"And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job 42:10
There are seasons of the soul. Just as winter is not the time to cut a tree because a tree that looks dead may have more life in it than you think, a dark time in your life is not the right time to make a decision.
Never set your goals when you are at a low ebb. Believe that springtime will come.
Remember that this depressing season will pass and that positive feelings will return to you. You will come back again.
Yes, your faith will pluck you from the ashes and new life will come from the places that felt dead. Your youthful enthusiasm will return.
Burned out? Take a break. Refuel. Seek a retreat. Find renewal. Replenish. Rest. You can go on again.
Never make a move from weakness. Always move from strength.
And the spring will turn to summer and the summer to harvest time!
You will reap simply because you didn't give up!
New life springs from places that felt dead.
* * * Thank you, Lord, for seeing me through every season of life, good and bad. Be my place of retreat. Renew and replenish my soul. Bring restoration.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
Is it possible that you are in a negative-thinking rut?
Aeronautical engineers in the 1920s said it was impossible to fly faster than the speed of sound, but they were wrong. Is it possible you might be placing your faith on some negative precept? What ideas are limiting your growth? What opinions are restricting you?
Ruts have a way of becoming security blankets in your second childhood. Most little children have their favorite blanket. Many of your negative, deeply ingrained opinions and well-entrenched conclusions become emotional security blankets, holding you back from: daring to get into business for yourself, daring to go back to college, daring to tackle a physical fitness program, or daring to make a major career change in mid-life!
It takes a lot of faith to pack up and move to a new city, state or country.
What ruts are you in? You're free to leave that rut. A rut, you know, is a grave with the ends knocked out.
Come alive. Climb out of it. Tackle some exciting new possibilities today! Just make sure you are guided by God Almighty and His holy Word. Psalm 119:105 says that God's "word is a lamp to [your] feet and a light to [your] path"! Follow it.
Don't let your ruts become security blankets.
* * * O God, You have the power to release me from negative, locked-in thinking. Help me to see beyond the ruts and look toward the exciting, new possibilities that await me.
"You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit." Job 10:12 (NKJV)
Sometimes we try to handle the rejections, defeats and the failures we experience by pretending to be okay even though we are really very frightened by the things we can't understand. You may have collected enough hurts to keep you from wanting to press forward. Setbacks can take the joy out of faith if you don't watch out! Even success steady, solid, and exceptional can make you the target of criticism from colleagues who are jealous of your achievement.
Careful! Hidden hurts in the heart can nurture and nourish negative thinking. Often the most painful wounds are not the scars that are outwardly seen but the hidden wounds deep in the heart. Because they are hidden they are often the most dangerous.
Swallow your hurts and stimulate a new spirit and spurt of growth! If, in fact, your drive to grow has lost its passionate power, if the flush of enthusiasm has mysteriously diminished, then check the accumulation of negative emotions that have attached themselves to you, much like barnacles that attach to whales.
Along the shoreline in California it is a common sight to see whales stopping alongside rocks to scrape off barnacles as they migrate from Alaska to Mexico. In the walk of faith we, too, will pick up a collection of personal hurts that will attach themselves to our souls like parasites sapping the life and vitality out of us! Ultimately, Job found restoration not in hiding behind a false face of well-being, but in recognizing and acknowledging the greatness of God (Job 42), and so can we.
Watch out for setbacks that threaten to take the joy out of your faith.
* * * Lord, I acknowledge Your greatness, and I trust You with the things I cannot understand. With Your help, I will swallow the hurts that seek to overwhelm me; and they will pass on and out of my life. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
"A man's steps are directed by the Lord." Proverbs 20:24
Prayer often works more like a medicine than radical surgery.
What do I mean by that? Suppose you were sick; so you went to the doctor and he prescribed an antibiotic and told you to take two tablespoons twice daily for ten days. Would it do you any good to drink the entire bottle of medicine immediately on leaving the doctor's office? Of course not! In fact, doing something like that would only add to your miseries.
It's the same with prayer. It often takes continued prayer, over a period of many days, or even years, to bring about the answers we seek. Why is this true? The only thing that grows fast in my garden are the weeds. The flowers take time to blossom. Based on my own life and on things other people have told me, this is most often the way prayer is, too.
