Grow Strong by Wayne Stiles

Grow Strong: 30 Devotions to Deepen Your Christian Life

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Published by Wayne Stiles

Editor: Kathryn Merritt

Cover and Interior Design: Mike Beitler— www.beardsandstuff.com

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Zondervan.

An effort has been made to locate sources where necessary for the quotations used in this e- book. In the event of any unintentional omission, a modification will gladly be incorporated in future editions.

www.waynestiles.com Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 5 1. Impatience At God’s Drive-Through ...... 7 2. Ways To Beat A Complaining Attitude ...... 9 3. Running A Marathon All Your Life ...... 11 4. Who Cares About The Ascension? ...... 14 5. 4 Benefits Of Getting Really Sick ...... 16 6. Tomorrow, Today, And The Priorities Of Someday ...... 18 7. Send A Thank-You Note Today ...... 21 8. A Spiritual Juneteenth Offers You Freedom ...... 23 9. God Is Guiding Your Life ...... 25 10. Hurling The Sin We’ve Swallowed ...... 28 11. 2 Daily Decisions That Can Change The Past ...... 30 12. Expect God To Test Your Vision ...... 32 13. Envy Grabbing You? Here Are 4 Tips For Freedom ...... 35 14. When Your Dreams Come True, It’s Still Just Life ...... 38 15. Humility Would Be Easy, If Not For My Pride ...... 40 16. How To Trust God With Your Children ...... 43 17. Staring Death In The Faith ...... 45 18. Fill The Void In Your Life By Making These 2 Choices ...... 47 19. Why God Allows Us To Crash And Hurt ...... 50 20. Revealing The Lies Of Temptation ...... 52 21. Jealousy Made Our “Companion” Go “Evil” ...... 54

www.waynestiles.com Table of Contents

22. God Will Never Give Up On You ...... 56 23. The Secret To Untying Your 6-Ton Elephant ...... 58 24. Jesus Decoys—Your Albatross Of Spiritual Disciplines ...... 62 25. How To Keep A Dogged Devotion To Bible Reading ...... 64 26. Spiritual Consistency Is Worth The Cost ...... 66 27. How To Fix Foundation Problems In Your Spiritual Life ...... 68 28. What I Learned From Living Through A Hurricane ...... 70 29. Struggling With Sin And 4 Lies We Believe ...... 72 30. 4 Strategies To Fight The Tug Of Temptation And Sin ...... 74 Conclusion: Keeping Your Perspective ...... 76

Share this E-Book ...... 78 Exclusive Discount (Only For My Blog Subscribers) ...... 79 About and Contact ...... 80 Endnotes ...... 81

www.waynestiles.com Introduction

Not long ago I stopped at a stop sign that was so intriguing I doubled back to take its picture.

The stop sign stood at the intersection of Ponder Avenue and Scripture Street. At a glance, all I saw was: “STOP—Ponder Scripture.”

After snapping the picture, I pulled over and watched five other cars come up to the stop sign. Only one stopped. The rest rolled on through.

Later, I got to thinking about the intersection. “STOP—Ponder Scripture.” The command is there . . . and at a crossroads many come to every day. Yet the surrounding neighborhood seems unaffected.

They see the stop sign, but not the street sign.

I must admit it. Far too often, I do too.

In ancient Israel, 48 Levitical cities were strategically placed along main roads. That meant that any Hebrew who needed the wisdom of God’s Word had to travel no longer than a day to find a priest. This made God’s Word more accessible to His people.

What was true then is true now.

We don’t have to travel far for a word from God. The Lord has provided His message for us through Bible translations, study tools, radio broadcasts, and an Internet full of instant media. Just a few clicks, and we have truth from Scripture.

God’s Word in our path is not only a convenience—it’s also a comfort and even a conviction. It’s like a sign at a crossroads that tells us to stop—and ponder Scripture.

Because you’ve picked up this e-book, I already know something about you. You have an interest in deepening your Christian life. That is tremendous! In fact, I’ve written this e-book to help you do just that.

www.waynestiles.com These 30 devotions have one goal: to help you grow strong in your daily walk with God. You can read one devotion a day for a month, or you could plow through the whole book in a few hours.

At whatever pace you go, the book is designed to help you grow strong as you stop and Our immediate access to truth reveals ponder Scripture through these practical devotions. God’s desire to keep His Word close to Our immediate access to truth reveals God’s desire to keep His Word close to His people. Why? So that we may always know Him and obey Him.

His people. Why? So that we may Thank you for the privilege of encouraging you. always know Him and obey Him. Growing strong with you,

Wayne Stiles

P.S. If you don’t already have it, you might also enjoy listening to the audio version of this book (read by me). You can find it by clicking here: www.waynestiles.com/growstrong

(Be sure and see the exclusive offer I extend only to my blog subscribers on page 79.)

www.waynestiles.com Devotion One

IMPATIENCE AT GOD’S DRIVE-THROUGH I hate drive-through windows. There’s just something so incongruent with “fast food” that’s not fast.

One time when I had my family in the car, I got so frustrated with the individual behind the unintelligible speaker who couldn’t understand me when I ordered, “pickles and cheese,” that I repeated it with passion:

“I want chickles and peas!”

After I realized what I said, I turned to my wife and daughters. They burst in laughter. For them, it was better than the meal that finally did arrive.

I’m not sure what “chickles” are, but I ordered some, and the cashier even gave me a price.

Since that day, a question has nagged me: Why do we treat God like the cashier at the drive- through?

Lord, Give Me Some Chickles and Peas

We have cultivated a fast-food mentality for most things in life—including our spiritual life. We’ve come to expect instant spirituality right along with our instant mashed potatoes.

Thank God for Abraham. This guy proves that impatience and faith can be part of the same person!

Abraham knew a son was coming to him from God. But the “order” wasn’t coming out quick enough. So Abraham told the Lord: “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir” (Genesis 15:3).

If we can’t hurry up the Almighty, we try to figure Him out. Or help Him out.

Under the customs of Abraham’s day, if a man died childless, his head servant would inherit

www.waynestiles.com it all. This must be what God has planned, the patriarch reasoned.

As often happens with us, Abraham expected fast food but the Lord was cooking filet minion. God spoke to Abraham through the drive-through speaker:

“‘This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he We fail to factor in God’s sovereignty shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your and power. We limit Him to what we descendants be’” (Genesis 15:4–5). can understand, and so we often God’s Drive-Through Has a Long Line content ourselves with mediocrity. We honk and holler in God’s drive-through for at least 2 reasons:

1. Our impatience. When God fails to provide our order in a timely manner, we opt for something else that shortchanges the Father’s best. After all, if we understand the Lord, we don’t have to trust Him. What’s more, who is God to keep us waiting?

2. Our shortsightedness. We fail to factor in God’s sovereignty and power. We limit Him to what we can understand, and so we often content ourselves with mediocrity.

God’s Will Is Worth the Wait

We have no problem trusting God for all the unknowns that happen after we die. But trusting Him for daily life? Somehow we fail to connect the dots. But as Abraham discovered, we can trust the Lord to know when the best time is to provide us with the best meal.

Thank goodness God refuses to rush the order.

Question: What helps you wait on God as you idle at the drive-through window?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Two

WAYS TO BEAT A COMPLAINING ATTITUDE Sometimes the new life God is leading you toward doesn’t seem as great as the one He has redeemed you from.

Remember the whiners redeemed from Egypt?

“We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5).

We all struggle with complaining. And in those moments, we betray our selective memories.

Covering One Eye, Believing a Lie

When we grumble about our Christian lives, we’re only thinking of half of the truth. We remember the pleasures of captivity—the leeks, onions, fish, etc.—but we forget the bondage itself. Our minds focus on all the sensory and none of the spiritual. It’s never the lack of spiritual connection with God we remember from the past. It’s the pleasure of sin’s shortcuts.

Never mind that we cried out to the Lord to deliver us from bondage. Forget that we had no hope for the future. All things being equal, we prefer leeks to manna. What we had seems better than what we have.

When God removes something delightful from our lives—something we had in abundance years ago—a number of emotional triggers kick in: Anger. Injustice. Temptation. Coveting.

But gratitude?

Uh, no. I don’t think so. Pleasure becomes our top priority.

We want a better supper like Esau, who for a single meal, abandoned the blessings of a birthright (Genesis 25:29–34; Hebrews 12:16).

www.waynestiles.com We take what looks good without thought of the consequences like David, who for a one-night stand with a voluptuous woman endured a lifelong, agonizing sword that never departed from his family (2 Samuel 12:9–10).

We think we should get more for our hard work—so, like Gehazi, we connive to get Complaining comes from a failure to money (or anything) that isn’t ours to take (2 Kings 5:20). We remember the pleasures of life apart from God, but we forget the painful bondage from see the true value of God’s will. Hasn’t which we cried to Him for deliverance. the Lord promised to care for our We crave the best of two incompatible worlds. Complaining quickly follows. needs? And if He chooses to wait to do Opening Both Eyes, Believing the Truth so, might He have a reason? In those moments when the old life seems better than the new, when complaining replaces gratitude, we need to see the full picture.

We can beat a complaining attitude by remembering 3 principles:

1. Remember the lie. Satan is the best marketer in the sin business. He can stretch a thin veil of beauty over a heap of dung and convince us to climb it. The devil uses the pleasures of sin as a down payment. He knows he gets back double for his investment. He loses nothing; we lose it all.

2. Remember the truth. Even when our complaining isn’t for the sin we miss—when we grumble only for the good things God withholds—the same applies. Grumbling and complaining about God’s provision amounts to rebellion against Him. Remember, we’re headed to heaven! In the meantime, God is shaping us to be like Him.

3. Remember the value of God’s will. Complaining comes from a failure to see the true value of God’s will. Hasn’t the Lord promised to care for our needs? And if He chooses to wait to do so, might He have a reason?

Insisting on instant gratification minimizes and overlooks the infinite worth of God’s will. With that perspective, our gratitude can begin to overshadow our complaining.

Question: What helps you stay grateful as you pursue the infinite over the instant?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Three

RUNNING A MARATHON ALL YOUR LIFE I ran my first marathon years ago. I call it my first, because that sounds better than calling it my last. But both are true.

At mile 26, I learned something I had never known before: a marathon is not 26 miles. Don’t believe it when people tell you that. It’s a bald-faced lie.

As I stammered past the 26th mile marker, there was no finish line! I discovered—to my surprise—a marathon is 26.2 miles. I learned some valuable lessons from that decimal point —as well as from all the running I did to get ready for that crazy race.

Two Completely Different Races

Every Summer Olympics proves that we prefer a good sprint to a marathon. The stadium where the sprinters race gets far more attention. Here’s why:

A sprint is more exciting. Marathons are, well, boring to watch.

Our attention spans are brief. One race takes seconds. The other takes hours.

We prefer the sprint. I’ve discovered the same is true in life. We want to run our lives like a sprint. Here’s why:

As runners in a sprint, we see the finish line the entire race. But if we run a marathon, we have no idea what turns lie ahead.

In the stadium, cameras and fans are everywhere, cheering you on! But on the long roads of a marathon, you’re all alone.

We want the sprint, but it’s not the race we get in life. True, our busy lives may look and feel like sprints, but life is a marathon.

www.waynestiles.com The Race Is Longer than You Think

Remember, the marathon is not 26 miles. It’s 26 POINT TWO miles. In fact, it’s always .2 miles more. The race never ends. We have to recognize the lie that says If you set limits to faithfulness in your life, you’ll never finish the race. the answer to our struggles comes by We’re Tempted to Take Shortcuts—or Just Quit In my days as a physical runner, this reality was huge. Especially during training, I felt quitting or by taking a shortcut. tempted to take shortcuts or, better, just quit. Faithfulness always seems too hard. The temptation is even greater in life. Think about the marathon of living: But it’s essential for the race. Your marriage is much, much more difficult that you thought it would be. Now you’re wondering what would it be like just to quit and start over.

