Having Trouble Sleeping?

A single mom and her little girl were getting ready for bed. The daughter, who was afraid to sleep alone, said, "Mommy, I can't sleep because I'm afraid. Does God ever sleep?"

"No, God never goes to sleep," she replied. The Bible says, "He who protects Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." (Ps. 121:4)

The daughter relaxed and said, "Well, as long as God is awake, I can go to sleep. There's no need for both of us to stay up!"

Do you have trouble sleeping? God wants to deliver us from our "sleep fears." He says, "When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet" (Prov. 3:24).

If your mind races with stressful thoughts, fix your full attention on the Lord. "The steadfast of mind Thou will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee" (Isa. 26:3).

If you are afraid someone might break into your house, ask God to protect you and then go to sleep. "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Ps. 4:8). When someone asked Alexander the Great how he could sleep so soundly in the midst of danger, he replied, "My trusted lieutenant is watching over me." If he could sleep in peace because a man was protecting him, shouldn't we trust our all-powerful God to protect us?

Keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

You Can't Go Back in Time

Perhaps you've seen the movie The Time Machine. How would you like to borrow that contraption, travel back in time, and change some things in your past? If you're like most people, you've done some things that you'd like to undo. But the fact is, the past doesn't even exist. The only way you know about it is in your memory. If you are being tormented by something "back there," it's because you're holding on to it in your mind. If you want to be set free from a bad experience in your past, here are three things to do.

1. Ask Jesus to forgive you. He died for all your sins on the cross (not just some) and will forgive you, if you'll ask Him. God says, "I will remember their sins no more" (Heb. 8:12).

2. Forgive and let go of the people who have hurt you. You are handcuffed to each person you don't forgive. That's why you can't get them out of your mind! Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the cuffs and sets you free.

3. Forgive yourself. Once Jesus has forgiven you, you have no right to keep punishing yourself. "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

If you've done these three things, you don't need a time machine to change anything. All you need to remember is to not look back.

Keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals are found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

American Idols

Do you have an American idol? It won't look like those carved statues in Africa. Those are African idols. American idols are a lot more attractive than that and much harder to recognize. In fact, most Americans will deny that what they are worshipping is an idol.

An idol is anything we love more than God. And what might that be? Let's see . . . how about money? Yeah, that might be one. Do you think all those people in Las Vegas throwing dice would admit that? Or the people who buy lottery tickets?

What about football? When 80,000 people pay outrageous ticket prices and scream their heads off for their team to win, could that be considered worshipping an idol? I love to watch college football, but at one time it was one of my idols. Any hobby can easily become an idol if we let it control us. I used to get extremely depressed whenever my team lost. Then it dawned on me that it wasn't God controlling my emotions, but my idol. Clothes, music, cars, houses, movie stars, and rock stars can also be false gods that we worship.

God said, "You shall not make for yourself an idol . . . you shall not worship them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" (Ex. 20:4-5). Whatever you worship, you will serve. Take a look at what you serve (what gets your money, time, and interest) and you will find what you worship. I hope that it's the Lord.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com in the archive.

If Chimps Could Talk

Chimpanzees have actually been taught how to use sign language, and what they have to say is revealing. Stephen Pinker, in his book The Language Instinct, talks about chimps expressing their thoughts through sign language. A chimp named Nim gave this message: "Nim eat Nim eat. Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you."

Examining the chimp's messages, two things stand out. First, Nim tends to say the same things over and over. Second, nearly every sentence Nim utters is a request. (Marv Hinten, Light & Life, March/April 2004)

Now suppose that chimps were taught to pray to God. What would their prayers sound like? Reflecting on Nim's examples, we can assume chimp prayers would be repetitive and self-centered. "Me banana You banana me You give banana me eat." That sounds a lot like human prayers!

I'll admit that I sound a lot like Nim when I pray. I've prayed monkey prayers, repeatedly telling God what I want. Jesus instructed us to not get caught in that trap. "And when you are praying do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do" (Matt. 6:7).

Perhaps we need to learn to pray in a new way. Instead of repeatedly telling God what we want (you give banana me eat), maybe we need to intercede for someone we've never prayed for before. Can you think of someone on this planet who needs your prayers? Anyone? Maybe if we'll do that, God will also give us what we want, even if we don't ask for it.

Keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

Dead Man Found 2 Years Later

The body of a man reported missing lay undiscovered for 2 years because police searched the wrong property. The irony was he was at home the whole time. When Walter Bellman passed away in his home in England in January 1998, a neighbor reported that he had not seen Bellman for 5 days. "We went in and searched the flat, but found nothing," said a Sussex police officer, who didn't realize they had looked in the wrong place. Two years later in January 2000, Bellman's nephew contacted police because he hadn't received a Christmas card from him in 2 years. This time the police searched the correct address and discovered his remains.

