By Cheri Bunch
Our son walked in the front door and began to walk into the kitchen when I heard the Lord speak. I said to him, “What is that book under your shirt?”
My husband looked up from eating his lunch with a puzzled look on his face. Josh, our son, had on a loose-fitting shirt with a jacket over it. The book hidden beneath was not visible outwardly, but I knew that it was there.
Josh pulled the book from underneath his shirt and handed it to me. “I want to read it, Mom. I knew you wouldn’t like it, so I hid it from you.”
The Lord wanted Josh to know that He can see the hidden things and He can disclose our secrets to others.
The Lord was also teaching me . . . teaching me to trust Him.
It is so easy to slip from discernment into suspicion. Many times I have been suspicious of what the kids were doing, what my husband’s intentions were or even about what my friends were thinking. My suspicious mind can conjure up just about anything!
I have found that it is so much better for everyone that I walk in discernment rather than in suspicion. (It’s also much more peaceful for me and those around me!) I have learned to ask the Lord for discernment and I am learning to trust Him to give it to me.
Discernment is an act of faith. Suspicion is a fruit of fear. Which one have you chosen to walk in?
Take it to prayer, friend. The Lord will equip you for every good work, including the work of discernment.
Ecclesiastes 8:5b “ . . . for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure” (NASV).
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Burdened to Pray
By Cheri Bunch
Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, grew up in a strong Christian home. As a child he was very determined to be a missionary and take the gospel into China, but he began to stray from the faith in his teen years. I would like to share a bit of his testimony taken from a book entitled Hudson Taylor and Maria: A Match Made in Heaven by John Pollock (Christian Focus, 1996). I love the way the Lord used Hudson’s mother illustrated in the excerpt below:
“A year later, in June 1849, his mother was away. One warm afternoon Amelia [his sister] was out and Hudson had nothing to do on a half-holiday. He looked idly over his father’s books and rummaged in a basket of popular ‘Gospel tracts.’ He picked one out, intending to read the story and skip the moral. He went into the barn behind the house and shop, curled up comfortably and began ‘in utterly unconcerned state of mind, with a distinct intention to put away the tract as soon as it should seem prosy.’
As he read, one sentence gripped him. Suddenly he realized that he approached religion from the wrong angle. He believed Christianity to be a dreary struggle to pay off bad deeds by good. He had long abandoned this struggle. He owed too much. He had gone into spiritual bankruptcy, paying a small dividend to his Divine Creditor in the shape of chapel attendance and of prayers rattled off at night, but with no hope of discharge; like most bankrupts he had sought to have a good time.
One sentence in the tract broke open his mind to a sudden certainty that Christ by His death upon the cross had already discharged this debt of sins. ‘And with this dawned the joyful conviction, as light was flashed into my soul by the Holy Spirit, that there was nothing in the world to be done but to fall down on one’s knees and accepting this Savior and His Salvation, to praise Him forevermore.’
No Luther, Bunyan or Wesley had a more complete sense of the rolling away of his burden, of light dismissing darkness, of rebirth and the close friendship of Christ, than Hudson Taylor on that June afternoon of 1849 at the age of seventeen.
Several days passed before he shyly told Amelia under seal of secrecy. At the return of his mother ten days afterwards he ran to the door ‘to tell her I had such glad news to give’. She replied as she hugged him, ‘I know, my boy. I have been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad tidings you have to tell me.’ Hudson was amazed. Had Amelia blabbed? His mother denied it. She said that eighty miles away, on the very day of the incident in the barn, she had felt such an overwhelming desire to pray for Hudson that she spent hours on her knees, and had arisen with the unshakeable conviction that her prayers were answered. ‘It was perhaps natural,’ Hudson wrote years later, ‘that from the commencement of my Christian life I was led to feel that prayer was in sober matter of fact transacting business with God.’ ”
What a testimony! I hope it encourages you as it has me!
Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, grew up in a strong Christian home. As a child he was very determined to be a missionary and take the gospel into China, but he began to stray from the faith in his teen years. I would like to share a bit of his testimony taken from a book entitled Hudson Taylor and Maria: A Match Made in Heaven by John Pollock (Christian Focus, 1996). I love the way the Lord used Hudson’s mother illustrated in the excerpt below:
“A year later, in June 1849, his mother was away. One warm afternoon Amelia [his sister] was out and Hudson had nothing to do on a half-holiday. He looked idly over his father’s books and rummaged in a basket of popular ‘Gospel tracts.’ He picked one out, intending to read the story and skip the moral. He went into the barn behind the house and shop, curled up comfortably and began ‘in utterly unconcerned state of mind, with a distinct intention to put away the tract as soon as it should seem prosy.’
As he read, one sentence gripped him. Suddenly he realized that he approached religion from the wrong angle. He believed Christianity to be a dreary struggle to pay off bad deeds by good. He had long abandoned this struggle. He owed too much. He had gone into spiritual bankruptcy, paying a small dividend to his Divine Creditor in the shape of chapel attendance and of prayers rattled off at night, but with no hope of discharge; like most bankrupts he had sought to have a good time.
One sentence in the tract broke open his mind to a sudden certainty that Christ by His death upon the cross had already discharged this debt of sins. ‘And with this dawned the joyful conviction, as light was flashed into my soul by the Holy Spirit, that there was nothing in the world to be done but to fall down on one’s knees and accepting this Savior and His Salvation, to praise Him forevermore.’
No Luther, Bunyan or Wesley had a more complete sense of the rolling away of his burden, of light dismissing darkness, of rebirth and the close friendship of Christ, than Hudson Taylor on that June afternoon of 1849 at the age of seventeen.
Several days passed before he shyly told Amelia under seal of secrecy. At the return of his mother ten days afterwards he ran to the door ‘to tell her I had such glad news to give’. She replied as she hugged him, ‘I know, my boy. I have been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad tidings you have to tell me.’ Hudson was amazed. Had Amelia blabbed? His mother denied it. She said that eighty miles away, on the very day of the incident in the barn, she had felt such an overwhelming desire to pray for Hudson that she spent hours on her knees, and had arisen with the unshakeable conviction that her prayers were answered. ‘It was perhaps natural,’ Hudson wrote years later, ‘that from the commencement of my Christian life I was led to feel that prayer was in sober matter of fact transacting business with God.’ ”
What a testimony! I hope it encourages you as it has me!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Weight of the Past
By Cheri Bunch
“… let us strip off every weight that slows us down …” Hebrews 12:1 (NLT).
Past failures had gripped my heart with a stranglehold.
I couldn’t find relief.
My spiritual life seemed to be suffocating from the grip my past failures had upon me.
I had made mistakes. Now my children were making mistakes. It was a result of my failure, wasn’t it?
I wanted my guilt to cradle me with comfort, but I only felt a steely coldness from its gaze.
My help was not in my guilt.
My help was in my God.
Finally I took hold of grace and let go of my guilt.
Instead of asking the Lord for the “ump-teenth” time to forgive me, I began to pray a proactive prayer.
“Lord, I have made huge mistakes as a parent. My heart is breaking with regret. I lay my regret and my guilt at Your feet, Jesus. I trust that You have forgiven me. Now will you please take my mistakes and turn them into something beautiful? Touch the cracks in the foundations of my children’s lives that are present because of my inadequacies and bring restoration and healing. I am deciding at this moment to trade the yoke of my guilt for the yoke of Your forgiveness. I believe that change will come. There will be freedom in my heart and restoration in my children’s lives. Thank you for Your great love for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
I was restored and given a spiritual “second wind,” so that I was able to run and complete this race.
Now my gaze is fixed, not on my past, but on my Savior’s face!
At last . . . liberty!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith,” Hebrews 12:1-2a (NLT).
“… let us strip off every weight that slows us down …” Hebrews 12:1 (NLT).
Past failures had gripped my heart with a stranglehold.
I couldn’t find relief.
My spiritual life seemed to be suffocating from the grip my past failures had upon me.
I had made mistakes. Now my children were making mistakes. It was a result of my failure, wasn’t it?
I wanted my guilt to cradle me with comfort, but I only felt a steely coldness from its gaze.
My help was not in my guilt.
My help was in my God.
Finally I took hold of grace and let go of my guilt.
Instead of asking the Lord for the “ump-teenth” time to forgive me, I began to pray a proactive prayer.
