Daily Devotional - 9/11/10 (10/11/09)

Prayer Focus - Family



Day 4


Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
One family member that you are not close to
One family member that lives far away from you
One family member that lives near you



Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 41




"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness." (vs. 1-3)



We need to have regard for the weak. When I tend to think of "the weak", I tend to think of the elderly or those who are down and out, perhaps those who I might consider to be "struggling" in some manner. As I consider this passage though and go a bit deeper, I am forced to look at what my stereotypes and prejudices are. Who is weak really? Lately, I would have to admit that it is me. I am the one who is "struggling".  I am the one who is having trouble with so many things. I do not like to admit that I am weak. I think many of us do not like this. All of our lives we have been building up our walls to protect and guard ourselves so that we will be strong. Often, if we have been terrorized as children, we have built up very high walls so that no one will ever think we are weak again. We feel that our weakness will be used against us because it was in the past. We even begin to look down on anyone we consider open or vulnerable and we feel that displays of emotion are a sign of weakness as well and we dislike them immensely. Because we have been robbed of this ourselves, we resent it in others and it angers us. We become rocks and islands because as Simon and Garfunkel so eloquently put it, "a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries."


But once again, this is not God's way. First of all, we are to rejoice in our sufferings and weaknesses because they allow God to work fully through us (Romans 5:1-5, II Cor 12:8-10). Then we are to see that it is our pride that makes us want to appear strong. God just wants us to be ourselves and He views us as His children. Our children are obviously not as strong as we are. They are weak. God knows we are weak and He wants to take care of us. He even carries us when we can go on no further. I love the story of the footprints that so vividly expresses that sediment of Him carrying us through our most difficult times in life. Finally, God wants us to depend on Him in everything. Then, when we have been strengthened, we are to turn back and help others to be strengthened and comforted as well (Luke 22:31-32).


So I will admit that I am weak and that I also need to have regard for where I am at. I need to get myself strengthened, so that I can in turn strengthen those who need me. That would be my children, my husband, and my students. In many ways, these people are weak and I must view them differently than I have been doing. My children are weak because they are young. I expect so much out of them and often get frustrated by their misbehavior. Much of this is my fault, as I need to be more consistent in my discipline and training of them, but I must also remember that they are children. I must remember the proverb (Proverbs 22:15) that states that "folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drives it far from them."


It is not strange that my children are foolish and morally weak right now. That is a natural part of being a child. I must not take it so personally, and I must also see, therefore, how important it is for me to train and instruct them so that I can help them to out grow it. If I do nothing to help them get rid of the inherent folly in their souls, then I am truly leading them down a path of destruction. As a teacher, I have seen many children that have never been lead away from their natural folly. They fail and fail miserably, even if they are brilliant. Folly must be removed through love and consistent training. I must have regard for these, my children, and help them. I must not get mad but I must train. Both are imperative.


Then there is my husband. He is weak right now because of his illness. I must have regard for him and be there for him more than I ever have. Sometimes it is exhausting to be a caregiver and I am glad for the times when my husband is not that sick. Some people get no respite and it is easy to get overwhelmed and angry at the one who is ill. We must remember if we find ourselves in this position to have regard for the weak. We must find the refreshing and strength we need so that we may be able to go back and give the proper care to our loved ones in the way that will be most beneficial to them.


Finally, I have my students. Many are educationally disadvantaged and many of them have difficult home lives as well that might make them emotionally weak. God has placed me in these students' lives for a reason. I have much to give to them. I have educational skills and learning and most importantly, I have a relationship with God I can share in some way. I need to have regard for each of these children placed in my classes and give them whatever I can to help them grow academically and as individuals as well. They look to me to set them an example and to give them hope in an often hopeless world. Many times I might be the only one believing in them. I must have regard for them and give them my best. I am responsible.


It seems overwhelming when I contemplate all of this, but I love the promises that come with that small statement to have regard for the weak. God will delivers us. The Lord will protect and preserve our lives. God will fill us up so that we can pour out blessings to others (II Cor 9:6-11). The Lord will bless us in the land and will not give us up to our enemies. God will even help our health to be better. So many wonderful promises await us if we can just have regard for the weak. We will in turn be made strong. We can do it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). We need to be confident in this and we can be, if we have integrity.  Our integrity and obedience to the will of God will enable us.  We can be sure of that because God is faithful.

In my integrity, You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever." (vs. 12)



Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


Help us to have regard for the weak. We know that at times we are weak and at times we do not want to admit it. Help us to see ourselves correctly and to turn to You for strengthening. We need Your strength so that we can go out and in turn strengthen others. We fail and we are so weak but You are strong. You say that Your power is made perfect in our weakness. Allow Your power to be fully developed in us and help us to have regard for the other people in our lives who are weak in some way. Help us to remember our children and their weaknesses. Help us to be kind and loving despite their failures and help us to train our children so that it will go well for them. They are so precious and such a great responsibility. Help us to keep them a priority in our lives so that we can give them the best we have to offer.


