God. And I’ve got to tell you, it’s tempting not to when there’s a face – especially somebody you care about – in front of the verse. But it isn’t really love to lower the standards of God to make some temporary situation more comfortable. Those standards are not there to destroy people; they are the path to personal happiness. No matter how it looks, we must apply the Biblical guidelines with gentleness, not judgment; with love, not legalism. But we cannot dilute the Word of God for any person, for any situation.

This has really got me thinking of how we, who profess to be attempting to be followers of Christ, condone so much of what he taught against. The list is endless really. We know what God’s Word says on certain issues and yet we pick and choose the guidelines we feel comfortable with and then compromise with the others. For instance I’m sure that the majority of Christians would be totally against murder but some are OK perhaps with – let’s say – abortion, particularly if we know someone who has been unfortunate enough to find themselves in that situation. We may find it easy to be opposed to bigamy or incest or the sexual abuse of men, woman and children yet we are becoming more and more open in the ‘New Age’ to same sex relationships and Gay marriage. Sexual immorality is rife and while many will argue that it is more evident in the gay lifestyle, sexual activity outside of marriage is not in line with Scripture for ‘straight’ people as well – and is just as evident there. Divorce is widely accepted and seen a great deal amongst Christian people. ‘Christians’ are quite happy at times to place themselves in tempting situations where, for instance, alcohol may be freely flowing. They’re quite happy to partake in unsavory conversations in the work place or amongst their ungodly friends. These are all things which God has given clear directive on but because we may know someone who is in a situation such as this or perhaps we ourselves are caught up in it – we compromise and say that “God is a loving God” – and we seem to think He will overlook it. Now I’m not for a minute saying that people do not have struggles in their marriages or with their sexual identities as a result of a multitude of things that may have affected them in their lives. These things are not always a choice but how we choose to deal with them and how we live them out in our lives is a choice. To be totally honest I’m not really sure exactly what I am trying to say here other than it must really sadden the heart of God when He sees how His creation has gone their own way and continually compromise His Word, designing a personal Gospel for themselves which is comfortable to live with. The Gospel is not meant to be comfortable. It is there to guide and teach us and I believe to challenge us so that we can become the people He created us to be.

I know there are many people who do not have a relationship with God. There are many who are not interested in the Christian way of life and sadly many who do not even acknowledge the existence of a God at all. Perhaps you? For them, compromise is not an issue. They just live the way they live. We, as Christians, have the responsibility of being a light for people such as this. We need to demonstrate love and understanding in a non-judgmental way being aware that we also need to show truth and are not immune to falling. Compromising Christian values and the things Jesus taught and stood for does not show truth and is not a good witness to those who are seeking. Imagine someone who does not know Jesus personally. Someone who has not experienced His touch on their life and the freedom that that touch brings. What sort of witness will it be for them to hear you speaking about a godly lifestyle on one hand yet seeing and hearing different things from the life you lead and the things you condone? Surely this must be confusing for them? I believe that the ‘world’ is looking for answers and very often they look to the Church for the answers and get disillusioned – which is sad. The excuse is more often than not that “the Church is full of hypocrites”. Sadly, a lot of the time this is true. It is true that the Church is full of sinners. We are all sinners and need Gods grace on a daily basis, but I think at times the Church can come across as very judgmental for those who are earnestly searching for answers – almost as though they were expected to achieve a degree of perfection before God will accept them. Nothing can be further from the truth! God wants us to come to Him ‘warts and all’ as the saying goes, so that He can mould us into the people He designed us to be. It is the Christians of this world who need to demonstrate His love, acceptance and forgiveness to those wandering around in the dark searching for solutions. We all have a God shaped hole in our lives that can only be filled by Him. We as Christians know this but how do we demonstrate that to those who don’t?

It’s time for us to stop playing Church on a Sunday and living a lie the rest of the week and be the No Compromise type of people we are called to be – treating those around us who do not have a relationship with Him with the Love He has shown to us who most certainly do not deserve it! God’s Word is GOD’s Word! We cannot afford to pick and choose the pieces we are comfortable with and create our own Gospel. The Truth is the Truth and we need to share it and more importantly – we need to share it in Love. Is that not the way Jesus did it? After all we are called to be His followers. Are we?

“Break our hearts Lord with the things that break yours”

Psalm 101:2-8

I will be careful to live a blameless life—
when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity
in my own home.
I will refuse to look at
anything vile and vulgar.
I hate all who deal crookedly;
I will have nothing to do with them.
I will reject perverse ideas
and stay away from every evil.
I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
I will not endure conceit and pride
I will search for faithful people
to be my companions.
Only those who are above reproach
will be allowed to serve me.
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,
and liars will not stay in my presence.
My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
and free the city of the LORD from their grip.