“Lord, I have made huge mistakes as a parent. My heart is breaking with regret. I lay my regret and my guilt at Your feet, Jesus. I trust that You have forgiven me. Now will you please take my mistakes and turn them into something beautiful? Touch the cracks in the foundations of my children’s lives that are present because of my inadequacies and bring restoration and healing. I am deciding at this moment to trade the yoke of my guilt for the yoke of Your forgiveness. I believe that change will come. There will be freedom in my heart and restoration in my children’s lives. Thank you for Your great love for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
I was restored and given a spiritual “second wind,” so that I was able to run and complete this race.
Now my gaze is fixed, not on my past, but on my Savior’s face!
At last . . . liberty!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith,” Hebrews 12:1-2a (NLT).
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Whole House
By Cheri Bunch
Cheri Bunch believes that W. A. R. (Wisdom And Revelation; see Ephesians 1:17) are what we as parents need to successfully prepare our children for the future. We need to be well equipped to fight against the enemy’s schemes to destroy the home and the next generation.
In order for Satan’s battle plan to be thwarted, we must be seekers of God, listening to and waiting for the guidance He is generous to provide. We must lay aside our carnal weapons and pick up the weapons of the Spirit that are mighty and will prevail on the spiritual battleground.
We must have faith! We must join in agreement for the next generation! We can be confident that this is the will of God! When we know that we have His vision for the next generation, we can be confident that the Lord will be our Commander in Chief and that we can defeat the enemy and win the war!
Cheri has been married to Scotty for thirty years. They have raised five wonderful children; Joshua, Ashli, Caleb, Luke, and Josiah. They have been on the frontlines of battle for this generation for many years. The Bunches live in Chanute, KS.
"The Whole House"
Isaiah 59:1: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (NKJV).
Is everyone in your family saved? How does that make you feel? If they are I imagine you are jumping up and down and praising the Lord right now!
I have a feeling that someone reading this devotion has a family member that has not made a decision to come into the Kingdom yet. Is your heart heavy with intercession for them?
How do you pray for your lost loved ones? I would be very interested in finding out. Please leave me a comment below if the Holy Spirit has taught you a way to pray for your lost family members and friends.
There are at least four ways that I pray for lost souls:
1. Pray for the Household. I pray that the whole household will be saved. Acts 10:24 says that Cornelius had called together his relatives and close friends to hear Peter preach. While Peter was preaching the Holy Spirit fell in that house and they were all saved and baptized with the Spirit and with water. Also, in Acts 16:31-33 (NKJV), Paul tells the jailer to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they were! I don’t know about you, but I get excited when one soul finds Jesus, but what about the whole house? Can we believe for that? I think that we need to start asking for whole households to be saved!
2. Make Haste. Many times in the Psalms David would ask the Lord to make haste. Let me paraphrase, “Lord, please hurry!” When it comes to souls, I think there is nothing that the Lord would like to do more than move upon men’s hearts and draw them into the Kingdom. The sooner the better. Ask Him for souls today!
3. “Get ‘em, God!” One prayer that I pray does not sound very spiritual. Many times I have prayed, “Get ‘em, God!” This means “God, please go after them with tenacity!” Believe it or not, this is a prayer that the Lord has answered many times.
4. Praying Pertinent Scriptures. Many times I find a Scripture that pertains to lost loved ones. Most often I ask the Holy Spirit to highlight a verse for me to pray and other times He just puts His finger on a verse for me. A verse that I pray for my children is from Isaiah 59:21: “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore” (NKJV).
I want this to be true of my family for generations to come. I ask the Lord to make this verse true for us.
Pray and believe with me and may the Lord save whole households!
Cheri Bunch believes that W. A. R. (Wisdom And Revelation; see Ephesians 1:17) are what we as parents need to successfully prepare our children for the future. We need to be well equipped to fight against the enemy’s schemes to destroy the home and the next generation.
In order for Satan’s battle plan to be thwarted, we must be seekers of God, listening to and waiting for the guidance He is generous to provide. We must lay aside our carnal weapons and pick up the weapons of the Spirit that are mighty and will prevail on the spiritual battleground.
We must have faith! We must join in agreement for the next generation! We can be confident that this is the will of God! When we know that we have His vision for the next generation, we can be confident that the Lord will be our Commander in Chief and that we can defeat the enemy and win the war!
