Guidelines For Living Devotional

Why God chooses to use some individuals, and seemingly ignores those with far greater talents, is always something which defies human logic.  The fact is that God often uses those who have little to recommend them when it comes to entitlement through education, family connections, and intelligence.  Yet the biographies of those who have made a mark for God indicate that they share three common traits:  1) They immediately and without hesitation responded to the call of God in their lives.  2)  Their simple faith in God was marked by complete obedience, and 3) What they had, they gave to the Lord completely and without reservation.

When Allied troops went into the concentration camps of Europe at the end of World War 2, soldiers found a Star of David carved on a wall with these words beneath it: "I believe in the sun--even when it does not shine.  I believe in love--even when it is not shown.  I believe in God--even when he does not speak."   This was the commitment of faith by someone who chose to hold on to his or her faith regardless of how dark the circumstances were.

When American first-lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was asked, "Do you think that the work of the world is carried on by faith?" she said, "Yes!”  In any great work, a certain amount of trust and faith in others we work with, is essential.  In a marriage, two people believe in each other and trust everything to each other.  They leave their families of origin and enter the great adventure of life to stand or fall together, believing that good will come of their relationship.

“Faith,” alleged the agnostic Samuel Clemens, know as Mark Twain, “is believing what you know isn’t true but wish it were.”   George Mueller wouldn’t have agreed.  And who was George Mueller?   In the event that this name doesn’t register, let me explain briefly.  As his name suggests, Mueller was born in Kroppenstaedt, Prussia, and began his education in the classics in a German university.  Invited to the home of a friend, he heard a man drop to his knees and pray in such a way that he was deeply convicted and eventually was converted.

Being a helpful friend is different than simply being a nice person. If you are on the side of the road in a broken-down car, would you rather someone drive by and shout, "I'm sorry that happened to you!" or pull over and help you fix it? Which one is helpful? Help is often the physical form of encouragement. To be helpful to one another, we must get into the habit of putting actions behind even our kindest words. James, in the Bible, put it this way:  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15,16)

There is an amazing exchange between two friends tucked into the Bible book of II Kings. Elisha, the prophet, and his ministering servant find themselves in a very bad situation. Israel’s enemy, the Arameans, have snuck up and surrounded their hometown of Dothan. The Arameans are led by Ben-hadad and he and his force intended to kill Elisha and the entire community.

“What is faith?” asked the writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament.  Then he answered his own question, saying, “It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen.  It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead” (Hebrews 11:1, LB).  Two words express this reality.  The first word, translated “confident assurance,” is a very positive expression; but it is the second word which gives us a picture which enlightens us.

Is it possible for you to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but without getting too radical about it?   Putting it another way:  Are there different kinds of Christians?  Can you be a Christian by degrees, believing some things but not really becoming a fanatic?

Bernadette Grey was the editor-in-chief of a women's magazine.  Her work-related responsibilities kept her in contact with some of the world's most successful businesswomen.  In one editorial she analyzed four factors which lead to success among her colleagues.  She mentioned 1) optimism, 2) uniqueness, 3) a strong work ethic, and 4) fearlessness.

Jesus was meeting with the disciples in an upper room, behind doors which hid him from public scrutiny--at least for the moment.  His words flowed from His heart.  He said--probably quietly and with great confidence--"Stop letting your hearts be troubled!"  Verbs in Greek convey a definite kind of action that they do not convey in English, and the one that Jesus used indicated that worry and concern had begun a long while before and was continuing.  But He says, "Stop doing it."