If you’ve had a loved one turn away from God, you may have asked, “HOW?”
How do I know what to say?
How do I keep from being led by my emotions?
How can I make sure my own faith stays strong?
Thankfully, the answers to our questions can be found in God’s faithful Word. I have a book coming out in February (Lord willing) that deals with what to do when loved ones fall away. Each week in December I’ll be sharing some excerpts from the book.
From chapter one– KEEP YOUR FAITH IN GOD
God’s love is nothing like man’s imperfect love. God’s love is perfect and everlasting. When things are going well, we are secure in that knowledge. But sometimes when our hearts are hurting, we forget the amazing depth and enduring nature of God’s love. Could it be Satan whispers doubts in our mind about God’s love? Like Mrs. Job advising her husband to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), Satan’s lies begin with God to get us to turn away from Him. When he tempted Eve, Satan mentioned God’s name three times (Genesis 3:1-5)! To keep ourselves from ever believing Satan’s lies about God, we need to continually reacquaint ourselves with the love of God. The Word is filled with the truth about God’s love. Study it often so its voice will be louder than Satan’s.
From chapter four– SEEK GUIDANCE FROM GOD’S WORD
Emotions, both positive and negative, are powerful, and certainly our emotions are involved when a loved one falls away. Our society places an emphasis on letting personal emotions guide important decisions. “I have to follow my heart.” “Do what feels right to you.” The world’s mantra is that while rules are good, ultimately one should live by what feels right to them. But feelings can be an unreliable and unsafe guide. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). When Saul persecuted Christians, he wasn’t trying to be wicked. He thought he was doing the right thing. He was following his heart. He didn’t realize his actions were contrary to God’s will. He said, “Indeed, I myself thought…” (Acts 26:9). He was convicted by his feelings. His conscience never once made him question his actions (Acts 23:1). Even good people make huge mistakes when allowing their feelings to guide them. It wasn’t until Saul encountered Christ that he learned to “speak the words of truth and reason” (Acts 26:25). Wise Solomon sums it all up by saying, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26). When a loved one falls away, we must be aware of the danger of being led by our feelings. It can happen without us even realizing it. The way to safeguard against that is to stay in the Word. “Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, that I may not be ashamed” (Psalm 119:80).
Next week’s excerpts will deal with the subjects of prayer and guilt. I’d love to hear from you…Have you had a loved one fall away? Have you had to make sure your emotional response stays in line with God’s Word? What have you done to strengthen your own faith?
She’s young, beautiful, warm, and fun-loving. Pour a cup of coffee and enjoy this interview with Alicia Bookout, a sweet preacher’s wife and mother.
Kathy: Hi, Alicia! Please tell us a little about yourself.
Alicia: “Garrett and I met for the first time on January 28, 2006 at a get-together for the freshman at the Bear Valley Institute of Denver. He had just moved from TX. He asked some people about me, but was told I was younger than I actually was, so didn’t pursue. He later learned my real age (whew!) and a year later we fell hard for each other. We just celebrated 6 years of happy marriage!
Right after marriage we were given the excellent opportunity for Garrett to work as the Intern for Bear Valley church of Christ for two years. Our “mentors” (as we like to call them) were some people named Neal and Kathy Pollard. 😉 Since 2010 we have lived in Clovis, NM where Garrett is the pulpit Minister for the 16th and Pile church of Christ.
I’m blessed to get to stay at home with our two wonderful, fun and energetic kids, Emma (4 yrs) and Wesley (2 yrs).”
Kathy: You write for KatharosNOW. What’s that all about?
Alicia: “It is a blog aimed to encourage teenage girls to remain pure and clean (katharos) in this world. My sister-in-law started it a couple of years ago. Several different Christian women and young ladies from around the country write for it. I think it is a great resource for young ladies today.”
Kathy: Sounds wonderful! I know many will enjoy checking out http://katharosnow.com/
You fill many roles. Many young mothers struggle with feeling like they don’t have enough time to accomplish everything. What advice would you give them?
