What’s in Your Wallet?

By Robin J. Steinweg –

I attended one of those parties. You know, the ones where you can purchase interior décor, candles, jewelry or kitchenware in the comfort of a friend’s home. At this one, the guests were strangers to each other. To break the ice, the hostess had us play a game.

What’s in Your Wallet (or purse)? The owner of the most unusual item would be asked to explain its presence and would win a nifty grapefruit slicer.

It’s surprising what shows up in wallets and purses. Thirty-year-old ticket stubs, dead batteries, used string, a spoon, whistle, needle nosed pliers, shoelaces, an unfinished cross stitch project…

I pulled out a bullet shell-casing. Here’s the story I told as I accepted my prize:
My cousin Jay, a military man, died in his forties. Cousin Edie asked me to sing at his funeral. I carefully avoided giving in to grief so I wouldn’t be a mess when the time came. The graveside ceremony followed, with three rifle volleys, the playing of Taps, and a soldier presenting the folded casket flag to Edie. The family walked back to the church but I lingered a few moments, finally releasing some tears.

Outside the cemetery gates, one of the honor guard huffed to catch up with me. “Ma’am?” I turned around.

“Would you please take this, Ma’am?” He placed the bullet casing into my palm, turned, and trotted back to his outfit. I stood, turning the casing over and over. It was empty.

That’s when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. Your cousin is not here. In the casket is only the empty shell that housed him for awhile. Because of his faith in the Son of God, he lives. You will see him again.

I carried that casing around in my purse for years to remind me of Christ’s victory over death. I got to share the gospel of Jesus Christ whenever it rolled out. So now I ask you: What’s in your wallet? Is there something that gives you a reason to talk about what Jesus did for you? Don’t leave home without it.

PRAYER: Lord, what a great hope and future You have for us! Reveal to us if there’s something tangible we can carry with us that might open opportunities to share Your gospel.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15b).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

Beyond Understanding

By Cheri Cowell –

“Can you tell me that my son has gone to heaven?” the mother asked the hospital chaplain.

Not knowing the family, and only knowing that the boy had committed suicide, the chaplain looked deeply into the soul of the seeking mother’s eyes. What do I tell her? What is the right thing to say, Lord? “Tell me about your son,” the chaplain tenderly said.

As the mother poured out her heart about the life of her only child, she heard within her own words the answer to her question, and the chaplain was once again reminded that true wisdom isn’t always the textbook answer. God’s answers sometimes carry wisdom that is beyond our understanding.

This Scripture is the first account of the use of Solomon’s gift of wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom or discernment, not wealth. God was pleased with his request and gave him an abundance of wisdom. The dilemma Solomon found himself in with these two mothers would have been difficult for anyone, yet Solomon knew he possessed something outside of himself that would make all the difference. Often the solution to our own dilemmas is not logical, easily seen, or reasoned. But when the solution comes from God we will know, for His solutions are perfect.

PRAYER: Praise God for Your perfect wisdom. Help me seek Your wisdom when it would be easier to rely upon my own logic, reason, or understanding. Thank You for always providing wisdom that is beyond my understanding but not Yours.

“When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions” (1 Kings 3:28 NET).

Today’s devotion is by Cheri Cowell, who writes and speaks on topics of Christian discipleship. In addition to her books and articles, you can learn about her speaking ministry and sign up to receive her daily devotional at www.CheriCowell.com

The Cry of a Woman’s Heart

By Donna McCrary –

Look closely men, because you may not be hearing the real cry of your woman’s heart. As women, we are much more independent than our mothers and grandmothers. We are more educated. We take care of the kids and their overwhelmingly busy schedules. We are more than confident in our choices. We have this whole wife, mother, career woman thing figured out and we don’t need anyone telling us otherwise.

Men, open your eyes and see past our facade. It is a mask we wear! It is the defense we hold on to. That is what society expects of us as independent women and we can’t let “them” down.

The real cry is the lyrics from Sanctus Real’s song Lead Me, “Lead me with strong hands, stand up when I can’t, show me you are willing to fight, that I am the love of your life, I don’t want to feel alone.” Deep down we want and need you to be our leader. We were created by God to be your helpmate not independent (alone).

We need you to lead us in the ways of God’s Word, remind us of His promises, teach us His great love and show us His grace and forgiveness.

We need you to stand up and fight. We need you to confront us on our values and our priorities. We need you to challenge us to put aside the ways of this world and to focus on the eternal. We need you to protect us and help us take off the mask that we hold on to so tightly.

You are the only one that can truly love us unconditionally here on this earth and we need that love… oh, how we long for that love.

