Entering Lion's Country
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Posted:Aug 12, 2009 10:37 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1785 Views
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Entering Lion's Country (Part One) 1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
I've been smelling lion's breath recently, and have nearly gagged at its odious smell. Where have I been? On a lion country safari? In Kenya? Sudan? At the zoo? No. None of these.Let's just say I've been in lion country.
Pastor and author A.W. Tozer made numerous visits there. In fact, he may have lived in lion country. After a particularly difficult time, Tozer noted the following: "But I will tell you something-it is a delightful thing when you know that you are close enough to the adversary that you can hear him roar! Too many Christians never get into 'lion country' at all!"
After pondering Tozer's observation, I've concluded that we should charge headlong into lion country. You see, "lion country" is territory controlled by the devil. It is the daily domain of the ruler of this world.
Lions in Africa prey on weak, unsuspecting animals and those straggling behind the protection of the head of the pack. Likewise, the devil prowls about trying to deceive (devour) those with weak convictions and naive beliefs. For example, if a Christian refuses to submit to the accountability of other believers in the local church, he will find himself isolated, delicious prey for the crafty deceiver. He may not be able to defend himself when he's faced with temptation.
How does a lion devour its prey? One bite at a time. I wonder at times if twentieth-century Christians have been anesthetized by prosperity and busy schedules while the enemy chews off three-quarters of their legs!
Far too many Christians are being fooled by the enemy. They have been deceived into thinking that run-of-the-mill Christianity is all there is. Jesus Christ may be a part of their lives, but He isn't Lord of their lives.
I know, because for more than 14 years I was the prey of the enemy. I thought I knew what was best for me. I wanted God only as my emergency Savior, when I was in a crisis and needed Him. And if you're like I was, the lion has you in his jaws.
Prayer:
Ask God to help you be of sober spirit and be on the alert to schemes of the adversary.
Discuss: When was the last time you took a spiritual safari into lion country? What areas of your life would you say are controlled by God, and what areas are controlled by the devil?
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Complacency vs. Commitment
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Posted:Aug 11, 2009 10:02 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1838 Views
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Complacency vs. Commitment 1 Corinthians 10:12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
We need to make certain our marriages are divorce proof. Pastor/author Chuck Swindoll asks a great question: "Are there any termites in your troth?" One of those termites could be complacency.First Corinthians 10:12 offers a formidable warning to the one who thinks this infestation of termites can't reach into his marriage. How many ministers, missionaries and laymen have fallen into affairs and divorce after allowing romantic complacency to settle into their marriages?
We need to resurrect the true meaning of commitment. In this age of lite beer, lite syrup and lite salad dressing, it's no wonder we exhibit lite commitment, too. But for a Christian, commitment is a sacred vow and promise to God. It's two people who hang in there during the best and worst of times and who won't quit. It's a husband and wife who find working through problems much more rewarding than walking out.
We need to pass on to our the real definition of commitment while continually exposing the lies that their peers and the media propagate. A person who does not understand his or her ultimate accountability to God has little reason to fulfill a vow or commitment to another human being.
There's another type of complacency we need to address: We need to fight for other marriages besides our own. A growing number of Christians, upon hearing of the hurt and anguish of their friends, do not reach for their Bibles, but, instead, hastily offer a parachute and say, "Bail out!" Or they simply sit by, saying and doing nothing. They just let it happen. Hey, I understand. When there's only a slim thread of hope, what are you going to do?
You and I have got to go to the guy who just left his family and tell him it just isn't going to be that easy. He can't just walk out on them. And that woman in our Sunday School class? She can't leave her husband for this other guy and think things will be business as usual. Plead, beg and pray with them. And get them some help.
Prayer:
Form a "'til death do us part" bond with your mate. And keep praying with me that God will purge our land of divorce.
Discuss: Do you know any couples who are struggling in their marriages? What can you do to encourage them?
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Sowing Words of Praise
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Posted:Aug 10, 2009 5:14 pm
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 3189 Views
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Sowing Words of Praise Proverbs 15:4
A soothing tongue is a tree of life.