Help us to have regard for our spouses in their weakness and our family members. If any of them are sick, help us to be there for them completely. Often those we should love the most are the most difficult for us. Grant us the strength to do all we ask. Only You can provide us what we need to do what You ask. We run to You, for You can do it. In our integrity, You uphold us. Increase our integrity and our obedience. Help us Lord to have regard for the weak.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Am I weak or strong right now? How do I know?

2. Who are the weak in my life? Am I having regard for them? What would that look like?

3. How am I doing with my children? Am I training them for the future? Am I teaching them about God and His ways beyond taking them to church?

4. How is my relationship with my spouse? Am I having regard for him or her? What are they weak in right now? How can I support them?

5.  Am I a person of integrity?  Why or why not?  What does this mean to me?  How can I change so that I will have more integrity?

Daily Devotional - 8/30/10 (9/30/09)

Prayer Focus - 10's



Pray for:
Ten things you are grateful for
Ten people you are thinking about
Ten places that are important to you
Ten characteristics to grow in
Ten characteristics/habits to work on


Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 30



"Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (vs. 4-5)


" You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." (vs. 11-12)


The Lord is the perfect Father. He disciplines and trains us so that we may become excellent, like refined gold. I know it is important to train my children. I know it is important to train my students. Sometimes, however, I am not willing to be trained myself. In my head, I know that I need to receive instruction in areas I am weak in, be it at a job or in some life area, and yet I falter. I do not like correction naturally, but I know that in all the areas that I have done well in, I have had a coach. Why do we become so unteachable as we get older? Is it our pride; our confidence in our ability to manage our lives? Sometimes it takes losing everything to show us that we have not yet arrived; that we still need to humble ourselves before the Lord and learn. Then, sometimes, even when I acknowledge my need for training, in day to day living I fail to seek it out or respond to it. Consistency is so hard to come by. I am so glad that God does not give up on training us when we are difficult. He is truly the perfect Father.


I am reminded of Hebrews 12:5-11.

"And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.' Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined ( and everyone undergoes discipline ), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."


I can't say this any better. Whatever I go through, it is for my training. I want to share in God's holiness so I am glad for it in the long run. Although our children fight our discipline, deep down I believe they are grateful. I know that I experienced the opposite growing up and it profoundly affected me. I was rarely disciplined by my parents and it bothered me. I remember being angry in one situation when I deserved to be disciplined and wasn't. I thought, "Why don't they care about me enough to tell me that I am doing something wrong?" I knew in my heart I had done wrong and I wanted the correction and the love and healing that I thought it would bring to me. I needed their direction and so often it didn't come. This left me feeling all alone in the world and bitter. I felt that I had to do everything by myself and for myself.


Why my parents were so lenient with me is hard to say, but I do know that it has helped me to understand and appreciate the reasoning behind God's discipline.  I understand better why He lets me go through hard times in order to help me and strengthen my character. I am God's child. He is telling me that He loves me by not letting everything come easy. I love the story that many I am sure have heard about a man watching a butterfly come out of its cocoon. It goes something like the following. A man saw a butterfly struggling to come out of its cocoon. He felt sorry for the butterfly and so helped it by cutting the cocoon open. The butterfly came out but his wings never fully expanded and the butterfly was unable to fly. The man was confused as to what had happened. Later he learned that the struggle of emerging from the cocoon enables the butterfly's wings to be strengthen as they need to be for flight. In helping the butterfly and making things easier, he had in essence crippled it.


We are those caterpillars that need the struggle we go through in order to emerge from our cocoons a beautiful butterfly. If God did not allow us our struggles and did not discipline us, we would be spiritual and emotional cripples. We would never fly as God intended. I am so grateful God does not give up on us or make things too easy. I will exalt God because of this. I will also exalt God because He doesn't let our struggle go on forever either. In the morning, rejoicing comes. Our wailing and sadness becomes dancing and joy. His discipline and His anger is short lived, but His favor is forever! Amen.



Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

We praise You that You care enough to discipline us and we are grateful also that there is an end to the struggle as well.  There truly is a time for everything.  Help us to accept Your training and discipline and so be strengthened by it.  Help us to not rebel against it as a child might.  We long to fly.  Grant us the wings we need.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT



1. How do I feel about discipline? Am I coachable? Why or why not?  How can I become more teachable?

2. Am I being trained in any area right now? What am I learning and who is teaching me? How do I feel about this training?
3. What struggles am I going through presently, and how am I handling them? Am I looking for the easy way out or am I looking for God's way to deal with them?  What struggles have I had in the past?  How have they helped me?  Do I have anything to rejoice about now from them?

4. Am I being trained spiritually in any way? Is anyone coaching me spiritually? Who could I get to mentor me in this area?

5.  What type of disciplinarians were my parents?  How has this affected the way I teach/train others such as my children?  How has this affected the way I respond to teaching/training?