Cheri has been married to Scotty for thirty years. They have raised five wonderful children; Joshua, Ashli, Caleb, Luke, and Josiah. They have been on the frontlines of battle for this generation for many years. The Bunches live in Chanute, KS.
"The Whole House"
Isaiah 59:1: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (NKJV).
Is everyone in your family saved? How does that make you feel? If they are I imagine you are jumping up and down and praising the Lord right now!
I have a feeling that someone reading this devotion has a family member that has not made a decision to come into the Kingdom yet. Is your heart heavy with intercession for them?
How do you pray for your lost loved ones? I would be very interested in finding out. Please leave me a comment below if the Holy Spirit has taught you a way to pray for your lost family members and friends.
There are at least four ways that I pray for lost souls:
1. Pray for the Household. I pray that the whole household will be saved. Acts 10:24 says that Cornelius had called together his relatives and close friends to hear Peter preach. While Peter was preaching the Holy Spirit fell in that house and they were all saved and baptized with the Spirit and with water. Also, in Acts 16:31-33 (NKJV), Paul tells the jailer to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they were! I don’t know about you, but I get excited when one soul finds Jesus, but what about the whole house? Can we believe for that? I think that we need to start asking for whole households to be saved!
2. Make Haste. Many times in the Psalms David would ask the Lord to make haste. Let me paraphrase, “Lord, please hurry!” When it comes to souls, I think there is nothing that the Lord would like to do more than move upon men’s hearts and draw them into the Kingdom. The sooner the better. Ask Him for souls today!
3. “Get ‘em, God!” One prayer that I pray does not sound very spiritual. Many times I have prayed, “Get ‘em, God!” This means “God, please go after them with tenacity!” Believe it or not, this is a prayer that the Lord has answered many times.
4. Praying Pertinent Scriptures. Many times I find a Scripture that pertains to lost loved ones. Most often I ask the Holy Spirit to highlight a verse for me to pray and other times He just puts His finger on a verse for me. A verse that I pray for my children is from Isaiah 59:21: “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore” (NKJV).
I want this to be true of my family for generations to come. I ask the Lord to make this verse true for us.
Pray and believe with me and may the Lord save whole households!
Friday, October 2, 2009
What If?
By Cheri Bunch
“What ifs” wear me out and wear me down. They steal my joy and my hope. Thoughts of “what ifs” want to control my life. It is totally up to me whether they have their way with me or not. The Lord gives me the authority to say “NO” to them, but I don’t have to. I can welcome “What If” thoughts into my mind, entertain them, let them multiply, and allow them to make me miserable.
What-if thoughts are prudent with their timing knocking at the door of my mind:
When my child is on his motorcycle and is late returning home.
When I have a writing assignment due and the words will not come.
When my child is sick, fighting a high fever.
When the money is short and the month is long.
When I don’t know what to fix for dinner!
And the list goes on and on into oblivion!
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:5 empower me. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (NASB).
The Message says it this way, “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.”
Do what-if thoughts try to take over your life and steal your hope? Join me in asking the Lord to make you aware of them, and ask Him for the grace to help you take them captive at the door of your mind. We have authority, friend, to take those thoughts captive before they destroy our hope and faith. What do you say, let’s pull out our “God-tools” and get busy “smashing”!
“What ifs” wear me out and wear me down. They steal my joy and my hope. Thoughts of “what ifs” want to control my life. It is totally up to me whether they have their way with me or not. The Lord gives me the authority to say “NO” to them, but I don’t have to. I can welcome “What If” thoughts into my mind, entertain them, let them multiply, and allow them to make me miserable.
What-if thoughts are prudent with their timing knocking at the door of my mind:
When my child is on his motorcycle and is late returning home.
When I have a writing assignment due and the words will not come.
When my child is sick, fighting a high fever.
When the money is short and the month is long.
When I don’t know what to fix for dinner!
And the list goes on and on into oblivion!
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:5 empower me. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (NASB).
The Message says it this way, “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.”
Do what-if thoughts try to take over your life and steal your hope? Join me in asking the Lord to make you aware of them, and ask Him for the grace to help you take them captive at the door of your mind. We have authority, friend, to take those thoughts captive before they destroy our hope and faith. What do you say, let’s pull out our “God-tools” and get busy “smashing”!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Just a Minute
By Cheri Bunch
When my children were little, it seemed like I was always replying with those three words to one of my kids.