You’re single, in your 40s, and so lonely you’re considering compromising your relationship with Christ in order to have a relationship with someone else. What shortcut would you take to find someone, anyone, who’ll love you?

You’ve worked in your field for so long and you know it’s where you belong, but your income fails to meet your expectations. Time is short. What will you do?

As we run, we have to recognize the lie that says the answer to our struggles comes by quitting or by taking a shortcut. Faithfulness always seems too hard. But it’s essential for the race. (See Paul’s illustration in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.)

A new race only means a new struggle, not no struggle. It will probably mean even more struggle, because we start another marathon with the mindset that we can always quit the race if it gets too tough.

Keep Running until You Break the Tape

In the movie Chariots of Fire, runner Harold Abrahams lost his first race. He sat pouting in the bleachers and blurted to his girlfriend: “If I can’t win, I won’t run!” His girlfriend replied: “If you don’t run, you can’t win.” 1

A lot of people never see God working in their lives because they refuse to hang in there long

www.waynestiles.com enough for God to show Himself to be God. When we quit the race, we teach ourselves that it’s really up to us alone and God has no value to our struggling lives.

Remember: the finish line is not in this life. It’s always .2 miles more. We don’t break the tape until our hearts stop beating. That was the apostle Paul’s view (2 Timothy 4:7).

A lot of people never see God working Until then, we keep running. in their lives because they refuse to hang in there long enough for God to Question: What keeps you running when you feel like quitting? show Himself to be God. When we quit the race, we teach ourselves that it’s really up to us alone and God has no value to our struggling lives.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Four

WHO CARES ABOUT THE ASCENSION? Every year, we have Ascension Day—the day that commemorates the Ascension of Jesus into heaven 40 days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3–9). Okay, this may sound like a dumb question, but here it goes.

So what?

Why in the world did Christ ascend to heaven? What difference does the Ascension make for us as Christians today?

Plenty.

A Bird’s Eye View of the Ascension

If we’re honest, Jesus’s Ascension seems unimportant compared to His death and resurrection. After all, we needed Jesus to die for our sins as a mediator between God and us:

Job longed for a mediator (Job 9:32–33).

Eli saw the need for one (1 Samuel 2:25).

Isaiah promised one (Isaiah 53:12).

Jesus became our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). End of story, right? Not at all.

Thanks to the Ascension of Jesus, He is still our mediator. And we still need one.

What the Ascension Allows Jesus to Do for Us

Jesus isn’t sipping tea as He sits at the right hand of the Father. He isn’t just hanging around until the Rapture.

Jesus is still very busy on our behalf as our Intercessor.

www.waynestiles.com Here are 7 benefits we enjoy as a result of the Ascension of Jesus and His present intercession:

1. He asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us (John 14:16; 16:7). And God did.

2. Jesus is our Advocate with the Father whenever we sin (1 John 2:1–2). Jesus intercedes with an understanding 3. Our Judge at the right hand of God is also our Savior (Romans 8:33-34). of our weaknesses and temptations. 4. Because Jesus’s intercession for us is permanent, so is our salvation (Hebrews 7:24– 25).

5. Jesus intercedes with an understanding of our weaknesses and temptations (Hebrews 4:15).

6. He is able to help in temptation as an Intercessor (Hebrews 2:18).

7. He provides mercy and grace when we ask (Hebrews 4:16).

When I review these seven benefits, I’m convinced the Ascension of Jesus is more than just a historical event. And it’s far more than some dull, dry doctrine.

They give us reasons to be thankful on Ascension Day—and every day.

Question: Which of the 7 benefits of the Ascension is most meaningful to you?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Five

4 BENEFITS OF GETTING REALLY SICK I seldom get sick.

For some reason, I usually sidestep most maladies, bugs, and viruses. But when my turn does come, sickness makes up for lost time. With a vengeance.

I get really sick.

This happened recently. While I sat around feeling miserable, I got to thinking. And I discovered 4 benefits to getting really sick.

First, you realize how weak you really are. You exercise regularly. You try to eat well and get enough rest. You even take supplements. But shake the unwashed hand of one infected individual and whammo! One little virus takes your entire body down for days.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, no doubt (Psalm 139:14). But we are also vulnerable to weakness.

Second, you realize the world can live without you. This is the tough one. Getting sick one time caused me to miss an important meeting at work. We planned for weeks that I would conduct a video interview, but I had to pull out at the last minute. Know what happened? They got someone else to do the interview, and it went just fine. Without me!

I’m not that important. Getting sick reminded me that my participation in something is a privilege, not a right. I am not God’s gift to my job. My job is God’s gift to me.

Third, you realize the blessing of good health. Sometimes you have to lose something to appreciate it. Most movies work on this premise. It plays out like this:

Start with “normal life.”

Enter a crisis.

www.waynestiles.com Solve the crisis.

Embrace the “new normal” (which means simply that the main character appreciates what he or she took for granted to begin with).

Are you grateful for good health? If not, just lose it for a while and you’ll change your When Christ healed people, it was perspective. Good health is a blessing from God. more than mercy expressed. He gave a Fourth, you look forward to heaven. For me, this hope brings a twofold encouragement: preview of what He will do for those 1. I have hope for the future. Misery looks for relief, and heaven promises no more sickness, or crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4). Whatever I’m struggling with now, I know who will enter His kingdom. Just as it will end one day. That’s hope. Jesus’ resurrection was a preview of all 2. Any physical recovery I experience today is a preview of what Jesus will do on a cosmic scale one day. When Christ healed people, it was more than mercy expressed. He gave resurrections, so every healing, every a preview of what He will do for those who will enter His kingdom. Just as Jesus’ resurrection was a preview of all resurrections, so every healing, every physical physical recovery is an example of recovery is an example of what God will do on a large scale for all believers. what God will do on a large scale for Now obviously, sickness has its downsides. But it has its benefits, too—benefits of perspective. I’m sure you can think of more than these 4 benefits that I’ve put on my list. all believers. But these were good medicine for me.

Question: What other advantages to getting sick can you think of?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Six

TOMORROW, TODAY, AND THE PRIORITIES OF SOMEDAY Years ago, I heard about an odd work of modern art. The artist attached a chair to a loaded shotgun—with the barrel pointing at the chair.

The gun had a timer set to discharge at some undetermined point within the next 100 years.

Believe it or not, droves of thrill-seekers viewed the exhibit by sitting in the chair and staring point-blank range into the gun barrel for sixty seconds. They knew the gun could fire at any moment, but they wanted a thrilling minute in the chair.

(What I would have given to sneak up and poke them in the ribs and yell, “BOOM!”)

Most of us would never dream of taking such a foolish gamble. And yet, how often do we toy with the future by counting on a tomorrow that may never come? The book of Proverbs offers this wise warning:

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1).

We “boast” about tomorrow when we assume it will come. But the future remains shrouded in mystery. We cannot know “what a day may bring forth.”

Putting Off Your Most Important Decision

We boast in the future when we think: Someday really soon I’ll choose to follow God. This is what happened in Luke chapter 9 when Jesus told a man to follow Him. Look at the man’s response:

“Permit me first to go and bury my father” (Luke 9:59).

This guy put off following Jesus because the world offered a more pressing priority. Do you find yourself distracted by the world’s demands for your time?

www.waynestiles.com Consider this:

You know Jesus died for your sins.

You realize that apart from faith in Jesus alone you will miss heaven. As Christians, the temptation to boast Yet you still delay giving your life to Him. in tomorrow still lingers. After all, if our In light of the fact you don’t know what will happen tomorrow (or in the next five minutes), what could possibly be more urgent? eternity is secure, who cares about The Next Day in Today’s Terms tomorrow? It really comes down to One of the songs from the Broadway musical Annie features these lines: “Tomorrow! how much we love the Lord and want Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow! You’re always a day away!”2 I never understood the logic of those lyrics. If it always stays “a day away,” why should I act to obey Him. so happy about it? Why would I bet my bottom dollar on something that never comes?

Here’s what we really know:

We will seldom do tomorrow what we refuse to start today, because tomorrow is just another today slathered in procrastination.

If we’re ever going to take action on God’s calling, it will have to be today.

“Tomorrow” never comes. It’s always a day away—and so, it becomes a safe place to boast. It never becomes reality. You can do nothing with tomorrows. You can only live with today.

Putting Off Your Biblical Priorities

As Christians, the temptation to boast in tomorrow still lingers. After all, if our eternity is secure, who cares about tomorrow? It really comes down to how much we love the Lord and want to obey Him.

How often do we convince ourselves that “someday” we’ll devote ourselves to biblical priorities, like:

Reading our Bibles

www.waynestiles.com Taking care of our physical health

Cherishing our marriages

Guiding our kids or grandkids Circumstances will never be favorable Changing our sour attitudes for devoting ourselves to biblical We truly believe that if circumstances would change (and one day they will; they really, really will), then we would be free to do what we should. priorities. And we only have so much When the hours slow down at work . . . time. We have to choose how we When our to-do lists diminish at home . . . spend it now. When we get more money . . .

When things get better . . .

. . . then we’ll live God’s way. But think about it. Haven’t you been telling yourself these things for years?

Circumstances will never be favorable for devoting ourselves to biblical priorities. And we only have so much time. We have to choose how we spend it now.

One day, that shotgun goes off for all of us. We aren’t promised a tomorrow.

Question: What have you put off for years that you should start doing today?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Seven

SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE TODAY Think about one person who has inspired you, encouraged you, or helped you. It could be:

A parent or step-parent

A pastor

A friend who prayed for you when you had a special need

A teacher or professor who changed the course of your life

Got that individual in your mind? Okay. Now, let me ask you: Have you ever sent a thank-you note to that person?

Not long ago a client sent a thank-you note to the editors in our department, expressing appreciation for their excellent work. The client told me of the editors’ surprising reply: “No one has ever thanked us before.”

That tragic statement got me thinking.

Thinking about Thanking

As I thought about the editors’ reply, I began to wonder, How many people have I failed to thank who have contributed to my life? How hard is it to send a thank-you note?

I remember reading many years ago a report that thousands of letters came to Santa Claus at a local post office in the months before Christmas. But after Christmas only one card came to thank Santa. Can you believe it? Even Santa doesn’t get thank-you notes!

The Son of Man didn’t get many either.

One day, Jesus healed ten lepers. Guess how many returned to thank Him? One. The Savior’s reply about that one who returned reveals an uncomfortable part of human nature:

www.waynestiles.com “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?” (Luke 17:17)

Jesus literally asked (and the emphasis is His in the original language): “But the nine— where?” Jesus’ amazement came not from this one who returned to thank Him, but from the nine who didn’t!

Unless we make a deliberate effort to Why We’re Often a Thankless Lot turn back and give thanks, we will fall Why do we fail to say, “Thank you,” to those who have helped us? Maybe we think: into the rut of taking others for granted. Sending a thank-you note is a hassle. I don’t have time. We’ll get tricked into believing our He already knows I appreciate him. good intentions excuse us from ever I’ll jot her a note soon. Maybe tomorrow. Someday. Soon. really doing anything good. Someone else will do it. In fact, someone probably already has. Sometimes our reason is much worse. Sometimes we fail to say, “Thank you,” because the thought never even occurs to us.

You Have the Power of Appreciation

“But the nine—where?” Jesus’ question exposes us, doesn’t it? Unless we make a deliberate effort to turn back and give thanks, we will fall into the rut of taking others for granted. We’ll get tricked into believing our good intentions excuse us from ever really doing anything good.