Alicia: “Pray and drink lots of coffee! I still struggle with this problem myself. One thing that has really helped is making daily lists. Especially on days that I feel overwhelmed. I will list at the top things that I absolutely have to get done that day and then add extras. If I get to the extra part of the list, that is great, if not, I really try to not lie in bed and stress about it. So many young moms (myself included) can run themselves ragged trying to make everything perfect. Some days it will just not be that way and that is ok. As long as you are taking care of your biggest jobs God has given you (hubby and children) then you are doing good. I would suggest though to NEVER allow your alone/quiet time with God to go on the “extras” part of your list. That has to be a priority daily or it will lead to more stressed and unaccomplished feelings (learned from experience).”
Kathy: What’s your favorite company meal?
Alicia: “Crockpot Shredded Italian Beef Sandwiches! It’s easy, can feed an army and something I grew up with so it always reminds me of home. I usually prepare Velveeta cheese dip to go along side so that you can smother your sandwich with it if you want. Needless to say, this is not a dish for those counting calories.”
Italian Beef Sandwiches
1 sirloin tip roast, rump roast, etc. (pork works good, too…cheaper!)
1 pkg. dry Italian Dressing (about 1 per 1 1/2 lbs of meat)
one can of Beef Broth
Put in Crockpot on low for 8ish hours (depends on how many pounds of meat you use). Shred and put on rolls!
Kathy: Would you mind sharing another favorite recipe with us?
Alicia: “I have too many favorite recipes so this question was one of the hardest to answer. Chocolate Éclair Cake kept coming to mind though. So easy to make and I could eat the entire pan if I’m not careful.
1 Box Graham Crackers
1 big box Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 8 oz. container Cool Whip
1 tub Chocolate Frosting
Make Pudding according to directions and mix the cool whip into the pudding. In a 9×13 dish layer graham crackers and top with pudding mixture. Make 3 layers ending with graham crackers as the top. Heat up your chocolate frosting and pour over the top of the graham crackers. Refrigerate for a couple hours and then gobble up!”
Kathy: As a busy mom of young children, how do you keep the spark alive in your marriage?
Alicia: “As newlyweds we were told a number of times “enjoy the romance before kids come along!”. Garrett and I were determined to not let our romance fizzle out once I got pregnant with our first. It definitely takes more work, but I truly believe that having kids has made us more in love and a stronger couple.
I would suggest DO NOT give up on your quiet time and dates! We love our kids to pieces but need our time together. We do this by making sure our kids have a strict bed time (8 pm in this house) so that we have nightly alone time. If you don’t have a babysitter for a date out on the town, one of our favorite things is in-home dates! After kids are in bed cook together, watch a movie, play a game, just get creative! Home dates can be cheaper, cozier, more fun and romantic than a night out.
Also, make sure even though most of your time is spent caring for the children, that you still let your hubby know that you think of him daily. Take time in your hectic day to flirt with him. Text messages, Facebook and phone calls are great ways for that. Get dressed up just for him occasionally. My sweet husband says my “mom outfits” (sweats, t-shirt with kid food and marker and pony tail) are cute, but I also know he doesn’t complain if I fix myself up. Little things that show him you care are always a good thing.”
Kathy: What is something about you that people might be surprised to know?
Alicia: “I was born in Okinawa, Japan and have lived in 9 different states. I was an “air force brat” growing up and loved the experience of seeing all sorts of new places and people!”
Kathy: When I think of you, I think of someone who’s joyful, warm, and real. I’m sure you deal with your fair share of stress and problems, so what’s your secret to maintaining these admirable traits?
Alicia: “I appreciate you saying that. I can definitely say I have not dealt with stress like I should at times and have to work on it a lot. My new favorite thing to do when I am feeling especially stressed, upset or anxious is to do a word search in scriptures. I use my bible program online (concordance works great too) and look up words like “comfort”, “worry” and “joy”. I will read most of the scriptures that pop up. Some of my favorites I end up reading a couple times throughout the day and even writing them out on sticky notes and putting them on my walls as reminders. It is amazing how much better I feel and how my attitude changes after I do this.”