Recently, I spent a day travelling around the immediate Coastline in the area in which I live. I love the Sea. The horizon has always held a special fascination for me. Just how far is it away from where I stand … What’s on the other side of it … How long will it take me to swim there … all questions I no doubt filled my Grandfathers ears with when he used to take me to the beach as a young boy after reminding me not to call him Grandpa in front of the ‘Nifty Nifties’ – but rather Uncle Ben. Perhaps my love for the Sea comes from him. He was in the Navy in the war and regaled us many times with stories from “Up North” in Italy. How I dreaded them at the time but would give anything to listen to him telling them now. He’s been gone quite a while ……

The Sea has always intrigued me and in particular the coastline itself – that part of it which cheekily dashes up to your feet, swallowing your footprints while you walk along the beach. The Sea – or Ocean as it should be called – is vast! Enormous – and it is only gravity that stops it from flying off into space. Yet we are able to walk right along it’s edge and jump out of it’s way should we wish to play along. Fascinating stuff! I’ve done that many times ……

The Edge Of The Ocean (Photo by Gary Gerber)

The Ocean is full of lessons for us too… Life isn’t always smooth sailing and sometimes things can get pretty stormy and we find ourselves in the middle of a dark, foreign place. The waves crash all around us, the storms rage and sometimes despair can creep in. We’re blown around from side to side, battling the waves of temptation, fear, apprehension,doubt. At other times it’s smooth sailing and everything appears calm and peaceful. It’s at times like these that we sometimes find ourselves standing still. No breeze. No movement. Stagnation as we wait to move on. At other times the winds are just right and we set our sails, define our course and head off with purpose. Then a wave appears out of nowhere that takes us by surprise and once again we tumble along not knowing where the current is going to take us. This is life.

Now any good sailor knows you need a strong anchor when sailing the high seas. Surely this is true too for life itself. We need an anchor! My anchor in life is God. My trust and my faith is in Him. Does this mean the wind never blows? No. At times the gale force winds seem unbearable as they toss us from side to side threatening to capsize our boat and send us tumbling into the choppy Ocean. Some say an anchor is like a crutch and many times I have heard it said that ‘”Christians use Jesus as a crutch beacause they cannot handle real life”. I would, to a certain extent, agree. What is a crutch? It is a support. A ‘helping hand’ in difficult circumstances. I have no problem seeing God as my ‘crutch’ in life. Some use alchohol or drugs or power or money as their crutch. I choose to trust in God to be the support He has promised to be in times good or bad. So – this is when we need to use our anchor or ‘crutch’ to steady us and stop us from aimlessly dfrifting off-course. At other times there is a gentle breeze softly nudging us along as we head for our destination. We need to take heed at times like these when everything seems plain sailing though as it is at such times that those unexpected waves can catch us off guard.

I love the Sea. It teaches me so much about life. Next time you see the edge of the Ocean walk up to it and gently touch it with your toes. Bend down and run your fingers through it and think of it’s vastness and realise that you are actually touching the very edge of it. It’s quite a miracle really.

The Ocean (Photo by Gary Gerber)

Close your eyes and imagine you have a large canvas in front of you. So large that you cannot see the edges. On the canvas spread out before you are many different sized pictures painted in every conceivable color – like a collage.

As you look closer you begin to recognize the pictures painted on the canvas. They are scenes from different stages of your life. Some are from long long ago – so long ago you thought you had forgotten them. There are people there that you haven’t seen for a long time. There are people that have passed on. Your school days are there. The day you started work – look – you can even see what you were wearing. Your first love is there. As you look closer you can see some areas painted in the shadows. You never thought you’d see those again. Memories of times you would rather forget. Things you have done that you would never want anyone else to know about. Areas of your life that caused you – and others – much pain. But wait there are many bright parts as well. Happy times. Times when everything was just wonderful and life was great. It’s all there. Think of a time that stands out in your memory. Look for it on the canvas. Yes – there it is – painted just as you remember it. What has been the most important thing in your life. Yes – there it is! You can see just looking at the painting what a prominent place it has played. Who has been the most important person to you? There they are – scattered all over the canvas in different shades.

Now look closely…….look from left to right…….slowly……from top to bottom………..where is God? How is He depicted in your painting? Is Jesus there? Can you see the Cross? If you can – that’s wonderful but if you cannot see Him – why not? Could it be He has not played that much of a role in your life up to now? Maybe that’s why there are so many shadows and dark corners in your painting. Where’s The Light? Wait – maybe He’s down there in one of the areas showing yourself as a young child. What has happened since then? Why doesn’t he show in the more recent parts of your life? Could it be all the other things you see in your painting have crowded him out? …..

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