Take a moment right now and scribble, type, or text a thank-you note to that someone you thought about earlier. Trust me. It’s worth it.

A few years ago I decided to write my father during a discouraging time in his life. I thanked him for everything I could remember him doing for me. Everything. I kept it simple and wrote: “Thanks for this. Thanks for this. Thanks for this”—etc. On and on I wrote. I bet I had more than one hundred specific items on the list at the end of that thank-you note. He later told me he felt like a hero when he read it.

Isn’t the power of appreciation amazing? You have that power.

Take the time to use it today.

Question: Why do you think we are so slow to thank those who have helped us? 22

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Eight

A SPIRITUAL JUNETEENTH OFFERS YOU FREEDOM Freedom from anything begins by knowing you are free.

Juneteenth—also known as June 19th—represents a state holiday in Texas. It commemorates the day in 1865 that good news arrived: all slaves were free.

But the news wasn’t new at all. The slaves had been set free long before, but that freedom had been a secret for two and a half years.

Being Free Requires Knowledge

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, effective on New Years Day, 1863, the act freed all slaves. But many southern masters kept the information a secret from their slaves.

Here in my state of Texas, the slaves were legally free for two and a half years . . . but they never knew it. It wasn’t until Union troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, that the slaves learned they were free.

Juneteenth teaches us something important about freedom: it’s useless unless you know it’s true and you live like it.

This is also true of slavery in the spiritual sense.

Knowing You’re Free from Sin’s Power

God has given us a spiritual Juneteenth through Jesus Christ:

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts” (Romans 6:11–12).

Believers are free! But for many of us, spiritual freedom is still a secret.

www.waynestiles.com If you have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, consider this true of you: you are dead to sin’s power to make you sin, and you are alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Period.

Live Free . . . Because You Are Sin can (and will) still tempt us, but the The Bible doesn’t say, “Pretend it’s true,” or “Act like it’s true.” It says, “Consider it a fact.” act of sinning has become one of Here are a few more facts about a Christian’s relationship to sin: choice, not compulsion. We have the We are separated from sin’s power over us, but not its presence with us. That freedom freedom to walk away from sin instead comes in heaven. Sin can (and will) still tempt us, but the act of sinning has become one of choice, not of submitting to its demands. compulsion.

We have the freedom to walk away from sin instead of submitting to its demands.

When I first learned this truth, I couldn’t believe no one had ever told me before. What freedom there is in truth!

The secret’s out! I hope you’re living the truth of your spiritual emancipation.

Question: What helps you put into practice the knowledge that you are free from sin’s power?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Nine

GOD IS GUIDING YOUR LIFE A guitar. A roommate. A cassette tape. A church bulletin. A jerk.

These are a few things the Lord has used to guide my life. At the time, they seemed insignificant. But today, I see His guiding hand on those details.

Maybe you feel like the Lord isn’t leading you toward anything significant. Or worse, that He has abandoned you. I believe otherwise.

I want to show you that God is guiding you—and how I know He is.

God’s Guiding Hand of Circumstance

A poor and destitute single-again woman named Ruth had little hope for a future. One day she took advantage of a provision in the Old Testament that allowed the poor to reap the corners of Israel’s fields.

Read the following verse:

“So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3).

Did you see the Lord in that verse? He was there. The original Hebrew literally reads: “Her chance chanced upon the portion of the field belonging to Boaz.” Little did Ruth know, but that Bethlehem field that she “chanced” upon was the field of the man she would shortly marry.

The Lord is there in the same way in our lives, in the places we “happen” to go.

2 Types of Decisions Regarding the Will of God

Often, I hear the question, “How do I know the will of God?” Recognizing the will of God in our lives occurs in 2 types of decisions:

www.waynestiles.com 1. Right/Wrong Decisions. These are choices we make in the realm of morality, clearly expressed in the commandments of Scripture. If the Bible makes a right/wrong statement, you can know this represents the will of God for your life. For example, a believer should only marry another believer. You don’t even need to pray about it. The will of God isn’t some passive, 2. Right/Left Decisions. These are decisions that represent choices unrelated to right and wrong. Which believer should I marry? What job should I take? Many choices fall within mystical force that hits you after you the Lord’s moral will—but how do we know which direction to take? The choices can feel paralyzing. After all, there are so many! How can we be sure of the will ascend a mountain and meditate for 30 of God? days. Ruth experienced the Lord’s best Our Chances Are God’s Choices for her after she took the initiative to Our so-called “chances” are really the Lord’s providence. Ruth took the initiative to work—not to hunt for a husband—and the Lord directed her to Boaz’s field. move—within the bounds of His moral Our plans and the will of God are not mutually exclusive. Rather, the Father uses our plans in will—and the Lord guided in His time. the accomplishment of His will. He even uses the malicious plans of others for good (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

A guitar led me to my university. A roommate led me to the church that changed my life. A cassette tape introduced me to a good friend. A church bulletin opened my eyes to a great job. A jerk played a role I never would have imagined.

That’s my story. The Father used these seemingly insignificant chances for His significant direction.

Think back on your own life for a moment. Ponder how the Lord has providentially guided you by would-be coincidences, chance conversations, and insignificant events. Do you see God in the verse of your life? He’s there.

Move—Then Let God Guide

The will of God isn’t some passive, mystical force that hits you after you ascend a mountain and meditate for 30 days. Ruth experienced the Lord’s best for her after she took the initiative to move—within the bounds of His moral will—and the Lord guided in His time.

We have in Ruth an excellent example of how to discern the will of God in right/left decisions.

www.waynestiles.com It’s a simple principle: We move—then we let God guide.

Regardless of how you feel in this moment, the Lord is working to guide you. We see providence in hindsight, but we take it by faith today. Regardless of how you feel in this Question: What coincidences has the Lord used to guide your life? moment, the Lord is working to guide you. We see providence in hindsight, but we take it by faith today.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Ten

HURLING THE SIN WE’VE SWALLOWED I went to a movie with a friend, and he gorged on popcorn, Cokes, and candy. As the movie came close to ending, my friend leaned over and whispered: “I don’t feel good. I’ll wait for you in the back.”

As I walked out, I saw him holding his stomach and twisting his face. “You want me to drive?” I offered.

“No, no, I’ll be okay,” he said.

On the way home, he slammed on the brakes, opened his door, and hurled in the street.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive?” I asked again.

“No, no,” he said, breathing heavily. “I—I feel better now.”

We drove another hundred yards, and he slammed the brakes on again! (And the seat belt began to hurt my shoulder.)

Later he told me after he got home he spent some time in the bathroom. I’m sure as he leaned over the commode—and began to experience the candy and popcorn for the second time—he asked himself: Why in the world did I ever eat this?!

Talk about regret.

I can think of no better illustration of sin and temptation than this true story.

In fact, it’s exactly what happened to a man named Lot.

Now That That’s Out of My System

Lot had flocks that needed feeding, and Sodom had lush grass that could meet the need. The decision seemed easy: “Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan” (Genesis 13:11).

www.waynestiles.com But look at what Lot got along with his green grass:

Righteous Lot, [was] oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds). (2 Peter 2:7–8)

Sin’s temptation lures us away from Was one worth the other? God with quick and easy solutions to It’s Not What You Want . . . It’s What You Get our immediate needs. But there’s no Sin’s temptation lures us away from God with quick and easy solutions to our immediate needs. But there’s no line-item veto with sin. We can’t say: “Hmm, I think I’ll keep the line-item veto with sin. . . . Sin gives a pleasure of adultery, but I’ll pass on the devastation to my family” (Proverbs 6:27–29). Sin gives a package deal. Regret comes with it. package deal. Regret comes with it. I know of one man who tells his grandkids: “It’s not what you want to eat that makes you fat; it’s what you get.” Sin’s temptation offers the same principle. It’s not the pleasure of sin that devastates our lives. It’s what we get with that pleasure.

3 Lessons from Lot

Lot teaches us that it’s not what we want from sin that harms us; it’s what we get.

1. Straddling the moral fence give us the worst—not the best—of both worlds. Lot tried it and was “oppressed” and “tormented” in his soul (2 Peter 2:7–8). Regret always comes with compromise.

2. We can’t live half our lives for the Lord and half for sin and self. God calls us to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15).

3. Sin’s pleasure and temptation are only lures for our regret and destruction. That’s why Scripture requires loving the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27).

Are you feeling tempted today to meet your needs with sin’s alternative? Learn from Lot the sickening results of compromise so you don’t end up hurling the sin you’ve swallowed.

Question: Other than getting sick, what metaphors help you remember the negative results of sin?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Eleven

2 DAILY DECISIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE PAST Think about the worst mistake you’ve made.

If you’re like me, it probably ranks as the worst because of the fallout it caused. After all, some wrongs we do seem to have little effect. But others backfire. Those are the ones we view as the big ones.

The trouble is, we never know which compromises will end up being the big ones.

Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob, blew it big-time. From his example, we can learn to make two daily decisions that can change the past.

More specifically, we can change the past that will be.

Rueben’s Shipwreck

As Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben had the privilege of preeminence among his brothers. That meant after Jacob died, Reuben would become the leader.

But Reuben tried to seize his firstborn rights before it was time by having relations with his father’s wife (Genesis 35:22). Sleeping with the wife of the leader meant Reuben was assuming that role for himself.

But Reuben’s presumption backfired on him. On his deathbed, Jacob uttered these words: “Reuben, you are my firstborn; my might and the beginning of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father’s bed” (Genesis 49:3–4).

In taking too soon what would have been his, Rueben lost it all. He couldn’t change the past.

Privileges, Gifts, Strengths, and Daily Decisions

It’s tempting to mistake privilege as a guarantee of success. Giftedness, too, can become a

www.waynestiles.com handicap if we mix with it presumption. Consider:

A gifted executive with an arrogance that keeps him unemployed

A beautiful woman with an attitude that makes her ugly Choose to do what’s right every time, A young person brought up in a Christian home who abandons morality for the sake of curiosity even in the little things. We have no In each case, privilege, gift, or strength becomes a weakness because of neglected idea how the little compromises we obedience in daily decisions. make today will affect the rest of our The tragedy of the examples above and of Reuben’s life is what could have been. Reuben never would have done what he did if he had known the far-reaching the consequences. lives. Let your own past be your Reuben shows us, from just one act of insubordination, that we can disqualify ourselves from greatest teacher. Little decisions—both the benefits our privileges are intended to bring. good and bad—add up to big On the other hand, we also see, by Reuben’s example, how to succeed in daily decisions. consequences. Change the Past That Will Be We can’t change the past, but we can realize that, one day, even today will become the past.

In that sense, we can change the past that will be by making 2 daily decisions:

1. Refuse to take the easy route of compromise and impatient ambition. Instead, dig in, stay faithful where God has put you, and unite your privileges with an unwavering obedience to Christ. In God’s time, you will enjoy the benefits those privileges are intended to bring (Galatians 6:9).

2. Choose to do what’s right every time, even in the little things. We have no idea how the little compromises we make today will affect the rest of our lives (Proverbs 6:10–11). Let your own past be your greatest teacher. Little decisions—both good and bad—add up to big consequences (Luke 19:17).

We can’t change the past; that’s certain. But through our daily decisions, we can change the past that will be.

Question: What decision can you make today that will make a difference tomorrow?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twelve

EXPECT GOD TO TEST YOUR VISION I sit still with my face in a brace, wide-eyed and waiting for that imminent blast of air in my eyeball.

“Now sit still,” the optometrist says. “Don’t blink.”

POW! I know it’s coming, but my whole body still jerks. I feel like an idiot.

Then we do it again with the other eye.

This unpleasant procedure has to happen every year. Without it, my vision isn’t all it can be.

