Pray for THAT Guy?

While I was attending an Adventist college a few years back I got along with just about everyone there.  I thought my fellow students were great, and they generally seemed to like me, too.  Everyone was just so friendly, from the school's president down to the janitor on my dorm hall.  Everyone, that is, except for this one guy.

Mr. Jenkins was the head of campus security, and I am hard pressed to think of anyone who liked this man.  He made negative comments about the student body, and he harassed us constantly for not parking just so!  Any time his name was mentioned, someone had a story about how they didn't like him and they usually had a specific reason.

One day I was heading off to deliver a projector to a classroom on the other side of campus when I noticed that there were two squad cars-with lights flashing-out in front of the administration building.  A couple of seconds later, an ambulance came screaming onto campus.  I came to learn that Mr. Jenkins, while trying to stop someone from leaving before the police could arrive, had been hit by the fleeing car.  At first I didn't know what to think.  A part of me wanted to laugh, but another part felt

horrible for what had happened.  I continued on my delivery still mulling this over in my head.

That night in the cafeteria the news was everywhere, but for the most part people thought it was funny.  The general consensus was that it was not an undeserved accident.  The next day on my way to chapel, I overheard some students talking.  "You know, I really hope we don't have to have a big long prayer for this guy.  I think I might just leave chapel if that happens."  

I was in shock.  Here I was on an Christian campus, and all the talk I'd heard about the last day or so was how Mr. Jenkins deserved what he got, and I never once heard a single shred of sympathy for the man.  Part of the shock I felt was my own guilt for having many of the same thoughts as I heard voiced by others.

I began to think of something Paul said.  "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:20)"  Was I doing that?  I was ashamed to say that, even though I knew that I should do that, I didn't really want to.  That's when some of Jesus' words really hit home: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than [this].  (Mark 12:31)"  Wasn't Mr. Jenkins my neighbor in Christ?  Didn't I see him in church every Sabbath? 

Often times in our lives we seek to encounter God through the good things that happen to us.  How often do we look for God in situations where we don't want Him to be?  I didn't want the Holy Spirit reminding me that God loved Mr. Jenkins as much as He loved me. That night, as I said my prayers, though, I said an extra prayer for Mr. Jenkins, and you know what?  It felt GOOD.  It seems God knows what He is talking about when He tells us that we should love even those who don't love us.

ENCOUNTER:

Who are you impressed to pray for right now?  How will prayer change you?

Where Do You Turn For Strength?

How many battles have you entered and felt unprepared? Whether it's a student in your class that wants to make themselves took better by putting you down or a neighbor that parties late into the night before your big presentation at work, each opportunity presents us with choices to make. Do we lean on our God given values, do we become tattletales in the sight of the world, or do we bottle up the frustration and pain until it explodes on some random person or even ourselves?

Each day can bring it's own set of challenges and it can feel like you're running out of tricks to use. You do your best to stay calm, to turn the other cheek, and walk away from fights, but each occurrence seems to bring you down a notch, closer and closer to the breaking point. We see so much today in the way of bullying and the recipients losing their will to go on. Where do we draw our strength from when we end up beaten and bruised? Do we seek healing and if so, from whom?

If we will take a chance and ask God to let us tap into His great resources He will provide. There are so many examples in the bible of people who were shunned by society, mocked and driven out by their own families, and yet they were able to stay strong, clinging onto the strength provided by God. Christ Himself drew strength from His Heavenly Father. Each struggle is a demonstration of how we can remain focused on Christ. Each one a reminder that this world isn't our home, but just a temporary stopping point on the way to Heaven and the New Earth.

Our God provides when asked, He knows your needs and already has the gifts lined up to send your way. Our God, our fortress of protection, will wrap you in His arms and reassure you that He's got you covered. His strength is more than enough to face your problems, His sword and shield obliterates your enemies. No longer can they touch or harm you in any way. Wrapped in His mighty arms He restores our confidence and reignites our passion. Life is so worth living again because we know that we're backed up by the most powerful One in the universe. So when you're struggling with life's battles, reach out to Christ, call out His name, and be ready to receive His gifts that will bring you through your challenges.

- Thoughts from Psalm 68

encounter: Where in your life today do you need some "extra" help from GOD?

Spreading His Love

You and I know God pretty well. We're still peeling back the layers, getting to know the depths of His love and inner beauty--but from the path we've taken so far, His wisdom shared and love provided, we can see that our God is committed to us beyond any worldly measure. A mother's love for her newborn baby, a couple's love for each other after fifty years of marriage--these things are but a taste test of the feast of God's love for us.

But how many people truly know of this love? How many just take a glance at Christians and see the conflict of people that have this wonderful message, yet still slip and fall? Do they say we're living in a fantasy world, full of disconnected dreams from reality? If they don't see the examples of the fallen restored, if they don't hear about the acceptance of God's church, what inspires them to seek out Christ's healing?

Hearing about the life of Christ on Earth and reading the stories of those that came before and after are the sparks that can light a fire in somebody's heart. Carefully prepared by Christ, these sparks reach the kindling which spreads to the smaller branches, and soon enough, their fire for life is a blazing beacon for others lost in the darkness. God's love knows no boundaries. He has no limits of who can claim Him as their Savior.

Life is such a precious gift from God. God's power and majesty can be observed all around us. To travel through life not realizing the one who created you, Who is constantly chasing after you to return home, is such a loss of time. Our God races ahead in our journey and prepares the way. He knows the decision points we'll make in life that can draw us closer and He's already putting up the road signs to help direct our travels. Pray today for yourself to be able to see these signs. Pray today for your family and friends that their eyes will be opened and they will see God's direction for their lives. Pray that you'll notice the signs God has placed in someone else's life and be able to help them make the right choice. Our God is holy, our God is just. Blessed be the one who discovers the true potential in following our God above.

- Thoughts from Psalm 67

encounter: What sparks have inspired you to love GOD deeper? Who has been an example, a light, of GOD's love in your life?

Don't Hold Back the Praise

Glory to God who reigns over all of the Earth! Glory to God who has accepted us as His own! Glory to our God who continually is working in our lives to clear out the trash that's weighing us down and replacing it with His burdens. God's requests for our lives are made in perfection, forged in Heaven and placed into the willing heart. Having created each one of us, God knows exactly what we're capable of, how much we can handle, and what brings joy into our life. His burdens are designed to help us grow and each one is given to us in love.

What are some of the things you do when you recognize how God has blessed you? Do you sing praises to our Heavenly Father? Do you thank the One who saved you from destruction? Do these praises stay within yourself or do you let them ring out loud, testifying of the love shown to you by our Redeemer?

It's easy to get into a groove of quick, “thanks God”, where it's like giving a high five and then just keep walking on, but how would you feel if that was the response to you saving someone from a burning car or broken marriage? When God's taken the time to form a rescue plan and He successfully implements it to the last detail, how can we just give Him a head nod and just keep walking? True thanks in the honest moments of life brings a closer connection as you realize just how loving and thoughtful our God is to each one of us.

So besides taking an honest moment to thank our Savior, what else can we do? Another sign of a thankful heart is sharing your rescue story with others. Because God has done this great act in your life, rescuing you from certain pain and discouragement, how can you remain silent? How can His acts of love not become apparent in your life? Don't be afraid to shout for joy, to call your spouse or close friend, or to post your story online. Christ has done this marvelous work in your life and it's ok to be overjoyed and share with others. By stepping forward in this, you might just bring someone else to seek out God's rescue plan for themselves. Praise God for His second chances! Praise God for the air we're breathing! His breath brings life and comfort. His arms demonstrate acceptance and commitment. Praise be to our God who never gives up on those that seek His face!

- Thoughts from Psalm 66

encounter: What experience of GOD might you be willing to share with someone?

We Are Truly Blessed

Our God is truly amazing! He didn't just create the trees, flowers, mountains, rivers, and vast oceans to stare in awe of their beauty. He didn't just create the animals to be creatures of habit, each one fulfilling a need of nature. He didn't just create the stars, nebulas, and other galaxies to entice the eyes during the night. All of these things He created so that when He created man, a being capable of independent thought and action, that man would have every need and want fulfilled by the imagination of God's creation.

The love of our God is so incredible that the Bible uses many words just to describe the vast array of aspects of His love. You think that when you're dating or married that your love of your significant other drives you to do awesome things, to go above and beyond your normal daily activities just to make them happy? With our Heavenly Father, His love goes way beyond anything we're capable of so how much do you think He's worked just to be with us, to communicate with us, and shared so much of His vast resources so that we can experience life beyond our limited imaginations?

Have you discovered for yourself who God truly is? Have you looked out into the vast forests and listened to the rustling leaves? Have you sat at the edge of a river and watched the waves form as the water flows over the uneven surface below? Have you witnessed the animals of the wild, taking care of each other, teaching the young how to survive and thrive? Have you used your imagination at night to stare into the sky and find beauty, to pick out the patterns of the stars and watch the Milky Way galaxy rotate across the sky through the night?

Our God created the science that holds everything together. He created the love between parents and their children. Our Heavenly Father gave us a drive to explore, to grow, and experience new things. Each one of us brings something special to the whole. Not one of us is considered extra and tossed aside. And all of this, is just here on Earth where sin has invaded and corrupted. Can you imagine what awaits us in Heaven? Have you ever dreamt of what will be once sin has been removed? What a glorious vision will soon come to reality. No longer forced to hide because of our sin, we'll walk freely in the presence of our Creator. What a glorious time that will be! Praise to our Father who has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations!

- Thoughts from Psalm 63

encounter: In what ways today, through nature or circumstance, have you experienced glimpses of GOD's love for you?

Now is the Time

As we journey through life, now is always the best time to make sure you are giving God your all. Now is the best time to make sure your focus is correct and pure. This goes beyond the “you never know how long you're gonna live” argument. This is about experiencing life at its best and living a God-inspired life as a witness to others. With each day being a blessing full of opportunity and growth potential, how can we pass up on even a single day?

It's an easy argument we fall into sometimes. We look around and say, while God's coming soon, it probably won't be for another year or two at least so that gives me time to focus on school, work for that promotion, or take that vacation I've always been dreaming of. Our priorities get out of whack and God takes a lower spot on our list. But our relationship with God should always be our top priority. Without Him as our number one goal, the rest just falls into chaos, stealing our time and energy away until one day God is a distant memory from your important things to do list.

To push God aside until the end is like saying, I've married the best spouse I could ever find and yet I didn't put anything into the relationship except a couple of occasions each year until the last few years of our life. Just think about all of the potential you've just passed up. Think about all of the shared joy, the intimacy lost, and the shared life experiences that could've been? Why would you risk doing that? How much more should Christ be the focus of each day?

In the end, I want to be able to say that I've grasped every moment that God presented me, that I never took a moment for granted. God's love for us causes an overflowing of blessings from His thrown and to not have your arms extended, ready to catch them, is such a waste of precious moments. As a sinful person, I know I'll miss some every now and then, but to intentionally ignore them until the final moments of life goes well beyond a “missed opportunity”. Place God at the top of your list today. Make Him the number one thing on your mind and heart as you begin this day. Dwell on Him until the final moments of consciousness disappear. Trust that He'll make it more than worth your time and effort.

- Thoughts from Psalm 61

encounter: How you might intentionally place GOD at the top of your agenda for today?

All Will Be Made Right

I'm sure we've all questioned the fairness of life. We look at people that comes across as jerks, yet they capture the public's eye, receiving special favors and benefits you'll never see. We struggle with our own morals as others coast through life while you have to sweat for every dollar earned just to break even each week. We watch the television and see groups casting fear upon others because they want every bit of power and control over the people. Tolerance is a broken sign hanging at the entrance, but those within consider it a joke.

We see all of these things and it blows our minds. Every fiber within us says that we should be following God's Word, putting His law into effect in our lives, and demonstrating His example to the part of the world He's placed in our lives; But when every step in your life feels like wading through drying cement, you begin to wonder, why are the scales so imbalanced? Why do the people with no morals, no thought of the well being of others, seem to have so many opportunities thrown their way?

The reason for all of this is quite simple. We, the followers of Christ, are foreigners in this world. Even though God created it, sin came in and took over. The door was opened and the floodgates lost all control, drowning every bit of God's creation in sin and doubt. Mankind started to question the role and even the existence of God and the world we live in today reflects that in every sense. God's world has been turned upside down. Fear and destruction rule the day and so we must fight for each and every moment to stand out from the crowd and be the example Christ wants us to be.

This world in our current state is not our home. There is a day that is coming where evil will be destroyed. We will be reborn and the world will be restored back to God's original intention. A day is coming where fear will be forgotten, where we won't struggle to survive, but thrive in the open love so freely given to us by our Savior. On that day, the faithful followers will celebrate with our Lord. We will be free to worship without fear of persecution. We will no longer be mocked for our trust in Christ. Freely we will step outdoors and proclaim that Christ is Lord over all of creation. What a day that will be! What a future we can live for today!

- Thoughts from Psalm 58

encounter: When life seems the most unfair, how do you cope with the injustice? Where do you turn to when the world seems so upside down from GOD's intention?