Kathy: Thank you, Alicia! It’s been a real pleasure ‘chatting’ with you, and I appreciate your beautiful insight and wisdom. May God bless you and your sweet family as you shine for Him!
A couple of weeks ago I sent my husband a pathetic email. It went something like this:
Dear Neal,
[A long paragraph here about how I think I’m ruining our children.]
Love,
Dummy-head
You see, that day I was feeling particularly incompetent. Our youngest son was struggling with one of the questions in his 10th grade grammar book. I ended up having to tell him, “I’m sorry, I can’t figure it out, either. Just skip this one.” You should’ve seen the look on his face. That wasn’t the first time that has happened, but usually it’s math that has me stumped. I felt unqualified and unequal to the task. I wanted to quit. Thankfully, my husband knew exactly what to say to encourage me and that made all the difference. He reminded me of the big picture, our end goals, and the fact that I can rely on God for help even when trying to figure out 10th grade grammar. I’m grateful that I don’t have to be brilliant to homeschool my sons!
Have you ever found yourself unequal to a task? Do you say no to opportunities because you feel like you’re the wrong person for the job or you’re not good enough? Perhaps someone asked you for parenting advice and all you can think about is how you’re still trying to figure it out yourself. Perhaps someone asked you to teach a Bible class, but you’re all too aware of your spiritual weaknesses. Or perhaps someone asked you to speak about your Christian walk and you feel like a hypocrite because you know you’ve messed up, hurt others, sinned big time. The truth is perhaps you’re not qualified, but God is. We can help others because He helps us. We make mistakes and don’t always know what to say or do, but we can rely on God’s wisdom and strength to tackle a task anyway (1 Chron. 16:11; Psa. 31:24; 2 Cor. 12:9,10). I’m glad I don’t have to be perfectly sinless to shine the Light!
By the way, here was Neal’s reply to my whiney email:
Dear Kathy,
[A long paragraph here filled with sweet encouragement.]
Love,
Lucky-head
Prayer for Today: May I never let doubt or discouragement keep me from serving You, Lord.
Here’s my challenge for the week– to remember I’m in control.
I’m in control of how I feel toward others. If family members, co-workers, or friends “make me mad,” I need to remember that they can’t. They don’t have the power to do that. Only I control how I react to the words and actions of others. I must determine to feel compassionate and patient toward others.
I’m in control of my attitude toward authority. If I resent being told what to do, or if the idea of biblical submission rubs me the wrong way, perhaps it’s a pride issue. I will pray for humility and then embrace the opportunity to grow through service and discipline.
I’m in control of my mood. If Mondays bring out the grouch in me, if I’m not so sweet until I’ve had my coffee, or if my messy house irritates me, then I’m blaming circumstances for my demeanor. I alone set the tone for my day.
I’m in control of my time. If I’m having a hard time squeezing in time alone with God, studying His Word, I need to evaluate how I’m spending my time. I can’t blame my schedule for my lack of discipline.
I’m in control of my choices. I can’t blame others for my sins. When I mess up, I should fess up. When I say hurtful things, I can’t excuse myself by accusing someone else. Only I control whether or not I choose to live this day in a godly or fleshly way.
To help me with this challenge, I’ll try to remember that to control what I say, think, and do, I must give Christ control of my heart (Col. 3:3,4; Gal. 2:20).
Prayer for Today: Help me rely on Your strength, O Lord, as I turn my heart over to You.
My button box used to be a little chocolate tin. After I ate the four chocolates inside several years ago, I decided the tin was the perfect size for storing buttons. For a while I used to refer to it as “the chocolate tin that now holds buttons,” but now I just think of it as “the button box.” In fact, I only recently remembered that it used to be a chocolate tin.
