When Corrie ten Boom was a young woman growing up under n.a.z.i domination, she told her father, "I'm not sure I can survive the strain."

Her father, a wise man, asked her, "Corrie, when you take the bus home each day, does the driver ask for a year's fare?"

"No, Father," she replied, not knowing where he was going with the question.

"Does he ask you for a week's fare?"

"No, Father, he doesn't. I only give him the fare for that ride."

Her father's eyes brightened, and he explained, "That's the way G.o.d's grace is for us. He always gives us what we need at the time we need it."

From time to time, all of us face situations when we feel submerged in confusion, pain, and difficulties. At those moments, we don't need grace and wisdom for the whole solution. We just need them for the next step. G.o.d will give us exactly what we need at the time we need it-probably not more and certainly not less.

How have you seen G.o.d's strength demonstrated when someone admitted his or her weakness?

Is there a situation in your life right now in which you need G.o.d's strength? In what way are you weak?

"The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction."-CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

SEPTEMBER 5.

TWICE BLESSED.

The LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

JOB 42:10.

JOB NEVER SAW his troubles coming. In the introduction to his story, we find out the reasons behind Job's suffering (see Job 1:62:7), but Job never had a clue when he endured each trial. As we read the account, we see that Job wondered why G.o.d allowed all these terrible things to happen to him. Some friends came by, but instead of giving Job comfort and wisdom, they insisted that he must have done something really bad for all this to have happened. (Thanks a lot, guys!) Job kept asking G.o.d why, and G.o.d finally showed up, but not with the answer to his question (see Job 3841). Instead, G.o.d reminded Job that He was G.o.d and Job was not. There was no need to ask that question any longer, G.o.d told him. "Just know that I'm G.o.d, and you can trust Me," He said. (But at least G.o.d said to Job's friends, "You're no help!") Job could have been really angry with his friends for giving him bad advice and a.s.suming his problems were entirely his fault, but he chose a different course: He prayed for them. When he prayed, G.o.d opened heaven's doors and gave Job twice as much wealth as he had before. He was twice blessed. He still didn't understand all that had happened, but he trusted G.o.d anyway. And G.o.d really likes it when we trust Him.

What do we need to trust about the character of G.o.d when we don't understand what's going on in our lives?

What was the correlation between Job's prayer for his friends and G.o.d's blessing?

"Adversity is the diamond dust heaven polishes its jewels with."-ROBERT LEIGHTON

SEPTEMBER 6.

WRESTLING WITH G.o.d.

Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

GENESIS 32:24.

SOME OF US FEEL GUILTY for questioning G.o.d, but human faith has a long tradition of wrestling with Him. Jacob's life had been characterized by lies and deceit. Over and over again, he resorted to deception to get what he wanted, but finally, his sins caught up with him. It was nighttime, and the next day he would face the brother he had defrauded. Jacob feared for his life, and he was desperate for G.o.d's help.

In a wonderful act of grace, G.o.d stepped into the ring on that dark night to wrestle with Jacob. The two went after each other. Jacob begged G.o.d to bless him and protect him, and surprisingly, G.o.d seemed to let Jacob win the fight. At the end, though, G.o.d touched Jacob's side and dislocated his hip. Walking with a cane would be a permanent reminder for Jacob to lean on G.o.d instead of on his own cunning.

G.o.d never criticizes us for asking questions, or even for being angry with Him when we ask questions. He can take it, and He is thrilled that we will pursue Him even-and especially-when we feel so hurt and angry. Our wrestling match may end with a flash of insight that gives us the answer to our problem, but more often, G.o.d reminds us that He is G.o.d and that He rules in the affairs of men and nations. We, like Jacob, have to keep leaning on Him as we limp along in life.

Our struggle with G.o.d, though, deepens and enriches our lives. We'll never forget that He didn't blast us into oblivion and that He didn't run away. He wants a relationship with us even when we want to wrestle.

Describe a time when you wrestled with G.o.d. What was it about?

How does wrestling with Him change us and deepen our faith?

"Trouble handled rightly honors G.o.d and strengthens us."-IKE REIGHARD

SEPTEMBER 7.

SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.

The very hairs of your head are all numbered.

MATTHEW 10:30.

YES, THE t.i.tLE of today's devotional, paired with the verse, is supposed to provoke a smile. For some of us, G.o.d's job of counting the hairs on our heads is getting easier-in fact, too easy! But there's an important lesson in our humor. G.o.d is aware of the changes we experience, and the impact of those changes, in every area of our lives. He knows, He cares, and He's present to give us support and guidance every step of the way.