The Lord does a similar thing with the vision He gives us through the Bible. We think we see it clearly. Then a blast in the eyeball jerks our whole frame of reference.

God Gives Vision, Then Tests It

In the Book of Genesis, the Lord’s people didn’t have Bibles like we do. Instead, the Word of God came through a variety of means—dreams being one of them. The Creator spoke through dreams to Abraham, Abimelech, Jacob, Laban, and Joseph.

So, when God gave Joseph visions of himself ruling over his brothers, it meant more than the fantasies of a spoiled kid longing for approval. It was like reading the Bible. Joseph’s dreams were revelations about the future.

Understandably, Joseph’s brothers were less than thrilled about Joseph’s Bible lesson. And one day when they saw him approaching from a distance, they thought of a creative solution to the problem.

“Here comes this dreamer! Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!’” (Genesis 37:19–20).

Yeah, well, I guess that would do it. 32

www.waynestiles.com Or so they thought.

Let’s See What Will Become of His Dreams

Joseph’s situation isn’t really all that different from ours. We have the clear Word of God before us. It’s filled with promises and truth in all sixty-six books. We see it. We believe it. Testing is normal. Your vision—and Our vision is good. your faith—will be tested. Don’t let the Then, POW! Our vision gets tested. blast surprise you. The statement, “Let us see what will become of his dreams,” revealed the test Joseph would undergo to see how confident he was of the Lord’s promise in spite of the threats to it.

The story reveals three different responses:

1. The brothers believed they could thwart God’s Word. Instead, the Lord used them to fulfill it. That’s how a sovereign God works (Genesis 50:20).

2. The father believed the circumstances over God’s Word. Jacob knew God spoke in dreams, but Jacob abandoned that truth in lieu of trumped up evidence (Genesis 37:11, 32-33).

3. Joseph believed God’s Word in spite of the circumstances. Joseph chose to believe God even though everything demanded God’s revelation was wrong (Genesis 41:15-16).

Today, you and I face a choice between these same three responses as our vision gets tested.

Surviving the Blast

God has revealed truth to us in His Word, but many things in life seem to challenge that promise. These two truths may help:

1. Testing is normal. Your vision—and your faith—will be tested (1 Peter 4:12). Don’t let the blast surprise you.

2. You are not alone. Even in your deepest pain and confusion, God hasn’t abandoned you. Whether you feel like or not, the Lord is with you during every test. In fact, He is administering it (Deuteronomy 8:16; 31:8; Psalm 38:21; 1 Peter 5:10).

www.waynestiles.com Joseph’s life demonstrates what is true of you as well. One day, you will stand on the other side of the blast praising God for what it has produced in you.

Your vision will be clearer. You are not alone. Even in your deepest Question: What’s one experience where the testing of your faith made you stronger? pain and confusion, God hasn’t abandoned you. Whether you feel like or not, the Lord is with you during every test. In fact, He is administering it.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Thirteen

ENVY GRABBING YOU? HERE ARE 4 TIPS FOR FREEDOM For some reason, we tend to envy others.

Big time.

Cars, positions, houses, spouses—envy wraps its tentacles around something different for all of us, but whatever it is . . . we want it. There’s just part of our nature that sees what we don’t have as what we need.

No matter what season of life we’re in, we tend to feel dissatisfied with who we are or what we have compared to someone else.

Teenagers want to be adults.

Single people want to be married.

Those with no kids want kids.

Those with kids look forward to empty nests.

Retirees longs to be young again.

Do you enjoy where you are today? Or are you always looking for something better, something new, something else? If so, you’ll never have freedom in life.

Never.

Getting What We Want Doesn’t Fix Us

Ironically, even after we get what we’ve envied, instead of satisfying our craving, it only increases our desire for more. Solomon said it this way:

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 4:4 NIV).

www.waynestiles.com It’s pointless to try, Solomon says. Envy doesn’t satisfy.

Envy is like eating potato chips. One won’t do. You have to eat half the bag. (Unless, of course, they’re low-fat chips. Then you can eat the whole bag.) I can’t drink a Coke and be satisfied, because I’m thirstier than when I started.

Release whatever you’re longing for Envy is like that. It only fuels your desire for more; it doesn’t satisfy. For example: into God’s hands, to God’s timing, and More sex doesn’t satisfy your sex-drive; it increases it. to His will. When you do, you’ll More money doesn’t satisfy your greed; it increases it. experience a renewal of the mind. More compliments don’t reduce your pride; they increase it. Envy is a vicious cycle.

Freedom from Envy’s Tug

The best way to gain freedom over envy is to realize and appreciate the blessings you already have. Then comes the tough part: be truly thankful.

Here are 4 tips to gain freedom when envy grabs you:

1. Create a “Gratitude List.” You will find it immensely helpful to write down a list of everything you’re thankful for. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ—who died and rose for your sins—you have a great place to start. But don’t stop there. List everything. You’ll be amazed. Think broad categories: God, family, work, church, etc. As you make your list, your outlook will change. Remember, God gave Adam permission to eat from every tree on earth, except one. That’s a blessing.

2. Give thanks to God, in spite of your needs. Yes, you may have struggles that are severe. You have real needs. According to Philippians 4:6–7, when you pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind. Release whatever you’re longing for into God’s hands, to God’s timing, and to His will. When you do, you’ll experience a renewal of the mind.

3. Get some encouragement from others. Ask a friend what helps when he or she struggles with envy. Ask that person to pray for you and with you.

www.waynestiles.com 4. Read a good book on contentment. I’m thinking of Jeremiah Burroughs’s classic, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. You can find it free on the Internet. Just Google the title.

Don’t let the continual dissatisfying cycle of envy blind you to how God has blessed you Don’t let the continual dissatisfying already. Give thanks! And get contentment. cycle of envy blind you to how God Questions: Have you ever written a gratitude list? What helps you stay grateful? has blessed you already.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Fourteen

WHEN YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE, IT’S STILL JUST LIFE You got the dream job. Better salary. More responsibility. Better fit for your skills. More flexible hours. Your dreams come true!

But . . .

Once you take the job, you discover that more responsibility means managing people, and people bring challenges. Flexible hours mean you never feel like you’re working enough. And with that bigger salary come bigger expenses.

Why is it that when our dreams come true, life’s still a lot like before? There’s a good reason.

Life in San Francisco Is Still Just Life

Dream jobs aren’t the only dreams that aren’t all they seem to be. It’s reality for all dreams come true:

You’re marrying the man of your dreams. He is so confident, a great leader, and of course, handsome. He’s your dream come true! But six months into matrimony, you discover the confidence, leadership, and looks carry with them a huge ego.

You’re moving into your dream home. More square footage. Better location. Better interest rate. Your dream come true! But now you have more yard to mow and more house to clean. And your jerk of a next-door neighbor plays loud polka music.

My favorite scene from the miniseries Lonesome Dove occurs between Augustus McCrae and Lorena—a young woman whose primary aspiration in life is to live in San Francisco. I love what Gus tells her: “Life in San Francisco is still just life.”

The Downside of Dreams Come True

Part of the problem is that while new situations offer new perks, they also offer new challenges. It’s still just life.

www.waynestiles.com Solomon revealed this principle: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

This doesn’t mean we turn into pessimists who say: Nothing is great. It means we need to be realists who realize: Nothing is perfect.

The blessings you saw at ﬁrst are still It’s never the drawbacks of the neighborhood, the job, the spouse, the (insert your dream there. Think about it; the drawbacks here) that makes us chase the dream. It’s the blessings. But there are blessings to find in life as it is—far richer ones than our dreams can hold. you failed to see don’t remove the Hidden Blessings blessings you did see. . . . The hard I have discovered 3 truths about life as it is right now: parts don’t have to overshadow the 1. The blessings you saw at first are still there. Think about it; the drawbacks you failed to good parts. see don’t remove the blessings you did see. The blessings are still there and are still reason for giving thanks. The hard parts don’t have to overshadow the good parts.

2. Many blessings come from the hard things you didn’t see. I say this because the hard parts you didn’t see reveal the hidden parts of your heart. The Father unearths those parts in order to shape your character and give you opportunity to reflect Christ to a watching world. The hardships you didn’t see are part of the plan. God is shaping you because He loves you. The greatest blessing? Your changed life.

3. We have to find our delight in God, not in God’s blessings. Seeing the positive in the fallout of our dreams come true isn’t Plan B. It’s not that Plan A didn’t work and now we have to figure out something else. There is only one plan—the one God designed. Both blessings and trials should point us to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. When they don’t, we’re following someone or something other than the Lord.

There is no dream situation that offers no hardship. As difficult as it is to accept, hardship is hardwired into our lives as part of God’s good plan.

Question: What have you learned from the tough side of your dreams come true?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Fifteen

HUMILITY WOULD BE EASY, IF NOT FOR MY PRIDE I pulled up behind a line of cars at a stoplight, and a guy on a skateboard whizzed past me.

Like fast.

He held his arms above his head and swayed back and forth, leaning into each turn and showing his skills to those of us stopped at the light.

As he approached the intersection, he leaned to turn in the direction of the oncoming traffic but his skateboard fell out from under him. He and his skateboard (and his skills) flew into the middle of the intersection, where the traffic zoomed both directions—right toward him!

A large van swerved to miss the guy and hit his skateboard, bending it and sending it spiraling twenty feet in the air. After ten seconds of screeching tires, scrambling feet, and lots of yelling, Mr. Center-of-Attention grabbed his skateboard and limped off to hide somewhere.

It was the most entertainment I’ve ever had at a stoplight.

After the light turned green, I couldn’t help but think of a verse: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NIV).

We Love Humility in Others—and Pride in Ourselves

Honestly, we love to see humility in others—like in Olympic athletes or the occasional movie star. But in ourselves? We begin with the assumption that we’re humble, and we secretly feed on pride.

Marketers know this. Just look at the magazines at the grocery store: Vanity Fair, Body Builder, Self. I keep looking for magazines called Humility and You or Servanthood Today or Love Illustrated (though that last one would generate some interest!).

The songwriter we know as King David wrote these words:

www.waynestiles.com O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me (Psalm 131:1).

Honesty, we do involve ourselves in things too difficult for us. Why? Our desire to be in control is rooted in pride, and pride stems from independence. God designed us to be Our desire to be in control is rooted in dependent on Him, not independent from Him. pride, and pride stems from Pride’s First Temptation Still Tugs independence. God designed us to be Remember what Satan told the woman in the Garden of Eden? God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like dependent on Him, not independent God (Genesis 3:5). from Him. The temptation to be like God unraveled our first parents. What they thought would benefit them actually became their undoing! And it is this pride—of having to control everything, of always being right, and of refusing to say, “I’m sorry”—that has ruined many a family and many a life.

Humility Trades Worry for Trust

Are you trying to control things that are too difficult for you? Take these 3 steps toward the peace of mind only humility can offer:

First, accept the limitations you have as a human being. This admission is not a handicap; it’s a benefit. It forces you to depend upon God, who is all-powerful.

Second, trust God to control what you cannot. And that’s pretty much everything.

You can’t control your health.

You can’t control your job.

You can’t control your cars.

You can’t control your kids.

You can’t control your spouse.

You can’t control your skateboard.

www.waynestiles.com All of these are affected by you, but you control none of them. David admitted this. But his words—rather than representing an attitude of apathy or indifference—showed his trust in God’s sovereignty.

Third, memorize Psalm 131:1. King David wrote, “Nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.” Quote the verse out loud when you’re in the car (or when you Accept the limitations you have as a see someone skateboarding). human being. This admission is not a David chose humility and refused to worry about what he couldn’t control. Let’s choose to do handicap; it’s a beneﬁt. It forces you to the same. depend upon God, who is all-powerful. Question: What helps you when you’re tempted to try to control things too difficult for you?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Sixteen

HOW TO TRUST GOD WITH YOUR CHILDREN One of my daughters used to come to me as a toddler and say, “In the air, Daddy, in the air!”

