Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

I love music! Choral music, instrumental music, popular music, classical music . . . folk tunes, ballads, country western and bluegrass . . . the patriotic and romantic. For me, music is a must. Like you, I have my favorite hymns—the ones that hold some special meaning for me or evoke grand and vivid memories.

Volumes are written about the mind, our emotional makeup, our "inner man," the soul, the spirit and the spiritual dimension. But by comparison, very little is being said by evangelicals today about the physical body. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1).

Why should we be willing to drop everything and follow Jesus Christ? And what happens when we do? I can think of at least six reasons: 1. Jesus chooses not to minister to others all alone. He could, but he deliberately chooses not to. He could have rowed that boat Himself.

Edith, a mother of eight, came home from a neighbor's house one afternoon and noticed that things seemed a little too quiet. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her children huddled together. As she crept closer, trying to discover the center of their attention, she could not believe her eyes.

Entertainment is everything today. So important, in fact, that we have television programs and magazines devoted solely to the subject. All of which makes it real difficult to be committed to substance rather than the superficial. This includes reading widely, probing deeply, seeing with discernment.

Most folks I know like things to stay as they are. You've heard all the sayings that reveal our preference for the familiar: Leave well enough alone. I don't like surprises. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stay with a sure thing. We admire pioneers . . . so long as we can just read about them, not finance their journeys.

When you stop to analyze the concept, "encourage" takes on new meaning. It's the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, spirit, or hope. When we encourage others we spur them on, we stimulate and affirm them. I do not care how influential or secure or mature a person may appear to be, genuine encouragement never fails to help.

Centuries ago a little boy found himself in the midst of a vast crowd of people—larger than any group he'd ever seen. He had come out of curiosity, having heard that a man named Jesus was nearby. Not knowing how far he would have to travel or how long he would be gone, the boy had packed a small lunch for himself.

Overwhelming odds can make cowards of us all. I remember the first time I felt overwhelmed regarding ministry in a vast arena. My life had been quiet and manageable. From my birthplace in a south Texas country town, I moved with my family to Houston, where we lived through my high school years.

We often find ourselves bogging down in our spiritual growth simply because the challenges before us look absolutely impossible. Such frustrations are not new. Jeremiah tells us: "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You" (Jer. 32:17).

I remember the year NBA stars Michael Jordan and Earvin "Magic" Johnson were vying for the Most Valuable Player award. That year it was incredibly close, and the final tally resulted in Johnson's winning the award by the narrowest of margins.

Ever felt weird because you were "normal"? I remember the first time I had that feeling. I was a teenager surrounded by other teenagers in a testimony meeting. One girl, with tears running down her face, told of an alcoholic father who beat her mother almost every weekend.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." If I heard that once, I heard it a hundred times while I was growing up. I was young and impatient, anxious to reach the goals I felt were important. But there was always this irksome reminder that good things take time and great things take even longer.

From a distance we in the church often look like beautiful people. We're well-dressed. We have nice smiles. We look friendly. We appear cultured, under control . . . at peace. But what a different picture comes in view when someone gets up close and in touch!

Fresh-fallen snow blanketed the range of mountains on the northeast rim of the Los Angeles basin. When I caught my first glimpse of it in the distance, I found myself smiling and saying aloud, "Beautiful!" Seventy-five miles away, it was beautiful. Up close, well, that was an entirely different matter.

Let me give you three very practical thoughts regarding this matter of God's strength through stress, as found in Psalm 46. First, His strength is immediately available. Our trials are not superficial or irrelevant. They are vehicles of grace that God uses to bring us growth.

Who would've ever guessed it? Out of the blue came this nobody. He had spent his youth working for his dad in the quiet, rugged outdoors. Now, suddenly, he was the most famous man in the country. But he couldn't wait to retreat to the hills where life was simple and uncluttered.

Having just held a memorial service for a friend several years younger than I who had died with liver cancer, I have been thinking about how to respond when struck by an arrow of affliction. Not a little irritating dart, but an arrow plunged deeply. My friend chose not to curl up in a corner with a calendar and put Xs on days.

Flying ace Chuck Yeager has written a book with an inviting title: Press On! A guy with his adventurous background, plus a chest full of medals to prove it, probably has a lot to say about "pressing on." Few will ever know the thrill of breaking sound barriers, but all of us live with the daily challenge of pressing on.

Grace frees us to fly. So, fly! Dare I give a few illustrations? Aw, why not? You've had your eye on that sailboat or catamaran or sports car for some time. Why not? You've thought a lot about a cruise or a trip to Europe but never permitted yourself to do more than think. Why not?