Isn’t it wonderful that we can change our reputation by changing our character or conduct? Paul went from being known as a church persecutor to a church planter. With consistency and a little time, we can change how others think of us.
From sinner to saint.
From gossiper to encourager.
From short-tempered to patient.
From arrogant to humble.
From selfish to thoughtful.
From withdrawn to involved.
Is there something you’d like to be known as? Would you like to be known as a soul winner or a compassionate person? Then actively strive today to become how you’d like to be known tomorrow. Before long, others won’t even remember how you used to be. They’ll only see you as you are.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Prayer for Today: Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and grace.
Discontentment can rear its ugly head in multiple areas of our lives. If only I had a bigger house. If only my spouse would try harder. I wish our church members were different. No one understands me. I’m the only one doing all the work. When these types of thoughts take root in our hearts, the words coming out of our mouths sound more and more like complaints.
Why complain about what we don’t have? We should be content with what the Lord has given us. Why complain about someone else’s character? Everyone else can observe it as well as we can. Why complain about the state of our nation? The world hears enough of that, and we’re trying to draw others to Christ. Does complaining attract or repel? Why complain about the shortcomings of the Lord’s church? It seems like we should spend more time voicing the blessings of being in God’s family so our coworkers and neighbors will want to know more about it.
Oh, I am stepping ALL OVER my toes. So if complaining is a weakness of yours as well, here is a little list of quotes and Scriptures to print and post. May we all use our tongues to spread the grace and love of Jesus Christ in 2014.
“Go 24 hours without complaining (not even once). Then watch how your life starts changing.” (Katrina Mayer)
“Do ALL things without complaining or disputing” (Phil. 2:14).
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:29).
“But let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!” (Henry Ward Beecher)
“Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned” (James 5:9).
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused” (Num. 11:1).
“Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted…nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:6-11).
“It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose to grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly.” (Henri J.M. Nouwen)
“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
“Be hospitable to one another without grumbling” (1 Pet. 4:9).
“Had we not faults of our own, we should take less pleasure in complaining of others.” (Francois Fenelon)
“Ultimately, all our complaints are directed against God.” (Woodrow Kroll)
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
Prayer for Today: May I strive to be more like Your Son who, even when oppressed and afflicted, ‘opened not His mouth.’
One of the reasons we look forward to Heaven is because of Who is going to be there (Rev. 21:3; John 14:3,4). Because God is love and light, Heaven will be a place of love and light (Rev. 21:23,24; 22:5). If we want our homes to be places of love and light, God must be present. Homes where God is not invited are filled with strife.
Make sure God is present in your home. Christians are members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19), but is God a member of your household? Having God in your home involves more than having religious plaques hanging on the walls. It means that even if you have blank walls, a guest can walk in and tell that your home is a Christian one.
Is your home heavenly because God is present? You can determine the answer by asking yourself some questions:
Do you regularly have Bible studies and devotionals?
Does your family pray together?
Are spiritual things naturally a part of your daily conversations?
Do you continue having family devotionals even when guests are present?
Is your home filled with honor, strength, and goodness…the types of things present where God abides (1 Chron. 16:27)?
Make sure God stays welcome in your home. You may have invited Him in, but are there things in your home that will make it impossible for God to stay? If you want God to be welcome in your home, then some guests will not be welcome. Guests like materialism, dishonesty, selfishness, impatience, a lashing tongue, and worldliness. Any one of these guests might drop in occasionally, unexpectedly, but the God of holiness cannot dwell with them (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).
According to Isaiah 59:2, God is separate from everything that is sinful. Verse 3 specifically mentions sin committed by hands, and lies and perversities that come out of mouths. If sin abides in your home, no one there will see God or know God (1 John 3:5,6). Worldly things will be noticeably absent in a heavenly home.
Go through your collections of books, movies, and music, and remove any that dishonor God.
Keep your computers in public viewing areas to safeguard against unwholesome surfing.
Make sure the actions that take place in the privacy of your own home would not bring shame on the name of Christ if made public.
