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Being Paralyzed Isn't Just a Physical Thing

While the paralyzed man was staring at the water, Jesus walked right into his crippled environment offering hope and healing. To the world it seemed impossible . . . that a man paralylzed for 38 years could somehow . . . someday walk again. But with God, the One who made life from dirt and created order from chaos, anything is possible.

You may not be physically paralyzed. But there's more than one way to be crippled. Are you spiritually paralyzed? Has it been years since you've really grown spiritually?

Could you be emotionally crippled? Yes, it hurt when Dad walked out, when the uncle you loved abused you, when others made fun, when you were left alone. But the King of Kings is standing next to you, and He asks the same question He asked the man by the pool: “Do you want to get well?”

If you really do, He's here to help, and you'll respond.

If you've become comfortable in your crippled state, however, you'll never hear Him ask the question.

If you truly want to become whole, things will have to change. You won't be able to sit comfortably in your cove by the pool any longer. You'll need to actually get up and walk away.

We've talked about identifying your baggage and giving it to God. Releasing it to His authority, means giving it up for good. Are you willing to do that?

I interviewed a girl with an eating disorder so severe, she had been admitted to a treatment facility. This was actually her second time around. When I asked her about getting well, I was impressed with her honesty.< p> “I say I want to get well . . . but at the same time, I'm scared to let go. Back home I'm known as 'the girl with the eating disorder.' My identity is wrapped up in this. If I become well, I'm afraid I won't know who I am.” She had allowed an eating disorder to paralyze her self- esteem.

By what are you paralyzed? A habit you can't break, a relationship that's drawing you away from God's best, your past? Whatever is crippling you . . . The Great Physician is here . . . and He wants to do some spiritual surgery in your life right now. Will you let Him?

Know It!
God created you and knows you better than anyone. He also loves you more than anyone. He understands your uncertainity and fear. Be honest with Him about where you are spiritually right now.

Read It!
Isaiah 42: 5-7; Isaiah 43:1-2; Isaiah 58:11; John 5:1- 18.

Pray It!
Jesus, I admit I haven't been all You want me to be because fill in the blank. I want spiritual surgery, but I'm scared. Growth and change is hard, Lord. Please bring me to the point of trusting You completely with the handicaps in my life that keep me from being all You call me to be.

Kindness: A Thing of the Past?

Dear Diary:
I'm really not a journal-writing type of person . . . but I'm bored so decided to jot some thoughts down.

I've heard it a million times: “Be kind to one another.” And I've read it over and over again in the Bible. But this morning, during my quiet time, I read it once again, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Am I kind?

I mean . . . what specifically have I done to show kindness to someone in the past week? Month? OK . . . year?

Pretty pathetic, huh Diary? I'm self-centered and rarely take time to think of others.

But I'm not gonna stay this way! I'm asking God to help me become more deliberate in my actions. I wanna be kind.

So I'm gonna start now . . . by listing some easy stuff I can do during the next few weeks to show kindness to others. Then I'm gonna check each one off after I complete it.

Write Mom and Dad a note and tell them how much I love them.

Pick up leaves in Mrs. Smith's yard.

Take a doggie treat to the Saint Bernard down the street.

Send an appreciation card to my youth leader.

Say something nice to one of my teachers outside of class.

Find someone who doesn't have many friends and talk to him or her.

Smile at someone I don't know.

Clean the house without being asked.

Cook dinner for my family one evening.

Call someone who hasn't been to church or youth group in a few weeks and tell her she was missed.

Know It!
Non-Christians will notice something positive and different about you by the way you treat those around you. Decide right now to become someone who develops a lifestyle of kindness.

Read It!
Psalm 86:5; Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 19:17; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

Pray It!
Jesus, I don't want to simply talk about kindness and love. I want to live it. Help me to make a concentrated effort in the next few weeks to be kind.

What's In Your Headphones?

“Hey, Matt! Whatcha listenin' to?” asked Jeremy as he matched his friend's stride in the parking lot after school.

“It's an old Usher CD.”

“My Way”?

“Yep,” Matt responded. “You know your Usher!”

“Yeah, I used to have all his stuff.”

“Whaddya mean . . . used to? You get ripped off?”

“No,” Jeremy said. “Nothing like that.”

“Well, what?” Matt pressed.

“Last year I got really serious about my relationship with God,” Jeremy said.

“Yeah . . . so?”

“So I started to think twice about the stuff I was listening to.”

“I've been a Christian for three years,” Matt said. “But what's that got to do with the music I listen to?”

