Pure Hell

I am writing this devotion just to get it off my chest. I invite you to give your thoughts in the "comments" section. When I read the testimony of Elizabeth Smart and learn of the pure hell her captor put her through, first of all, I realize I have no problems that can even compare. Second, how could a person possibly be so cruel to another human being? How could that monster completely rob that little 14-year old baby of her life? And this question hurts to ask: How could a loving, caring God ALLOW that child to go through such horror? I know it is not my place to question God, and I also know He lets people make up their own minds. I understand it was not God's fault, but why would He allow it to happen?

I love the Lord and believe He will "fix" humanity one day. It almost makes me think I am sinning to ask God why He would allow this to happen, for He is perfect and none of us come close to understanding His perfect ways. But He also gave me a brain and a heart. Doesn't He understand that sometimes we can be so over-whelmed by grief that we may ask such questions? Is it alright for us to be "upset with God" during these times?

Forgive Me, Forgive Me Not

I have a friend (we'll call him John) who is constantly deciding to start all over. Do you know what I mean? He decides to do everything for Christ, then after a little while, he back-slides. Soon after, he will ask everyone to forgive him and then start the whole process over. It's like he can't stay on the right path long before something comes along and derails him. Gosh, how many times will I continue to fall for his "I'm sorry, please forgive me" line? How many "just one more chances" do I give him? The fact is, as a human, I may number those "one more chances" that I allow him, and one of these times, it will be just too late; I will give up. I can't keep going through this time and time again. Do you blame me?

Our Jesus goes through this "on again, off again" process with every single one of us to some degree or another. We may not be able to forgive others 100 times, but Jesus sure does. Thank God for that! So if you are like John, and I think we all probably are, then rest assured that Jesus forgives us EVERY SINGLE time we ask Him. Don't worry if other people won't keep forgiving you; that is their problem. God does! And to show our appreciation for that, we should really work on forgiving others...no matter how many times they ask.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:14, "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you."

Father, forgive me of all my sins. Thank-you for being a gracious God. Please help me to forgive all others. In Jesus name, Amen.

He Has The Power To Save

I have a serious concern that I am sure everyone reading this devotion can relate to. I have someone in my family who has chosen NOT to accept Christ. This person has so completely shut out the idea, that he has asked me to no longer talk about anything that has to do with religion. I must honor his wishes. All I can really do now is just keep loving him and praying for him. It is truly a decision that he has to make on his own. I can only hope that God will stir his heart when the time is right.

You know, we have always been told to just turn everything over to God and let him shoulder our burdens. But as humans, we can't help but to worry ourselves sick in situations like this. I know I sure have worried about it, and I am sure I will continue to worry about it. Do you have someone you are also worried about? We have to remember all the miracles God has performed over the years and believe that He can also handle this situation. The Bible teaches us that when we accepted Christ, it was only because the Holy Spirit drew us unto Him. We can not take any credit for our decision. That Truth does give me some comfort to think that maybe my loved one has not accepted Christ, not because he has chosen that path, but because God hasn't drawn him in yet. I pray that He will...soon.

John 6:44 says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

Father, thank you for drawing me and allowing me to be a Christian. I pray for those who may still be waiting. In Jesus name, Amen.

Still In Command

In a time when our President has all but turned us into a Socialist nation, in a time when terrorist rule the world, in a time where the gay agenda is Top Story, it's good to know that our Lord and Savior is still in command. Are these the bad days the Bible warns us about? Only time will tell. But I am thankful I still have Jesus to comfort me...no matter what times we may be in.

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

Father, please keep us from evil. In Jesus name, Amen.

Confirmation

I just want to confirm my faith in humanity. Today, one of my students stole my phone from my top desk drawer at school. I do not know who it was, but I forgive him. Oh, it hurt me deeply. But God reminded me that MOST of the blame should be placed on Satan, not just on the person. Satan causes all of us to make some poor decisions. Well, at least he has caused me to make some. So whomever you are, I forgive you, and so does our sweet Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:14, "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Father, forgive them...and forgive me. Keep us all safely away from Satan. In Jesus name, Amen.

