DayBreaks for 3/7/19 – A Personal Friend

DayBreaks for 3/07/19: A Personal Friend

From the DayBreaks archive February 2009:

Much is said these days about being friends with God or Jesus.  It was not always so.  For many long years (centuries probably, and millennia possibly) mankind was so much in awe of the Divine Creator that some groups wouldn’t even dare to pronounce His name.  Others held that the gods were disinterested in the doings of mere mortals…except to use us as their playthings for times when they got bored.  And, of course, there have always been those who blasphemed and spoke ill of their “gods”, too.   

But when Jesus came, he turned those notions upside down.  He said he would not longer call his disciples servants, but friends.  He taught His disciples to pray using the term, Abba (Daddy), when speaking to the Father. 

Yet, how does one really get to know God personally?  In his book, Reaching for the Invisible God, Phillip Yancey wrote: “In Jesus’ day the answer was shocking simple: you know him the same way you know anybody.  You introduce yourself, shake hands, strike up a conversation, inquire about his family.  Because of Jesus we need never question God’s desire for intimacy.  Does God really want close contact with us?  Jesus gave up Heaven for it.  In person he reestablished the original link between God and human beings, between seen and unseen worlds.”

In the Old Testament, God is spoke of and called “Father” a total of 11 times.  But what a change when we get to the New Testament, that refers to God as our Father a stunning 170 times! 

How do you get to know God personally?  Get to know Jesus.  Read the gospels, but don’t just read them.  On each page are jewels to be gathered about the nature of Jesus, of the things that stirred his heart, the way little things caught his attention and the way he reacted to people, places and things.  You can read his words.  And, through the Spirit, He is with us still.  While you may not be able to shake his hand as the disciples long ago did, you can still talk to him – and listen to him.  Oh, how much we miss by not asking him to speak with us more than we do!  Somewhere we got this infernal idea that prayer is about talking.  It’s not.  It’s to be far more about listening, I believe.

Yes, Jesus is a friend and a personal one at that.  But he’s also far more than just a personal friend, this friend is God.

Prayer: What a friend we have in Jesus!  We give you glory Father God for such a perfect revelation of Yourself!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright by 2019 by Galen C. Dalrymple.  ><}}}”>

 

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DayBreaks for 4/25/17 – Don’t Beat Your Donkey

DayBreaks for 4/25/17: Beating Your Donkey

Note: Galen is traveling this week.

From the DayBreaks archive, April 2007:

The story of Balaam and his talking donkey is in Numbers 22.  Balaam was on his way to do something wrong, riding happily along on his donkey, when the way was blocked by an angel that the donkey could see but that Balaam couldn’t.  (That should have been the first clue that Balaam was blind to spiritual things!!!)  Because Balaam couldn’t see the angel and he was impatient, he started to beat the donkey.  Imagine his surprise when the donkey asked why he was beating her (vs. 28)!  Well, if it wasn’t humbling enough for Balaam to be questioned by a donkey, in Numbers 22:32, he is asked by God’s angel (who Balaam can now see): Why have you beaten your donkey…?  I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 

In a World Magazine, May 2, 1998 article titled “Donkey Talk”, Jay Grelen noted how a friend told him that he (Jay) acted as if he had a “sense of entitlement”, i.e., that he deserved to be treated a certain way, to be given certain privileges and treatment.  Jay was shocked, but came to see the words from his friend like the words from the donkey of Balaam.  Note what he says in his article: “Here’s what He (God) tells believers throughout the Bible: ‘I have redeemed you, yes, but I still hate, yes, with a burning passion, the sin in you as much as I hate the sin in those yet unredeemed.’  I needed to hear that.  I had convinced myself that my sins, especially the “small ones”, were less reprehensible in me than in others.”

“God exposed my superior attitude (which I kept neatly hidden even from my view) and showed how my sense of superiority led to my Sense of Entitlement.  ‘Of course I deserve more money, a better house, a book deal, a Pulitzer Prize, a comfortable life.’  ‘Why do you want to with a Pulitzer Prize?’, God asked.  “You know, God, so we can have believers succeeding in secular journalism.  So I can be a witness of You.’  ‘Tell me again?’  ‘Um, so I can make more money and be famous and rich and have a book deal.'”

“…a Sense of Entitlement fuels discontent and ingratitude – but I needed a reminder that when I think I deserve more, I’m saying God hasn’t given me enough.  In complaining about my situation, I’m biting the Hand that blesses me by already giving me more than enough…”

Galen’s Thoughts:  In the Old Testament, Shimei, one of Saul’s descendants was spitting on and mocking David as he fled from Absolom’s rebellion.  One of David’s men wanted to kill Shimei for disrespecting the king, but David wouldn’t let him.  David said, in essence, “No.  He may be right.  God may want me to hear what Shimei is saying.  I may need to hear it – no matter how uncomfortable it is.” 

Is God using some of your two-legged friends in your life as a “talking donkey” to give you a message you might not otherwise hear?  If so, don’t beat them – thank God for them!  You may be headed down a crooked and perverse path and He is warning you – perhaps even through the words of a donkey!

PRAYER:  Thank you, Lord, for the many ways you try to break through to us, to get our attention and turn us back to your ways.  Let us have ears that hear, hands that are willing, and hearts that are eager to obey.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2017 by Galen Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 9/26/16 – Can You Believe It?

 

DayBreaks for 9/26/16 – Can You Believe It?     

There are verses in the bible that are not all that exciting. For example, you can find a lot of them in Numbers! But then there are verses that blow us away…or at least, they should. Here’s one such passage:

Romans 8:30-31 (NLT) – And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Please pay special attention to the last sentence and the first five words: If God is for us…  Paul isn’t really asking the question or posing a hypothetical. He is stating a fact based on the truth of the preceding verse where he declares what God has done for us through Jesus…and he’s calling those verses in context to witness to the fact that God IS for us…the “If” is only there to be juxtaposed against the last six word: ..who can ever be against us?

But here’s the question: do you believe God is for YOU? Can you believe that He is NOT against you? Far too many, even Christians, think of God as sitting upon the circle of heaven looking down at us with a cosmic flyswatter just waiting for us to make the slightest mistake so He can squash us like a fly. And then they picture God laughing over whatever remains of us. Or, they see Him as furiously angry with them – eager to destroy as the scent of souls in hell fill is nostrils.

But that is 180 degrees opposite of what Paul has proven. If God is against us, would He have given His Son to die in agony for us? Would God has put Himself through the torture of watching His only begotten Son writing in agony if God was not for us? No way! 

What does it mean that God is for you? It means several things:

FIRST: God is not your enemy. Not once you have come home to him.

SECOND: God is not working against you nor wishing/causing bad things to happen to you. He works FOR you…so powerfully that even the bad things that do happen He is working out for your good.

THIRD: God will not let any enemy stand against you successfully. Not even the ruler of hell.

Perhaps you’re feeling like God can’t possibly be for you…a horrible sinner full of evil acts and even more full of evil thoughts and inclinations. But He is for you. And because of that, you’ve got the best Friend in the universe and He is absolutely crazy about you!

If you struggle to believe this good news, repeat to yourself over and over, day after day, until you come to believe it: God is FOR me!

PRAYER: We struggle to believe You could possibly be for us, God, because we do see our sin and frequent failures. Give us the faith to believe these inspired words from Your Spirit and let us rejoice in the this incredible truth! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2016 by Galen C. Dalrymple. All rights reserved.

DayBreaks for 5/31/16 – God, Horses and Friends

From the DayBreaks Archive, May 2016:

Deuteronomy 5:27 (NIV) – Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey.

A friend sent this to me a while back and I thought it was worth sharing:

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if one stops the car, or is walking by, one will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
Listening, one will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by God and those whom he places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to see God.
Good friends are like stars…..you don’t always see them, but you know they are always there. – Author Unknown

PRAYER:  Jesus, there are times when we really need to hear your voice more than anything in all the world, and there are times when you want us to help others.  Give us the wisdom and strength to do both at every opportunity.  Thank you for the way you always lead us so gently.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2016, Galen C. Dalrymple. All rights reserved.

 

DayBreaks for 4/19/16 – I Need Somebody

When was the last time you needed somebody?  If you live in America, it may have been a while since you have really needed someone.  I mean REALLY NEEDED someone.  With so many of life’s necessities and even luxuries so readily available to us, we can usually just go and get our food from the store, our clothing, just about anything that we “need” or want.  It is dangerous, because it creates an illusion of self-sufficiency that can be very harmful.

And so, the times when we really need someone are typically times when we are afraid.  When we face something that is bigger than we are, that we can’t just wrestle to the ground with our muscles or figure out with our brains.  Fear, perhaps like nothing else, can drive us to look to someone or something for help. 

The story is told of a little boy who became very frightened one night when he heard and felt the thunder shake the house.  Like most of us did when we were little, he ran to his parents bedroom and begged them to let him sleep in their bed.  “I’m scared,” he said, “I have to sleep with you.”  His parents leaned over and said, “Go back to your room and remember that Jesus is with you.  There’s no reason to be scared.”  The little boy stared at them with a pleading look on his face and said, “I know Jesus is with me, but right now I need somebody with skin on!”