She wanted me to toss her up and catch her. I did so to her utter delight. My other daughter saw this and asked me to toss her too.

Yet as she leveled off, her face contorted into sheer terror. When I caught her, she clung to me with all four limbs and begged, “No, not again!”

Later, I considered why the same flight gave joy to one daughter and terror to the other.

One focused on my ability to catch her.

The other focused on her inability to control the flight.

We do the same thing with God.

As my daughters have become young women, I find myself in a similar situation. I still see them hurled in the air, but instead of me doing the tossing and catching, God the Father flings them up while I helplessly watch from a distance.

In those moments, I become acutely aware of the struggle between my confidence in the Lord’s ability versus my own.

Every parent faces this tension.

We want our children to follow Christ, but we hesitate to let Him lead them.

We want to provide, protect, and direct our children so that they will receive the good we desire for them, but we resist entrusting them to the Lord.

In a strange irony, the very love that wants the best for our children becomes the barrier that keeps them from receiving it.

www.waynestiles.com Jacob faced a similar challenge. In the midst of a famine, he sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain. But one son he refused to send:

Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others because he was afraid that harm might come to him (Genesis 42:4 NIV).

Ultimately, our comfort cannot come The Lord’s sovereign orchestration of events wrenched Benjamin from Jacob’s arms and from the assurance that the Lord will forced him to do what he would never do otherwise: to trust God with his sons. From this we learn that we can hold nothing—not even a child—as a higher priority than our protect our children, ironic as it trust in God. sounds. Our comfort comes when we If we really trust God: trust God to remain in complete We will rest in the assurance that our sons and daughters remain as safe in harm’s way as in their beds at home. control and accomplish His good We will hold on to the belief that, if the Father allows our children to go before us to purposes, even in the worst heaven, no amount of human protection will prevent such circumstances. circumstances. We will surrender to God that for which we pray, knowing there is no other way to experience peace.

Ultimately, our comfort cannot come from the assurance that the Lord will protect our children, ironic as it sounds. Our comfort comes when we trust God to remain in complete control and accomplish His good purposes, even in the worst circumstances.

I confess these principles come easier to write than to do. As I watch God toss my daughters in the air, I tend to focus on my inability to control the flight instead of the Father’s ability to catch them. In this, I find a gnawing conviction that I would rather feel in control than trust God to guard and guide the future of my daughters.

Such is the challenge for all believing parents. Our love for our children only grows to resemble the Lord’s love for them when we trust God and allow Him to lead them as He chooses.

God’s sovereignty demands our surrender, yes. But as we surrender and trust God, we bow not in an admission of defeat, but in an act of worship.3

Question: What helps you trust God with your children when you have no control? 44

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Seventeen

STARING DEATH IN THE FAITH Sometimes you hear crazy stuff at funerals.

I heard of one set of parents who tragically lost a child, and the minister told them not to weep—but to rejoice in faith. After all, their son was in heaven. It sounded so right, so spiritual. But it was only half right. Therefore, it was half wrong.

The Bible reveals that when someone dies, the most natural and right thing to do—even for those of great faith—is to weep. After Abraham’s wife died, “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:2). Even Jesus wept at the results of physical death (John 11:35). So we know grieving is okay for us too.

But why is weeping right, even if our loved one is in a “better place”?

Death in the Life of a Believer

Most of us are on a silent hunt for a life of no pain, no worries, no strife—just ease. It’s what we pray for most often, isn’t it? But looking for God to do in this life what He never promised to do only leaves us disappointed and disillusioned.

Physical death brings this home like nothing else.

Death is an intrusion into God’s initial plan for humanity. God didn’t design us to have to deal with it. Death came in as a result of humankind’s decision to sin.

When we lose someone to death, we need to remember what death is. Death represents separation, not extinction.

In physical death, the soul is separated from the body.

In spiritual death, the soul is separated from God.

Because of sin, mankind experiences both spiritual and physical death.

www.waynestiles.com The ultimate effects of both spiritual and physical death may be alleviated by faith in Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life and died on a cross to pay for our sins. Then He rose again, conquering death.

So where is the consolation when we all we feel is the pain of being separated by physical We can ﬁnd consolation in the fact death? that, even though it brings us great loss Where Is the Comfort When We Suffer Death? Regarding some of the most faithful believers who ever lived, the author to the Hebrews and pain on earth, death is reconciled wrote: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises . . . . But as it is, they desire a with God’s promises . . . because His better country, that is a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13, 16). We can find consolation in the fact that, even though it brings us great loss and pain on promises extend beyond the grave. earth, death is reconciled with God’s promises . . . because His promises extend beyond the grave. Physical death must precede complete reward, even for those of great faith, unless the Lord returns first (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

Making the Fact of Death Practical

On average, two people die every second.4 And Scripture reminds us we have no control over when that deadly second comes: “No man has . . . authority over the day of death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). The practical person, then, will always be ready for death.

If we’re honest, we all have at least 2 questions we need to answer today:

1. Am I prepared to meet God as I am right now?

2. Am I prepared to allow God to take my loved one?

Hope and faith allow us to be ready, knowing that the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises comes after death.

Question: What have you learned from the death of a loved one?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Eighteen

FILL THE VOID IN YOUR LIFE BY MAKING THESE 2 CHOICES I loved the innovation some New Yorkers chose in order to deal with their drought-dried lawns years ago.

They paced their yards a few times with a can of green spray paint, and whala! Lawns to dye for. No more watering, no more mowing, just bright, green grass all summer.

Unfortunately, many apply such innovation beyond the front yard straight into the human heart.

On the surface, we seem vibrant, successful, content, and happy. And except for the occasional “scene”—when the truth bursts from behind our thin veneers—most of us manage to keep it together and preserve the image throughout our lives.

In social circles where hurting is unacceptable (insert your church’s name here), we quickly learn to paint on our smiles and shake all the hands—while inside we feel as dead and needy as parched grass.

We may have ideal hopes about tomorrow, believing in that ever-elusive “someday” when things will just get better, but the truth is, life doesn’t fix itself.

God must fix life.

The Hardwired Void We Carry

God hardwired each of us with a void only He can fill. Here’s what that means:

If you break free from bondage to alcohol and fill that void with anything but Jesus, another bondage will replace it.

If you wiggle loose from an emotional dependency on an unhealthy relationship but ignore your relationship with the Lord, another addiction will take its place.

www.waynestiles.com If you make changes to relieve your struggle with a meaningless existence but don’t turn to Jesus for help, you’ll still feel empty. Another boat, another job, another spouse, another anything won’t fill the void.

Only God fills the chasm. Everything else only deepens it.

If you make changes to relieve your Fill the Void by Making These 2 Choices struggle with a meaningless existence First, place your faith in Jesus Christ. Filling the void begins, of course, with faith in Jesus Christ. But trusting Jesus doesn’t eliminate the void in our lives. It’s hardwired to stay. Christ but don’t turn to Jesus for help, you’ll didn’t redeem us in order to fill the void with stuff we’ve always wanted—our dreams, our still feel empty. . . . Only God ﬁlls the possessions, our pleasure, our needs. As Paul told some early believers: But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the chasm. Everything else only deepens it. heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:17–18)

When God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they failed to realize that freedom from serving Pharaoh meant freedom to serve the God who had freed them.

Second, live for the glory of God as your solitary goal. God doesn’t remove the void. He fills it.

He fills the void with a purpose: to live for the glory of God who died for you (2 Corinthians 5:15). Our solitary goal. The glory of God.

That means we shouldn’t run after what the world pursues. Instead, we must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Eternal life refers to a quality of life—not just its duration. Read anew Jesus’s personal invitation to you:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)

When you live solely for God’s glory, the peace that comes from that purpose will fill you to

www.waynestiles.com overflowing with fulfillment. Meaning will replace futility. Relationship will replace ritual. Eternal life will replace eternal death.

The void is there to stay. When you live solely for God’s glory, But when you make these two choices, God will fill it up. the peace that comes from that purpose Question: What helps you pursue the goal of living for the glory of God? will fill you to overflowing with fulfillment. Meaning will replace futility. Relationship will replace ritual. Eternal life will replace eternal death.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Nineteen

WHY GOD ALLOWS US TO CRASH AND HURT I’ll never forget the day when one of my daughters learned to ride her bike without training wheels. (The “fall” was an appropriate season for this event.)

As she sped down a hill toward a huge ravine, I saw written all over her face the message: “I’m not in control!”

As she raced by me, I reached out and lifted her off the bike—saving her from the ravine but causing her to fall. As the bike launched into the abyss, my rescued daughter hopped up hotter than a hornet!

“Why did you do that, Daddy?!”

To answer her, I simply pointed to the bottomless gorge I had saved her from. But that didn’t matter. All she could see was that I caused her to fall.

Years later, I pondered how we can carry this same attitude into our relationships with God.

Our Assumption: Fathers Protect Us from All Pain

The words of one woman make this clear as she blurted to Dr. Les Carter:

I was raised in a conservative church where we were taught to seek God’s guidance. But I’ve concluded that all that teaching was a crock! Where was God when I needed Him? Why didn’t He give me a better family? Why didn’t He let me marry better men? . . . God knew what was going to happen to me. He could have stopped it. But instead He’s letting me wallow in misery. It’s not fair.5

The Christian life should bring the good things in life, right? God’s powerful love should protect us from having awful families, miserable marriages, lost jobs, lost children, and the kinds of accidents only “other people” have, right?

When reality hits, this mindset makes God the scapegoat—because He could have stopped

www.waynestiles.com it all. We cry out like King David: “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1).

Nothing aches as badly as God’s apparent apathy.

Our culture points to our pain as proof that God doesn’t exist. But the devil uses our pain to If we acknowledge our Father’s convince us that God doesn’t care. (Take a moment and read that again.) And if the devil can get us to doubt God’s goodness, we stand on the edge of a life that uses our anger to justify goodness only in the pleasant things our sin.

He allows, we yield to a childish Fathers, Feelings, and Faith nature that misses an astounding part Notice that David not only expressed his feelings of abandonment, but he affirmed his faith in God’s goodness—even though he couldn’t see it: “But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; of God’s love. We miss the wonderful my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (Psalm 13:5). growth we can experience from Even through the blur of God’s seeming betrayal, David clung to God’s good character. praising a good God who uses even Any parent can understand why I jerked my daughter off her bike. But as a child, she lacked the capacity to understand that my actions came from a heart of love. She couldn’t see past our pain for our advantage. her pain to the reason I allowed it—and even caused it. As God’s children, we often lack this same insight.

If we acknowledge our Father’s goodness only in the pleasant things He allows, we yield to a childish nature that misses an astounding part of God’s love. We miss the wonderful growth we can experience from praising a good God who uses even our pain for our advantage.

Question: Think of a pain God has allowed in Your life; why do you think He didn’t stop it, when He easily could have?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty

REVEALING THE LIES OF TEMPTATION “Congratulations, Mr. Stiles, you’ve just won an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii!”

“No thanks.”

“You mean, you . . . you don’t want it?”

It was a short conversation. Why? Because a solicitor never calls to give you anything— unless he or she gets more in return.

I have discovered the devil is the same way.

Satan knows how to market. He’s been doing it a long time. From the beginning, in fact.

The Real Cost of Saying Yes to Temptation

Satan is the best broker in the sin business. He can hang a glittering, gold door on a condemned building and convince you to buy it. He’ll invest in whatever shiny enticement he has to get you to sign on the dotted line. Why? Because he knows he has to “spend money to make money.” And he always does. He gets back double for his investment.

