Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Though in time we may laud their boldness and radical qualities, in their day most progressive dreamers are seen as permissive, wild-eyed extremists. I came across a rather remarkable letter purportedly written over one hundred and fifty years ago.

Progress seems like a two-headed giant, doesn't it? Looking back on it, it is admirable, almost heroic. We salute visionaries of yesteryear. They emerge from the pages of our history books as men and women of gallant faith.

Yesterday, we discovered Dr. Jay Kesler's five reasons why the church really is a big deal. No, it isn't perfect (you're a part of it, aren't you?) and it hasn't always modeled its message. But whatever is next in order of importance is a distant second.

So, what's the big deal about the church? Good question. And it deserves a good answer. Something more than, "You gotta have one to get married in," or "It's the place kids oughta be on Sunday." Or how about, "There's not a better spot to make business contacts."

We've been talking about the essential skill of listening, particularly as it relates to Sunday sermons. I asked you to come up with some ideas on what can be done by the listener (not the preacher) to keep the sermon interesting.

Most of us were born hearing well, but all of us must learn to listen well. Listening is a skill, an art that is in need of being cultivated. Dr. Ralph Nichols . . . believes that we think four, perhaps five, times faster than we talk.

One evening my wife and I were enjoying a quiet conversation together. We were sipping some fresh-perked coffee, the house was unusually still, and there were no plans to go anywhere that evening.

Yesterday, I mentioned my disgust with the prevailing notion in many evangelical churches that elegance and class have no place in the landscape of spirituality. But even the ancient places of worship were stunningly beautiful.

It's gone on long enough. The pigsty in the landscape has to go. If we expect the tourist traffic to increase and the visitors to return to Lake Evangelicalism, we're gonna have to do something about the ugly ducklings. Some changes are long overdue.

Yesterday I told you about Dave Cowens, an NBA star who disappeared one day on a quest for solitude and meaning. I noted that to "find yourself" requires that you take time to look. And it's essential if you want to be a whole person. The word is real.

Dave Cowens, one-time star basketball center for the Boston Celtics, disappeared. Without warning, he walked off the practice court, showered, dressed, and drove away. Alone. He kept driving to . . . somewhere.

Both adversity and prosperity confront our equilibrium, but prosperity is perhaps the more challenging test. Today we look at another biblical person who rose to the top and kept his balance. The classic example is David.

Two extreme tests exist that disturb our balance in life. Each has its own set of problems. On one side is adversity. Solomon realized this when he wrote: "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!" (Proverbs 24:10 NIV).

What is perspective? Well, it's obviously related to the way we view something. The term literally suggests "looking through . . . seeing clearly." One who views life through perspective lenses has the capacity to see things in their true relations or relative importance.

Let's talk about the offering, the time during the weekly worship service when the plate is passed and most people daydream or fidget around, feeling uncomfortable. If that describes you, you're missing a golden moment!

Your response to the heading of today's reading is probably: "Uh, oh—another money plea!" or "Here we go again . . . some Christian ministry trying to get into my wallet." If that's your response, I hate to disappoint you, but you're wrong.

Believe it or not, your personal testimony is one of the most powerful and compelling tools God has given you in reaching nonbelievers with the gospel. Now, I'm not talking about the common, garden-variety, churchy "braggamony."

One time-honored and effective method of evangelism is the giving of your personal testimony. The skeptic may deny your doctrine or attack your church, but he or she cannot honestly ignore the fact that your life has been changed.

Question: Judging yourself on this matter of keeping your word, are you bridging or widening the credibility gap? Are you encouraging or discouraging others? Let me help you answer that by using four familiar situations.

March 11, 1942, was a dark, desperate day at Corregidor. The Pacific theater of war was threatening and bleak. One island after another had been buffeted into submission. The enemy was now marching into the Philippines.