This story tells of a rebellious and reckless-then-repentant younger son who squandered his premature inheritance, shamefully living a life of luxury. After he runs out of money and a famine hit the land where he is living, he is reduced to feeding the pigs and eating their scraps. He realizes that his father’s slaves would be treated better than this so he devises a plan to return to his father, throw himself on his father’s mercy and beg his father to hire him as a servant.

The father never gives up hope on his son. He waits every day at the edge of the road, straining his vision down the road to see if his son will return that day.

Meanwhile, the family suffers almost as if the son had died. The older brother is angry that the father gave his brother the money. Jealousy. Envy. The mother is probably crying every night for the loss of her child. Regret. Shame. The father has to remain in control and never sheds a tear, but still misses the son. Remorse. Guilt.

Jesus told this story in a series of parables in Luke 15 when he was gathered around a dinner table with the tax collectors and sinners. Most people tell this story as a lesson of God’s grace when the repentant sinner returns home, some tell the story from the older brother’s prospective of envy and jealousy, but actually Jesus told this story in defense of his practice of fellowshiping with sinners. His focus was meant more on the father’s attitude of forgiveness as a lesson to us on how we should act when someone offends us.

To get a better grasp on this let’s take a look at the Middle Eastern culture and how it relates to the story.

Take for example, when the son asked for his share of the estate. This request is far more offensive than we might think. Heirs didn’t normally receive their inheritance until the father was dead or was unable to manage his estate. Asking for his portion early was a major offense because from a Middle Eastern prospective, it was like wishing his father was dead. It was like saying, “hey dad, die already so I can get what’s coming to me!” You may have seen something like this in the movies when the family is gathered around the lawyer’s office arguing who will get what before the reading of the will. Or worse yet, when they are around the hospital bed debating on who will get what and the person isn’t even dead yet.

The father’s expected response to this request should have been, in anger, to slap his son in the face with the back side of his left hand. Actually this is more degrading in the Middle East than using the right hand or an open palm.

Jesus knew how shocking this would be to his crowd of listeners. No respectful son would ever ask for his inheritance early nor would they abandon their family for distant lands.

Instead the father grants his request and gives the son a portion of his estate.

Traditionally 2/3 of the estate would be given to the principal heir, the oldest son, and the remaining 1/3 would be divided amongst the remaining sons. In this case there was only one other son. So the Prodigal determined what 1/3 of his father’s estate would amount to. He would quickly liquidate this amount into cash selling parts of the father’s property, as their wealth was in their land and not in a bank account. The son took the cash and left for another country.

Another offense to the father was that the child went to the land of the Gentiles, breaking away from the family heritage. (We know he was with the Gentiles because the story tells us he got a job feeding pigs.) With a wallet loaded with cash, this child headed for the Middle Eastern equivalent of Las Vegas or New Orleans, straight for the nightclubs on Bourbon Street. The son did not want to stay close to home so he could indulge himself away from his father’s watchful eyes. The story says the son lost his money with (using the various translations) riotous, loose, reckless, foolish, wild, extravagant living, all assuming he’s messing around with women too. The Living Bible goes so far to say, “parties and prostitutes.”

The community’s reaction to this whole ordeal would cause shame to the father. Selling the property prior to the father’s death was like the son was denying his heritage and it “red flagged” the fight within the family to the community. Townspeople probably said, “What? You are selling the orchard your great-grandfather planted himself?” Because the father needed to do this quickly he probably lost some money on the value of selling the property. The anger of the villagers for what the son was doing to his father escalated so much that the prodigal needed to “get out of Dodge” quickly.

The son also knew from his upbringing that he could in no way lose his money to the Gentiles otherwise he would never be able to go home. Upon his return to the community he would be subjected to the Kezazah Ceremony. This ceremony was for any young man who married an immoral woman or lost the family inheritance among the Gentiles. If he dared return to the village he would be dragged to the center of town. A large clay pot filled with burnt beans, nuts and corn would be broken at his feet and everyone would shout, “so and so is cut off” and after that he would be banned from the village. No one from that town would give him food, drink, or shelter nor would they hire him nor have anything to do with him.

So as you can see the father was totally humiliated and offended much more than we could ever imagine.

His son had not only offended his family but also his community. The son had burned all the bridges in that town.