Only a holy home will welcome a holy God (1 Pet. 1:15,16). Is the glory of God illuminating your home?
Prayer for Today: May Your presence be found in the home of every Christian.
The beautiful account of the Prodigal Son returning home always touches my heart. But Luke fifteen’s account of the wayward isn’t the only type of return God wants. I don’t know if “return” is a key word in Luke, but it appears 21 times in that gospel of the 35 times it’s found in the entire New Testament. Notice the ones who returned:
His twelve apostles. Jesus “sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” They “departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” Then “the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done” (9:2,6,10).
The seventy. Jesus “sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” He sent them into the cities to heal the sick and preach about the kingdom of God. “Then the seventy returned with joy” (10:1,9,17).
The grateful Samaritan. Jesus healed ten lepers. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.” Jesus expressed disappointment in the other nine who didn’t return (17:11-19).
The women who followed. They followed Him to the cross. They followed Him to the grave. “Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.” After the wonderful discovery of the empty grave, “they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest” (23:27, 55, 56; 24:1-10).
The two on the road to Emmaus. They were discussing the empty tomb. Jesus appeared to them, but they didn’t recognize Him. He preached to them and stayed with them. “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem” and “they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them…” (24:13-35).
Jesus. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, He returned to face the tempter (4:1,2). After forty days of temptation, He “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee” (4:13,14). He always returned to the multitudes, even when exhausted, grieving, or facing death.
Everyday, we make the choice whether or not to return to Jesus. When completing one task for Him, will we, like the apostles and the seventy, return to seek another? Will we return to Him with thanksgiving for our salvation and our daily blessings? Will we return to tell others what He has done for us? Will we return to Him even when weary, when it’s inconvenient, when we’re caught up in our own sorrows? The original Greek word for “return” also means “be again” (Louw-Nida). It’s a brand new day…will I be His again?
Final words of the gospel of Luke: “And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen” (24:52,53).
Prayer for Today: If I am not returning to You, I am wandering away. Help me, Lord, return to You each and every day.
My brother-in-law has a birthday today. I’m attending a funeral this morning. Birthdays and funerals always make me more aware of the passing of time. The older I get, the more quickly time passes somehow. I once heard “time” defined as “the period between two eternities.” Life is brief. The Bible compares the shortness of life to a shadow (1 Chronicles 29:15), a cloud (Job 7:9), a flower (Job 14:1,2), a vapor (James 4:14), a sigh (Psalm 90:9), grass (1 Peter 1:24), and a breath (Job 7:7). Standing before Christ, each of us will give an account for our brief time here on earth. So how can we make the most of our time for God?
Focus on Our Treasures. What do we treasure? Certainly we know what the answer to that should be. But what if strangers were asked to answer that question for us? How would they go about finding the answer? They would watch where we spend our time, energy, and money. These three things are dedicated to what we treasure. Jesus told us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19,20). In other words, our priorities must be spiritual, heaven-minded. How can we make sure we’re laying up treasures in heaven? We must put the kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33). We must love the Savior more than our own family (Matthew 10:37). We must love Him more than we love ourselves (Matthew 10:39).
Focus on Our Influence. The scope of our influence is broader than we think. People all around us are watching us walk, talk, and shine the Light. What is my role in my Christian family? What can I do? Paul told some Christians that the way they received the Word with joy became an example to other Christians around them. He said, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth…Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8). The influence of these Christians saved Paul, Silas, and Timothy some work. Are we saving anybody some work? Perhaps the elders? Some teachers who need a break? The minister of personal evangelism? Our influence can make a difference in the kingdom!