But you lose it all.

Only after you enter sin’s doorway do you see that the facade that looked so enticing is actually propped up by a few two-by-fours. One strong wind will collapse the whole thing on top of you.

Our Lord Stood Firm Against Temptation

With every temptation Satan dangled before Jesus, our Lord stood firm by believing God’s Word over the quick and easy substitute offered by the Adversary (Matthew 4:4).

What Satan accomplished in the Garden of Eden with Eve, he tried with Jesus as well in

www.waynestiles.com temptation. The devil tried to stir up doubt about the truth of God’s Word and the good of God’s intentions.

Satan tries the same with us. Satan will offer us all the kingdoms of Satan’s Method Unmasked Satan will offer us all the kingdoms of the world if we’ll only bow down and worship him. The the world if we’ll only bow down and tempter provides—for our destruction—alternatives to God’s best. worship him. The tempter provides— Aiming at the essentials of our faith, he hurls fiery darts, including: for our destruction—alternatives to Doubt about our salvation God’s best. Ideas that we only need to believe Scripture, not live it Busyness that keeps us out of the Word

Lies that say rebellion is better for us than faithfulness

The Lies Revealed, Now What Will You Do?

Satan’s solicitation is classic: “You can have what you want right now rather than waiting for God’s timing.” Sounds good. But Jesus’ responses to Satan reveal that solicitation as a lie.

Has God has been working on your heart in a certain area? Is there a person you need to forgive? A first step you need to take in reconciliation? A habit of sloth, lust, or anger that you need to get under control?

Probably, you have at least one area in your life that God is calling you to change—and you recognize that it is right to do so. But Satan has offered you a reason to refuse God—or an excuse to justify yourself.

Don’t buy it.

Push all excuses aside and ask yourself: What really could be more important?

Question: What most helps you stand firm in moments of temptation?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-One

JEALOUSY MADE OUR “COMPANION” GO “EVIL” Our Labrador’s name, Rayah (pronounced “ray-uh”) means “companion.” But only a slight alteration of the Hebrew vowels renders her name, Ro-ah, which means “evil.”

As it turned out, all it took to alter the vowels in our Lab’s name was bringing home a puppy to keep her company.

On my way home from work one day, I saw a pickup beside the road with a sign: “Lab puppies for sale.” I stopped, inspected the pups, and started down our family’s checklist:

“Yellow?” Check.

“Female?” Check.

“Registered?” Check.

“Price?” Double check.

With each question came the right answer, and in five minutes, I was headed home with a cute ball of fur in the seat beside me. As I arrived, my wife and daughters greeted the puppy with hugs and kisses and complete joy. Everyone seemed pleased.

Everyone except Rayah.

On every other day of her life, Rayah had a close-to-perfect temperament. But that day, she growled, bared her teeth, snapped, and scrambled to keep out of the way of the new intruder. I couldn’t believe the change!

We named the new pup Carly (though I wanted to name her Tiglath-pileser III—Tiggy for short). Carly playfully chased Rayah around the kitchen, and with every lap, Rayah looked up at me with eyes that asked, “Are you serious?! We’re keeping this rat?” The dog for which we got the puppy in the first place—now stood first-place in line to take the puppy back. (By the way, they are the best of friends today.)

www.waynestiles.com A Lesson from the “Lab” Rat

The jealousy and irritable reaction from Rayah—our “companion” gone “evil”—makes me consider my own insecurities, jealousy, and selfish demands. God gives me responsibilities, not It’s strange how jealousy works: Why does my heart melt when someone else gets the credit, the promotion, or the rights. And when I feel threatened by affirmation I feel I deserve? someone else’s success, it only reveals Must I really feel threatened by someone else’s good ideas? a heart jealous for a priority other than Why do I feel rejected when those I respect affirm someone else? the glory of God. Does someone else’s success represent my failure? Seeing such selfish and base behavior in our Labrador exposed my own needless jealousy and insecurity. What a healthy reminder that my purpose in life lies far from having to stay the “top dog.” What a huge waste of time.

The success of others is never the problem. Jealousy is the problem.

The bottom line? God gives me responsibilities, not rights. And when I feel threatened by someone else’s success, it only reveals a heart jealous for a priority other than the glory of God.

Question: Why do you think others’ successes cause us such struggle?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Two

GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU Imagine with me you have a child—and only one. The delivery had complications, but the child lived. So you name him Nathaniel—“given of God.”

While recovering at home, you begin the ritual of feeding little Nathaniel and rocking him while he screams through fits of colic every three hours. You never miss a feeding. You never let one diaper go unchanged or any need unmet. You never give up, no matter how much he cries or how tiredtried you get, because you know your child would literally die without your care.

As Nathaniel grows, you teach him to walk, you change his soiled sheets, and you work hard to buy new clothes he’ll outgrow. He starts to drive, and you bite your nails until he comes home. Every new stage presents a new set of sacrifices, but you never give up, because you love Nathaniel.

The day he drives off to college represents a milestone in your parenting, and you stand proud of what God has made of Nathaniel.

You have no idea that things are about to change.

Months pass, and Nathaniel comes home for Christmas break. When you ask him if he’ll help with some holiday preparations, he looks you straight in the eye and says: “Who are you to tell me what to do? I’m my own person now!” Then he turns on his heels, slams the door, and peels out of the driveway.

Later that evening you blow dust off an old photo album. You remember all the feedings, the diapers, the sheets, the countless hours of lost sleep, and the millions of times you chose never to give up so Nathaniel’s needs would be met.

Now, ironically, he sees you as his biggest problem.

The Pain of Ingratitude

The ingratitude of a wayward child cuts deep, perhaps deeper than any other emotion. And

www.waynestiles.com here we catch but a glimmer of the pain God feels toward His wayward children whom He desperately loves. With a frog in His anthropomorphic throat, God recalled: “When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1). But in spite of all God did for His children, “They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols” (11:2). Submission to Jesus Christ results in joy They returned to the very things from which God delivered them. In a Rolling Stone Magazine interview, Brad Pitt referred to one subject over and over: —not oppression. Rather than religion. “I would call it oppression,” he said, “because it stifles any kind of personal individual remaining conﬁned to myself in freedom.” He described the parable of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15 this way: This is a story which says if you go out and try to find your own voice and find what “freedom,” I choose to be connected to works for you and what makes sense for you, then you are going to be destroyed and you will be humbled and you will not be alive again until you come home to the father’s Jesus. For with Him comes forgiveness ways.6 of sin, true peace of mind, eternal What Doesn’t Work about Spiritual Independence purpose, and eternal life. I heard about an angry man who bolted from a discussion group, slamming the door after him. One person tried to relieve the tension by saying: “Well, he’s gone.” But the hostess replied, “No, he isn’t. He just walked into my closet!”

I’ve found that we have the same problem when we run from God’s presence:

We remain confined to ourselves.

We learn that the freedom we thought we’d find apart from Him isn’t what we thought it would be.

We would give all we have and more to be once again within the constraints of God.

The Prodigal Son is not a story of a father waiting to clobber his wayward son, but the story of a father who will never give up on his wandering child. Submission to Jesus Christ results in joy—not oppression. Rather than remaining confined to myself in “freedom,” I choose to be connected to Jesus. For with Him comes forgiveness of sin, true peace of mind, eternal purpose, and eternal life.

Even though God’s children often ignore His love, the Lord affirms He will never give up on us: “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? . . . My heart is turned over within Me, all My

www.waynestiles.com compassions are kindled. . . . For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:8–9).

A Simple Invitation Worth Considering

If you have lived your life like our Nathaniel, or if you, God’s son or daughter by faith in The freedom we thought we’d ﬁnd Jesus, have wandered into your closet of rebellion, I urge you to accept the invitation to apart from Him isn’t what we thought it return to your heavenly Father who loves you. He waits with open arms. God will never give up on you. would be. We would give all we have and more to be once again within the Question: Why do you think our sinful nature finds God so confining? constraints of God.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Three

THE SECRET TO UNTYING YOUR 6-TON ELEPHANT I heard about a man in an Arizona circus who used to train animals. Somebody asked him: “Hey, how do you tie down that 6-ton elephant with the same sized stake you use for a baby elephant?”

“That’s easy,” the trainer answered.

“When they’re babies, we stake them down. They pull and tug thousands of times until they figure out they can’t jerk loose. At that point, the elephant’s great memory kicks in, and they remember for the rest of their lives they can’t pull away. So they quit trying.”

I’ve discovered that you and I think a lot like elephants. Especially when it comes to sin.

How We Get Staked to a Lie

We’ve all heard it. When we’re young and impressionable, some unthinking, insensitive person does it to us. Maybe it’s a parent or a teacher. Or someone of the opposite sex. Or a preacher. We hear their words:

“You’re stupid! You’ll never amount to anything.”

“Your nose is too big.”

“You are going to hell for that!”

WHAM! We drive a mental stake into our minds that, like elephants, we carry with us even when we become adults. We never forget it. We never question it. We simply believe it.

As adults, the words change, but now they’re our own words. And the effect is the same:

“I’ll never break free from that addiction to alcohol.”

“The desire is so fierce, it has to be God’s will.”

www.waynestiles.com “I cannot control my craving.”

“I can’t do anything right.”

Got one or two of those stakes stuck in your brain? Submission to Jesus Christ results in joy Untying Your Elephant (a.k.a. Gaining Victory Over Sin) —not oppression. Rather than A circus elephant is literally chained to a past memory, but that doesn’t have to be true of you. I urge you to begin thinking more like a Christian and less like an elephant. remaining conﬁned to myself in Here are a few steps that will help. “freedom,” I choose to be connected to First, know the truth about your past. Before you believed in Jesus, when sin said, “Jump!” Jesus. For with Him comes forgiveness you jumped. It wasn’t just a matter of hearing lies from others and yourself. You had no choice, because sin was your master. Sure, you may have quit drinking, or smoking, or of sin, true peace of mind, eternal whatever—but you replaced one master for another. Smoking for unhealthy relationships, for example. But you were still staked down with no option for permanent victory over sin. purpose, and eternal life. Second, believe the truth about you now. Even after you believe in Jesus, sin still says, “Jump!” You tug against that stake and remember the past, so you stay tied. Not because you have to—but because you choose to. You don’t realize you now have power through the Spirit of God to pull up that stake—to have victory over sin. Scripture says it like this:

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:12–14)

Third, meditate on the truth and enjoy your future. The renewal of the mind is the secret to untying your elephant (Romans 8:5–6; 12:1–2). And honestly, sometimes it takes years. Don’t misunderstand; pulling up your stakes is not as easy as three steps and a prayer. But victory over sin CAN happen with God’s power. You can have victory over sin.

Retraining Your Elephant Brain

Renewing the mind comes by reading and pondering Scripture and by believing the truth that you are no longer a slave to sin. You are free from sin’s power to make you sin. Regardless

www.waynestiles.com of what lies you hear.

I think that many of our stakes are those that—like the one of an adult elephant—we could pull up if we’d try. We would see that, through the strength of Jesus, we’ve grown, we’re stronger, and the stake is nothing but a shadow of what once was true. It’s now a lie from the Submission to Jesus Christ results in joy devil—intended to hobble us from having victory over sin, from being effective for God, and from being fulfilled.

—not oppression. Rather than Immerse your mind in the truth of the verses quoted above, and with the strength that God remaining conﬁned to myself in provides, start tugging at some of your stakes. “freedom,” I choose to be connected to There’s no need to work for peanuts in an Arizona circus. Question: What lies from the past have you staked down now? Jesus. For with Him comes forgiveness of sin, true peace of mind, eternal purpose, and eternal life.

