“Child Adrift”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.
But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.

Luke 22:31-32.” (NLT)         

Devotion:

 “My child is adrift. How do I let go?” my friend asked with tear-filled eyes.

“You hold on with a tether of prayer,” I replied.

Our goal as parents is to raise our children to be independent, faith-filled adults. We teach them right from wrong. We educate them about God and the Bible. We exhibit table manners and good sportsmanship. We demonstrate compassion and empathy for humanity. We subtly point them in the direction of what we suspect will bring them happiness and success. Then they grow-up and seem to drift away from everything we have taught them.

Sometimes, no matter how great the parenting, some children flounder in adulthood. They wander into uncharted territory to test their independence. What’s a parent to do then? If the child is of legal age, the best thing a parent can do is to pray. Our key verse demonstrates that this is how Jesus dealt with Simon Peter when he was about to fall into fear and doubt concerning his faith and love for God. Jesus didn’t scold, plead or rebuke him. Jesus simply said, “But I have pleaded in prayer for you.” 

Jesus prayed with complete confidence in the power of God to bring Simon Peter back into the faith and fellowship with the other believers. My favorite part of today’s key verse is when Jesus stated, “So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Many times when a child wanders away from family and faith, we tend to see it as only a negative. However, Jesus saw Simon’s weakness in a different light. He knew that after Simon drifted that Simon would come back stronger in his walk of faith than before. Simon would be able to strengthen other people. 

As we pray for our children, their faults, foibles, and faith frailties, let’s remind ourselves that these very things may be exactly what God will use for him or her to help others. It is through personal mistakes that our children can learn compassion and empathy for people—especially those who struggle in similar areas. So, as we pray, let’s be encouraged by the knowledge that God never wastes a painful experience. He will use drifting children to minister to a hurting world. So go right now and tether your child to God with a lifeline of prayer. 

Prayer:                                                                                                                                                             

Dear Lord, my child is adrift in a frightening world. Teach me how to pray for my child. Remind me that the most effective thing I can do is to plead for him/her before the throne of God. Help me to convert my worry into prayer. I thank you that You understand my feelings and I can trust in Your sovereignty in my child’s life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

Find a notebook or prayer journal and begin to journal your prayers for your child. Date each prayer. Every time you begin to feel stress and anxiety over your child’s behaviors, write a prayer. In addition, as you see promises of hope and change in your son or daughter, jot them down as a reminder when you feel discouraged and overwrought that God is indeed at work. Read Divine Prayers for Despairing Parents as an additional resource of hope.

Reflections: 

Do I believe that prayer is the most effective way to handle my wayward child?

How can I remind myself to pray instead of worry?

When my child turns around, how will he/she be able to strengthen other people?

Power verses:

 Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV)

John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (NIV)

Psalms 27:13-14, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (NIV)

© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

“Road to the Sun”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6: 66-69 (NIV)

Devotion:

 It was supposed to be a wonderful day. My husband and I were camping in scenic Glacier National Park and we planned to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road The thirty-eight mile road wound up the steep mountainside to the summit where we planned to picnic and enjoy the view. We loaded the car with snacks, ice cold drinks and high expectations.  

It all started so well, to end up so disastrously.

Now I will admit, warnings preceded our adventure. “Leave early in the morning to avoid traffic congestion. Plan on a five-hour drive. Watch out for road construction. There is limited parking at the summit.” We ignored the warnings and set out assuring ourselves for a day of delightful views and comfortable companionship. We headed out and started the arduous ascent in our small SUV. The road was literally bumper to bumper traffic—stop and go. Our vehicle determined that it was too much of a climb and the transmission sputtered on each start and stop. The situation became so dire that I jumped out of the car and ran to the vehicle behind us. I said, “Our clutch and transmission are acting up. Please stay a safe distance behind as we start and stop up the climb.” 

We barely made it to the summit where we planned to pull over. However, the summit was so crowded they had closed the parking and the park ranger insisted we keep driving. In disbelief, we inched down the hill. I needed to use the restroom. I was hungry. And my husband and I were disenchanted with each other.

Isn’t this how our walk with Jesus is sometimes? We start out filled with anticipation and expectation. At first, it seems as if nothing could ever go awry. Life couldn’t be any better. You are on the road with the Son of God. What could go wrong?

Then eventually life starts to unravel a bit. Things go awry. A friend betrays you. Your child rebels. Or you find yourself single and wonder how that happened? You ask yourself, “Why did Jesus allow this?” We become disheartened with our walk of faith. We ask ourselves “What’s the point?”