Our relationships are like bridges that take us from one place to another. When we “burn our bridges” we damage those relationships and the value that they could mean to us at a later time. The idiom, “burning your bridges” came from the ancient armies, especially those of the Roman Empire when invading hostile territories. If they armies arrived there by crossing a river, the commanding officer often would order the boats and/or bridges burned so there could be no turning back, no possible retreat. This ensured that the soldiers would fight the hardest so as to stay alive. Thus the meaning “don’t burn your bridges” means to not cut off all means of escape or retreat. 

The self-centered younger son had only one thing on his mind. How fast they could convert the assets to cash was how fast he could get out of town. What he did after leaving home got him the title “prodigal.”

Dictionary defines “prodigal” as a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance. Aristotle described a prodigal child as “a man who has a single evil quality, that of wasting his substance.”

Anyone reading this have a prodigal child? I’d rather call them a “lost child” than a prodigal. Anyone been humiliated or offended by such child? Anyone a prodigal themselves?

I’m sure the father of the prodigal son was on his knees every night praying that God would bring his son back. His pillow might have been stained with tears from crying every night. And every day he waited and watched down the road hoping to see a glimpse of his son returning home. Every day he probably regretted letting his son leave.

Then one day, could have been years later, he sees the figure coming down the road. It’s his son coming home. The father runs to greet him.

This is the ultimate lesson for us to learn. How will we react when our prodigal comes home?
Can we forgive him for the terrible words he said? Can we forgive her for the things she did? When the prodigal tries to ask for our forgiveness will we say welcome home? When the prodigal returns will we be like that father and run out to greet him?

When we were still a sinner, God the Father, ran to greet us the day we walked up that long road. He was waiting there for us. He did not holler at us nor condemn us for what we had done. But instead, he ran out to greet us, put His loving arms around us and said, “welcome home!”

I wonder if before my salvation did my heavenly Father cry every night for what I was doing in my life.

No matter where you are in your life, God loves you and wants you to come home. He’s still waiting there for you!

He will forgive you of all your sins and bestow upon you the royal robe, the sandals, and the ring that signifies you are a Child of the King!

You only need to decide you don’t want to live the way you have and take that walk up the long road home! He WILL be waiting there for you!

Taken from a sermon on the Prodigal Child by Kris Rhoades

© Copyright

2009

Used by Permission

2. Tough love may be required. If they are old enough to leave home, let them go. Sometimes they need to experience the freedom. Sometimes they need to hit bottom before they start to look up. As it is with any addict, they cannot get help until they admit there is a problem. They may need to be put in a private school or similar institution. Trust that God will protect them as He is in control of everything.

3. Keep loving. No matter what was said by your child you are still the parents and nothing can change that. You are the only people with the unique opportunity to love the prodigal with no strings attached. If your child has entered into a sinful relationship, homosexuality, living with an unmarried partner, prostitution, etc. love your child, not the sin.

4. Pray. There is no greater power on earth than the power of prayer. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16) Pray for God to bring someone into their life that can reach them in places you and not or could not.

5. Worship together as a family. Do not let your prodigal affect your relationship with God. Our rules were: “as long as you live under our roof you will attend church as a family.”

6. Keep Communication open. Your child may not want to speak to you but if you keep the lines of communication open they will have the opportunity to get in touch with you. Refuse to get into shouting matches with your child. Let them know you are there to talk to and when they are ready to talk you are there.

7. Establish boundaries. Keep the rules of the house. Do not accept any abusive or destructive behavior. One rule may be no drugs or alcohol. One rule may be that unmarried people don’t sleep in the same bed. Make rules and keep them. Don’t go back on your word. Your child needs to know what will be the consequences if the boundaries are crossed.

8. Stop financial support. They may be using your money to buy drugs or alcohol instead of paying rent or college expenses. You may need to completely stop financial support.

9. Pick your battles. Some fights are not as important as others. Maybe the way they dress is not quite as important as the crowd of people they are hanging out with. The ear piercing is not as bad as not attending church.

10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You need prayer support. You need spiritual wisdom. You need emotional support. You can get the help of your pastor or elders of the church. You can seek the help of a counselor. You might even need to call the police especially if their behavior is life threatening to them or others or they are an under-aged run-away. Your child may need to be enrolled in a rehab program. “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.” (Proverbs 11:14 The Message).