Everyone loves to be praised, and your mate is no exception. William James wrote: "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." And Mark Twain said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."Praise is valuable because it is a virtue seldom practiced! We seldom praise our employees; we seldom praise our , and we seldom praise our mates. Yet, our homes ought to be a haven where praise is liberally applied.
Carefully read this definition of praise: to give value, to lift up, to extol, to magnify, to honor, to commend, to applaud. If you give some creative thought to this definition, you can come up with hundreds of ways to praise your mate. The more you verbally express your appreciation (praise), the more secure your mate will become in his or her self-esteem.
Have you ever asked someone to repeat a compliment? I have. "Oh, you really liked our FamilyLife Marriage Conference? Tell me what meant the most to you." Inwardly, I am saying, "Yes, I need to hear this! Would you tell me one more time so I can relish your comments for a few seconds longer?" Life can seem intolerably heavy at times, and a good, encouraging word can help to lighten the load and lift your mate's spirits.
Arnold Glascow has said, "Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing." It also does wonders for our sense of sight. When you praise another person, you take your eyes off yourself and focus on someone else for a few, brief moments. This positive focus on another person not only helps to put his or her life in perspective, but yours as well.
Prayer:
That God would give you creative ideas on how to praise your mate. And if you haven't ever done it, take a few minutes in prayer and praise God for who He is and what He has done in your lives.
Discuss: When was the last time you made an effort to praise your mate? Praise your mate three times before you go to sleep tonight.
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Living Fearlessly
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Posted:Aug 7, 2009 10:28 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1742 Views
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Living Fearlessly 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.
Husbands and wives sometimes discover it takes years of living together to create an atmosphere that is safe for total openness with each other. Part of the passage above is inscribed inside Barbara's wedding band: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."I work at making this message reassuring to Barbara. For example, I'm more outgoing in groups than Barbara. When we're at a party, I'll pick up a lagging conversation by asking questions. But I frequently err by not allowing time for Barbara, who is not as aggressive, to enter into the conversation.
Early in our marriage, we would drive home after an evening like this and I would say, "Goodness, Sweetheart, we were with those people for several hours and you didn't say two or three words all evening!"
Barbara would reply, "Well, you didn't give me a chance!" We would usually drive a few blocks in silence and I would apologize for not including her. Later I would ask what she thought of one of the people at the party, and she would begin to make profound observations about what had taken place that evening and what had been said. She has keen insights and perceptions about people. I've learned to rely on her insights.
Instead of getting irritated or resentful when Barbara is sometimes reluctant to share her feelings, I see that my behavior can be intimidating to her, and that's a form of fear.
We both know that we are totally committed to each other, and I want to be more sensitive to her disposition. I've also sought ways to gently encourage Barbara to open up-and she's learning to take more risks as well.
Although we've been married since 1972, we are still learning how to love one another perfectly so that fear never has a grip in our lives.
Prayer:
That just as you want your faith and trust in God to grow, you can grow as a couple to trust each other completely and feel safe with each other.
Discuss: How are you different from your mate? How can these differences be handled in a way that makes your relationship a totally safe "environment" for each other?
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Is There a Minister in the House
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Posted:Aug 6, 2009 12:27 pm
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1714 Views
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Is There a Minister in the House? Titus 1:6
If any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
Is there a minister at your house? The apostle Paul wanted elders in the church who could also minister the gospel to their own households.When I suggest to fathers that they are to be ministers to their families, they tend to shy away, thinking I mean they have to be accomplished theologians and do a lot of eloquent praying before meals. But that's not what being a family minister is all about.
By being there and making your family a priority, you'll find plenty of opportunities to minister to your by showing them what's really important in life. I'm learning to take advantage of the "teachable moments" when my are open to spiritual truth.
Years ago I was cuddled up next to our Ashley on the lower bunk at bedtime. Somehow we found ourselves discussing the second coming of Christ. I told her, "Yes, Jesus is coming back, and He's going to take all those with Jesus in their hearts with Him, and it's going to be fantastic."
Ashley had received Christ, but she wondered about her brother Benjamin. "When it comes time for him to invite Jesus into his heart, he'll do that," I said.
Benjamin was lying in the upper bunk, and he popped his head over the edge. "Dad, tomorrow would you tell me how to invite Jesus into my heart?" he asked.