“A lot. It took me a while . . . but I finally began to realize that the more I listened to junk that went against God's holy nature, the more it began to affect me in a negative way.”

“Ah, Usher's not that bad,” Matt said.

“Hey, in that one album alone, he brags about putting his hands in certain places with a woman; he boasts to another man that he's having sex with his woman; he advocates playing with guns and using cocaine and even rationalizes rape.”

“OK, OK. I get your point. But he's not as bad as Limp Biskit or Korn or Marilyn Mansen or-”

“Come on, Matt! That's like saying stealing's not as bad as murder. Sin is sin.”

“I never thought about it that way,” Matt admitted.

“Hey, I can you tell you first-hand that since I stopped listening to junk that God doesn't want in my head, it's made an incredible difference in my life!”

“Yeah?” Matt said. “How?”

“Well, for one thing, I'm not so negative any more. Or angry. And my relationship with Christ has skyrocketed.”

“Yeah, but . . . I love music. If I give this up, what am I gonna listen to-my parent's collection?”

“That's what worried me too, at first,” Jeremy said. “But, Matt, I've found every single sound I loved in secular music is also available in Christian lyrics.”

“You're kidding. It can't sound as good!”

“I'm not kidding! And a lot of it sounds even better!”

“I don't know any of those groups. I don't even know what to shop for.”

“I've got an hour before I have to get to work. Let's stop by the Christian bookstore.”

“Yeah, but CDs are expensive. I don't wanna plop down $15 on some group I might not like.”

“The Christian bookstore has a play station. You can actually play a CD and listen to it before you buy it. That way you don't end up with something you don't like.”

“What are we waiting for?” Matt said. “Let's go!”

Know It!
God wants you to fill your mind with things that reflect His holy character. Ever heard the saying, “Garbage in/ garbage out?” It's true. Whatever you put into your head will eventually come out in your lifestyle.

Read It!
Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 4: 1- 5; 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24.

Pray It!
Lord, I don't always think seriously about what I listen to. I'm sorry. I want to fill my mind with things that help me draw closer to You. Help me make any changes You want me to make in my music collection.

A God-Sized Void

Back in the 1800s, the Winchester rifle was the weapon of choice among cowboys, lawmen and outlaws. In fact, it was used more than any other rifle. Because of the widespread use of the weapon, the Winchester family became quite wealthy. Mrs. Sarah Winchester dabbled in the occult, and consulted a psychic who informed her that her family’s rifles had brought a curse on her that would torment her the rest of her life.

Mrs. Winchester desperately wanted to escape the curse, so she came up with an idea. If I can confuse the ghosts of those killed by my husband’s rifles, she thought, I’ll be safe from harm.

To confuse the ghosts, she turned her San Jose, Calif., farmhouse into a mansion. She hired a construction crew to work on her house every single day until she died in 1922.

She had builders make doors open into walls, create secret passageways, construct stairs that led to nowhere, and built upside-down pillars and posts. Because of the constant building, this house going nowhere ended up with 52 skylights, 13 bathrooms, 40 staircases, 10,000 windows, 47 fireplaces and 2,000 doorways.

Have you ever felt as though your life resembled the Winchester Mansion? Simply going in circles? Living in a confusing maze? Okay, I’m on the right track now, you may think . . . until your hallway leads you right into a wall. Ah, finally! This is the staircase that will take me where I want to go, you muse . . . until it takes you to a dead end. Oh, but this is the door I meant to open . . . and once you’ve gone through it, you’re simply facing an upside-down fireplace.

You’re not alone. Every human being in the world is looking for direction . . . answers . . . and meaning. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s normal. You see, each one of us was created with a void in our soul. It’s a big hole that needs to be filled before we’ll truly be complete. The problem is that most of us are looking in the wrong places. Like walking through a maze that leads nowhere, you probably know people who are trying just about anything to fill the void in their lives.

“I thought a fast car would make me happy,” Alan says. “And I guess it did for a month or so. But after the newness wore off, I was still empty inside.”

Brianna says, “I just wanted to be loved. I thought by giving myself to Eric, I’d feel complete. But now I feel used, and I’m still missing something.”

“I went through elementary school with very few friends,” Charlie recalls. “So when my family moved and I had a chance to start over, I decided to do whatever it took to be popular in high school. Know what? It definitely wasn’t worth it. I feel so guilty because of the stuff I’ve done just to get attention from those around me.”

Know It!
Each of us was created with a God-shaped void in our lives. That means the only One who can fill the emptiness is God Himself. Drugs, sex, racism, nothing else fills the hole except God. He’s the only One who fits exactly inside that void. Has He filled the void in your life?