11. Be unified in your spousal relationship. The prodigal child is bent on creating conflicts in the family especially trying to pit one parent against the other. This is the most vulnerable area of the family during this crisis. Don’t allow this to happen. Remain strong and together in whatever decisions need made. Don’t blame the other parent for what happened.

12. Be patient. The wait for their return might be months or even years. Don’t lose hope and keep praying. Remember God is in control.

13. Remember there are always casualties of war. There may be other siblings that are affected by the behavior of the prodigal. Reinforce that you love them. Try not to argue in front of them. Depending on their age this could traumatize them.

Taken from a sermon on the Prodigal Child by Kris Rhoades

© Copyright

2009

Used by Permission

From the Fireproof’s official website: At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, Catherine Holt always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter…just like her daddy. Now, after seven years of marriage, Catherine wonders when she stopped being “good enough” for her husband.

Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks.

As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb’s father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment: “The Love Dare.” Wondering if it’s even worth the effort, Caleb agrees-for his father’s sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents’ newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.

While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, “How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?”

When his father explains that this is the love Christ shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And with God’s help he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.

But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever…rescuing his wife’s heart.

My husband and I chose to watch the movie together. So one night we sat down with some popcorn to view this “much talked about” movie. We quickly discovered it was not the typical “popcorn” movie.

I found myself laughing a few times especially when Caleb takes his anger out on the garbage can with a baseball bat and his neighbor witnesses it.

I also found myself shedding a few tears and I think my husband did as well, especially when Caleb asked his father, “How is he supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects him?” and his father’s answer was like, “duh!” That was when the picture of Jesus being the bridegroom and we are the bride and how the relationship we have with him is like a marriage was made more real to me than it had ever been.

The whole movie not only made me want to improve my relationship with my husband but also my relationship with Jesus.

Along with the movie, most bookstores are selling the “Love Dare Devotional” Book. This is the same principal as the one that Caleb’s father gave him and “dared” him to use it to improve his relationship with his wife. My husband and I chose to do the 40 days of devotions together, more as a study as there was a lot of additional reading on love and relationships.

In the movie, one person did the dare while the other person was not aware of what or why he or she was doing it. Doing the dares together with my husband was actually more challenging as we committed in the beginning to not spend any money doing the dares. Plus since you knew the partner was also doing the same dare, it was interesting to see how different our dares could be.

Not to reveal the end of the movie or the end of the devotional but on on day 40, the dare is to renew your wedding vows. And Lou and I have committed to do so as well. Actully I’ve wanted to do this for 2 years when we hit the big “25” years but Lou didn’t get the hint. I guess it took this movie and devotion to realize I can’t expect him to read my mind.

I think renewing our vows will become a yearly tradition, not necessarily with the whole “pomp and circumstances” of doing with a church and guests but just the vows between us as husband and wife. It’s no different than taking a shower each day to wash off the dirt you might acquire going through the previous day. We can gain “dirt” in our marriage as well and renewing the vows will refresh our marriage every year.

In my opinion, THUMBS UP! This is a movie all married people should watch, not just those going through tough times, but even those that have happy marriages. This movie should also be a requirement for premarital couples as well. I may even start giving it as a wedding/shower gift.

If you have watched the movie and want to make a comment, visit our website at
www.readthewell.com or write to the editor. We may print your comment in the next issue.

Do you have a movie or book that you would like to review? Contact our office for more information.

Solutions for the Excuses:

I have often wondered why people go to church. What is it that they expect to happen while they are there? Do they go for the social hour? Do they go to see what God will do for them? Do they go because they think it will affect their eternal salvation, like punching a time clock? Or do they just go because they enjoy the music or the preacher’s message?

One of the first things we should do after becoming a Christian is to get into a fellowship of believers who want to learn more about God and the Bible. Often this is emphasized for new believers but truthfully, this doesn’t change whether you are a new Christian or one that’s been around for many, many years.

Hebrews 10:25 NIV states “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” This verse means we are to fellowship with other Christians, not be like the ones who have given up going to church for whatever excuse. God commands us to do this in order to encourage, build up and edify the Body of Christ. You might even call it a weekly “pep rally” such as the kind schools have just before a “big” sports game. And you could definitely say our big game is the game of life preparing us for that final “big” Day.

I’m not saying that you couldn’t worship or pray or even study the Bible at home alone. I’m also not saying that you can’t learn or receive from watching the televangelist on TV.