My son, Luke, age 4 at the time, once replied back, “Mom, do you mean your minute or my minute?”
Our minutes were different. My minute was very long to him. Do you know that child got my attention and I tended to his needs right away?
Have you noticed that the Lord says “Just a minute” sometimes? He does not seem to get in a hurry. I think He desires to be known as the God of “just in the nick of time!” He desires to get all the glory for His work. When it is just in time, it testifies to the world that it had to be Him. So, sometimes we must wait.
Sometimes when I am waiting on the Lord for an answer to prayer, I just want to say, “Lord, I know you said to wait just a minute, but is it Your minute or my minute we are talking about here?” His minutes seem so much longer to me. Sometimes His minutes test my heart. Sometimes His minutes are necessary to carry out a bigger plan. But sometimes I begin to wonder if He doesn’t delight in watching me sweat a bit! (Big smile.)
Several times David prayed: “Make haste, O Lord, make haste!” Please allow me to paraphrase, “Hurry up, Lord! Now would be a good time! This minute! My minute, Lord!”
If the man after God’s own heart can petition for the Lord to expedite the situation, then I think we can as well.
Below are some petitions that were intended to speed up the Lord’s intervention.
Psalm 38:22 “Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation” (NKJV). (My paraphrase is, “Remember, Lord, You are my Savior!”)
Psalm 40:13 “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!” (NKJV).
Psalm 141:1 “Lord, I cry out to You, Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry to You” (NKJV).
Have you been praying for a situation for a very long time? Perhaps the Spirit is prompting you to ask for the Lord to hurry things up a bit.
Let’s pray together: Lord, we have been waiting to witness Your mighty arm of deliverance. Would You please come quickly and do Your work as only You can? We trust You, Lord. Your timing is perfect. We know our times are in Your hand. Your children wait for You. All love to you, Sweet Jesus! Amen.
When my children were little, it seemed like I was always replying with those three words to one of my kids.
My son, Luke, age 4 at the time, once replied back, “Mom, do you mean your minute or my minute?”
Our minutes were different. My minute was very long to him. Do you know that child got my attention and I tended to his needs right away?
Have you noticed that the Lord says “Just a minute” sometimes? He does not seem to get in a hurry. I think He desires to be known as the God of “just in the nick of time!” He desires to get all the glory for His work. When it is just in time, it testifies to the world that it had to be Him. So, sometimes we must wait.
Sometimes when I am waiting on the Lord for an answer to prayer, I just want to say, “Lord, I know you said to wait just a minute, but is it Your minute or my minute we are talking about here?” His minutes seem so much longer to me. Sometimes His minutes test my heart. Sometimes His minutes are necessary to carry out a bigger plan. But sometimes I begin to wonder if He doesn’t delight in watching me sweat a bit! (Big smile.)
Several times David prayed: “Make haste, O Lord, make haste!” Please allow me to paraphrase, “Hurry up, Lord! Now would be a good time! This minute! My minute, Lord!”
If the man after God’s own heart can petition for the Lord to expedite the situation, then I think we can as well.
Below are some petitions that were intended to speed up the Lord’s intervention.
Psalm 38:22 “Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation” (NKJV). (My paraphrase is, “Remember, Lord, You are my Savior!”)
Psalm 40:13 “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!” (NKJV).
Psalm 141:1 “Lord, I cry out to You, Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry to You” (NKJV).
Have you been praying for a situation for a very long time? Perhaps the Spirit is prompting you to ask for the Lord to hurry things up a bit.
Let’s pray together: Lord, we have been waiting to witness Your mighty arm of deliverance. Would You please come quickly and do Your work as only You can? We trust You, Lord. Your timing is perfect. We know our times are in Your hand. Your children wait for You. All love to you, Sweet Jesus! Amen.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A Bigger Reason
By Cheri Bunch
Going out for football for the first time in your senior year of high school is probably not the best idea. If you want to get to play at all, that is. A lot of people were encouraging our son, Josiah (a senior), that he should play. He is a big guy and would surely be an asset to the team. He likes football, so he decided to give it a shot.
