IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008
6- Try to make at least three people smile each day.
I am wondering if ABBA allows me to feel exaggerated emotions so I can have a taste of how people who have suffered extreme tragedy feel.
It is natural to look for someone to blame when we see the bitter, evil, unfair, unjust, deplorable, unspeakable, crippling, destructive, frightful things that happen in this world. Someone did cause it and someone could have stopped it. But they didn’t. Now what?
How does a young women come to life again when she has no memory of before the first time? Meaning she could only have been a toddler when a family member began to assaulted and abused her. And no one stopped him. No one rescued her. Beth Moore on occasion refers to this because that is her story.
In my exaggerated emotions I think what a miracle it is that she is who she is today. But she is not the only one. No doubt there are others who have been violated, having security and innocence ripped from them by people or circumstances and yet these dear ones move on to lives of joy. How do they do that? How do they NOT blame God? How do they trust Him? How do they forgive Him? How do they give up their right to hate the perpetrator? How do they give up their right to hate the ONE who allowed it?
Isn’t it true that God is omnipotent? So if He has ALL power and He knows ALL; why, why didn’t He stop this from happening to me? Don’t you think victims ask these questions? I do. And even more questions than these. And I think it is only the ones who will in humble honesty actually pose these questions directly to God Himself, find LIFE again. I think it is only the ones who dare to ask God to help them forgive HIM, who actually come to LIFE after such tragedy.
And I think there is another element in this too that is not readily recognized because it seems so out of place but yet there it is, I think, right in the middle of it all. PRIDE. It’s pride that demands its RIGHT to feel this way saying I have a RIGHT to hate; I have a RIGHT to withhold forgiveness; I have a RIGHT to be afraid; I have a RIGHT to this!! And yes we do. We have those RIGHTS. And who could blame us? But in cases of tragedy perpetrated upon us, holding on to our RIGHT will choke the life out of US and only US. And now for the REAL SHOCKER: refusing to give up our RIGHT makes us WRONG. And I think there is no one who hates being WRONG any more than I do! I abhor being WRONG! And most often it is only when I finally admit that my death grip on ‘I have a RIGHT to be this way’ is the WRONG way to be that I am finally enabled to give up the hate, the fear, the bitterness, the un-forgiveness, the you fill in the blank ____________ .
Yes, I think ABBA has again allowed me to feel exaggerated emotions about a minor thing in order to give me a little insight into why folks suffering real tragedies feel the way they do.
And even in these days of economic distress when many of us have been violated by the wrong-doing or just the ignorance of others, we have the RIGHT to be angry and afraid and some other emotions thrown into the mix; but if we hold onto our RIGHT it will surely make us WRONG and rob us of the JOY OF OUR LORD.
And yes He is big enough and good enough and gracious enough and merciful enough; He is God enough to allow a hurting child to come to Him in honesty and say ABBA please help me forgive YOU for allowing this hurtful thing to touch me. And He will. He may not NOW tell you WHY He allowed it but when you forgive Him, it won’t matter anymore. It feels good to forgive! In fact, forgiveness feels even better than being Right on the Wrong side of Right. (if you understand that last phrase, you may have been reading me too long!! 🙂 just kidding – did I at least make 3 people smile today?)
Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Nehemiah 8: 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” How about a KT paraphrase: Get on with living; get up, get dressed, do an IDOK, do your Heart Like His homework, make the bed, eat lunch, forgive, write a letter to ABBA, write a letter to the one who hurt you (even if you don’t mail it); let go of that RIGHT of yours that is keeping you in the WRONG and His JOY in you will return and you will be strong again — maybe even for the first time!
ABBA, I would rather these things not have happened and if You will I’d rather this one never happen again, please. But if it does, I pray I will let go of my RIGHTS before I wallow in them long enough to be WRONG in my fellowship with you. I don’t know if this IDOK fits any of our IDOKs anywhere. I’d rather think it does not but we being the humans we are it probably does; certainly not the exact way as me but I pray it will help someone somewhere. I know You are aware of the economic conditions that we are experiencing and You know the reason for it and the solution to it; so we pray for those who can do something about it that You will give them a plan and that they will have the fortitude to do it. For the rest of us, maybe some like me who are nearly clueless, we pray for strength to trust You in spite of what others do or don’t do. Unspoken requests seem to be increasing. Things that are so close we can’t say them out loud before others because they are so private. And You know now even as we pray together others may be saying Lord I didn’t even voice that I have an unspoken but Lord You know I do. ABBA it is for these we pray now for Your intervention; intervention that will change situations and hearts for good. And we read this list together. Economic conditions, especially the effects it has upon the minds and hearts of people. Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about. Jason A and his mother. Melinda H. Trisha. Patti’s Family. George. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Branson. The O’Brien family. Brooklyn. Families and communities hit by Gustav and Ike. Jacqueline and her boys, River and Jackson. Kim and her Fiancee. Jonathan. Mabel’s Aunt Lou. Heather and Brandon. Bernie. Darlene. Edie G. Rachel. W C and family. Maggie and Family. Dylan. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn and Family. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. David & Allison. Jeanette and Earl and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Chad and Brittany and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Kayla. Trey. Jacob. Ashely. Lance. Candance and Family. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Andrew and Daughters. Lee. Sharron and family, Linda and family, Bev and Family, Mollie B. Public and Private School Teachers.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G. Kyle N. Michael K. Sgt. Bozicevich. Bay N. T. Palin.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Rick M.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Tommy T. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Lee. George.Travis N. Hawk.
Injured and brought State side: Anthony.
Hospitalized: Captain Tran
Military at home adjusting – Tim. Mack. The 226. Troy. Brad. Tommy. Desi. Edward J. Lyndon A. Jason G.
Still praying but no recent update: Hector. Corpl. Light. Bradley T. Albert R III.
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
November’s Election.
Thank You for the progress with Jason A; thank You for your faithful protection of our IDOK Troops and their families; Thank You for Your protection and plan for Peace for Israel and I continue to pray for steady allies for Israel. I continue to pray conviction and repentance for America and for November’s Election – Lord, have mercy on us and get people to vote Your Word on November 4; motivate enough people to vote LIFE. Please defeat the death that is prevailing here in America. And Abba I close for now asking You to build up our IDOKs individually where we are lacking for Jesus sake. Amen and amen.
As I post this it is 73°F and partly cloudy in Balad, IQ & the time there is 6:11 AM AST on October 1, 2008
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