This Scripture is more intended to mean that we should come together as a group of believers, on a regular basis, for worship, prayer, teaching, and building relationships, being accountable to a Spiritual Leader, so we can remain strong in the Lord and in our faith. It goes further to say that we are expected to bring something with us to share with others so we can edify, encourage and lift them up for the same reasons.

The church doesn’t have to meet on Sunday mornings. Nor does it have to be in a building with pews, a sanctuary, or a steeple. The church can meet in a home. It can meet in a park. I’ve learned that it can even meet in Panera Bread or Wendy’s. It’s not about attending the place where your parents raised you or where you have attended your whole life. The church is not about the
building but about the people who attend, the assembling of ourselves together, for one common reason, to encourage one another. It’s not about what you get out of being there but what you can give.

Hebrews 10:24 The Message: “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out…spurring each other on.” Assembling together on a regular basis encourages us and makes us stronger Christians. Strong Christians are also typically faithful in their attendance.

Unfortunately, Christians who are unable to attend due to circumstances beyone their control, struggle to stay strong, and some of them even fall away. It’s like burning ember in a fire. If you pull away one of the embers it will eventually grow cold and burn out. But if it stays within the body of burning embers it will keep hot and stay lit.

Jesus “purchased the church with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 Since the church of God was important enough for Jesus to shed His blood for it, it should be important to do whatever it takes to be there.

Find a church you feel at home. If you’re not at one right now, keep looking until you find the right one. Don’t give up as some are in the habit of doing.

Freedom is something that a lot of us take for granted. We can walk down the street and do what we want, when we want and we can say just about anything we want.

It wasn’t always like that. Our forefathers gained their freedom when they came to this country. Our ancestors fought for their freedom in wars. Our country once divided over freedom. Freedom is a privilege and something we think about this month because of Independence Day.

Our religious freedom, our political freedom, even our educational freedom isn’t what I’ve been thinking about but the freedom God has given each one of us – freedom from sin and the chains that bind us and keep us from becoming all He wants for us. Jesus went to the cross to give us that freedom.

Like Paul and Silas were imprisoned in a physical jail cell, some people are imprisoned in their own addictions, depression, and other diseases or problems. Like the Hebrew children probably said when stuttering Moses went to the Pharaoh, these people scoff at the thoughts of being released from their bondages.

I was one of those people. I was imprisoned for many years in depression.

Don’t tell me that your disease is worse…you don’t know what I lived with or how I felt.

Don’t say, “You don’t understand what I’m going through.”

You might be right. But there is One who does and He wants you to be free! The prison cells seem impossible to break open. I wonder what Paul and Silas said when their prison doors miraculously opened wide!

God wants the very best for His children. He doesn’t want them to be imprisoned in sickness or disease. He doesn’t want them addicted to sinful things such as sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, etc. He wants what every Father wants – the BEST He can give His children! God wants you to be FREE! He isn’t the one who locked you in your prison. But He can be the One who releases you!

Depression is probably one of the worst diseases there is, and not because I suffered from it, but because people suffering from depression don’t have any physical reason for their suffering. I used to say that if I had been physically abused then it might have been easier because people could see the wounds and know why I was in pain. But depression doesn’t have any physical wounds, no actual scars, no reason for the suffering.

People suffering depression can usually hide it well too. They are usually embarrassed because they have convinced themselves that people won’t understand. And so they put on a momentary “happy face” for show. But deep down inside they are screaming.

Many Christians suffer from depression so don’t think because you have God on your side you are exempt from any troubles. Depression is a disease just as cancer is. As a Christian we can overcome and break free from the shackles that bind us, from the guilt and shame, from the financial burdens, family situations, or whatever the cause of your depression is.

How can we break free from the bondage?

Pray. When you feel like no one is there for you, know that God is. He will not leave you alone. Talk to Him about how you are feeling. He already knows but sometimes saying it aloud helps you overcome. Pray about why you are in the situation you are in. Did God want you to learn something? Is there someone else you can help? Everything happens for a reason and it’s usually that we are to learn something. What you are going through may be like training for the big race. It takes a lot of sweat and hard work to get our bodies in physical shape to run a marathon race, so it takes a lot of training for the big race of life. Read Hebrews 12.