Let us make this clear and give you a warning. We will not give up our independence easily. It is our comfort, our defense. This is our cry but we have to believe you are willing to go the distance in this fight. We will try to stop you because it makes us vulnerable but we need you to fight for us. We need you to be strong.

Men, hear our cry! Make Sanctus Real’s lyrics your battle song, “Father, give me the strength to be everything I’m called to be. Oh, Father, show me the way to lead them.”

PRAYER: “God, we ask for Your mighty hand to give us the strength to take a stand for our marriages today.”

“So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at: www.walkofpurpose.com

The Green Iceberg

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Monstrous chunks of ice littered the seascape. Balmy weather had resulted in pieces of the glacier breaking off and drifting into open water creating oversized ice cubes with jagged edges, pinnacle spires and a glossy sheen. Icebergs, though magnificent to behold, create a menacing and deadly reality. If seaman only had to concern themselves with the ice that towers above the water surface, these icebergs would need nothing more than their brief attention. But, it is the enormous mass (almost 90% of the iceberg) that looms below the dark surface which poses the greatest risk and requires serious attention.

There is a matter of the heart that presents itself as an iceberg in our lives. We may show glimpses of it occasionally, but most of the time the bulk of this sin looms deep in the darkness of our hearts and minds. This iceberg has a green tinge to it. This sin that threatens our environment, our relationships and our soul is envy.

The wise King Solomon knew of the disastrous effect when he wrote “envy rots the soul” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). Socrates called envy the ulcer of the soul, and C.S. Lewis referred to it as “the most odious of vices.” Our propensity to compare ourselves to others produces either a prideful superiority or self-debasement. At times we may verbalize these comparisons, but public scrutiny usually keeps these thoughts deep in our hearts and minds. Unfortunately, the relational effect is not hidden. Envy rips apart friendships, lacerates trust and erodes love for others, self and God.

As Christ followers who desire to have an inner spirit that reflects our Savior, we must melt the iceberg of envy. What’s the best way to get rid of ice? Sunshine and salt. Allow God’s light to expose the rot of envy beneath the surface. Let His word be the salt that directs you to love and respect others. Look for the good in others, celebrating who they are, their uniqueness and accomplishments. This will produce a much safer relational environment.

Beware! Icebergs may look harmless above the water surface, but danger looms below. Comparison may make us feel good, but envy destroys our relationships and soul. Let some sunshine and salt bring about a change.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You see my heart. Illuminate for me the relationships and situations where envy has taken root and help me to celebrate each person You bring across my path.

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original” (Galatians 5:25-26 The Message).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

Everyone Needs Compassion

By Gina Stinson –

According to the dictionary, compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

Over the last few years, God has really been working on softening my heart. I’ve been a pretty cut-and-dry kind of girl most of my life, but when I get into God’s Word I notice that Jesus handled so many situations very personally. He connected differently with the woman at the well, the leper, Nicodemus and even His own mother. No two interactions were the same. But, His goal was the same: to draw them closer to Himself. He was compassionate.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to be part of a non-profit and my eyes and heart were opened to the many situations in which people find themselves needing help. Whether it was a physical, spiritual or emotional need, some of these people where just looking for compassion. More recently, I spent a few moments with a young mother who just buried her twenty-week premature baby and, I assure you, she needs compassion. An elderly widow who I’ve had the honor of getting to know this summer also reminds me that she needs compassion.

Because this attitude only comes from the Lord, I’m so blessed to know He’s working on me. It’s a little uncomfortable sometimes. I find myself making sure I have tissues in my purse in case I need them—or someone else does. But more than tissues, I find myself needing to be equipped with God’s Word, so that in that moment, when God allows, I can speak His words of compassion over a friend, young mother, widow, needy, overwhelmed one that God places in my path.

In the last few years, Laura Story penned the words to the now well-known song, Mighty to Save. The first line says, “Everyone needs compassion, a love that’s never failing, let mercy fall on me.” I love nothing better than to hear my kids singing this loudly as we drive down the road. I think that’s how God must feel when He sees us demonstrating compassion to this hurting world.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for demonstrating the greatest compassion for mankind by sending Your Son to die for the world. Help me imitate Your nature as I walk in this harsh world. Help me be more like You.

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8 NIV).

This devotion was written by Gina Stinson, a minister’s wife and mother of two. Gina writes from a mom’s perspective on life issues, the home, and the church. There’s never a dull moment on her blog, http://journalinggina.blogspot.com , where you can always be sure to catch a word of encouragement or a thought to ponder.

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