How is it possible that a person wasn't missed by anyone for two years? It was because Mr. Bellman was a loner. He chose to cut himself off from fellowship, so he had no friends. I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe someone hurt his feelings, so he withdrew from everyone to protect himself. Perhaps he viewed relationships as a waste of his time. Whatever the reason, when he died, nobody noticed.

Loneliness can be deadly. Peter Lord has said, "The poison of non-fellowship kills so slowly you don't realize it's happening." God has created us so that we need each other. "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another" (Heb. 10:24-25).

If you're lonely, you can solve the problem. Dale Carnegie said, "You can make more friends in 2 months by becoming interested in other people than you can in 2 years of trying to get other people interested in you." Pick up the phone and call someone. Get involved in a small group Bible study. Go help your neighbor. Do it today.
Keep looking up!
Kent

From Fame to Shame

In the 84th Boston Marathon in 1980, Rosie Ruiz (pictured) was the first woman to cross the finish line. As she climbed to the winner's podium to accept her wreath, officials noticed that she looked remarkably fresh and sweat-free for having run two hours and 32 minutes.

Upon investigation, no one could remember seeing her during the race. Monitors at the race checkpoints hadn't seen her, not had any of the runners. Finally, a few members of the crowd came forward to reveal that they had seen her jump into the race during the final half mile and sprint to the finish line. Rosie was disqualified, stripped of her title, and became another member of the Hall of Shame. (Museumof Hoaxes.com)

Before we condemn Rosie for cheating, let me ask you a few questions. Have you ever cheated on a test? What about cheating at golf or on your taxes? Kept the extra change the cashier gave you? Probably so. We have no right to cast stones. We're all members of the Hall of Shame. We've all done things we're ashamed of. "There is none righteous, not even one." (Rom. 3:10)

The great news is God offers forgiveness. "If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee." (Ps. 30:3-4) If you need forgiveness, call out to Jesus with a sincere heart. He will wipe the record clean and give you a new start--so that you can finish running the race of life as a winner.
Keep looking up!
Kent
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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

Trusting the Air Bubbles

When a scuba diver is deep underwater, it's difficult to tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light and he can't feel the pull of gravity. He can easily become disoriented and lose his sense of direction. His mind will start playing tricks on him, telling him that up is down and down is up. If the diver panics, he will place his life in danger if he swims in the wrong direction.

The diver can get out of his predicament if he'll remember one simple rule--to follow his air bubbles. Scuba divers are taught that no matter which way he thinks is the right direction, the bubbles are always correct. They never go sideways or down. They always go up. The diver must ignore his own feelings and sense of direction, and place his entire faith in his air bubbles.

In today's confusing world it's easy for us to get disoriented. Voices are constantly telling us that right is wrong and wrong is right. When we are confused about which way to go, we need to remember one simple rule--to follow the Lord's directions. Like the scuba diver's air bubbles, the Bible is always correct, no matter how we feel. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:5-6).

Don't follow the way that seems right. Trust your air bubbles, God's Word, and you won't go wrong.

Keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

The Turtle on the Fence Post

The late Alex Haley, who wrote Roots, had a unique picture on his office wall of a turtle sitting on top of a fence post. Whenever someone asked about it, Haley would say, "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know that he had some help. Any time I start thinking, 'Wow, isn't this marvelous what I've done?' I look at that picture and remember how this turtle, me, got up on that post." (Leadership as cited in The Best of In Other Words, 1996, 135).

A turtle can't get on top of a fence post unless a hand picks it up and places it there. Likewise, we can't receive a promotion without the hand of God putting us there. He may even place us in a lower position to teach us some valuable lessons. "For not from the east, nor the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another" (Ps. 75:6-7).

That means we shouldn't be envious of those who have received a promotion, or be the least bit upset if we've been passed over for one. Advancing to a higher position is ultimately in God's hands.

Keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.

Playing with Kryptonite

When I was a kid, my favorite TV show was Superman. I loved it when he would fly into the open window to rescue Lois Lane from the bad guys, who could always be identified as evil by their thin mustaches. The thugs tried to kill Superman by shooting him, but the bullets just ricocheted off his chest as he smiled. When they ran out of bullets they threw the gun at him, which also bounced off! Superman usually grabbed a steel bar, which just happened to be available in the room, and wrapped it around the bad guys until the police arrived.

Even though Superman could stop cars and bend steel bars, he had one weakness--kryptonite. Once he got near a rock that came from the planet Krypton, he would lose his supernatural powers and possibly die. If Superman wanted to keep rescuing people, he had to avoid kryptonite at all costs.

What is your kryptonite? It might be a credit card, pornography, flirting with adultery, or something else. Don't underestimate its power to destroy you! Here is some helpful advice:

1. Realize you are vulnerable. The biggest mistake is to think you can never yield to temptation. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12).

2. Depend on God's grace for your strength. Shift your dependency from yourself to God, who will strengthen you by His grace (Heb. 13:9).

3. Don't play with kryptonite. Plan ahead to avoid those people, places, and things that will kill you.

And remember to keep looking up!

Kent

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Previous devotionals can be found at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ in the archive.