If you feel you are too weary to pray, ask a friend to pray with you. Don’t expect that they will offer because they may feel you might not be ready to receive their prayers. Besides if they are a friend, they may already be praying for you.

Read the Word. There is comfort and encouragement in the Scripture. Be encouraged that you are not the only one going through this situation and that God has a plan and purpose for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite verses:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Find a scripture you can hold on to. Print it out if you have to and put it everywhere you can see. It will be a reminder for you.

Many years ago when I had a miscarriage 1 Peter 1:6-7 (The Living Bible Version) really helped me get through that situation. “So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return.”
I calligraphied it on a full sheet of paper and hung it everywhere. I even gave a copy to friends to help them.

Also try reading a different version of the Bible. If you are used to reading the King James version, try reading one of the more modern versions such as NIV or the NLT. I’ve been reading The Message lately. It puts the wording in 21st Century terminology. Recently I got a new Bible – a parallel version with NIV and The Message. I love reading the modern version in addition to the older one.

If you are not able to read then try one of those Bibles on CD. Just as your physical body needs food and water to survive so your spiritual body needs the Bread of Life and the Living Water to survive.

Praise. Just like Paul and Silas did in their prison cell, we need to praise God in all things. As they sang praise to God their prison doors flew open.

Sing some good praise songs. Singing always makes people feel better. If you really don’t fell like singing, listen to some good praise music. It won’t be long till you are singing along. One song I’ve been singing a lot lately is “He Set Me Free” by Lindell Cooley:

He set me free. Yes He set me free.
He broke the bonds of prison for me
I’m glory bound, My Jesus to see
For glory to God He set me free

Once like a bird In prison I dwelt
No freedom from my sorrow I felt
But Jesus came and listened to me
And glory to God He set me free

Now I am climbing higher each day
Darkness of night has drifted away
My feet are planted on higher ground
And glory to God I’m homeward bound

And another song my husband Lou has been singing lately – “I’m Free” by Bill Gaither:

I’m free from the fear of tomorrow
I’m free from the guilt of the past
For I’ve traded my shackles
For a glorious song
I’m free praise the Lord free at last

So long I had searched for life’s meaning
Enslaved by the world and my greed
Then the door of my prison was opened by love
For the ransom was paid I was freed

I’m free from the guilt that I carried
From the dull empty life I’m set free
For when I met Jesus He made me complete
He forgot the foolish man I used to be

Go to Church. Those of us suffering from depression want to be alone. But the best thing for us is to be around others that can encourage us and lift us up spiritually. The best place for this is in fellowship with a body of believers. The enemy would want you to think you should stay in bed or hide in your house. The dark dreary places we tend to stay in when we are depressed only make the depression worse. You need to step out into the Light!

Get Help. Don’t be ashamed to seek medical help. Doctors got their healing abilities from God Himself. You also might need some medication and that is okay too. Medicine was given by God for healing. Maybe you should consider seeing a counselor. Sometimes just talking to someone makes the problems seem smaller.

Think Positive. Sometimes healing comes just from having a new attitude. Mine did. My life changed when I finally said, “I’m not going to feel like that any more!” Believe me, I know it’s hard to get a new attitude when everything seems to be crashing in around you. But if you can, you will have accomplished the greatest victory in your life! It is an established fact that cancer survivors did so with a positive attitude. Having a reason to live is a proven way to fight any disease.

Give Your Problems to God. The most important thing you can do to break free from any bondage is to make Jesus Lord of your life. He wants to save you from your sins. He wants you to be free. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to the cross – just for you!

If you have never made Jesus Lord of your life or if you have strayed away from God, pray something like the prayer on the next page.

Please realize that this is not an instant cure for your illness but it sure helps you cope with it. Tomorrow you might have to get out of bed and start the list all over again. Or maybe, tomorrow will be a better day!

This made me think of a message I heard one time on revival. The speaker said, “If you set a fire, people will come from all over to watch it burn!” How true that is! The neighbors sure came out to see what was going on at our house that day.

Now if we apply this to our spiritual fires then it would mean that people everywhere would know you are a Christian without having to say anything, like if you had a little flame hovering over your head just like the disciples did on the day of Pentecost. And people would also be drawn to you, to want to be with you, to watch your fire burn.

I’ll admit that I’ve watched my share of house fires. We used to go camping and would build a fire each night. I love to sit and watch a good fire burn; the flames are so mesmerizing. Some people have fireplaces in their homes because they like to watch the flames. As for me, I’d like to have a fireplace, but I’ll make do with candles. I hear they’re easier to clean up!

