I realize every department store has to mark up its products to make a profit, but sometimes the markup is counterproductive and results in sticker shock. One store in particular has prices so outrageous that I call it “Needless Markup.” It’s not exactly the best place for shoppers with thin wallets and faint hearts.

I had a brief case of sticker shock when I visited an Egyptian rug factory and saw a rug for $3,000. What’s worse, it was ugly. I took one look and said, “Why would anyone want to pay $3,000 for that?” The problem was, I saw the rug from the wrong side. When I saw the other side, I marveled, “Wow! They are only charging $3,000 for that?” It was a beauty, alright.

Now I didn’t buy the expensive rug, but it provided a great illustration of the importance of a right perspective in our trials. Sometimes when we go through difficulties, we can only see them from the side of the immediate pain and discomfort they cause us. But only when we learn to see them from the side of eternity can we see their true beauty. We will see how the frequent trials of our faith were the crucibles which produced patience and holiness in our lives. This perspective teaches us why we could have no spiritual strength without our trials.

How do you want to view the hardships in your life? Maybe you have made some bad decisions and are paying the consequences. You can cringe and chafe at the heat, or you can rejoice in the pure gold the heat is producing. I choose the latter. If you want to see your situation right-side-up, learn to see it in light of eternity today.

To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. — George Müller

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

I will never forget the day as long as I live. I found out that a man I had a lot of respect for had been having an extramarital affair with someone at the Bible college where he worked. He resigned from his position at the Bible college, and then divorced his wife to marry this other woman. The news took the college by storm. Within 30 minutes of the announcement, some of the students had already packed their bags to leave.

The man who had committed this sin is now in his 90’s. He never tried to enter the ministry again. But even though he cannot serve Christ in the same way, God is still using him. Every day, this man takes 200 tracts and gives them to people. He is a great soul-winner, and God has blessed him.

Yes, God can use fallen Christians. This doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be severe consequences when we sin. If we are involved in sexual sin, we cannot be restored to our former position in the ministry. We can be sure others will be deeply hurt by our sin, and we may lose our credibility. But we can also be certain of God’s forgiveness. The blood of Jesus has paid for all of our sins. No one can ever be disqualified from serving Christ.

If you have never brought dishonor upon yourself because of a great sin, then praise the Lord, for His grace has preserved you. Let the awful consequences of sin keep you from ever taking a step in that direction. But if you have fallen, let God’s promise of forgiveness keep you from wallowing in your guilt and grief. Confess your sins to the Lord — and forsake them — and take advantage of the opportunities He gives you to tell others about His unconditional forgiveness. He can still use you, if you’ll let Him.

They who fain would serve Thee best are conscious most of wrong within. — Henry T. Wells

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

Do you ever wish God’s rewards were measured in dollars? While on a mission trip in the Philippines and Thailand, I had the opportunity to visit a display of exotic cars at a mall in Bangkok, Thailand. I decided to take one home — on my digital camera.

As I snapped pictures and considered the value of those vehicles, I thought to myself, I have faithfully served the Lord. Don’t I have a right to enjoy something like this? Then I was reminded of reality: Jesus will probably come very soon, and those expensive cars will be destroyed when He remakes the world. And even if Christ tarries for 100 years, these cars will eventually lose their luster and end up in a junkyard. This led me to conclude that it would be far better to enjoy my God-given rights to spiritual blessings now than to settle for anything less.

Are you aware of your rights as a Christian? Here is a brief list:

• The right to suffer for Christ’s sake (Philippians 1:29)
• The right to a way out of temptations and trials (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• The right to grace in trials (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• The right to redemption and forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7)
• The right to a God-planned life (Ephesians 2:10)

Each of these rights has been obtained through the substitutionary payment made by Jesus Christ on the cross for us. Therefore, we never have the right to demand anything from God. Had Christ not died in our place, our just desserts would be an eternal Hell. We should give thanks for the rights we enjoy through Him.

Perhaps you feel like you are missing out on something in life, and God is to blame. Instead of concentrating on what you feel God owes you, meditate on the rights He has given you, and consider how they relate to your present circumstances. Only then will you have the “right” attitude.

Attitude is the mind’s paintbrush; it can color any situation. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

Your testimony before your family is very important. A Christian woman married an atheist. Sparks flew from the very beginning of their marriage. The husband always ridiculed her because of her faith in Christ. In his opinion, she couldn’t do anything right because everything she did was influenced by her relationship with Jesus. But for every abusive comment her husband threw her way, the wife treated him with grace, love, and respect. She faithfully washed the dishes, did the laundry, and served in the kitchen without a single word of complaint.

