The Closest Ones Benefit the Most

Tuesday's DEVO had this paragraph in it: "We can certainly notice the needs of others and have the right responses ready in any given situation.  We can speak encouragement, and we can point others to the love of our  Father.  As for healing, we can take a bold step and pray for someone.   Christ is the One Who patches things up, but our hearts and hands are the conduits through which His power travels."

I have been thinking about these words a lot since then, and I finally realized why.  It's because those who are closest to us are the ones who will benefit most when we notice their needs, give a right response, speak encouragement, point them to the Parent Who loves them more than we do, and pray for them.

A few days ago someone in my precious inner circle really needed a confidence boost; they  desperately needed to see that God was in control.  In a voice devoid of its usual fervor-pitched loudness, I brought it down a notch to really emphasize how relaxed I was in the midst of the mayhem.   And then I simply stated the situation was in God's good hands, that I had placed it there several days ago, that He and only He was in control, and that nothing and no one could stand in the way of what needed to happen.   It finally all worked out.  I was AMAZED  and grateful I could stay so calm in the middle of a very frustrating moment.

Had I not prayed about it, had I ignored the need, or had my initial reaction been to throw in the towel, the outcome might have been different.  Also, had I not bombarded the throne of God with requests and guidance for this matter, I might have not had the faith  -  NO  -  I would not have had the faith to be so sure He was in charge!  And honestly, folks, I do not have the right reaction every single time something heads my way; it's something I have to constantly work on by staying plugged in to my Lord.  But in this circumstance I responded with God-given grace and certainty. I was acutely aware of God having my back and the back of this precious inner circle member.  It was fortitude not of my own making, but one that only comes when we follow Christ's example.  I love it when God uses me to impact someone else's life, but it's all the more meaningful when it's someone really close to me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We connect with You right now in prayer, and we thank You that this connection blesses our lives and mightily impacts the lives of those closest to us.  We pray for our faith and the faith of all those we love to grow stronger. Help us to always keep the right attitude and perspective.  Remind us that when we pray about something, YOU TAKE CONTROL! In Jesus' name, AMEN.   

The Right Response~

Howdylujah~

Truths we have learned this week:

1. There will be times when we are surrounded by bad stuff; it's called life.
2. Panic and fear are normal responses, but they shouldn't be our only response.
3. Praying should be our go-to action.
4. God answers prayers that are prayed at desperate times; He knows that seeing is believing.
5. It is a good thing to have a dependable person in your life who remains calm when everything is going crazy. We should strive to be this person for those around us.
6. No matter what we face, we can find peace in knowing that more of God and His power and goodness are working on our behalf than the negative and evil that comes against us.

Let's take a look at number five.

When the servant cried out to Elisha, "Oh no, my lord. What are we going to do?" Elisha, "man of God' that he was," remained calm and reassured the servant about awesome truth #6 listed above. And according to Micah 6:8 when we are God we "do what is right, we love mercy, and we walk humbly with Him." Elisha's immediate reaction to the danger was to first and foremost encourage the servant and then pray. A beautiful example of the right response.

He could have said, "I don't know what to do; let's run for it!" Or, "What's wrong with you? God doesn't like it when you freak out!" Even, "You puny-brained fearful scaredy crow. I am a man of God. I know He will take care me. Sayonara!"

But no. We know he was a man of God because his first reaction when approached with the crisis was to be encouraging and prayerful.

When Hormone was in 12th grade, he had high hopes of playing football in college. Daily we were getting letters from colleges all over the country. One day at the beginning of the season, the coach was angry at the way every one was practicing, so he switched everyone's positions. He put Hormone to hold the football while another kid kicked the football. And if you didn't see it coming, yes, the kicker kicked Hormone's hand instead, and that was all she wrote.

He was out of football at the worse possible time. Eventually the letters stopped coming, and our family felt a cloud of disappointment settle over us. And boy was I fuming! But I want each of you to know that the very day the accident happened, we knelt as a family and prayed and thanked God He was in control. We did not move off that floor until all anger toward the coach was gone and until our faith was strengthened to trust God for Hormone's future. We are still trusting, and trust me, we will have a lifetime to get our reactions right.

We can make such a difference in this world if we take a breath and carefully measure our words when problems arise. It does not matter what the problem is; we can confidently state that God's power reigns supreme, and we can pray for eyes to be opened to that universal truth.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We desire to do what is right--not make things worse by being unmerciful, uncompassionate, or turning our backs on You. We need You more than ever! In Jesus' name, AMEN~