Read It!
Exodus 15:2; 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 13:5; Psalm 118:14; Isaiah 12:2.

Pray It!
Jesus, thank You for being able to fill the emptiness in my life. Thank You that I don’t need to look anyplace else for fulfillment, for You are it! Take complete charge of my life and fill the void in my soul.

Shake It Off!

One spring day, Farmer Green’s donkey fell into a well. The animal cried loudly as Mr. Green tried to figure out a solution. He finally decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway. It just wasn’t worth it to rescue the donkey.

He recruited his neighbors to help, and together they all grabbed shovels and began to toss dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and wailed louder. After several minutes, however, he quieted down. The neighbors were amazed at how calm the animal had become.

Farmer Green finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey’s back, the animal was doing something incredible. He would shake the dirt off and take a step up.

As Farmer Green’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, the donkey continued to shake it off and step up. It wasn’t long, until the donkey was able to step up over the edge of the well and simply trotted off!

We can’t go through life without having some dirt tossed on us. Every single one of us will experience trials and loneliness. When life tosses dirt in your path, you have a choice: Let it bury you alive, or shake it off and step forward. Try to view your problems as a stepping-stone. If you so choose, you can actually learn from your trials.

Know It!
You can’t escape troubles. But you can become stronger through each one. The next time you’re faced with a problem, go straight to God.

Read It!
2 Corinthians 4:8-9; James 1:1-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7.

Pray It!
Jesus, it’s easy to think, Why me? When I’m faced with a problem. Help me to stop focusing on the why and start looking for the lesson. I want to become stronger through my trials and learn to trust You more because of them.

Honest Prayers

The Old Testament prophets were very inquisitive. Seems they were always asking God questions. It’s important to know that God doesn’t mind our questions, as long as we learn to listen for His answers.

Habakkuk the prophet, and Habakkuk the book, are both full of questions . . . and answers. Habakkuk was fed up! You can read the list of complaints in his book. He’s unloading on God: “I don’t like what I see! Bad people are rich, and the good people are suffering. How long must I call for help? God, it feels as though You’re not listening.”

Have you ever felt like that? Did you know you can tell God exactly how you feel? He wants your honesty. We often think He only wants to hear the good stuff — praise, worship, thanksgiving. But God wants to hear your heart. All of it. The disappointment, confusion, frustration, hurt, loneliness. He wants to hear your prayers filled with honesty.

Think about it. Are you telling God what you think He wants to hear? Or are you being honest with Him?

Habakkuk has three chapters of “Why God?” But here’s the key: After he asked the questions and presented his case to God, he waited for God’s response. And he waited expectantly. (See Habakkuk 2:3.) Too often, we bombard God with questions, then walk out the door. We don’t want to wait.

Habakkuk waited. And waited. And waited. God doesn’t always promise a fast answer. He does promise perfect timing. (Again see Habakkuk 2:3.) He’s never early, yet He’s never late.

God’s delays in your life are not denials. Delays never ruin God’s purposes. There’s a huge difference in “No” and “Not yet.” When you receive a “not yet” from God, use that as a time of preparation, meditation and cooperation. Let Him prepare you during the “not yet” for the time when He’ll say, “Yes, now.”

Know It:
God always answers your prayers. It’s not always with a yes, and it’s not always the answer we want, but He always answers. So remember to pray with honesty. It’s okay to bombard God with questions — as Habakkuk did — as long as you’re willing to wait expectantly for the answers.

Read It!
Habakkuk 1; Habakkuk 2:1-6; James 1:5-8.

Pray It!
Dear Jesus, thanks that I can ask You anything. I confess, though, I’m often not patient in waiting for the answers. Please remind me that Your timing is perfect. Teach me to wait.

Quiz Time

• When we PRAY

a. God doesn’t always answer.
b. He answers exactly how we want Him to, if we have enough faith.
c. He always answers but sometimes not in the way we want Him to.


• God ANSWERS our prayers

a. with “Yes,” “No,” “Not yet.”
b. by making deals with us.
c. as late as He can to remind us who’s in charge.


• God only wants to hear prayers

a. filled with praise and thanksgiving.
b. LACED WITH JOKES to make Him smile.
c. of honesty — even if they’re filled with questions and complaints.


• When we pray with an HONEST HEART

a. it means we can ask God to zap the people we don’t like with diseases.
b. it means we’ll probably complain a little, question some, and also thank God for His blessings.
c. it means we can expect God to answer right away with the response we desire.