I remember a woman who attended my church in San Juan Capistrano, California. She was told by her doctor, in May of 1983, that she had ovarian cancer and had only eighteen months to live. We put Laura Jean on our prayer list and members of our church community continually prayed for her. While God never chose to remove Laura Jean's cancer, he did extend her life nearly ten times longer than her doctor predicted.
I mention Laura Jean because I don't want you to become discouraged and give up if it seems like there is no immediate bolt of lightning in response to your prayer requests. Going back to the analogy of the antibiotic suppose that the doctor had given you a bottle of medicine and told you to take it for ten days, but after the fourth or fifth day you weren't feeling very much better so you decided to just give up? Perhaps in another day or two you would have been feeling just fine, but you gave up too soon.
Or another scenario might be that in four or five days you were feeling so much better that you decided you didn't need the medicine anymore. What do you think would happen then? Very likely, the illness would come right back and you'd have to go back to the doctor for another prescription.
My point is this: to become the person you want to be, you're going to have to pray, pray, and pray some more. Don't give up because nothing seems to be happening you might be poised on the edge of victory. At the same time, don't quit praying about something until you are absolutely sure God has given you the victory. Some of the shortcomings you've been looking at in your life recently may be so deeply ingrained in your character that they will need to be included in your prayers for the rest of your life. That's fine. It's not a sign of weakness yours or God's! Just remember: the idea is to move one step at a time, one day at a time, committing each one to God as it unfolds, recognizing His mercies and benefits in each.
Perseverance in prayer often brings unexpected blessings.
* * * Oh, Lord, You have a plan for my life today. I want to be a part of it. Teach me to take life one day at a time, one step at a time, and to wholly rely on You. Amen.
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" 1 Peter 5:5
Humility is the thread that runs through the lives of all three of the Bible characters I mentioned in yesterday's devotional. None of them accomplished anything on their own. They all responded rather reluctantly to God's call to greatness, but they did respond, and God used them to accomplish great things for Him.
I believe that in one way or another God is calling all of us to great things. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He can accomplish great things through anyone who is committed to doing His will. I'm not saying that you will become a king or a queen, or even that the world will notice what you do; many things are done quietly behind the scenes. Perhaps one of the greatest things you will ever do is overcome the shadows of your life that have kept you from experiencing the freedom God calls you to so He can help you become all that He intends for you to be.
In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis has some excellent thoughts about what it will be like when we pass from this life into the next. He suggests that only then will we know what people have actually done with what they were given.
God doesn't look at outward appearances; He looks at what's in the heart. He doesn't care as much about what you've done as He does about what you've done with what you were given and what you've become. I'm convinced that when we get to heaven, we will find that some of the greatest heroes are folks whose names were never in the local newspapers. The world never took note of what they did because they did it quietly, behind the scenes. But God noticed. And He will see that appropriate recognition is given. It may not happen in this life, but it will happen!
"Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service and character.
* * * Soften my heart, Lord. Deliver me from callous pride. Empower me to do what's right no matter what opposition I face. Fill me with Your grace.
"I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...." Romans 15:18
There are many accounts in the Bible of ordinary men and women who accomplished great things simply because they let God have control of their lives. Let me tell you about just three of them: Moses, Gideon, and David.
Moses was eighty years old when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Up to that point, Moses hadn't really done anything spectacular. And besides that, he had a speech impediment. When God told Moses he'd been chosen to rescue the Israelites, he protested loudly, "Lord, I have never been eloquent....I am slow of speech and tongue" (Exodus 4:10). But in spite of all his initial protests, Moses finally surrendered his will to God and became the first great leader of the Israelite nation one of the greatest men who ever lived.
Gideon lived during a time when the nation of Israel was occupied by the vicious Midianites who were great warriors and so brutal that many of the Israelites hid in mountain caves to protect themselves. One day, an angel appeared to Gideon and told him he had been chosen to lead the Israelites in a fight to reclaim their independence. Young Gideon, knowing the strength of the enemy, reacted in a way you might expect: "But Lord," he said, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family" (Judges 6:15). But Gideon decided to trust God and led the rebellion just as God had told him to do and the mighty Midianites were driven from the land. Gideon was just a young man a farmer, really but in God's hands he became a mighty warrior and the means through which his people regained their freedom.
David was the greatest king the nation of Israel ever had. Yet, if you remember, when the prophet Samuel went to David's house to anoint him king (ref. 1 Samuel 16), he was the last son his father Jesse thought of to serve in that role. After all, he was just a boy who was weak and small in comparison to his older brothers. Yet God called David to the task. After being summoned from the fields, where he was tending his father's flock of sheep, the prophet Samuel anointed the young man who went on to be one of the greatest kings in all of Israel's history the one through whose line Jesus would come.
When God chooses you and calls you to a task, He will help you accomplish great things on His behalf.
God changes our insignificance into significant accomplishments when we step out in faith and follow Him.
* * * Mighty God, You remind me through Your word that you often accomplish great things through seemingly insignificant people. Thank You for choosing me to be part of Your great plan.
"But the pot the potter was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so he formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." Jeremiah 18:4
I heard a story about a great violinist who came to Houston to give a concert. This violinist had recently spent thousands of dollars to purchase a Stradivarius violin. Naturally, there was a great deal of interest in this exquisite instrument, and all the news media carried stories about this wonderful opportunity to hear the fabulous music that such a violin would produce.
The local newspapers ran photographs of the Stradivarius and published articles telling about its history and the marvelous tonal quality of the instrument. There were few words spoken about the violinist himself; most of the praise went to the violin.
Finally the night of the concert arrived. The orchestra hall was packed. The audience was thrilled with every note, and the auditorium filled with wave after wave of tremendous applause. When the concert ended, the audience jumped to their feet in a prolonged standing ovation.
Then the violinist did something quite shocking. He took his violin, that beautiful instrument that had been the source of such wonderful music all night long, and lifted it over his head. After the crowd rose to its feet in adulation, he brought the instrument down hard across his knee and broke the violin into pieces.
A gasp of horror swept through the auditorium. People wondered if the violinist had completely lost his mind. Then he raised his hand to quiet the crowd and told them, "This is not my Stradivarius. I went down to the pawnshop and bought this violin for ninety-five dollars."
You see, it wasn't so much the quality of the instrument that produced the beautiful, soul-stirring music that night it was the quality of the person playing the instrument.
If you've taken time to do a personal inventory or identify the shortcomings in your life, you may feel, at this point in your life, like the ninety-five dollar pawnshop violin living in a world full of Stradivariuses. Maybe you've had thoughts like this, "Boy, if only I had his talent," or "If only I had her beauty," or "I sure wish I were as smart as she is."
Truth be told, it doesn't matter if you're not as smart, rich, clever, or beautiful as some other person. If your life is held in God's hands, then you, too, can produce the most beautiful music imaginable. The key is to get your focus off yourself and on to the Great Musician God!
Let the Master of your soul create something beautiful of your life today.
* * * You are continually in the process of reshaping and fine-tuning my life, Lord. Today I will cooperate with You in that process because I know that what You produce will be beautiful and good.
"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
I met Sundo Kim here in California, though his home was in Korea. My first visit to that country was right after the Korean War. Never had I seen such a bleak, barren, defeated land.
Among the crowd of impoverished refugees who fled from the North were throngs of Christians. These Christians believed in a God who would never forsake those who never forsook Him. So they held on to their hope in God. One young Korean minister from that impoverished land received a scholarship to Fuller Seminary in California. While studying there, we invited him to be our guest at an institute held at our church.
This young man was very impressed when he walked onto the Crystal Cathedral church grounds with its thirteen-story tower and large modern sanctuary with fountains. He heard and believed what we taught at our institute, "Believe it and you can achieve it." He took pictures of the tower and picture of the church and began to dream that someday he could build a church like that in Korea.
Four years later I returned to Korea. When this minister heard I was coming, he asked me to speak in his church. All he had was a tent, but he and his people were excited. I said I'd be honored to preach for him in his tent on Saturday night. But on Saturday morning the telephone rang telling me and Mrs. Schuller that our daughter, Carol, had been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. We flew home immediately, so I wasn't able to keep my speaking commitment.