Focus on Our Mission. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Jeremiah sent these words in a letter to Jews who were in captivity in Babylon. They weren’t where they wanted to be. They certainly weren’t where they planned to be. Jeremiah was reminding them that God had a plan for them, a purpose. Some of us are happy and content. Some of us aren’t where we had hoped to be at this point in our life. Jeremiah gave the Jews a two-part program: prepare for the plan and pursue perfection. No matter where we are in life, we must keep ready for action. We must keep ourselves in spiritual shape for the mission God has for us. We mustn’t wait for a better time! Henry David Thorough said, “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” The only way to tell the difference between wasting time and investing time is to know our purpose, our mission. What if you’re not sure what it is? Christians can all adopt the two missions of Jesus. He came “to do the will of the Father” (John 6:38) and “to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Focus on Our Eternity. Now is the time to build our faith, strengthen our foundation, and put on the whole armor of God. We can make the most of our time by challenging ourselves to obtain the high mark Jesus set before us (Philippians 3:12-14). Paul challenges all of us with several charges in Philippians. Develop the mind of Christ (2:5-8). Serve without complaining (2:14,15). Find our joy in the Lord (4:4). Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything (4:6). Meditate on holy things (4:8). And be content with God’s help (4:11-13). These are six different things. We can take focus on one each week and see if we can tell a big difference at the end of six weeks. If we practice all of these things, we’ll become Christ-like, humble, content, happy, calm, filled with the glow of purity. We will be prepared for eternity.
Am I satisfied that I am making the most of my time for God? Not really. But I can pray for wisdom so I can discern where God wants me to be and what He wants me to be doing right now. Finding out if I am making the most of my time is not going to happen by accident. Am I focusing on my treasures (making God my top priority)? Am I focusing on my influence (are my actions leading others to Christ)? Am I focusing on my mission (looking for ways to serve now instead of waiting for the right time)? And am I focusing on eternity (weighing everything against the ultimate goal of Heaven)?
Prayer for Today: Thank you for each new day, Lord. May I recognize it as a gift and make the most of my time for You.
Let’s counter the overwhelming influence of worldliness by making our Bibles have more of a presence in our communities. We’re all very aware of the moral decline in our nation, and the reason we’re so aware of it is because we see it everywhere we turn. It’s on the news, radio, TV shows, talk shows, magazines, billboards, and internet. What’s trending? Worldliness. All of these media outlets and various other avenues touting materialism, secularism, and godlessness can be discouraging. Satan must be pleased. He wants us to despair, to ask, “Where are the Christians?” He wants us to throw our hands up and quit. I think we can do something about that. We can remind everyone that there are still many who want to serve God. And we can do that by the very simple act of making our Bibles more visible.
Bibles are recognizable. Everyone knows what they look like. Outside of the church building, we don’t see them very often. If we do, it’s notable. The few times I’ve seen someone with their Bible on a plane or in an office, I think, “Hey, they’re holding a Bible!” And it always makes me smile. So what if we ALL carry our Bibles with us, in a very visible way, everywhere we go? The next time we meet friends for lunch, we can call and ask each one to bring their Bible, and then just set them on the table. The Bibles won’t go unnoticed. If we’re shopping, the Bible can rest in the seat of the cart. If we’re carpooling, we can display it in the dash. If we’re at the gym, we can put in on the treadmill. If we’re in the bleachers, we can set it right next to us. Whether we’re working, playing, traveling, networking, or relaxing, we can look for ways to allow our Bibles to have a presence. (This means it’ll have to be a traditional Bible, as the ones on our phones or other devices won’t be easily recognized by others.) Even though such a simple act doesn’t involve extra time or money on our part, I think this kind of Bible-saturation can make an impact.
What’s the worst that can happen? Someone might ridicule us. Someone might be offended. Someone might even ask us to put the Bible away.
What’s the potential for good? At the very least, our Bibles will be noticed. People around us will automatically know we are believers. Other godly folks will be encouraged. The nonstop message of immorality will be partially countered by the presence of Bible believers. Others might start carrying their Bibles, too. Who knows? It might even become commonplace in your community to see Bibles out in public. And one day, someone might even be interested in studying that Bible with you.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Prayer for Today: May I never be ashamed of Your Word, O Lord.
Life and Favor (Job 10:12) 