The Influence of Faith

By Carin LeRoy –

 

When my husband was a young man serving in the military, he went home on leave to see family and friends.  He visited with one of his buddies that had grown up with him in the neighborhood. His friend had since become a Christian and began sharing about his new faith. Later when my husband began searching for truth, he thought about that friend’s conversation. He found a Bible and began the journey of reading Scripture. My husband realized his need for Christ.

Being a witness and influencing others for Christ is an important part of our Christian life. Sometimes it’s not just a conversation with someone, but also our lifestyle that attracts others to Christ. Abraham was a man of great influence and witness– not only to the nations around him but also to his household. In Genesis, we can see how Abraham influenced his servant for Christ.

Desiring to find a good wife for his son, Isaac, Abraham asked his most trusted servant to go back to his homeland to search for a wife.  “Go to my relatives,” he told the servant. Then he gave explicit instructions on how he should look for a wife and made him swear to follow his directives. As the servant traveled to that distant homeland, I’m sure he felt overwhelmed at the responsibility. Rather than believe in his own ability to make the right choice, he chose to do what he had seen Abraham do many times. He prayed to his master’s God.

“Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today…’” (Genesis 24:12 NIV).

We know that prayer was answered. God orchestrated the perfect events that led the servant to make the right choice for Isaac’s wife.  After finding her, he bowed and worshipped God.  He realized that Abraham’s God was real because he experienced how his own prayer had been answered. This became the point of his own belief in God.

Do others realize that we have a personal relationship with Christ? Is our lifestyle a witness and are we consistent in our walk with God?  As we go through each day, let’s remember how important it is that our lives be a testimony to those around us who may not know Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be a witness for You. Give me boldness to share my faith with others. Help me to have a lifestyle that will draw others to Christ.

“Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.  He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, “Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,” and she says, “Drink, and I’ll water your camels too”—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.’

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor” (Genesis 24:10-15 NIV).

The Perfect Bargain

By Carin LeRoy –

Five years ago while planning my daughter’s wedding, we were on a tight budget. I needed to watch every penny to help her plan the big day. She chose burgundy as her color theme. As I planned the decorations, I wondered how I could use the color theme on the tables without over-spending. On a drive back home across town one Saturday, I had the thought to stop in Wal-Mart and check out their bargain material table. Being tired from running errands all day, I dismissed it.

However, the thought persisted. Stop at Wal-Mart and look at their material.

I stopped, walked to the back of the store, and rummaged through their discounted material. In the piles I found a shiny delicate material that would be beautiful for runners on the tables. It was a match for the color my daughter had chosen.  I was thrilled when I walked away with all they had—fifteen yards of material for $15.00!

The Lord’s prompting can be just a still voice that urges us to do something. Is it possible that God would care about such things in my life—like staying on budget? If He can offer us forgiveness, salvation, and an eternal home, can He also not help us with the details of our lives? I believe so.  When I obeyed His promptings that day and walked away with the perfect material to accent the tables, I am sure He smiled.

The majority of our lives is consumed with details and the process of day to day living. The Lord desires to sharpen our sensitivity to His Spirit as we move through each new day.  Learning daily awareness of His promptings allows Him to prepare and lead us through more challenging situations that may come. Responding to Him offers many blessings as we seek to listen to His voice. Remember, God cares about the small things. Let’s watch for His hand and enjoy His presence in our lives.

PRAYER: Thank You that You are a God that cares about the details of my life. Help me to listen for Your promptings and see Your hand in my life.  Give me a heart that watches for and experiences Your presence daily.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

Harmful Hesitation

By Carin LeRoy –

We all know the story about the frog in the pot of water. If a frog is placed in hot water, he will jump out. But if you put him in a pot of cold water and gently turn on the heat, he will adjust to the heat until it boils him to death. As he sits comfortably in his surroundings, he never realizes that it will ultimately destroy him. I don’t know if that story is true, but it can apply to life’s circumstances. As Christians we can become hardened to sin, comfortable in our surroundings, or influenced in ways that are harmful before we even recognize it.

In Genesis 19 we read about Lot who lived in Sodom. When two angels went to meet with Lot to warn him to leave, they found him sitting at the city gate. In Biblical times, the entrance to the city served several purposes—to conduct business and legal transactions, to proclaim public announcements and to address community issues. Lot was sitting at the gate, most likely, because he had become an important person in the city, possibly a judge. Therefore, he had high ranking as a leader in the city.

When God chose to destroy the city because of its flagrant sinfulness, Lot hesitated to leave (Genesis 19:16). The angels grabbed him by the hand and took him, his wife and two daughters and led them out of the city to save their lives. He faltered leaving even when warned that judgment was coming. Perhaps family members or friends were left behind, but I also wonder if he had become attached to his position of influence and so hardened to sin around him that those influenced his indecision. It was time for him to leave or he would be destroyed, too.

Sometimes God tells us, “It’s time to go. This is no longer a good situation for you.” When we hear that, do we listen or do we hesitate like Lot? Do you rationalize saying, “I can still be a witness,” or “I like my important position”? Maybe it’s, “I’m doing good things here and trying to be an influence”. But if God has told us to go and we choose to hesitate, will we suffer even greater consequences?