Yesterday was the Fourth of July and we had some fireworks leftover from last year that the kids wanted to set off. There were just some simple fireworks like sparklers. Well, our oldest son, Lance and his wife, Mandi came for dinner and they brought some more bigger fireworks and then friends, Gary and Evan came by with even bigger fireworks.

Typically we go to Renzie Park to watch the city’s fireworks display but it had been raining and we thought the fireworks might be canceled and we really didn’t feel like sitting in the wet grass. So instead we stayed home and set off our own fireworks display. We used the large cement area in front of the printing office where we were sure that we wouldn’t catch any grass on fire. The kids were way too excited to light the fuses and would light one right after another. It must have looked like our house was on fire again because some neighbors came by to watch. Every once in a while, the neighbors a few houses away would set off some huge ones that I know weren’t legal. But the kids would all run to the side of the house where they could get a good look. I will admit that I ran to the side of the house as well.

What is it that makes the kids want to light the fuses and set off the fireworks? Why are we so mesmerized by fire?

Fire has such power. It can be good and bad. Good, because it can provide heat and cook food. Bad because it can destroy buildings and towns and can even kill. Firemen will say that fire can look like it is alive because it has such power.

Can we harness that power for God?

Let’s remember to set our lives on fire for Jesus. Get yourself into the Word or listen to some good worship music. Spend some time in prayer. Then wait for others to come and watch us burn for Him! They will surely see that little flame of the Holy Spirit in your life!

Now as a mom, all I could think of was, “Be careful. Don’t get bitten. You might get rabies.” But Steven was so amazed by this one squirrel. He had his mouth full of sticks and was trying as hard as he could to take the piece of candy Steven offered him. After much trouble the squirrel was finally able to grab the candy and keep all of the sticks and scamper up a tree to eat his treat.

While seeing this picture I thought of the old proverb: “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” But that squirrel sure was trying hard.

It even made me think of how many people try to “eat their cake and keep it too.”

People want to have the eternal salvation God offers but not give up the ways of the world. Some Christians don’t want to give up their drinking alcohol, pornography, swearing, gossiping, lust, etc. They are hanging on to those ways because they like the way it feels, because their friends do it, because they just don’t see anything wrong with it, etc. You might even have another reason.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Romans 12:2 (NLT)

We cling on to old stuff we have when God is trying to give us something sweeter, something better than what we’re hanging on to. Sometimes we’re holding on to it for dear life, like if we let it go nothing else will come our way that will even be close to what we had before.

Our humanness says, “Be careful. You might get bitten. You might fail. You might (fill in the blank).”

We must let go of what we’re holding on to before God can put anything else into our hands!

Here are a few examples: (names have no likeness to any real person or situation)

♦ Joe finds out that his job has been eliminated and he gets laid off. When he finds another job it’s even better than he had before, giving him a pay increase.

♦ John has owned his own business for many years but the business goes bankrupt. He starts another business that becomes a multi-million dollar business.

♦ Mr. and Mrs. Smith lose their house to foreclosure being unable to make the mortgage payments. The next house they buy is better than the one they had before and in a better neighborhood and their mortgage payments are lower.

♦ Pastor Bill feels like he’s been in a sinking ship at his church. Attendance is down. Giving doesn’t even meet the bills. The church decides to close and Pastor Bill begins to work for another church and many souls are saved through his ministry there.

In all of those situations we cling on to what we had, sometimes rebelling or becoming depressed over the situation. We have the attitude that we’ll stay until the ship sinks.

If we recognize that some of these situations could be God moving us into a different job, neighborhood or even church we don’t have to “go down with the ship” but instead we can move on without hesitation. We can release the old to obtain the new.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

No matter who we are, our human side wants to rebel, to look for a better way.

Alcoholics Anonymous has a great saying, “Let Go and Let God.” This saying actually means to totally surrender your life to God, allowing Him to shape our lives like the potter shapes the clay into a beautiful bowl.

If you have never “let go and let God” now is the time, it’s not too late. He can shape your life into a beautiful masterpiece.

Imagine the rejection she felt not only from those women but from the five men she was married to. In those days only a man could divorce a woman.