Are You Ready?

I am absolutely sick! It just ran right out in front of me. All I can think about now is some little boy or girl crying over their puppy. Gosh, what an awful feeling! But it did get me to thinking:

We don't know when our time will come, but we all must be ready for it. I don't really know how one plans for such a thing physically, but I certainly know how the Bible says we should plan for it spiritually: We must accept Christ and make Him Lord! Do you have life insurance? Do you have everlasting life insurance?

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Father, forgive me. In Jesus name, Amen.

He's Gone Country

God has led me to a major change in my life. For the past 6 years, I have been hosting an Oldies request show on Saturday nights. I have enjoyed doing that show very much. But I have accepted an offer to change stations and host a different request show. Starting Saturday, Sept 4th, I will be hosting the debut of Big Dog Saturday Night on 96.9 in Dothan. It will be a Country music request show. This is a real big deal. The station is huge!! It is the number 1 station in the market, with tens of thousands of listeners! As far as radio goes in this area, 96.9 is the big time. It is like I have been called up to the Major Leagues. I have been blessed with 23 years in the radio business. I have worked at several stations over that 23-year span, but I find myself more excited about this opportunity than any others I have ever had in radio. God is awesome! Although I have to admit to being nervous about the challenge, I am certain that God will see me through it.

I am so proud to serve Jesus Christ! Even in my bad times, He has always been right there leading me by the hand. To me, I have a wonderful life. God blessed me with the most incredible daughter in the world, He gave me an extremely rewarding career as a high school and college math teacher, and now He has led me to a point in my radio career that, honestly, I never thought I would be. It is nearly 1 in the morning, and I have to be up at 6. I am so excited about what He has done that I can't even sleep. I had to jump on here and share it all with you. As I close tonight's devotion, I encourage you to reflect on the things God has given you. I know it seems so much easier to focus on the things we don't have, but God promised that if we put Him first, all those other things will come at the right time. I have never believed that nearly as much as I do at this very moment. Thank-you Sweet Jesus!

Psalm 95:1 says, "Oh come, let us sing unto the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our Salvation"

Father, you've done it again! I don't deserve half of what you have given me. Thank you for this new opportunity you have placed before me. I could not have gotten here without You, and I know I can only be successful because of You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Back To School

For the teachers in Dothan City Schools, it is back to work today. The summer is over. It is always sad to see that nice, long vacation come to an end. But the arrival of the new school year does bring exciting new opportunities from God. I wanted to share what God has done to me over this past summer. When the school-year ended, the math teacher with the highest amount of seniority in the department retired after 35 incredible years of teaching. That put me at the top in seniority of the math department. I have waited patiently for her good classes, and expected to get those classes once she retired. Well, I didn't. In fact, instead of getting any upper-level classes, I got below-level ones. At first I was angry, but then realized that is was not anger as much as it was hurt feelings. Everyone wants to feel like they are moving up at work. And after 15 years of waiting, my time had come. But I was moved down instead and it crushed my spirit. As I thought back over my performance from the previous year, it was easy to see why I hadn't moved up at all. Most of the year, I carried a bad attitude, fussed at everything I was asked to do, and just generally had a bad year. Would I have given myself the upper-level classes if I had been in the Principal's shoes? Honestly, I don't think I could have.

So after some serious praying and asking all parties to forgive me, I started the summer with the attitude that I got the classes that God allowed me to get, and He doesn't make mistakes. Over the summer, I was asked to tutor some needy students for a 2-week period, and I immediately accepted. Then a week later, I was asked to go to a conference out of town for 5 days. Again, I did not hesitate. Some time after returning from the conference, my principal complimented me and how much of a change he had seen in my attitude in just a short time. I told him that God straightened me out. I want you to know, while I was at school yesterday, "certain unforeseen circumstances" occurred, and as a result, my schedule was changed to include two of the highest-level courses that the school offers. I was so shocked and excited! One may call it a coincidence. However, we who trust in Jesus know there are no coincidences. I totally believe God stepped in and helped me get those classes, but only after I admitted my bad attitude and asked Him to fix it for me. I just love Jesus! What is it that He can't do? I know this "miracle" only pales in comparison to others. But to me, it is a perfectly clear sign that God still helps those who love Him.

Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve"

Father, thank-you for continuing to be real in my everyday life. Please give me the strength to continue back to writing these daily devotions. In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith Hall of Fame

The Bible is full of people who had an extraordinary amount of faith. If I asked you to list 5 people from the Bible who had tons of faith, whom would you list? Job? Mary? Moses? How about Paul or Daniel? No doubt, these would certainly make the "Faith Hall of Fame" But I want to talk about one whom you may or may not have thought about. What do you think about Noah's amount of faith? Here was a man preaching to the people that a giant flood was coming to destroy everything on earth. More than just preaching it, he also started building a giant boat to prepare for it. In fact, the boat he was building was larger than the biggest body of water in the area. It would have been impossible for the ark to navigate the entire length of the Euphrates River. At the time he started building the ark, Noah was already around 500 years old. The people must have thought he was just an old mental case, especially when one considers that the flood did not happen right away. Noah slaved for 120 years on the ark before the flood actually began. 120 years? Would you have thought he was just an old fool? I know I would have.

God tells us that it is impossible to please Him without faith. How much faith do we really have? I know it is easy to say that we have a lot of faith, but do we actually have as much as Noah or any of those other Bible Hall of Famers? If placed in the terrible position and situations that some of these Bible people were placed, would we still be preaching the Mighty name of Jesus? I guess there is really no way to answer that question. How would we really know how we would react to something unless it happened to us personally? What tough situation are you facing at this hour? Do you have enough faith? If you do, then you know it is only a matter of time before God intervenes and pulls you through it. If you don't have enough faith, then ask God to strengthen it for you. I continue to discover that there is no situation or road that I can go down from which my Lord won't come to get me. Pray for faith! There is an old saying, "I hope my ship comes in before my dock rots". God's time is perfect time. Ask Him for more faith right now.

Revelation 2:10 says, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Lord, please help me to stay faithful and to continue believing that You will soon turns things in my favor. In Jesus name, Amen.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, America! The smell of fireworks and BBQ grills filled the air in my neighborhood last night. The 4th of July is a happy celebration for us all. Over the past couple days, the History Channel has been showing a variety of Independence Day-type shows. I got a chance to watch a few this past weekend. It is a wonder we even have an opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July. How those first few American soldiers fought off the mighty British, we may never truly know. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and in most cases, out-smarted, somehow our soldiers fought through and were victorious. If you get a chance, go back and read some of the stories of the Revolution and see how much luck played on the side of the Americans. Actually, I believe it was more than luck. We don't say "God bless America" for nothing. When you look at just how unlikely it was for us to win, you soon come to the inevitable conclusion that God was on our side!

But how much longer will He be on our side? How much further away will He allow this country to push Him? I don't think Hurricane Katrina, 9-11, or the BP oil spill were random events. I think God is saying the same thing those Verizon phone commercials say--"Can you hear me now?" He has been sending us several warnings, but the powers-that-be in this country are not heeding His warnings. Are we personally listening to God? Are we living our lives in a way that reflect the Goodness of God? I try so hard not to be hypocritical. It does no good for me to fuss and complain about our government's lack of love for the Lord when I don't show it as much as I should either. This is a problem that has to be addressed individually. If each one of us would turn completely to God, maybe our government would too. There is strength in numbers. I know how unlikely it seems that our government will ever publicly turn to God. But remember just how unlikely it was that we defeated the mighty British. God, bless America.

Father, thank you for allowing us to live in a free country. Remind us everyday that it is because of You, and not because of us, that we are truly free. In Jesus name, Amen.