Change is difficult. Studies show that people fear change almost as much as speaking in public. In fact, the fear of change is the most common fear we experience. When our world is shaken, we lose our bearings, we feel insecure, and we grasp for anything that can bring us certainty. Though our world may be shaken, G.o.d's world remains steady and solid. Change never threatens G.o.d because He knows what is going to happen before it happens, and He sees the end with crystal clarity when we see our future through a mist.

A common reaction to change is worry. We believe that if we think about our problem enough, we can figure it out. Sometimes that's true, but often, our copious reflections lead only to more worry, more confusion, and genuine despair. When we start to worry, we can remember that G.o.d knows everything about every aspect of the change we're experiencing. His infinite knowledge and His genuine compa.s.sion can relieve our worries and give us confidence in His future for us, no matter how many hairs we're losing.

Oops. There goes another one.

How do you normally respond to change?

When we experience change, how is it helpful to remember that G.o.d is omniscient?

"The Lord who has everything we need also knows our needs before we even think about them. And He is anxious to give them to us who are His."-ZIG ZIGLAR

SEPTEMBER 8.

WORDS YOU CAN BUILD ON.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of G.o.d, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

EPHESIANS 4:29-30.

WORDS HAVE THE POWER to heal or destroy, to build up or tear down. Corrupt words of condemnation or name-calling have the force of a sledgehammer to crush people. Gossip and sarcasm are just as destructive, but they are corrosive, taking longer to wear away a person's confidence and ruin a relationship.

Paul doesn't advise us to cut back on the harmful words that we say to one another. He doesn't suggest that we stop saying the obviously damaging words but continue the secret ones. He commands that we cut them all out now and replace them with words that build people up.

Yeah, but what if someone bored us, ignored us, told a friend about something stupid we did, or lied about us? Maybe that's true, but that's still no excuse. Every word we utter must meet the standard of G.o.d's holiness and love for that person. We should look for good in others and affirm it, and we must notice their successes and celebrate with them. If they have hurt us, we should speak the truth for the purpose of restoration, not condemnation. Our motive changes our language and our demeanor, and perhaps other people's responses.

Our words, though, don't have only a horizontal impact; they also affect the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that the way we speak to one another can grieve (or, we can a.s.sume, please) the Spirit. Don't miss this. G.o.d's emotions are affected by the way we treat one another.

Have you made Him smile today?

What negative, harmful language do you need to stop using?

Think of three or four common conversations in which you often use crushing or corrosive language, and plan positive statements for each one.

"If it is painful for you to criticize your friends, you are safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue."-ALICE DUER MILLER "When you experience your freedom to express yourself at the lowest level, you ultimately condemn yourself to live at that level."-ZIG ZIGLAR

SEPTEMBER 9.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18.

AS WE GROW IN OUR FAITH, we develop the capacity to see things differently than before. In the beginning, we are able to see only the people, places, and circ.u.mstances that are visible, and our choices are geared to make our lives today as successful and comfortable as possible. Gradually, though, by reading the Scriptures, interacting with mature believers, and praying, we learn to perceive an invisible, spiritual world. As strange as it may seem, we begin to live for things we can't see with our physical eyes.

In the beginning, problems are a threat to our security and success, so we avoid them as much as possible, and we fear them when we can't avoid them. For some of us, even the smallest difficulties seem to be enormous calamities because they threaten us to the core. Living for Christ, though, changes everything. Every problem is a stepping-stone of growth, and every difficulty is an opportunity to trust G.o.d more deeply, to follow Christ's example of selfless service, and to experience G.o.d's presence. We realize that every problem we face, as overwhelming as it may look to us, is just a dot on the infinite line of eternity. But we don't live for the dot; we live for the line.

When we perceive our problems through the lens of the Spirit, we respond with courage and with the confidence that G.o.d will reward us when we see Him face-to-face. Our faith-filled response to pain results in great gain.

What does it mean to see things with spiritual eyes? How much are you seeing life this way?

Think about the problems you face today. What difference will it make to look beyond the visible to the invisible realities of a situation?

"Even in tragedy, G.o.d through His Word offers hope for those who seek and believe. It starts with the promise of a better tomorrow, of life everlasting, of eternal peace. It's called faith, and it offers hope where none existed."-ZIG ZIGLAR

SEPTEMBER 10.

GETTING STRAIGHT.