Fortunately, this doesn’t surprise Jesus. He understood that life would be hard for us. He warned his followers, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world John 16:33 (NLT).” Trials and sorrows are part of life, but Jesus gives peace even in the darkest moments of life. 

Today if you are wondering, “what’s the point of following Jesus?” I would ask you to hang on until the next bend in the road of life. Life will always have its ups and downs, its surges and stalls. But with Jesus Christ as your traveling companion, He will help you navigate through the arduous terrain with the assurance of peace. Take heart and travel life’s road with the Son. 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, life is not as I expected it to be. I am going through a difficult time and my faith is floundering. Please Lord Jesus give me your peace and help me to understand that you are in control at all times—in both the good and the bad. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

Reread our Key Verse today. Ask yourself, “Where else is there to go but to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.?” Then memorize John 16:33 and allow it to be a comfort to your heart and soul when life becomes a rocky terrain.

Reflections: 

 Am I surprised when difficulties drift into my life?

What lessons are there to be learned when I am angry and disappointed with my circumstances?

Will I choose to follow Jesus even when my hopes and expectations are not realized?

Power verses:

John 14:27, ““I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (NLT)

Romans 8:35-37, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT)

© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

“Take-Off Talk”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Proverbs 10:19 NIV)

     

Devotion:

Sometimes my husband doesn’t like traveling with me. Why? Because whether traveling by car or plane he becomes my captive audience. He’s strapped into a seat with his ear lodged close to my mouth. He hears my thoughts and philosophies of life. He listens to my complaints, and yes, even whining. He can’t escape.

This is especially true when we fly somewhere. I usually have the window seat. He gets squished in the middle. Usually before we take off, I launch into my monologue. His eyes begin to glaze over. He nods mutely. My husband resolutely resigns himself to the “take-off talk.” I admit I am not proud of this. Every time we travel, I tell myself not to hold a one-sided conversation. Yet once the seat belt clicks, words begin to leak out.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon can happen in many situations by any of us. We corner someone and begin to blab. It may be a one-sided phone call with a girlfriend who listens to our lengthy story. It may be rant at our children who tune us out. These one-sided conversations seemingly spring out of nowhere. So what is the cause? 

Here’s my personal opinion. After analyzing my own irrational conversations, I realize they occur because of pent-up emotions. My feelings need to vent somewhere with someone. Sadly, as these emotions tend to spew out like a roiling volcano I usually say something I regret. Our key verse reveals, “When words are many, sin is not absent.” It’s true.” When I have a take-off talk I usually have some type of sinful words—gossip, anger, or unkindness.   

So what is the best way to avoid the one-way conversation? First, I believe prayer is the safest way to prevent a reservoir of feelings to overflow. It allows us to vent in a safe place—the arms of God. We can expel our feelings to God, not on the people we care about the most. This helps to keep the stream of emotions to a manageable level when we speaking with others.

Next instead of launching into a diatribe of dialogue, ask a question. Allow the captive audience to speak. Engage them in conversation about their personal hopes and dreams. Listen with complete attention to what they are saying and avoid responding with your own stories. Display empathy and genuine concern. 

Finally, if catch yourself rambling about yourself, your life, and your problems. Stop and apologize for monopolizing the conversation. I guarantee that apologizing for your rude behavior will help deter you from continuing in one-sided monologues. It only takes a few sincere apologies to wipe out the tendency to babble about ourselves.

Let’s avoid the offensive monopolization of conversation. Let’s practice keep our words to a minimum. Let’s allow God to deal with our abundance of emotions. Let’s show our friends and families that we are learning wisdom by not using too many words. Let’s land the takeoff talk altogether.

Prayer:                                                                                                                                                             

Dear Lord, teach me to release my pent-up emotions to you in prayer. Give me the ability to restrain my tongue. Help me to use my tongue in knowledge and not to gush folly, I ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

Memorize our key verse Proverbs10:19. Consider to who is most likely to be the recipient of your long-winded words. Think through and prepare questions to ask to open up a conversation that will allow both of you to participate in a fulfilling conversation.

 Reflections: 

Do I talk too much? Does my mouth gush with folly?

What are my reasons for a monotonous monologue?

Who is most likely on the receiving end of a “take-off talk?”

Power verses:

Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (NIV)

Psalms 37:30, “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.” (NIV)

Psalms 49:3, “My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.” (NIV)

James 1:26, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (NIV)

© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.