So the next day he, too, made a profession of faith. And his very next words were, "Daddy, could we play ball?"
I couldn't know at that time whether Benjamin had made a true, life-changing commitment to Christ. But the fact was that when he was interested, I was there.
Prayer:
Pray that you will be able to embody the essentials of being a minister, especially "being there," in your family life.
Discuss: As a father, do you find it difficult to discuss spiritual matters with your family? In what other ways can you "minister" to your family? Have you found a good time, such as bedtime, for having heart-to-heart conversations?
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The Great Cover-Up( Part Two)
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Posted:Aug 5, 2009 8:40 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1659 Views
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The Great Cover-Up (Part Two) 1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.
This passage shows that the ultimate level of communication, in which we know fully as we are known, is reserved for heaven. But by God's grace, we can begin to reverse "The Great Cover-Up" even in this life-by growing in our ability to be vulnerable, open and transparent with those we love.Like most skills, you have to start at the bottom and work up to transparency. Author John Powell described this process in his excellent book Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? He observed five stages or levels of communication.
Most people start at level five-sharing mere clichTs. We might call this "elevator talk," in which you speak, but share nothing: "Hello, how are you?" and "Have a nice day."
Moving up to the fourth level involves sharing facts. You are willing to report what you know, or what so-and-so said, but you share nothing of yourself.
At level three, people reveal opinions-their ideas, judgments and viewpoints. At this level you finally start to come out of your shell and reveal a little of who you are. You risk disagreement or even rejection, so you are very careful at this stage, ready to retreat.
You begin to share emotions at level two. Now you are definitely coming out of the closet and letting the other person know just what you are feeling. Again, this is risky business and you must be careful not to hurt each other, but it is an essential step if families are to live beyond superficiality.
Level one is transparency-being completely open with each other, sharing the real you, from the heart. Of course this level of communication requires a large amount of trust and commitment. When you reach the transparency level, you can begin to know even as you are known.
Prayer:
As you pray, think of how intimately God knows you. Ask Him to help your family members grow in their abilities to really know and accept each other.
Discuss: Compare how you rated your family's level of communication in yesterday's devotional with the five stages described here. Discuss how you can move toward deeper, more meaningful communication.
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The Great Cover-Up( Part One)
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Posted:Aug 4, 2009 12:24 pm
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1712 Views
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The Great Cover-Up (Part One) Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Nothing is as easy as talking; nothing is as difficult as communicating. Good communication is a longed-for luxury in all kinds of relationships, but it is especially essential in families. And one of the most basic requirements for good communication-transparency-is hinted at in the Scripture above.Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were the picture of true transparency. Not only were they uncovered physically; they had nothing to hide emotionally. But after the Fall, "The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings" (Gen. 3 ).
This is the beginning of "The Great Cover-Up." Many people diligently continue the practice to this day. They spend a great deal of time and energy acquiring fatades and veneers in order to hide their insecurities and fears.
Transparency can be very threatening, especially for men. For example, many men believe that to be so vulnerable that they shed tears openly is a sign of weakness. They have been taught that men are to be strong, self-contained and invincible. Fortunately, this pattern has been changing in recent years.
Paul modeled transparency when he wrote to the Corinthians, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you" (2 Cor. 2:4). Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (see John 11:35), and lamented His rejection by hard-hearted Jerusalem (see Luke 13:34).
Reversing "The Great Cover-Up" and becoming open and dropping your guard with others can be risky. It requires a high level of trust, and the willingness to accept the other person no matter what his or her transparency reveals. But the rewards of transparency make it worth the risk. True intimacy is enjoyed only by those who are willing to be seen as they really are.
Prayer:
Ask God to enable you to be transparent with Him. Pray that a deeper level of this openness can be incorporated in your marriage and family.
Discuss: Why does being transparent involve risks? On a scale of one to five, with one at the top, how would you rate the level of transparency in your family? When have you been the most transparent in your marriage?
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What Value Are You Communicating?
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Posted:Aug 3, 2009 10:26 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1735 Views
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What Values Are You Communicating? by Barbara Rainey Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt.