God sees situations that are harmful for us and will send us warnings if we are open to His leading. Don’t get stuck in a bad place if God has clearly shown you to remove yourself. Trust Him with the next step.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, that you see and know everything. Thank You that You see harmful situations in my life. Help me to listen to Your voice when you warn me. Give me a heart to obey You without hesitation.

“So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33 NIV).

Family Quarrels

By Carin LeRoy –

Family quarrels are nothing new. They’ve happened for centuries. Unfortunately, conflict among siblings, parents, and relatives are a part of life. How we handle them can either build or break down the relationship. In Genesis 13, we read about Abram (Abraham) and his nephew, Lot. Both men were wealthy with large families, servants and flocks. As they traveled together through the Negev, arguments soon broke out among their herdsmen. Disputes arose between their workers because the land was not able to sustain both of their herds.

As the leader of the family, Abram made a decision.

“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left’” (Genesis 13:8-9 NIV).

He decided to let Lot choose first which land he preferred—land to the left or right. Lot took a long look at the land. He saw the fertile well-watered land of the Jordan Valley to the east and chose the best for himself. As leader of the family, Abram had every “right” to choose first, but instead he gave the decision to his nephew. Relationship was more important to him than his position to choose, and resolving the conflict between them was of greater importance. Peace within his family went before his personal rights and desires. He was willing to sacrifice the best of the land for the sake of harmony with his nephew.

Giving up our rights and desires must happen sometimes in order to create peace within the family. Roman 14:19 says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (NIV). We can trust God with the outcome when our “rights” are given away to resolve conflict. Christ gave up his position in heaven to be born as a man to suffer the humiliation of the cross and provide a solution for man’s conflict with God. In our families, sacrifice may be required of us for the sake of harmony. Lot’s selfish decision came back to hurt him later, but God blessed Abram with an incredible promise afterward. We are never the loser when we choose God’s way of peace.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for my family. When conflict arises, give me a discerning heart to choose how to resolve it—even if that means a sacrifice on my part. Help me to be a leader in creating peace and harmony with those I love the most.

“The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you” (Genesis 13:14-17 NIV).

Prayer Promptings

By Carin LeRoy –

Last week my husband was driving home from work during a rainstorm when our SUV tires started slipping on the wet road. Several times going speeds of 40-50 mph, the tires stopped gripping the road and the car started hydroplaning. My husband took the car in the next day to have the more worn tires in the front rotated to the back. New tires weren’t needed yet, so a rotation seemed to be all that was necessary to fix the problem. While the car was on the lift the mechanic said, “Look at these tires. The treads are separating; you definitely need new tires.” One hour and $700 later we sported news tires along with an unexpected expense.

Earlier that week we had driven 800 miles on those same tires in the rain. Yet the car did not hydroplane at higher speeds on the interstate. Later, while telling my daughter the story, she said, “I had this sense all day while you were driving that I needed to pray, and I didn’t relax until I knew you were home.”

Many times in life I have seen God’s hand of protection. Had we hydroplaned on the highway going 70 mph, disastrous results could have followed. The Lord prompting my daughter to pray all day could be what saved us from a terrible accident. James says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness” (James 5:16 NET).

Years ago while serving on the mission field, an older godly lady wrote a letter telling us she had prayed all night for us. God would not let her sleep, and her burden for us was heavy. She had a sense that it involved snakes. Weeks later when we received her letter, we couldn’t pinpoint the timing exactly, but we lived in an area with deadly and poisonous death adders. During our years there we had several dangerous encounters with them, yet God always protected us. Her prayers may have made the difference.

Do you ever feel prompted to pray? Does it become a nagging feeling in your heart and a burden in the day or night? Then pray. Even if it makes no sense, God must be desiring your prayers. Don’t ignore His voice. Whatever God has placed on your heart, pray until that burden subsides. God loves to involve us in His plans and purposes, and prayer is one of the important ways He engages us. Perhaps my daughter’s prayers saved us from a tragic accident. We won’t know this side of heaven, yet I believe we will be surprised to know all the ways God has used prayers to thwart evil, and to protect and help us. Let’s be diligent to heed the promptings of God when He asks us to pray.

PRAYER: Lord, teach me to pray. Give me the desire to pray more and to obey the promptings You place on my heart. Give me the diligence and understanding to heed Your voice in prayer when You speak.

QUOTE: “Prayer is God’s settled and singular condition to move ahead His Son’s kingdom. Therefore, the believer who is the most highly skilled in prayer will do the most for God. Men are to pray—to pray for the advance of God’s cause. The one who can wield the power of prayer is the strong one, the holy one, in Christ’s kingdom. He is one of God’s heroes, God’s saints, God’s servants, God’s agents. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you,” (Matthew 7:7 NET). The strongest one in Christ’s kingdom is he who can knock the best, and the secret of success in Christ’s kingdom is the ability to pray,” E.M. Bounds in Prayer.

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