That day she went to the well, like any other day to get water, not expecting to see anyone let alone the Messiah. Jesus spoke to her with the same respect that He would have given His own mother and He even knew who and what she was!

As Jesus continued in converstation with that woman she learned of the living water He had for her, the Holy Spirit.

She became so thirsty and desperate for this living water that she left her water jug, everything that she had known, and ran to tell everyone in the town of her experiences. The Samaritan woman became an evangelist in Shechem and many from that town believed in Him because of her testimony.

Too often we try to drink of the “worldly wells” hoping to be fulfilled but they fail to satisfy us. If you are desperate and thirsty, let Jesus give you that living water. He is waiting by the well for YOU!

The way to drink the living water is through prayer. Ask Jesus into your life. Admit you have sinned. Believe that He died for you and your sins. Confess those sins to Him and He will fill you with the living water giving you and endless supply of wisdom, love, grace, peace, joy, and more.

Later that evening I could hear the kids in the kitchen “Mom, she’s looking at my flower!” He was referring to Emily, our 5 year old youngest child. I tried to explain to Steven that it was OK for Emily to look at his flower, she wouldn’t hurt it. He said his teacher told the students the flowers might bloom that night and they were as patient as children can be waiting for it to happen.

The flower didn’t bloom until two days later while Steven was at school. As I happened to be passing through the kitchen and noticed it bloomed I thought about the beauty in that little flower. I called to Emily and told her to come and see the flower bloomed. We looked at that flower in awe of its beauty and I thanked God for showing it to me. Then as a mother would do I tried to explain to a five year old to thank God for giving us the beautiful flower. I said “Emily, let’s thank God for giving us this beautiful flower,” and she just looked at me and grinned with some hesitation. I tried to get her to say “Thank you God for giving us this beautiful flower,” but all she could say was that she couldn’t say that. As I couldn’t get her to say it by herself I thought it best to have her repeat after me. Word by word she repeated it without too much trouble. By now she was getting a little bored with this game so off she went to play some more as my last words were “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I didn’t really think any more of it until later that afternoon.

Some time after Steven arrived home from school I was sitting at the computer working and I could hear the kids in the kitchen again. What caught my attention was Emily proudly saying, “Because Mom said to!” As most mothers would do I had to listen carefully to see what it was that I had said to do, what lesson I had been trying to teach that they finally might have a grasp on. Then I could hear her saying in almost a flippant kind of way, “You’re supposed to thank God for it,” and I realized that she was trying to teach her brother to say those words that were so hard for her to say a few hours earlier.

Of course, I had to go in the kitchen and settle this argument. I tried to explain to Steven how I was so overcome by the thought of God creating this little flower in all its beauty that I wanted to thank Him for it. It made me think then of how often I correct my children to say “thank you” and “please.” If it was so hard to thank Him for something so small, how could we expect to thank Him when it’s not so easy, when things aren’t going well. Yet that’s the time we need to thank Him most.

Take time to practice each day. If you feel like you don’t have anything to thank Him for then start on the little, simple things like the sunset or flowers or a refreshing breeze on a hot day. It will get you in practice to give thanks to God in those more difficult times. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” It doesn’t say for good things, give thanks. It says for everything. When you feel least like saying “Thank you” that’s the time you need to do it most. Thank Him for a lesson you might have learned in the midst of your trial. And remember, there is no circumstance that comes into our lives, from whatever source it comes, that God cannot take by his mighty power and change for our greatest good! (Romans 8:28) Thank you, Lord!

The farmer hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t move.

Then the farmer hollered, “Pull, Buster, pull!” Buddy didn’t respond.

Once more the farmer commanded, “Pull, Coco, pull!” Nothing.

Then the farmer said very nonchalantly, “Pull, Buddy, pull!” And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, “Oh, Buddy is blind, and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try!”

When we have problems in our life, whether it be financial, physical, medical, emotional, or spiritual, we feel like we’re “pulling” all by ourselves, and sometimes we give up too. But friend, you should know that you are not alone. You may have a spouse, family or friends that care for you and want to help. You may have a church family that would help. It says in Galatians 6:2 that we are supposed to bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. And you can have God there too if you let Him. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “cast all your care (worries, burdens, anxiety) on Him because He cares for you.”

No matter what you are going through if you feel like giving up, remember you have someone that is “pulling” right beside you. He is Jesus and He will NEVER leave you alone!