Failure

Daily Devotional, December 13, 2010

Failure

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Matthew 26:69-75
Go and tell His disciples, including Peter, that Jesus
is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see
Him there, just as He told you before He died (Mark 16:7).

According to columnist Perry Buffington, a licensed psychologist, failure takes on a life of its own
because the brain remembers incomplete tasks or failures longer than successes or completed activities. It’s
called the “Zeigarnik effect.” Buffington states, “When a project or a thought is completed, the brain . . . no
longer gives the project priority or active working status. . . . But failures have no closure. The brain continues to spin the memory, trying to come up with ways to fix the mess and move it from active to inactive status.”

Peter failed in many ways, but Jesus fixed the mounting mess of the apostle’s failures and moved his blunders
from active to inactive status. Peter failed in at least two ways that people most fear: being powerless in a crisis
and awkward in a social setting. In the most important times of his life with Jesus—the Caesarea Philippi scene
(Matthew 16:20-23), the transfiguration scene (17:1-4), and the foot-washing scene (John 13:4-10)—Peter said
the most inappropriate things. He failed because the deluge of his pride overpowered him, and he attempted
to blanket himself in his own strength. At the arrest of Jesus, he collapsed and became a pathetic coward
(Matthew 26:69-75). His heart deceived him and he denied his Teacher and Lord. But Jesus gave him a
second chance and moved his failure from active to inactive (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17).

Jesus can move our failure to inactive status when we realize that He’s bigger than our failures and He’s willing to give us another chance. If our failures are the result of sin, then we should confess our sins to God and genuinely repent (1 John 1:9). When we fail, we can and should get up again (Proverbs 24:16).
And we should press on in Jesus’ power (Acts 3). —Marvin Williams

more›
• 1 Kings 19:9-16
• Psalm 37:23-24
• Galatians 6:1

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Wrong Directions

Daily Devotional, December 10, 2010

Wrong Directions

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Psalm 1
Oh, the joys of those who . . . delight in the law of the Lord (vv.1-2).

Last summer, a couple from Sweden took a wrong turn on their way to paradise. The duo was determined
to reach the beautiful island of Capri, Italy. As they headed out from Venice, however, they went the wrong
way. You see, they had accidentally entered “C-A-R-P-I” into their car’s GPS, not “C-A-P-R-I.” So when the two found themselves in the northern town of Carpi, Italy—some 660 kilometers away from Capri—they were redirected to the place where they hoped to pursue happiness, Capri.

Have you and I set a course for happiness that leads to anything but that blissful state? Fortunately, the psalmist provides clear direction: “Oh, the joys of those who . . . delight in the law of the Lord” (1:1-2). When we follow hard after God and dig deep into His Word—taking it to heart—we can be blessed . . . and happy.

In verse 1, we also find that certain things don’t lead to
happiness:
• Following evil advice. Is our pursuit of happiness
based in the ideals and things of this world, or in God’s
blessing?
• Standing with sinners. Who’s influencing us and our
path? God leads the godly to good things (v.6).
• Joining with mockers. How have we mocked what is
sacred in our striving after what is silly and worthless?

In verse 2, the psalmist writes that we should be “meditating on [God’s Word] day and night.” We often
“meditate” on things that can never bring happiness. We long for this and that. Objects become our focus and our passion—consuming our thoughts. But even if we get what we want, the short-lived pleasure doesn’t lead to long-term happiness.

Only when we place our full focus on God and His Word will we be like “trees planted along the riverbank” (v.3), flourishing in happiness that comes only from God. —Tom Felten

more›
• Psalm 144:15
• Proverbs 16:20
• Jeremiah 17:7-8

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Little Pieces of Sin

Daily Devotional, December 9, 2010

Little Pieces

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Romans 6:1-13
You also should consider
yourselves to be dead
to the power of sin and
alive to God through
Christ Jesus (v.11).

Cleaning my home is not my preferred choice
of activity most days, but I do enjoy the fruit of
my labor once the task is done. I don’t mind the
dusting or the vacuuming; it’s the endless prerequisite
task of straightening that bores me. The other day, when
I found a small puzzle piece, I was tempted to throw it
away. I had bigger tasks to tackle and didn’t want to be
sidetracked. I realized, though, that without that small
piece the puzzle would remain forever incomplete, and
the other pieces would soon follow the one into the trash.