As a wife and mother, I often ask myself, "What values are being communicated by what Barbara Rainey says?"I heard the crashing sound of the Hummell figurine, and my mind raced back to my grandmother. She had purchased the "Little Apple Girl" back in the early 1930s when she was in Germany. I had received it after her death, and of course it was very valuable to me.
I'll never forget the day I saw an ad in the newspaper saying that "Little Apple Girl" was worth $15,000. I put ours up high in our bedroom-supposedly in a safe spot. (Later, we found out that our figurine was much smaller-worth only $150!) But as I heard it break that day, I knew that "Little Apple Girl" had developed a split personality. I felt like wringing the boys' necks-I had just reminded them they couldn't play ball in the house.
When I arrived at the scene of the crime I found the guilty party, Samuel (then age four), sheepishly awaiting his sentencing. I told him to go sit on his bed because he was going to get a spanking. I picked up the pieces of my Apple Girl. Holding them in my hand, I went to Samuel's room, took his precious blue-eyed, blond-haired face in my other hand and said, "Samuel, do you see this?" His eyes became little blue saucers, probably wondering whether his fate would be electrocution or hanging.
He nodded. His eyes met mine and I made my point: "I want you to know, Samuel Rainey, that I love you more than this." Glancing down at the remnants I cradled in my hand, I went on: "And I love you enough to spank you for disobeying me."
Dennis said he was really proud of me for the values that scene represented. It would have been so easy for me to have overreacted! I don't know if Samuel will remember that day or not. But I do thank God for His power that enabled me to model for Samuel values worth imitating.
Prayer:
Ask God, the Source of all true values, to help you model His standards and to instill them in your .
Discuss: What values do you think young Samuel learned from this event? What values do you want to communicate to your ?
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Setting Yourself Free
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Posted:Jul 31, 2009 10:42 am
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1636 Views
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Setting Yourself Free 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Is your daily life free from the mistakes and sins of the past? Do you have difficulty letting go of your feelings about people who have hurt you? If so, consider completing a project we gave a woman a number of years ago.Mary was bitter. She was angry at her parents for the neglect she felt as a and at her husband for his inconsistencies. To help Mary put aside her bitterness, we told her to begin by writing a detailed explanation of how her parents had wronged her and how that had made her feel. She also listed disappointment after disappointment in her relationship with her husband.
When she finished her list of grievances, she read it aloud. Seeing her anger on paper and hearing it in her own words gripped her, and she began to cry.
Through her tears, Mary bowed her head and prayed, "Forgive me, God. What I've written here is sin. You've commanded me to honor my parents; I haven't. Instead, I've harbored anger against them for 25 years.
"Forgive me, too," she went on, "for my unloving spirit and critical attitude toward my husband."
When she finished, a great relief swept over her. Mary then took a large red pen and printed across each of the three pages in bold letters the words of 1 John 1:9 (above).
She smiled as she crumpled up those sheets of paper. Then she walked outside, dug a shallow hole and dropped the sheets into it. She lit a match and set the pages on fire. Mary then covered the ashes with dirt until the hole was filled and piled seven rocks on top.
Today, when the old bitterness attempts to burst through the soil of her life and she is tempted to look back, she looks at her rock pile. It reminds her that her sins are forgiven and buried.
Prayer:
Privately, confess any sin to God and thank Him for cleansing you and forgiving all your iniquities.
Discuss: What things from your past need to be buried and remembered no more?
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SERENITY
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Posted:Jul 30, 2009 1:47 pm
Last Updated:Dec 16, 2025 3:40 pm 1713 Views
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SERENITY
"In quietness and trust
is your strength."
Isaiah 30:15
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART
My , deep below the turbulent ocean's depths is a region marked by silence and serenity. Likewise, nestled deep in the eye of the "storms" you face is a place of rest. For wherever I am, there you can find serenity. No matter what is going on in your life, regardless of the confusion around you, I never change. And I will give you that peace for the asking.
A GRATEFUL RESPONSE
Lord, Your serenity calms my spirit daily. In the quiet moments of my life, I find the strength to persevere. In the silent spaces of my heart where You speak, faith finds a resting place. Thinking of You chases every worry and fear away and brings peace in every situation.
SIMPLE TRUTH
In the eye of the storm, God whispers peace to our hearts.
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