After a few years, a little girl was born to the family. Grace was her father’s pride and joy. For the next ten years, both parents raised Grace the best they knew how.

To her mother, Grace was a gift from God. To her father, Grace was a reward for putting up with his wife. But everything changed when Grace suddenly became very sick. The doctors thought she would die.

Grace’s illness had a sobering effect on her father. He wasn’t known for being emotional, but one day his wife found him at Grace’s bedside sobbing. He swallowed his tears and said, “All of these years, I have seen nothing but reality in your life. You have lived out those things you believe about Jesus, and you have been there for Grace during her illness. There’s such a peace about you, and I know it’s because you know you are going to Heaven. If Grace dies, I want to join both of you in Heaven. I’m going to put my trust in Jesus, too.”

This could be your story. You may know some loved ones who don’t want to have anything to do with Christianity. Do you show them the love of Jesus and pray for them? Let your light shine before them. They may be won to Christ someday — all because of grace.

Few things are harder to put up with than a good example. — Mark Twain

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

If you read yesterday’s devotional, you may recall that a wolf, by any other name, is still a wolf — and it will always be thus. When another animal forgets this, it does so to its peril. Aesop told another fable about a herd of wild horses which grazed in a prairie, when one of them suddenly caught the scent of wolves. The entire herd fled for safety.

A few days later, the wolves came back, only this time they used a different tactic. Instead of traveling in a large pack, they sent a few stragglers to casually infiltrate the herd of horses. Though at first the horses were hesitant to share the prairie with known predators, they soon grew accustomed to seeing the wolves in their midst. Eventually, they let their guard down altogether.

Like cunning foxes, the wolves used the wild horses’ indifference to their advantage, and preyed upon them until there were no more left.

What caused the horses to fall victim to the wolves? Had the wolves developed a speed advantage over the horses? No. Had they grown in size and strength so as to easily overpower them? No. The horses’ tolerance for the wolves in their midst led to their demise.

When Christians become tolerant of the moral and doctrinal deviation promoted by wolves in the church, they will likewise be devoured. Error never comes to us dressed like a wolf, or we would quickly reject it. It dresses in the white wool of a sheep so as to deceive. Remember, a wolf, by any other name, is still a wolf. Only an undiscerning sheep judges it by its appearance without considering its substance.

Ask God to help you discern between those who are standing for truth and those who are propagating error. Then determine to stand with those who stand for Him — and do it today, for tomorrow may be too late.

The question is not whether a doctrine is beautiful but whether it is true. When we wish to go to a place, we do not ask whether the road leads through a pretty country, but whether it is the right road. — Augustus William and Julius Charles Hare

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

A wolf, by any other name, is still a wolf — and it will always be thus. Aesop wrote the following fable which reminds us to watch out for wolves:

Once upon a time a wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. There’s my supper, thought he, if only I can find some excuse to seize it. Then he called out to the lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?”

“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”

“Well, then,” said the wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”

“That cannot be,” said the lamb; “I am only six months old.”

“I don’t care,” snarled the wolf; “if it was not you, it was your father.” And with that, he rushed upon the poor little lamb and ate her all up.

But before she died, she gasped out, “Any excuse will serve a tyrant.”

We need to be on the lookout for wolves in the church. Not the four-legged sort, but the walking, talking — and scheming — believers who want nothing to do with the things of God, and who will not rest content until they have led the faithful astray. Any excuse they can find to rebel against God and His leaders, regardless of how petty, will serve them.

Naïve, weak, double-minded Christians are easy prey for these rebels, because they wander farthest from the pastor’s oversight. How can we identify the wolves among us and avoid becoming their next victims? Titus 3:9 provides insight into the ways of wolves: “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” In essence, this means don’t sweat the small stuff. Instead of concentrating on trivial matters, serve the Lord and obey His Word.

A wolf, by any other name, is still a wolf. Stay close to your shepherd, and you will be safe.

It is useless for the sheep to pass legislations on vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

Looks can be deceiving, especially when you’re flying thousands of feet above the ground in an airplane. On November 26, 2011, a pilot flew his four-seat Cirrus SR-20 from Marion, Indiana, to drop off his daughter at Wheaton College. On that overcast and rainy day, he flew by visual flight rules, because he had not yet earned an instrument rating. This means instead of using his instruments, he had to rely upon the view from his window to see where he was going.