How wonderful – and how honest.  First of all, when we are afraid, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus “had skin on” – Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV) – Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  We can find His grace and mercy when we are in need – whether it is need of provision or deliverance from fear.  That’s why God gave us Jesus and became one of us!

Secondly, there are times in this world where we walk by faith and not by sight, when we need someone with “skin on.”  And that’s why God gave us one another!

TODAY’S PRAYER:  God, please help us to run to Jesus when we are afraid, and help us to be someone with “skin on” for those who are around us who are frightened and who need comfort.  Clothe us in Jesus’ likeness that we can minister to those held captive by fear and need.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2016, Galen C. Dalrymple. All rights reserved.

DayBreaks for 08/03/15 – The Loyal Friend

DayBreaks for 8/03/15: The Loyal Friend

From Barney’s Bullets (by Barney Cargile):

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24

“In August of 1936 a sheepherder in Ft. Benton, Montana fell ill, and died a few days later.  His body was placed in a crude crate and loaded on a train heading east. There was no funeral, no stores closed, and no one came out to say good-bye…except for one faithful friend.  He stood silently watching as the train doors slammed shut and the locomotive disappeared over the horizon. Then his friend returned the next day…and the next…and the next.  For nearly six years the sheepherder’s faithful friend would come to the depot each day, staring at the spot where he had said good-bye.  Then tragedy struck on January 12, 1942.  Slipping on an icy rail, the friend fell beneath the wheels of the inbound 10:17 train.  No one remembers the name of the sheepherder, but everyone around Ft. Benton knows the name of his famous friend: Shep the sheepdog.

“The faithfulness of Shep has been immortalized in Ripley’s Believe It or Not and on Paul Harvey’s radio broadcast.  While alive, fan-mail poured in to the tiny post office by the hundreds.  Today a bronze statue of Shep stands in Ft. Benton’s town square, honoring its most famous citizen; a tribute to a faithful friend’s devotion.  How many of us could claim to have a friend this loyal?  How many of us could lay claim to being this loyal of a friend?  Friendship is essential to life. That’s how God designed us.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, With a friend you can face the worst.

“Years ago, Mike Correll of Atlanta, built a healthy business by literally buying friends for people.  For those too busy to build friendships, he would hook you up with a BFF for a mere $1200.  That speaks volumes to the relational bankruptcy of our culture.  In our age where the bar of “friendship” has been brought so low that “friends” can literally be bought (in real life and on Facebook), we need to be reminded of what true friendship looks like; we need to know that friendship is still alive; we need a model of a faithful friend…even if it comes in the form of four legs and shaggy fur!”

Galen’s thoughts: What kind of a friend are you to those around you? More importantly, what kind of a friend are you to Jesus?

PRAYER: Teach us to be faithful friends. Thank you for being the greatest friend to us in our greatest need! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2015, Galen C. Dalrymple.

To email Galen, click here: E-mail Galen.

DayBreaks for 7/06/15 – Choose Your Enemies Carefully

DayBreaks for 7/06/15: Choose Your Enemies Carefully

You’ve heard the old saying, “Choose your friends carefully!”  Why do people say that?  Because if you choose human friends poorly, they may turn on you when it is to their advantage. Or, consider the other reason and another old saw you have probably heard: “Evil companions corrupt good morals.”  In other words, if you choose friends who are not living upright lives, you will probably be tempted to join them in whatever it is that they are doing once your friendship progresses and the peer pressure weighs you down. It is truly wise to choose one’s friends carefully.

But, have you ever considered the importance of choosing your enemies wisely?

First, wouldn’t it be great to not have any enemies at all? We are to pray for our enemies. We are to, as much as it is humanly possible, live at peace with all people. We are commanded to love our enemies. But even that command acknowledges the simple fact that we will have enemies. So, we should learn to choose them wisely.

It is one thing to have enemies in this world. The Devil is our adversary – roaming there and there – trying to find those he can consume. He is an enemy, though none of us have ever seen him.

Listen to this passage from James 4:4 –You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:4 (ESV)

It is one thing to have other humans as enemies – as long as they are “enemies” because they are opposed to God. It is our human condition that Satan is our enemy – even if we “serve” him he’s our enemy – because He wants only to kill and to destroy, even while he pretends to be their friends.

I, for one, do not want to have an All-powerful God as my enemy. And that puts me (and you!) directly on a collision course with a critical decision: we can choose to be a friend of the world or a friend of God. We can’t be friends with both. It is not possible.

What might you have to change in order to  no longer be a friend of the world, but God’s friend instead?

© 2015, Galen C. Dalrymple.

To email Galen, click here: E-mail Galen.