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Four

JESUS DECOYS—YOUR ALBATROSS OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES I never thought an albatross would challenge my relationship with God. But the one in this story sure did.

Researchers placed 100 decoys on islands to attract endangered albatrosses and to urge them to breed. But one bird missed the message.

This albatross attempted to woo a wooden decoy by building a tidy nest and fighting off rivals. For more than two years, this albatross stood by the decoy.

“He seems to have no desire to date real birds,” one of the researchers observed.7

After reading this story, several activities came to mind—like Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with others. All spiritual disciplines.

All potential decoys.

Jesus Decoys in Our Lives

When it comes to a relationship with Jesus, it’s a lot easier to court the decoys. After all:

Decoys demand nothing from us.

They never argue.

They’re great listeners.

They won’t leave us.

They don’t retaliate when we kick them.

The downside of courting decoys? They aren’t real.

Jesus decoys look Christian. They often are, in fact, biblical commands and spiritual

www.waynestiles.com disciplines. I’ve already mentioned a few—like Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Here are other favorites:

Visiting the sick. Think for a moment beyond the Giving money. Taking communion. activities you’ll do to the reasons you’ll Serving in an area you know to be God’s will. (This is the tough one for me.) do them. Sometimes all it takes to Now, obviously, none of these spiritual disciplines is bad. It’s just that they’re not the goal. replace the Jesus decoys in our lives Like the albatross decoy, the purpose of these activities is to get us to engage with the real thing. Not to sit with the decoys. with the real Jesus is to evaluate our Engaging the Real Thing motives. Spiritual disciplines can become a weight around our necks if they replace intimacy with Jesus as our ultimate goal.

As Christians, we see this happen in all too many ways. For me, pursuing the will of God is a tempting decoy from pursuing Jesus Himself. But one should serve the other—never substitute for it. As Augustine put it, “Idolatry is worshipping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that is meant to be worshiped.”

Spiritual disciplines are a means of knowing Jesus. They are expressions of our love for Him. They serve to glorify and honor Him.

Him . . . HIM . . . HIM!

Decoys, on the other hand, are all about me. And you.

What’s on your calendar today? Think for a moment beyond the activities you’ll do to the reasons you’ll do them. Sometimes all it takes to replace the Jesus decoys in our lives with the real Jesus is to evaluate our motives.

Question: What Jesus decoys do you see in your life?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Five

HOW TO KEEP A DOGGED DEVOTION TO BIBLE READING Sometimes reading the Bible can get, well—can I say it?—boring.

Yeah, I know that sounds really unspiritual. And, yes, I understand that statement is more of a commentary on me than on the Bible. But it’s true.

And that’s the whole point.

How can a book that has changed the lives of billions ever seem boring?

Reasons Bible Reading Seems Boring

1. The benefits of Bible reading don’t feel immediate.

2. The Bible was written a long time ago.

3. It takes work to understand parts of God’s Word.

4. My busy life leaves little time for Bible reading.

There are more reasons, to be sure. But whatever the reason Bible reading is tough, the question for us is the same: How can we keep a dogged devotion for the most un-boring book in the world?

Keeping a Dogged Devotion to Bible Reading

Our two dogs used get to breakfast from one of our daughters. They received supper from the other daughter. They always knew which daughter came with which meal, and they would wait outside the appropriate bedroom door.

Most days, they waited a LONG time.

The dogs’ devotion to food reminds me of a proverb in which wisdom offers a simple invitation: “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my

www.waynestiles.com doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:34– 35 NIV, emphasis added).

After reading these verses, the picture of my dogs changes from comical to convicting.

How do we benefit from Bible reading? By “watching daily at [God’s] doors, waiting at [His] With Bible reading, as with any doorway.” Literally, the Hebrew reads “yom, yom”—or “day by day.” It takes a daily discipline, we need encouragement at commitment to listen, to watch, and to wait in the Word of God in order to gain wisdom. Don’t misunderstand. By “daily” I don’t mean a legalistic box to check. (Even the Pharisees times to keep on with what we know did that.) I mean a daily, dogged devotion that listens to, watches for, and waits upon God’s we need—even if we don’t feel like we wisdom as found in the Bible. Bible reading gives us that benefit. Bible Reading Tools need it. In addition to reminding ourselves the benefits of regular Bible reading, taking advantage of good tools can help us keep our commitment to read.

Here are 3 tools I have found helpful:

1. YouVersion—This is a free app that allows you to listen to the Bible on your smart phone or computer. Featuring many translations and Bible reading plans, YouVersion is a great way to make good use of your time. Listen on the commute (like I do), at the gym, or any other time you’re on the go.

2. Bible Reading Plans—From published daily Bibles like the One Year Bible to free Bible reading plans you can download, there are many options to help you set a reading pace. I have used and enjoy the One Year Bible, the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plans, and most recently, Insight for Living’s Bible Reading Guides. The best plan is the one you’ll use. Just choose one.

3. Modern Bible Translations—Sometimes the Bible seems boring because we’re reading a translation that uses archaic words. A good, modern translation with study notes might help—like the Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard, the NIV Study Bible (my wife’s favorite), or the New English Translation.

With Bible reading, as with any discipline, we need encouragement at times to keep on with what we know we need—even if we don’t feel like we need it.

Question: What helps keep the Bible from being boring to you? 65

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Six

SPIRITUAL CONSISTENCY IS WORTH THE COST Early one morning I hopped in my car and inserted the key. When I cranked it—I kid you not —the car made this sound: “Ugh.”

I figured it was just the weather, and I pulled out the jumper cables. But two days later, the car sang the second verse of the same song: “Ugghhh.”

Later that day, my auto mechanic gave a simple diagnosis: I needed a new battery.

Now, I could have said: “Hey, you know, a car starting every other day isn’t so bad. It sure beats walking. I guess I don’t need a battery.”

But, of course, I bought a battery—a big one. If my vehicle runs inconsistently, it’s of little value to me. At the same time, keeping the car running reliably comes down to one thing: it costs me.

The same is true of our spiritual lives.

When Spiritual Consistency Loses its Charge

Confessing we are Christians, but living without spiritual consistency, is like a car that starts every other day. What good is that?

The Bible asks the same question to those of us who claim we have faith in God: “What good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:16– 17 NIV, emphasis added).

In terms of practical benefit in this life, a “dead” faith is one that is “useless” and “worthless” (James 2:20, 26). We may never say it, but often we live with the credo: “I’ll trust Jesus for my eternal life, but my daily life is my business.” The Bible says that such a faith, while perhaps true, is “useless” and “worthless” (James 2:20, 26).

Believing the truth will save us from hell, but it won’t save us from the pain of choosing to disobey (Romans 6:15–16). 66

www.waynestiles.com The world tolerates a non-Christian who lives immorally. In fact, our culture applauds it. But when a priest or a pastor or any Evangelical Christian (their new favorite target), fails to live with spiritual consistency, the world has a problem. And Jesus did too.

Jesus saved His most scathing rebukes not for prostitutes and thieves, but for the Living the truth requires daily, diligent, religious leaders who held up a standard they refused to follow. and faithful obedience. The costs are The Benefit of Spiritual Consistency On the other hand, spiritual consistency has a HUGE benefit. When we demonstrate our faith huge investments, to be sure. But by good works, the world takes notice and God is glorified: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in spiritual consistency is worth it. heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Ironic, isn’t it? Good works have nothing to do with becoming a Christian, but they have a lot to do with living like one. God has even prepared in advance good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:8–10).

What Spiritual Consistency Costs Us

When we say, “I’m a Christian,” we’re expected to model it consistently before others. But consistency costs. In regard to my car, it cost me a battery. In regard to our faith, the costs are pricier:

Spiritual consistency doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but it does mean we’re honest about it. It costs us our pride as we confess our sins to God and to one another (1 John 1:9; James 5:16).

It costs us some sleep, as we get up perhaps 30 minutes earlier to make our relationship with God our priority each day (Proverbs 8:34–35; Mark 1:35).

It costs us our own wills and selfish desires as we sacrifice them daily (Romans 6:13, 16, 19; 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Hebrews 13:15).

Living the truth requires daily, diligent, and faithful obedience (Ephesians 4:1; 1 Peter 2:11). The costs are huge investments, to be sure. But spiritual consistency is worth it.

Our faith does us no good just sitting in the driveway. It must run.

Question: What “costs” do you spend for the sake of spiritual consistency? 67

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Seven

HOW TO FIX FOUNDATION PROBLEMS IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Years ago, my grandmother’s 1909 house got a fresh layer of wallpaper. But only weeks later, I noticed in a high corner the wallpaper had buckled, and in some places, it had even split.

When I asked her about it, she said: “Oh, the house needs foundation work. Every time the seasons change and the wind blows a different direction, the whole house shifts.”

That made sense. For years, I shaved inches off most of the doors trying to get them to close. But the repair only lasted until the wind shifted again.

Look closely at the lives of your friends and family. Maybe even your own life. You’ll see that old house’s problem in vivid display.

Foundation Problems Affect Everything

The choice to fix foundation problems always costs. But so does ignoring them.

When I remember my grandmother’s house, I recall Jesus’ words:

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand . . . the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall (Matthew 7:26–27).

Hearing God’s Word, but failing to follow it, is like wallpapering over the cracks of a bad foundation. Sounds silly, but we see it all the time.

When one marriage hits the rocks, another follows with little more success. When one addiction seems conquered, in its place comes one of equal destruction. Job after job, church after church, relationship after relationship—the walls of our lives get cracked, and the solution seems simply to start over and paper over the sore sight with a fresh print.

The issue, of course, lies not in the wallpaper, the walls, or even the wind. These are only the

www.waynestiles.com revealers of the real problem: a poor foundation.

Our Favorite Foundation Is Faulty

I’ll never forget a sobering statistic I read from the Barna Group years ago: “The basis of people’s moral and ethical decisions these days is more likely to be feelings and less likely to When we make decisions based on any be the Bible.”8 foundation other than God’s Word— The problem? God never intended feelings to guide us. More often, they betray us. not simply morality, but real, biblical When the devil tempted the first woman to disobey, the cunning serpent appealed to emotion by discrediting God’s Word (Genesis 3:4–6). truth—we sit at the mercy of any wind’s When we doubt God’s truth—or simply stay unaware of it—we have nothing left to base whim. No marriage will endure, no our decisions on but emotion—an inadequate foundation. salary will satisfy, no job, church, or When we make decisions based on any foundation other than God’s Word—not simply morality, but real, biblical truth—we sit at the mercy of any wind’s whim. No marriage will relationship will last. endure, no salary will satisfy, no job, church, or relationship will last. How can they? They’re based on feelings that constantly shift.

How to Fix Foundation Problems in Your Life

Got some cracks in your spiritual life? In key relationships? Don’t paper over them. Do the work to fix foundation problems.

If you choose to invest time in the Bible and apply its life-changing truths, you will live like those of whom Jesus said:

Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24–25)

The decision to fix foundation problems always costs. But so does ignoring them.

Question: On what basis do you make your decisions?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Eight

WHAT I LEARNED FROM LIVING THROUGH A HURRICANE We hadn’t paid attention to the news. It was too late to leave. And we were ill-prepared when Hurricane Celia slammed into Corpus Christi.

I was only 3 years old on August 3, 1970, but my memories are vivid. We sat in the hallway in the middle of the house with all the doors closed. I ate animal crackers while my stepdad played the guitar. All the while, I heard what sounded like freight trains encircling our house.

After the storm, the neighborhood looked like a war zone. Amazingly, our house was one of the only ones untouched, although 80% of the city’s buildings got damaged.

Roofs were ripped off.

My swing set was lodged up in the trees.

Every wooden fence fell flat.

The National Guard came in to Corpus Christi to prevent looting and to enforce a curfew.

No Fences, No Barriers

Because every fence in our neighborhood lay flat, all the neighbors had one large yard—with no separation. Until the electricity came back on, each evening different neighbors opened their deep freezes and everybody ate barbecue!

I ran across this quote from Nick Jimenez, a fellow survivor:

We all remember the backyard barbecues as neighborhoods gathered to cook the freezer supplies that would otherwise spoil in the heat. Every Celia survivor remembers . . . the sense of shared endurance and the readiness to lend a hand. The definition of neighbor was extended to anyone who had survived the storm.9

My stepdad spent hours with our neighbors as they helped each other clean the yards and

www.waynestiles.com rebuild the fences. Normally, they didn’t take the time to engage in conversation, but the disaster forced the neighborhood to be neighborly.

As my stepdad and our next-door-neighbor finished building the fence between them, they shook hands and my stepdad said: “Well, I’ll see you next hurricane.”

God may allow something drastic to What Living through a Hurricane Taught Me tear down the fences between us and The aftermath of Hurricane Celia brought these lessons and observations to mind. to get us to reach out to one another. God may allow something drastic to tear down the fences between us and to get us to reach out to one another (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

We really do have time to assist others, and when we do, we’re glad we did (Acts 20:35).

We need to look to the needs of others and not just our own (Philippians 2:4).

“Acts of God,” disasters, and trials can bring out the best in people—character you would never have otherwise seen (Genesis 44:16, 33).

Sometimes I wonder if we could avert more disasters if we lived this way all the time.

Question: What benefits have you seen come from disasters?

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Twenty-Nine

STRUGGLING WITH SIN AND 4 LIES WE BELIEVE Everybody sins. But when we Christians do it, reactions vary.

The world points to us as hypocrites—and often uses our sins as justification for their own. Other Christians view our sins as reasons to suggest we aren’t even saved.

But the people who offer the most brutal judgment?

Very often, it’s ourselves.

That’s because Christians struggling with sin tend to believe these 4 lies.

LIE #1: As a Christian, I should live a perfect life. We may not admit this out loud, because it sounds extreme. But we often think it. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48 NIV)?

Absolutely. But when Jesus referred to the standard we should strive for, He also understood the reality that we would fail. That’s why He died for our sins.

What we really tell ourselves with this lie is: “If I’m not perfect, God will be angry with me.” When we listen to the lie, we confuse our freedom from sin’s penalty with our freedom from sin’s presence.

When we believe in Jesus, God doesn’t make us righteous. He declares us righteous. We’re still sinners who aren’t free from sin’s temptations. Our being made righteous won’t occur until our deaths or the Rapture—whichever comes first. (Personally, I’m pulling for the Rapture.)

LIE #2: I’ve tried to stop sinning, but I can’t. I must not be saved. This lie takes the false assumption of LIE #1 a step further. Because you don’t live a perfect life like you should, you believe that means you were never saved to begin with. But think about it. Just as we couldn’t save ourselves—we needed God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9)—so we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength.

www.waynestiles.com We still need God’s grace to provide the strength for obedience. The Apostle John reminds us that we lie if we say we have no sin—and that Jesus is our atoning sacrifice for the very reason that we do sin (1 John 1:8; 2:1). You cannot out-sin the grace of God.

The truth is, your struggle against sin is a huge clue that the Spirit of God is working in your Your struggle against sin is a huge clue life. Because the New Testament constantly gives instruction to Christians struggling with sin, we understand that it is a normal experience. that the Spirit of God is working in your Scripture speaks not only to the temptations this world offers, but it also reminds us of life. Because the New Testament our ongoing vulnerability to those temptations. constantly gives instruction to We bring with us into the new life the same weaknesses that bound us to sin in the old. LIE #3: I’ll never stop my sin, so why try? While it’s true that you’ll never be free from Christians struggling with sin, we temptation or from the pull in your heart toward sin, you can experience victory. understand that it is a normal Freedom of choice is part of who God made us to be as humans. God created Adam and Eve with the capacity to choose (Genesis 2:16–17). Begin to see temptation as a experience. choice rather than as a compulsion to disobey (Romans 6:12–14). God delivered us from sin’s slavery that we might obey Him, not so we would submit ourselves again to sin’s shackles (Galatians 5:1). Freedom has a purpose: obedience.

LIE #4: My sin is too great. I’m really not sure God will forgive me. Sometimes Christians struggling with sin blow it big-time. And because we knew better—and did it anyway—we fall for the lie that tells us we crossed a point of no return with God.

Here’s the truth:

This lie stems from our pride. There is no sin—NO SIN—too great for God’s forgiveness. Your sin is no exception. There may be life-long consequences, but God’s grace always offers forgiveness.

The Lord has given you the promise that if you have believed in Jesus who died for your sins, God has already accepted you. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Remember, you cannot out-sin the grace of God. God never abandons His children.

Question: What other lies have you believed? 73

www.waynestiles.com Devotion Thirty

4 STRATEGIES TO FIGHT THE TUG OF TEMPTATION AND SIN Sometimes it feels like sin has us on a short leash with a choke collar around our necks. Temptation’s tug feels so strong at times. Almost irresistible. But for a Christian, that tug doesn’t mean we have to obey it.

Here are 4 basic strategies to help you battle the tug of temptation and sin.

First, make your time with God the most important part of your day. Yeah, yeah, of course. Ho hum . . .Wait! Don’t take this for granted. This is the single-most important priority you’ll do each day. That’s why you will find 87 good reasons (including ministry) not to make your relationship with God a priority.

Your time in Scripture and prayer should have as its goal a growing love for God.

Second, your mind is the secret to your spiritual life. Feed it truth to transform it. Here are several great truths to meditate on each day. Tell yourself:

I will always struggle with temptation and sin, but sin has no authority over my life, because Jesus has freed me from sin’s power to control me (Romans 6:13–14).

In my own strength, I will fail in my struggle against temptation and sin (Romans 7:14– 15).

I can walk in victory to the degree that I choose to set my mind on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5–6).

Memorizing and meditating on Scripture will help me walk in victory.

Third, when you do sin (and you will), confess it immediately—and then move on. Keep short accounts with God and with others. Don’t allow unconfessed sin to weigh down your life. Grace is there for that very reason (1 John 1:9). Grace allows you to move on.

God’s forgiveness and grace give us the security to learn to obey. Learning to obey God

www.waynestiles.com takes a lifetime. And God’s grace says that’s okay.

Fourth, commit to a small group that holds you accountable to basic Christian disciplines. It helps tremendously to know you’re not the only one who struggles, to have encouragement and prayer from others, and to hear how others have learned to walk with God.

God’s forgiveness and grace give us the As you pursue a life of victory over sin and living for God’s glory, set in your heart a security to learn to obey. Learning to determination to never give up. Say with the great theologian Jonathan Edwards: Resolved: Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruption, obey God takes a lifetime. And God’s however unsuccessful I may be. grace says that’s okay. Amidst our daily struggles, we have the joy of knowing that one day God will bring us into His presence where we will never again face temptation and sin.

Question: What strategy helps you the most in your fight against temptation and sin?

www.waynestiles.com Conclusion

KEEPING YOUR PERSPECTIVE The Texas Driver’s Handbook has a diagram that illustrates how when you sit in a parked car, you have a full 180-degree field of vision.

But then you start to move.

When your car accelerates to 20 mph, your field of vision reduces to 66%.

At 40 mph, your visual field shrinks to 20%.

At 60 mph, your field of vision becomes barely wider than the space between the headlights.10

Simply said, the faster you go, the less perspective you have.

The same holds true in our journey through life. If we never sit still, we never see the big picture—only the immediate right in front of us.

As we hustle through life in the fast lane, we can forget that the road actually takes us somewhere. We can lose perspective.

Here are 3 truths to help give you the perspective you need for your journey:

1. Remember, you’re working to live, not living to work. As breadwinners, most of us spend the majority of our days working. This is also true for homemakers whose days often feel like they’re walking treadmills in the book of Ecclesiastes. We need to slow down and remember that God promises to provide and that life is more than making money and keeping the yard. Read Psalm 127:1–5.

2. The journey is important, not just the destination. We know that we’re traveling to heaven, but God has left us here for a purpose. Our lives purpose to honor Him every moment we live. We forgive offenses for His glory. We help others in order to honor Christ. We labor relentlessly to grow in our godliness. God’s glory and Christ’s Great

www.waynestiles.com Commission give us reasons to see this life as a critical time in eternity. So don’t be in a hurry. We have work to do on the journey.

3. Don’t confuse the journey for the destination. Although we have plenty to do in this life, our journey isn’t our ultimate goal. Our home is heaven. For those of us who trust in the risen Christ, who died on the cross to forgive our sins, our road leads straight to glory. Although we have plenty to do in this Resist the allure to let your journey replace the joy of your destination. It simply fails to life, our journey isn’t our ultimate goal. compare to “what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). How’s your field of vision? Take sixty seconds right now and put your heart in neutral. As you Our home is heaven. For those of us sit still, you will gain the benefit of a full perspective. who trust in the risen Christ, who died on the cross to forgive our sins, our I hope this e-book has encouraged you in your walk with God. road leads straight to glory. Resist the More specifically, I hope it has helped you in some way to grow strong by developing the habit of daily reflection in God’s Word. allure to let your journey replace the joy of your destination.

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www.waynestiles.com ABOUT

Wayne Stiles has served in Christian ministry for more than 22 years. After 14 years in the pastorate, he joined the staff at Insight for Living, where he has served in leadership since 2005, currently as an Executive Vice President.

He has been married to Cathy for more than 23 years, and they have two daughters. (The nest is empty, except for the Labradors.)

He has never recovered from his and Cathy’s first trip to Israel. His passion to connect the Bible and its lands to practical Christian living permeates his life, writing, and tour ministry to the Holy Land.

He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and Dallas Theological Seminary. He has authored, co-authored, and edited many books, as well as numerous articles for magazines, newspapers, and blogs.

CONTACT

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www.waynestiles.com ENDNOTES

1 Chariots of Fire. Dir. Hugh Hudson. Perf. Ben Cross and Ian Charleston. Warner Brothers, 1981. Film.

2 “Tomorrow,” lyrics by Martin Charnin, music by Charles Strouse, from the Broadway Musical, Annie. Copyright 1977 Edwin H. Morris and Company, a Division of MPL Communications, Inc. and Charles Strouse. All rights reserved.

3 Adapted from Wayne Stiles, “In Good Hands,” (Kindred Spirit: Fall 2006 vol. 30, no. 3).

4 According to the “World Population Data Sheet 2012.” Accessed from http://bit.ly/NvQ6Oy on January 11, 2013.

5 Les Carter and Frank Minrith, The Anger Workbook: An Interactive Guide to Anger Management (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007, 2012), 83.

6 Chris Heath, “The Unbearable Bradness of Being,” Rolling Stone, October 28, 1999. Article accessed from http://www.bradpittpress.com/artint_99_rollingstone.php on January 9, 2013.

7 “Quotables” from World, February 20, 1999, Vol. 14. No. 7. Quoted from http:// www.worldmag.com/1999/02/quotables_1, accessed January 11, 2013.

8 “Americans Are Most Likely to Base Truth on Feelings,” accessed from http:// www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/67-americans-are-most-likely-to-base- truth-on-feelings on January 11, 2013.

9 Nick Jimenez, “In 1970, Celia felled fences, built bonds,” accessed from http:// www.caller.com/news/2011/aug/07/in-1970-celia-felled-fences-built-bonds/ on January 11, 2013.

10 Texas Drivers Handbook (Texas Department of Public Safety, Revised October 2008), 14-5.