• When God DELAYS in giving us an answer

a. we have permission to walk away from our faith.
b. we can assume He never heard our prayer.
c. we should use that time of waiting to develop perseverance and deeper faith.


• When we experience trials in life

a. it means God is no longer with us.
b. we can trust Him IN SPITE OF what’s happening around us.
c. it must be because we did something to make God mad.


• During the MIDST OF A PROBLEM, we can assume

a. God didn’t give us the problem, but He wants to help us through it.
b. God placed the problem in our path to see how mad we’d get.
c. God no longer loves us.


• Trials can develop

a. great material for stand-up comedy.
b. stronger faith and more DEPENDENCE on God.
c. into punishment for not understanding God’s ways.


• During Job’s trials, HE LOST

a. his mind.
b. his patience.
c. his children, servants, livestock and health.


• Through his trials, Job GAINED

a. national coverage on CNN.
b. more than he had before the trials began.
c. a new Porsche.


• Habakkuk was

a. a prophet in the Old Testament.
b. angry because he had a WEIRD name.
c. ready to fight anyone who made fun of his name.


• Habakkuk asked God LOTS OF QUESTIONS and

a. that ticked God off!
b. waited expectantly for His answers.
c. left the scene before God had a chance to answer him.


• Habakkuk COMPLAINED

a. that bad people were rich and good people were suffering.
b. so much that no one wanted to be around him any more. Even his own mom got angry and called him a “cry baby.”
c. that the rich people were bad because they wouldn’t give him any of their money.

Know It!


Read It!
Habakkuk 3; Isaiah 45:18-19; Job 42:10.

Pray It!
Lord, I don’t always understand Your ways, but I want You to teach me to accept without understanding. I love You, Jesus. And I believe You really care about everything in my life.

I’m Depressed

“Hi, Natalie!”

“Hi, Pastor Steve.”

“We’ve missed you in youth group the past few weeks.”

“Yeah. Well . . . stuff came up.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Pastor Steve,” Megan said, almost out of breath from running to the curb outside the school.”

“No prob. You two get in the van, and I’ll spring for the best root beer floats you can imagine!”

“Oooh,” Megan said glaring at the menu. “Can we talk you into some onion rings to go along with a root beer float?”

“Sure,” Pastor Steve laughed. “I didn’t have time for lunch today, so I could use a little grease flowing through my veins!”

Natalie smiled as he placed the order. She really liked Pastor Steve but wondered if even he could help her through the feelings of hopelessness she was experiencing.

“Hey, Nat,” Pastor Steve said. “You seem as though you’re in a different world.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s how I’m feeling right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know . . . exactly. I’m just not happy. And even though I appreciate you and Megan being here with me, I don’t really want to be with people.”

“Feeling like you just want to withdraw? Crawl into a hole and stay there forever?”

“Exactly!” Natalie said. “How’d you know?”

“I’ve been there.”

“You’ve been where?” Megan asked.

“I’ve been in that hole,” Pastor Steve said. “Let me ask you a few more questions, Natalie. Have your sleeping habits changed?”

“Yeah! I just want to sleep all the time . . . and I can’t really say I’m that tired . . . I just want to stay in bed.”

“And what about your eating habits?”

“That, too. I’m not eating as much as I used to. I don’t know why; I’m just not into it anymore.”

“And how about your friendships?” Pastor Steve continued. “Are you maintaining them?”

“Not really. I kinda stopped doing things with my friends. Nothing seems like fun anymore.”

“She even skipped Allison’s slumber party last week,” Megan added.

“You could be depressed, Natalie,” Pastor Steve said.

“I’ve been wondering that. But it’s not like before — when I’ve gotten down because I didn’t do well on a test or when I couldn’t catch the attention of a guy I liked. This is deeper.”

“Depression is often misunderstood because we use the term incorrectly,” Pastor Steve said. “We tend to say stuff like, ‘I’m so depressed, there’s nothing to do!’ Or ‘Mom won’t let me buy that new sweater, and I’m totally depressed.’ But depression is much more than being disappointed, bummed or even a little down. It can be caused by external happenings such as losing a loved one or internal things such as a chemical imbalance.”

“Wow,” Megan said. “I think I had it all wrong. I never knew depression was such a big deal.”

Know It!
God created you. He understands depression. And if you’re battling it, He wants to help you through it.

Read It!
Psalm 34:1-10; Psalm 37:7-8; Psalm 43:5.

Pray It!
Dear Jesus, help me to be more sensitive to my friends. If one of them is experiencing depression, I want to help. Please give me Your wisdom and insight.