Like throwing away an inconvenient, left-behind puzzle
piece, we may find it tempting to brush aside what we
define as a small issue of sin. We reason that its impact will
be minimal because it seems inconsequential. The call for
every believer, however, is to pursue character that reflects
God’s own (Philippians 1:6,9-11). Reminding us of God’s
love for us, the Song of Solomon reveals that we have a
role in protecting our love relationship with Jesus: “Catch
all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard
of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!” (2:15).

When describing the death that sin brings, Romans
6:23 doesn’t differentiate between size or category. Any
sin we willfully hang on to brings separation from God
(Isaiah 59:2) and eventual death. In our spiritual lives,
we can keep away the little foxes by:
• Guarding our hearts. The enemy often uses our
desires and temptations to open the door to sin (Proverbs 4:23).
• Confessing our sins. Admitting our failings reminds us that in our own strength
we miss the mark, but through God transformation is possible (Romans 6:7).
Keep dealing with the small sins in your life, before they lead to something
much larger and more costly. —Regina Franklin

more›
• Psalm 32:2
• Hebrews 12:1
• Revelation 3:19

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What I Need

Daily Devotional, December 8, 2010

What I Need

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Genesis 21:8-20
Seek the kingdom of God above all else,
and live righteously, and He will give you
everything you need (Matthew 6:33).

Diane was devastated. Despite her husband’s absence for nearly half their 8-year marriage, she
had faithfully supported him in his military career. Then, abruptly, he announced that he was leaving her and
their children for another woman. Now she sat in a clinic awaiting test results that would let her know if he had left her with any “parting gifts”—STDs.

An elderly woman seated across from Diane noticed her telltale red eyes. “Are you all right?” she gently inquired. With nothing to lose, the younger woman decided to
share her plight. As providence would have it, this woman had also been divorced after 8 years of marriage—
more than 5 decades earlier! And she, like Diane, was a follower of Jesus. She knew exactly what this young
mother was going through. As her new friend quietly prayed for her in the waiting room, Diane knew that
somehow God would bring her and her children through this difficult season. It was enough grace for the moment, at just the right moment.

In Genesis, we read of another woman who knew rejection and abandonment. Hagar, a servant to Sarah,
had been sent into the arid wilderness by her owner (Genesis 21:8-14). Having run out of water, she put her
son in the shade some distance away so she wouldn’t have to watch him die (v.16). But the angel of the Lord met her there and provided for their needs.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He spoke of meeting our basic physical needs (Matthew 6:25-33). But He also provides what we need for the vast array of experiences that life throws at us. For some of our biggest needs are emotional.

Life is hard. But we have Someone who knows what we’re going through. He will never abandon us. He’s within reach of our next heartfelt prayer. —Tim Gustafson

more›
What does Matthew 6:25-33 tell us about
how God provides for us? What does Romans
3:23-26 tell us that God did to meet our
biggest need?

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Escape

Daily Devotional, December 7, 2010

Escape

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Our Daily Journey 7 2 Timothy 2:23-36
Then they will come to their senses and escape
from the devil’s trap (v.26)

Seventeen-year old Shirin arrived at Afghanistan’s Heart Regional Hospital with 90 percent of her
body covered in third-degree burns. The official story given to hospital staff was that Shirin had suffered
a cooking accident. Later in private, however, the teenager told doctors that she had set herself aflame.

Sadly, such acts are not rare. Many young Afghan women feel powerless and isolated. French nurse Marie-
Jose Brunel explains their predicament: “She [feels she] is here only to wash, to clean, to give baby . . . and
nothing more.” Trapped in a culture where they have no voice, women take drastic measures to escape.
The sensation of being trapped, confined, and bound, with no way of wresting free, is a horrible, suffocating
sensation. The Scripture describes the devil as one who works to ensnare all of God’s people and all of God’s
creation. The devil’s work always results in some form of bondage: a father compulsively driven to achieve
corporate prestige or to pad his reputation, a mother consumed with image—hers and her family’s. Some
people are addicted to heroin, but others are addicted to religious perfection. In each case, we’re trapped. And
eventually, we will all find ourselves desperate to be free.

