The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:6).

Romana and her eleven-year-old niece were seated in the front seat of a row of cars that were slowly ascending to the top of the old wooden roller coaster. For over thirty years Ramona had served as a single lady missionary on the continent of Africa. “Honey, I faced every possible situation on the mission field and always claimed the verse in Hebrews that says, ‘The Lord is my helper and I will not fear,’ but I’ve got to confess that I am scared to death!” Ramona squealed as the coaster crested the summit and plummeted down the tracks. For the next one minute and 38 seconds, Ramona and her niece twisted and turned, shot around corners, climbed summits, flew down the tracks and around the corner into the final station. After getting off the roller coaster, Ramona insisted on sitting down for a few moments. Her eleven-year-old niece Esther laughed saying, “Aunt Ramona, your hair is standing straight in the air!” Both ladies giggled as Ramona stood and straightened herself, thinking to herself, “I have faced wicked tribes, I have killed large snakes, I have squashed scorpions, and I have faced frightening things in my terms as a missionary. Lord, you brought me through all of these and now even today You are my helper on that breathtaking roller coaster my little niece wanted to go on. She was so brave, and I was so scared, but thank you for helping me, Lord.” Do you feel like you are on a roller coaster and need the Lord’s help as well?

For today: Regardless of the circumstances in life, if you know Christ as your Savior, He is your helper. You need not fear what man can do unto you.

“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Grumpy, angry, bitter, and lonely old Jeanette came under very heavy conviction when the little six-year-old next door neighbor, Lucy, referred to her as sounding like an old witch. Although Lucy got in trouble for her words, God used the little child to really speak to bitter old Jeanette. Finding her Bible buried deep under books and magazines, Jeanette opened the Scriptures and leafed through the New Testament. Her eyes fell upon Ephesians 4:30-32. Many, many years ago she had underlined these verses which state, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” As our verse for today reminds us, God’s Word is alive and powerful, and once again the Holy Spirit greatly convicted Jeanette about her sin of bitterness. This time it would be different, however. Before she had resisted and grieved the Holy Spirit. Today she sat and wept and confessed her great sin to the Lord. It would be later that afternoon that a humbled and repentant elderly Jeanette would make her way next door. With tears streaming down her cheeks she asked the Patterson family for forgiveness. God was giving her another opportunity to rebuild that which her bitterness had destroyed. How about you? Do you have any bitterness that needs to be replaced with kindness?

For today: It is always wise to obey the Lord and to heed His Word.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Jeanette was near the end of her life. She had no friends. She had pushed her family away from her. She harbored bitterness and anger for decades and was a lonely, miserable old woman. It was quite a sight the day that Maggie Patterson and her six-year-old twin daughters, Lucy and Linda, brought cookies to their next door neighbor. After Jeanette hollered at them and ordered them off her porch, you will remember that Lucy blurted out that the neighbors were right, Jeanette was a cranky old woman. In fact, you may remember that Lucy called her “an old witch.” Mom disciplined her little girl but confessed to her husband that Lucy probably had pretty well accurately described her. What Maggie didn’t know was that Jeanette could not get away from the words of little Lucy, “The neighbors are right. She is cranky old Jeanette. She sounds like a wicked witch.” Jeanette tried to eat her supper that night, but Lucy’s words reverberated. Jeanette tried to watch her favorite television program that night, but Lucy’s words pierced her heart. She tried to go to sleep and would change positions often, but sleep escaped her because Lucy’s words accurately described her. Early the next morning Jeanette stepped into the room where from beneath a stack of books and magazines she pulled out her Bible. It’d been well over thirty years since Jeanette had opened God’s Word. Wouldn’t you know it? As she leafed through the New Testament, she stopped at Ephesians chapter 4. Her eyes came to the Scripture that we read today. God used a little girl to speak to the heart of an old woman who really needed Him. Jeanette was in for a great change. More tomorrow about this!

For today: I hope your Bible isn’t buried under a stack of other things!

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

After breakfast and a few morning chores, Mom called Lucy and Linda, her six-year-old twins, into the kitchen to help bake cookies to take over to their next door neighbor named Jeanette. Most of the folks in the neighborhood called her “cranky old Jeanette.” Though it was not a pleasant name to be called, it really did describe her life. Jeanette harbored bitterness and anger for well over four decades. She could name every hurt and every offense that ever happened to her. As a result, toward the end of her life, she was a lonely, bitter, and angry old woman. When the cookies cooled, Mom and the girls walked next door to apologize for Lucy and Linda peeking through the fence and disturbing Jeanette the day before. Mom rang the doorbell, and Jeanette hollered through the screen, “Go away. I don’t want any!” A rather surprised Maggie Patterson said, “Excuse me, Jeanette. We are your neighbors, and we have come not only to apologize for peeking through your fence but to bring you some cookies.” There were a few moments of silence and once again Jeanette bellowed, “I told you to go away. I don’t need your friendship, and I don’t want your cookies. Leave me alone.” Lucy and Linda’s eyes were as big as saucers, and before Mom could stop her, Lucy said, “The neighbors are right. She is cranky old Jeanette. She sounds like a wicked witch.” Before Lucy could say another word, Mom covered her mouth and hustled both girls off Jeanette’s front porch. “Lucille Mariana Patterson, don’t you ever call anyone a witch again. Do you understand, young lady?” spoke mother sternly on the way back to their home. Jeanette sat alone that day with little Lucy’s words swirling around and around in her mind. Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Three weeks had passed from the time an angry, bitter Jeanette pulled the curtain back and watched the moving van arrive as her new neighbors, the Pattersons, moved in next door. Linda and Lucy, the six-year-old redheaded Patterson twins, were peeking through the hole in the fence into Jeanette’s backyard. The angry old woman snuck up to the fence, peeked right back at them, and shouted, “What are you looking at?” Both of the girls screamed and ran into their house. Mom asked, “What is wrong with both of you? You look like you are scared half to death!” After finding out what had happened, Mom suggested that they bake a batch of cookies and together call on their next door neighbor. Linda said, “I don’t want to go, Mom. Everyone calls her ‘cranky old Jeanette,’ and I’m scared of her.” With a quick hug and a kiss for both of her girls, Mom headed them off to play in another room while she started fixing dinner. Tomorrow would be quite a day in their lives. Quite a day indeed! How about you? Do you ever struggle with bitterness or anger? Is it hard for you to be kind and forgiving?

For today: Getting rid of bitterness and acting in blessedness is the assignment the Lord gives to each of His children.