Guidelines For Living Devotional

Praying With Confidence

That God answers prayer is seldom challenged—at least by those who believe the Bible.  But the manner by which God answers never falls into neat categories or boxes.  I’m thinking of the story which circulated on the internet about a poor woman who was desperately in need of food.  Her neighbor, an affirmed atheist, knowing of her prayers decided that it would be great sport to buy a basket of food, put it on her porch, then ring the doorbell and hide.  And this he did.  But as soon as the poor woman saw the food, she began praising and thanking God for it.

The Fall of Hope

The Greek Philosopher, Thales, is credited with saying, "The most universal thing is hope, for hope stays with those who have nothing else."  The old philosopher made his point in that there are times when hope is the only thing that remains when everything else is gone.  But for vast segments of the world's population‑‑especially those who have nothing left but hope‑‑even hope seems to be dying.

Facing Consequences

Years ago, there was a radio program called “Truth or Consequence!”  What I most remember is that dishonesty always resulted in certain consequences. 
            On today’s edition of guidelines, I’d like to share three words or concepts with you which provide guidelines for living.  Those three words are choices, conditions, and consequences.  Put another way, your choices in life produce the eventual conditions of your life, which, inevitably result in certain consequences which you may bitterly dislike but cannot cancel.

God and Your Stress

I never cease to be amazed at the vast amounts of money spent on research which at times only certifies the obvious.  Don’t misunderstand me.  Undoubtedly, there is value in proving scientifically what almost everybody already suspects.

Dialogue with God

David says that as a boy he noticed that when his mother prayed, she never said, “Amen” at the end of her prayers.  When he went to church and the pastor prayed, he always finished with a flourish and a hearty, “Amen.”  That, of course, was the sign that the prayer was ended and it was time to head for the door or whatever.  When others prayed they always signed off with an “Amen,” as a kind of spiritual radio station break signaling the conclusion of the whole matter.  But not his mother, and it bothered David.

Something for Nothing

Have you found any real bargains lately?  Found any good buys?  A trait of human nature makes us all want to get something for a good price.  Haven't you ever come home from a big sale with items you saved so much on, but really did not need?  That dress that really did not fit, or that shirt with a collar an inch too big.  Nearly everybody, when he or she is honest, will have to admit that he has something he does not need, or even did not really want, something that did not fit, but bought it anyway because it was a bargain.  You, too?  Welcome to the club.  Why did you do it, anyway?  Because it was a bargain?  But have you really saved when it does not fit?  We are all bargain hunters because of that tendency of human nature to want something for nothing.

Igniting Your Potential

Sometimes genius is slow coming to the surface. Think your youngster is a slow learner?  It’s possible he’s just not interested in the trivial. The fact is that many of our most famous people showed no indications of being outstanding when they were young.  To the contrary, many of them, like Thomas Edison, were actually considered slightly slower than their contemporaries.  Two of the world's best loved humorists, Will Rogers and Mark Twain, showed little interest either in school or in humor in their early years.  As a child, Albert Einstein was slow in learning to talk; then as a boy he was considered backward.  Ignace Paderewski, the great Polish pianist, was in his late teen years before he showed any interest in learning to play the piano.

If Someone Would Only Listen

Richard Senac stumbled across the great need people have for someone to listen to them.  No, he isn’t a counselor.  He was a hospital nurse recruiter who found that getting people up in the morning was no small task, so he started a business called Roosters, named after the barnyard creature that crows about the time the sun rises.  Roosters was a telephone calling service that would awaken you in the morning with a variety of several hundred different sounds, from a 21‑gun salute to fingernails scratching on a blackboard if your starter takes something a little more bizarre to get you going in the mornings.  Roosters would also put you to sleep at night with a variety of sounds.

The Wounds of a Friend

He was once a trusted friend, but something happened.  His friendship became treachery, and the man who had been a companion, a family friend, and confidant became an enemy.  Have you ever had that happen?  Painful, isn't it?  The person that you thought would have gone to the wall with you slowly begins to drift away.  Your phone doesn’t ring.  It’s a one-way friendship.  When you call or drop by, you get the connection but it’s cold, routine, and your friend gives you the impression that he’s outgrown your friendship.

Four Keys to Dealing with Conflict

The man who sat in the office of psychologist Ed Fish was middle‑aged and quite successful.  He began talking about his daughter's forthcoming marriage, but instead of looking forward to it, he dreaded it.  Why?  Because he did not like the man she was marrying?  Not at all!  He liked him.  "I would really like to have somebody from the family at the wedding," he wistfully remarked.