The devil is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and his traps showcase his many ways of twisting the truth. Our
way to be free, then, is to “learn the truth,” to see the false promises we have believed and the false hopes we have nurtured for what they are: lies that ensnare (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

And the truth we are to learn is not primarily facts or ideas, but a person— Jesus, for He is “the truth” (John 8:32). His name literally means God saves. This is an affirmation that He has already provided for our escape. —Winn Collier

more›
I fear that somehow your pure and undivided
devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as
Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of
the serpent (2 Cor.11:3

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Glorious Mess

Daily Devotional, December 6, 2010

Glorious Mess

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Philippians 3:12-14
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved
these things or that I have already reached
perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection
for which Christ Jesus first possessed me (v.12).

In 1998, Dr. Larry Crabb wrote the book Inside Out. The book encourages Christians to stop pretending
they have it all together and to be honest about what’s going on in their hearts. As they do so, Crabb
reveals, God can free them up to become more of who they were meant to be.

After the book was published, Larry half-jokingly said that he wished it had been titled I’m a Mess, You’re a
Mess. He knew it wasn’t the most attractive title, yet it reflected something that is true of every one of us.

Take, for example, King David. Even though God considered him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22),
he was not without his struggles and faults. Second Samuel 11 records a time in David’s life when he was
troubled by a lack of direction and purpose. Floundering in his kingly calling, David abused his power by
summoning a married woman to his bedroom, and then arranged for her husband’s death to cover up what he
had done.

Perhaps one of the reasons the Bible includes this sordid part of David’s life is to remind us that none of
us has arrived. It’s not an excuse to be a mess, but it’s a reminder that we’re a “glorious” mess in process. In other words, we all have room to grow.

It’s important to envision who we can be, but let’s not deny where we are today. Referring to the life that is
ours in Christ, even the apostle Paul acknowledged, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection” (Philippians 3:12).

Don’t pretend that you’re farther along in the Christian life than you are. God works in our lives where we are, not where we think we should be. —Jeff Olson

more›
Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the
decrees of his father, David, except that
Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned
incense at the local places of worship
(1 Kings 3:3).

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Acceptable Apology

Daily Devotional, December 1, 2010

Acceptable Apology

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Genesis 50:1-21
We, the servants of the
God of your father, beg
you to forgive our sin
(v.17).

After fighting with his wife, one man in Saudi Arabia decided to apologize. Unfortunately, his wife had
already moved back in with her parents. So he created a banner with his plea for forgiveness printed
on it, hung it near his in-laws’ house, and commented, “I hope she will accept my apology and come back home.”

There are lots of ways to say I’m sorry—banners, greeting cards, Web sites, public speeches, or just
a simple hand-on-the-shoulder discussion next to the refrigerator. No matter how we express the idea, an
acceptable apology should cover some basic points.

First, it’s important to name the offense. Years after Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave, they sent him this
message: “Please forgive your brothers for . . . their sin in treating you so cruelly” (Genesis 50:17). Although
they didn’t go into the details of the sale, they did address the heart of the matter, which was their cruelty.

Second, once they established the issue, the brothers focused exclusively on their own wrongdoing. They didn’t remind Joseph of his bratty behavior and superiority complex back when they were growing up. Like the
brothers, we should not try to justify our offense by pinning blame on the other person.

Third, sometimes an apology includes taking action to make things right. Joseph’s brothers bowed before him,
proclaiming, “Look! We are your slaves!” (v.18). This fulfilled a prophetic dream of Joseph’s in which he would reign over his family members (37:5-8). The whole situation had come full circle and his siblings’
repentant action was a final act of restitution.

The Bible urges us to “work at living in peace with everyone” (Heb. 12:14). Sometimes this means giving an acceptable apology—identifying and owning up to our fault and then doing what it takes to made amends for our offense.

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

more›
• Psalm 38:18
• Romans 12:18
• 1 John 1:9

next›
What should you do if someone refuses to
forgive you? How has forgiveness changed
your life?

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