July 2008 Devotionals
July 28, 2008
Choose to Like What You Must
A Conversation with Elizabeth Rice Handford
Some people dispense lectures and advice all over you. I have a friend who just puts signs up on her office door! Her current sign says,
The secret of happiness is—
Choosing to like what you have.
Like what I have? Like this house? Like this job? Truly like my spouse? My child? Enjoy what I have, not what I wish I had, not even what I really need?
Yes! It’s a profound truth–profoundly simple, profoundly true. We can choose to like where God has placed us, what God has given us, those whom God has placed in our lives.
“That doesn’t sound possible,” you might argue. “How can I change how I really feel?” God has given us the secret in Philippians 4:8,9:
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report–
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise–
Think on these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.
As we focus on the good things in our lives, our work, our families, if we concentrate on them, then the God of peace will be with us. But can we really control our thoughts, those stray images that flash through our minds unexpectedly? Can we control our thoughts when outside events, outside words, crowd out our thoughts of truth and honesty and lovely things?
God says, “Yes!” and in Second Corinthians 10:5 He tells us how:
Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute when it’s necessary, we are to bring every thought into captivity, and yield it to Jesus. It may be difficult to break the habit of a lifetime, but we can do it, by God’s grace. Sometimes I find myself having to say, again and again, “Dear Lord, I’m thinking wrong about this problem. Please take control of my mind.”
And that is the secret of having God’s peace in our hearts.
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July 21, 2008
So Little Time—So Much to Do!
A Conversation with Elizabeth Rice Handford
I remember one Monday morning, after I’d sent the “big kids” off to school, stumbling around in a tight little circle and saying, “What can I do? Where should I start? The house is a mess—” (It always was in the pastor’s home after a Sunday with its heavy obligations), “the washing has to be done, I promised I’d visit Mrs. Thompson, I have an article due today, I’m scheduled at the school office at 10:00 to interview a new teacher. . . What shall I do?”
The Lord seemed to say, very quietly, “Libby, start with the washing.” “Oh. All right. I can do that.” “Then you can do the next thing.” “All right. I can do that.”
If you are a woman, you probably do have too much to do, and especially so if you are trying to juggle your job, your home responsibilities, your children, and your service to God. And yes, some days it’s hard to know where to start—so many things to do, so little time to get it all done.
But Margaret Johnstone makes an interesting observation. She says,
“Time is a fixed income and,
as with any income,
the real problem facing most of us is
how to live within our daily allotment.”
There are only 24 hours in this day. That’s as fixed as my income. God, in His mercy, has allocated me exactly the same number of hours and minutes that every other living human being has. The problem is not to find more time to do everything. The problem is to use the time God has given us today to do what our jobs require, what God wants done. That takes thought and wisdom, and making wise choices.
Our great comfort is that God has promised us He’ll not give us more than we are able to bear. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30) So if my burden seems too great for me, maybe it’s because I’m trying to carry it all alone.
Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12). May God give you the wisdom and the skill to accomplish the work He wants you to do today!
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July 21, 2008
We celebrated our sixtieth wedding anniversary— but we get no credit for it!
A Conversation with Elizabeth Rice Handford
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary, and I sure hope you don’t want us to tell you how we managed it. Remembering how young and ignorant we were, starting out, we quickly say it was only by the grace of God, and certainly nothing for us to take credit for.
When we celebrated our 50th, a high-school kid said, “Fifty years? To the same guy? That must be boring!” Well, no, it’s been more like wonderful and exhausting and exciting and scary and exhilarating, but boring? Never!
Maybe the one thing we have learned is that, all by itself, our love for each other was not enough to weather the tensions and griefs and stress of marriage. We do love each other, yes, passionately; but more than that, we committed ourselves to each other for “as long as we both shall live,” without regard to the circumstances.
I remember a moon-lit December night in Illinois, when we stood in the front yard of my parent’s home, and Walt asked me to marry him. He said, “Libby, do you understand that I’ll have to do whatever God wants me to do? Are you willing to follow me whatever that means?” I answered, “Yes, absolutely. Of course I want you to do what God tells you to do.” I meant it—I can’t imagine any greater joy than doing God’s will.
The Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory.
No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly
- Psalm 84:11
I remember only once when that promise was hard to keep. Some 43 years ago, when we lived in Wheaton, Illinois, Southside Baptist Church, in Greenville, South Carolina, called Walt to be their pastor. He told them we would there in three weeks. This frightened me, because the adoption of one of our children was not yet complete, though he had been in our home for six years. I wasn’t sure the judge would let us take him out of the state of Illinois until the adoption was complete. But we’d promised to come. It was a stress-filled three weeks for me.
There’s a happy ending to that story, because God was very merciful to us. The judge signed the consent decree the very day we left to come to Greenville. But however it had turned out, we were committed to each other, and to doing the will of God.
As I said, we’re not very good about giving advice about how to stay married to each other for 60 years. But we’re very good at reminding you that God promised in Psalm 84:11, “No good thing will the Lord God withhold from them that walk uprightly.” The very best part of that promise is not only that He knows what our good is, but He is also the One who gives the grace to walk uprightly!
And maybe we could also remind you that however much time God gives you with your spouse, let it be good; treasure it. The actual number of years is not near as important as savoring and enjoying your lives together today, doing God’s will.
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July 7, 2008
Celebrating America’s Wonderful Heritage
A Conversation with Elizabeth Rice Handford
As Walt and I celebrated America’s Independence last weekend, we talked about some of wonderful events that brought our beloved country into existence. Four of my great-great-great-great-great grandfathers, McClure, Cantrell, Cooke, and Rice, fought in the Continental army, and Samuel McClure witnessed the surrender at Yorktown. Maybe that’s why I get such a lump in my throat when we talk about our country.
One of my favorite stories about the revolution highlights the idealism that motivated the Patriots. There’s a patch of ground in south Greenville County on the Reedy River they called the Great Cane Brake back in December of 1775. It was Indian territory, a hotbed of resistance to the American cause. There the Commander of the English forces, Patrick Cunningham, encamped with his troops. The patriots, under Colonel William Thomson, attacked at dawn, while the English were just getting ready for breakfast. Only one American was wounded, but five loyalists died, and 130 were taken prisoners. Cunningham escaped by riding a horse bareback. As he galloped away, he shouted to his men, “Shift for yourselves!”
The patriots, weary and outnumbered and in hostile territory, understandably were for killing the prisoners. “We’ll have to fight ’em agin; we may as well kill ’em now.”
“No, said Thomson, “we will not kill them. We’ll take their parole, their word of honor that they will not fight us anymore. We are fighting because we want a nation founded on moral principles. Killing prisoners of war is an evil act, and I will not let you do it.” And he didn’t!
Colonel Thomson’s commitment to honor and to just dealings reassured the settlers in our part of South Carolina, and brought them together for the cause of the United Sates of America.
It’s true that our country has flaws–after all, all of us individually are flawed–but what a wonderful country God has given us. In the USA, every individual is protected by the Bill of Rights, and opportunity for success does not depend on color or sex or creed or gender. That’s great, precious privilege experienced in few other nations.
God, please bless America! We don’t deserve it, but we need You, and treasure Your presence in our lives and in our nation.