He was picked to play defense on the second string, which means he doesn’t get to play much, if at all. Day after day, Josiah goes to practice, runs extra laps if the team is punished for penalties, works hard and comes home knowing that he probably will stand on the sidelines at game time, watching his team win or lose.
It is hard, even mundane. He would rather be out there playing every minute of the game, or if not every minute, he would settle even for a couple of minutes of playing time.
He wears a shroud of heaviness after a game. I try to break the silence with positive comments like, “I am so proud of you! It is hard to stay in there when you don’t get to play. Your commitment to the team will pay off.”
Taking the field under the big lights on Friday nights would be a high for Josiah, but he has a bigger reason for playing football. He wants to go into the Navy and become a Seal. He knows that it will be tough and he must physically prepare himself for the application tests. Football is a great way to get into shape.
To persevere spiritually when all is going well and we are in the limelight, with everyone watching and applauding our success, proves beneficial. Persevering when no one is watching, or at least noticing, or calling us out to “perform,” reveals to us and to the Lord that we have a higher purpose, a greater cause, an eternal reason beyond the glory of the spotlight.
I have a plaque hanging above the shower head in my shower that reads: “A person’s true character is revealed by what he does when he thinks no one is watching.”
There will be moments of spotlighted glory for a few of us, but the majority of our days on this eternal journey will be spent serving the Lord and our families during the mundane, hidden hours of life. For this reason, it is imperative that we have a bigger, eternal purpose and recognize that serving is the higher calling and perseverance will be rewarded.
For me, I am finding it difficult to watch Josiah wait on the sidelines at the football games hoping that he will get to play. I want him to get to go in and show his stuff! But I have to keep in mind there is a bigger purpose, a more important goal, something greater to be gained from his experience. His dedication will not be without reward. He will gain endurance, he will grow in perseverance, he will be disciplined, and he will grow in compassion. So I am choosing to rejoice in what will be gained and realize a larger purpose is being fulfilled.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (The Message)
“This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting--God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.”
Going out for football for the first time in your senior year of high school is probably not the best idea. If you want to get to play at all, that is. A lot of people were encouraging our son, Josiah (a senior), that he should play. He is a big guy and would surely be an asset to the team. He likes football, so he decided to give it a shot.
He was picked to play defense on the second string, which means he doesn’t get to play much, if at all. Day after day, Josiah goes to practice, runs extra laps if the team is punished for penalties, works hard and comes home knowing that he probably will stand on the sidelines at game time, watching his team win or lose.
It is hard, even mundane. He would rather be out there playing every minute of the game, or if not every minute, he would settle even for a couple of minutes of playing time.
He wears a shroud of heaviness after a game. I try to break the silence with positive comments like, “I am so proud of you! It is hard to stay in there when you don’t get to play. Your commitment to the team will pay off.”
Taking the field under the big lights on Friday nights would be a high for Josiah, but he has a bigger reason for playing football. He wants to go into the Navy and become a Seal. He knows that it will be tough and he must physically prepare himself for the application tests. Football is a great way to get into shape.
To persevere spiritually when all is going well and we are in the limelight, with everyone watching and applauding our success, proves beneficial. Persevering when no one is watching, or at least noticing, or calling us out to “perform,” reveals to us and to the Lord that we have a higher purpose, a greater cause, an eternal reason beyond the glory of the spotlight.
I have a plaque hanging above the shower head in my shower that reads: “A person’s true character is revealed by what he does when he thinks no one is watching.”
There will be moments of spotlighted glory for a few of us, but the majority of our days on this eternal journey will be spent serving the Lord and our families during the mundane, hidden hours of life. For this reason, it is imperative that we have a bigger, eternal purpose and recognize that serving is the higher calling and perseverance will be rewarded.
For me, I am finding it difficult to watch Josiah wait on the sidelines at the football games hoping that he will get to play. I want him to get to go in and show his stuff! But I have to keep in mind there is a bigger purpose, a more important goal, something greater to be gained from his experience. His dedication will not be without reward. He will gain endurance, he will grow in perseverance, he will be disciplined, and he will grow in compassion. So I am choosing to rejoice in what will be gained and realize a larger purpose is being fulfilled.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (The Message)
“This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting--God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.”
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