Four years after that I returned to Seoul, Korea, to receive an honorary degree from Hangyang University. When my young minister friend heard that I would be in Korea, he asked me to stop by and see his church. Although I was scheduled to be in Korea for only forty-eight hours, I promised him that somehow I would make it to his church.
I was amazed when I arrived in Korea. What a difference four years had made. We flew into a beautiful airport that was a spectacular piece of architecture. Surrounding the airport was a glorious park of lawns, trees, and waterfalls. Downtown Seoul had been beautifully reconstructed. And as we drove down the magnificent new freeway that slices through Seoul, I saw it! Looming in the sky was a replica of our Garden Grove, California, Tower of Hope. And next to it was a glorious church building that would seat four thousand people.
The young pastor greeted me and eagerly gave me a tour of his church. He introduced me to his elders and deacons as he shared with me that he now had over 12,000 church members.
He had learned the lesson, too: Tough times never last, but tough people do!
It is amazing what God can do if we give Him time to work His plans out!
Whatever your mind can believe, you can achieve.
* * * Lord Jesus, You can take even a small seed of faith and make it grow into something extraordinary. Give me that kind of faith. I am trusting You for the impossible today.
"The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe." Deuteronomy 1:23
In July 1980, Judy Hall, a mother of two teenage daughters, found herself unemployed. Divorced and without a steady income, Judy wondered how she would possibly survive. She had no formal education or skills to fall back on.
At the time she was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and had been listening to me preach on the Hour of Power about how to be a possibility thinker. One of the principles that stuck with her was: "Open your mind to God and the ideas will flow; one of them will be the idea God means for you to grab hold of."
Judy believed what she heard. After a failed attempt at real estate, she decided she should take her daughters back to their place of birth Hawaii.
After returning to Hawaii, Judy wanted the comfort of a muumuu, the loose-fitting dress of the Islands, but also a garment that could be worn to non-Hawaiian events. All of the muumuu's she found were sold "off the rack," in one size, and had a similar Hawaiian print pattern which didn't really fit any social occasions that were not Hawaiian in tone and spirit.
Then she remembered one of the principles she'd heard me preach on: "Find a need and fill it." Judy saw a need and decided to fill it. She purchased some fabric in a "mainland" print and proceeded to make a muumuu for herself with a decorative border at the hem. She customized the fit so that it was comfortable but not so loose-fitting as to lose all sense of line and design. The final result was something very distinctive, something others took notice of, and something that proved to be the start of a very good business.
If a single, divorced mother of two children, with no money and no special training, is able to invade a surplus market with a new product and a new concept and develop a super successful enterprise, then it's possible for you to create employment opportunities for yourself, too. Just remember: Tough times never last, but tough people do!
The most tragic waste is the waste of a good idea.
* * * God, you are the originator of all good ideas. How often You've used those ideas to provide for me in my life. You are so good.
"'I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you.'" Genesis 26:24
Birt Duncan was a young black man who had grown up an orphan in Louisiana. He had lived in fourteen different foster homes before he drifted his way to Southern California. Our church was still meeting in a drive-in theater when I met him. It was obvious that the boy had a deep-seated inferiority complex, with which I tried to deal through counseling him.
One day he blurted out, "You have to remember that I'm black and that we're inferior. We're the products of slaves."
"That's not true," I said. "You are genetically superior."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
I replied, "You and every black person in the United States can trace his or her genealogy to Africa. You can take pride in your genetic roots. Why? Because you are the offspring of the survivors. The weakest died before they even left the jungle. Others died aboard ship and their bodies were thrown overboard. But those who survived were either: (1) intellectually superior and clever enough to survive; (2) they were physically superior, with unusual strength and stamina; or (3) they were emotionally superior they would not give up and die! Every black person in America is a genetic descendant of the toughest and the best bloodlines. And that's the kind of blood that you have."
Birt went on to earn his M.D. degree and become a doctor. He successfully achieved his potential, but first he had to believe that Tough times never last, but tough people do!
God believes in You and He can't be wrong.
* * * Forgive me, Lord, for questioning my own sense of value. Because You created me, I have unlimited potential. Help me to make the most of what You've made me to be.