Soon the pilot began to lose altitude. Before long, the plane had dipped to about 500 feet above the ground. Sadly, the plane crashed in a field in Crystal Lake, Illinois, killing the pilot, his two daughters, and a friend. The outcome may have been much different if the pilot had known how to use his instruments.

Christians, when we try to rely upon our feelings rather than upon the concrete, proven truths of God’s Word, we put ourselves in a dangerous position. We will unknowingly start to drift from our position of joy, peace, and confidence in Christ to a lower altitude, where we begin to lose our desire for spiritual things. Flying by sight takes us even lower, and brings us closer to worldliness, temptation, and sin. At this point, it’s not long before we have an awful plane wreck.

Let this pilot’s sad story be a sobering reminder to us of how important it is to fly at the right spiritual altitude. You might not think doing personal devotions every day is really important, but without the guidance of God’s Word, you are heading toward your own destruction. Remember that without Christ’s wisdom and guidance, your vision is very limited — so you need as much of it as you can get. Trust Him to lead you safely today.

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth – only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. — C.S. Lewis

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

On an isolated island nation, a missionary found the perfect illustration of generosity, the idea of giving with the whole heart. After teaching a lesson at a local school, she was surprised when a young boy walked up to her and handed her a beautiful shell as a gift.

The missionary looked at the ornate design on the shell and recognized it as a shell which could only be found on the other side of the island. It would have taken hours to reach the exclusive spot by foot. When the missionary mentioned this to the little boy, he smiled and said, “Long walk part of gift.” He spared nothing to show his beloved teacher how much he appreciated her.

Gratitude is not based on a feeling. Rather, it flows from a thankful heart which expresses itself in selfless actions. A grateful person doesn’t measure the cost of his gift, but expends his time, energy, and resources to enhance its value. Such a person gives without thought of return.

Are you a grateful person? How far are you willing to go to show your gratitude? God doesn’t ask us to do this through big things. Simple, thoughtful things can have the same effect. You might not have to walk halfway around an island for another person, but you can leave a voicemail or Post-It note saying, “Thanks for all you do. I’m praying for you.” You can offer to babysit a friend’s children while she takes her husband out for dinner.

When we show gratitude by our giving, the possibilities are infinite, and the effect is priceless. Ask God to help you show your gratitude to others throughout this week.

Would you like to know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most . . . but it is he who is always thankful to God, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. — William Law

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

When a mule’s mind’s been made, it takes a whole lot of persuading to get him to “unmake” it. A farmer had a mule he owned for many years. Over that time, he picked up on the mule’s stubborn streaks. He got so good, he could see a stubborn streak coming . . . and going. He also learned how to get the animal’s attention: whenever it acted up, he beat it on the head with a wooden board until it decided to obey him.

One day, another farmer stopped by to return some borrowed tools. He watched the farmer hit his mule on the head and said, “Well, it looks like you’ve figured out how to fix his problem.”

The farmer said, “I just know how to get his attention. He ain’t been cured yet.”

When God wanted to get the world’s attention, He didn’t beat us over the head with a board. He gave us His law so we would know that we were sinners who fell short of perfection. The law showed us that our lust was adultery, our hatred was murder, and our covetousness was idolatry. It got our attention in a way nothing else ever could.

But God is also merciful. Not only did He get our attention, but He also provided a cure for our problem. He sent His Son to die and shed His blood to pay for all of our sins so we could go to Heaven. Once we get saved, God starts to work in our lives to help us be like Christ.

Has God been trying to get your attention lately? Maybe you heard a preacher on television or the radio give an invitation to put your trust in Christ. You were convicted about your sins, but you never accepted Christ as your Savior. Get the matter settled today, once and for all. God doesn’t try to get your attention to hurt you, but to get you to try His cure. Won’t you trust in Christ right now?

Click here to find God’s cure for your sins.

Nothing is more reasonable than faith in God; nothing is more unreasonable than a blind leap of faith in reason. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

What characterizes a humble person? C.S. Lewis said that you might be surprised when you meet him:

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is a nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

It has been said that when you realize you have found humility, you suddenly lose it. Most people believe that to be humble, you have to go around muttering to yourself, “I’m no good.” But that sort of statement really reveals the heart of a truly proud person—because he is always thinking of himself.

God wants us to live with confidence, not in our own abilities, but in the work of Christ through us. He wants us to see ourselves as loved, chosen, and heirs of His kingdom.

And it is precisely this confidence that keeps us from having to dwell on ourselves, and frees us to live for God and serve others.

Pray that the Holy Spirit might develop this attitude in your heart.

Humility is the virtue that often disappears whenever it is discussed. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder