Week 1, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Does Hunger Bring God Out of Hiding?

What do you do when your child says, “I hate you?” How do you get back on your feet after your spouse announces, “I just can live with you any longer”? How do you resurrect hope when your doctor says, “I’m sorry, but there’s no hope”?
I’m certain that we can all relate in some way to these statements. Declarations like these can unleash your worst fears at the very moment when you need your best faith!  After an encounter with a statement such as these you can lose hope quickly.
What do you do when life feels unfair? How can you respond and hope for restoration when dreams and aspirations have been ripped form your grasp?
When these questions come up one more arises: Will I survive, much less thrive?
The Bible has many examples of people who had to persevere through tough times. We often encounter the same situations that they faced. We can find examples of this in the book of Job.
Many things happened to Job for no absolute reason. Just like many of us, he endured situations that weren’t even his fault!
Can He trust you? Sometimes God will allow us to go through tough situations, to see how we respond to them. God abundantly blessed Job, but when things got tough he held strong to his faith in God. Instead of searching for the provision in his tough circumstances he chose to fix his eyes on the provider-the one who offered comfort and peace

Week 1, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Am I a Hero?

Tough times are the womb of heroes!
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 8 & 9

Scripture Reading
“Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
Judges 6:12

The word hero is very evocative.  It causes mental images to spring up in all of our minds.  Heroes are strong, brave, and admirable.  But what exactly is it about them that makes you say, “I want to be like them?”  What makes them a hero? I, like most of you, have often wondered if I have what it takes to be a hero.

We recognize and revere heroes because they don’t quit; they claw their way back from adversity.  I’ve always heard that adversity causes some men to break and others to break records. This is what makes “heroes.” When we were little, it didn’t matter what trouble our heroes got into-they always came out on top! 

They had to go through tough times; however, times like those are the womb of heroes. Even if their own mistakes precipitated their personal disaster, somehow they found a way to “come back,” to initiate a magnificent turnaround.

If you look at heroes you see that there is another principle paralleled with tough times being the womb of heroes and that is the fact that failure is often also the womb of success. I tend to be equally drawn toward those who did not just conquer and never fail, but also those who “came back” from the abyss of failure.

This was pointed out in Hebrews 11 where it lists the Heavens hall of heroes.  It is amazing that many people who suffered periods of immense failure, including David and Samson, were included. Heaven made a point to show that the heroes were not just the ones who never failed but those who came back from failure.  This means there is hope for us after all!

Each of us has the ability to be heroes. We have a choice.  We can decide to let our circumstances determine who we are or we can overtake them.

Week 1, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

“_______, Come Forth!”

Tough times are the womb of heroes!
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 10 & 11

Scripture Reading
“…I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”
John 10:10

God has a unique way of taking an impossible situation and making it possible.

The story of Lazarus is a story that tells how God can take something “dead” and breathe life into. Lazarus was in the grave, behind a stone, and with only three words, Jesus restored his life.

This is exactly what God wants to do in your life.  He wants to take you out of death and give you life.  Even though you may  not be able to physically see and touch Jesus, he is by your side and he still wants to resurrect your situation and bring life to the “dead” areas you face!

But is it enough just to survive?

Lazarus’s tomb had become his womb of life, but he was still bound in his grave clothes. It’s kind of like Paul doubting his freedom even when God broke the chains in prison.  Lazarus was free from the grave….but he was still wearing the garment of death.

Sometimes we narrowly escape a crisis just to forever live in “limbo land” of the un-restored.

Perhaps a mistake you’ve made or an unjust decision has but your hopes and dreams in the grave; this raises the question, “How do you not only survive the crisis but truly ‘make a comeback?’”

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, -COMMA- and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Too often we find ourselves living on the wrong side of the comma. We find ourselves merely living a life of complacency absent of heavenly expectation. Abundant life exists on the other side of the comma. This is the place where God wants us to walk.

God longs for us to walk in this type of life. We need to remember that when reaching for your restoration, your declaration should be, “If God has done it for them he can do it for me!”

Week 1, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The Tale of the Almond Tree

My Future Looks Bright...
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 11

Scripture Reading
Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds
Numbers 17:8

Do you ever remember a time as a child when you would talk about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Perhaps you had chosen what you wanted to become without even asking the Father who He has called you to be. Did you ever come to a time when you tried to grow up too soon or you were forced to grow up because of life circumstances? Many times we cannot wait to grow up or get a promotion in life, and we forget the process God has to take us through in order to get to that place.

Let me tell you a story I once read about a crisis in the life of a tree from the orchard of a master arborist. It may not sound like much, but one part of that story really impacted me. Let me rehearse the tale to you …

Once upon a time there was a little almond tree. Although it started off as a little sapling, the master of the orchard carefully worked the soil around it, and made sure it was watered and lovingly cared for.

The little almond tree struggled and pressed through every obstacle to grow as tall as possible. The progress continued more and more each week as the master tilled the soil around the tree. Everything seemed to be going very well.

The little almond tree said to itself, “I am going to be the best almond tree in the orchard for my master. I am going to produce the best fruit.” The thought of failure never even crossed the little tree’s mind. All it could think of was, I will be the best!

Typically, fruit trees don’t produce fruit quickly. It takes time to wring moisture out of the soil, to put down deep roots, and grow strong limbs to support heavy fruit.

In fact, it often takes years for almond trees to produce their first fruit, but the little tree was trying its best to hurry along the natural process. That little tree wanted more than anything to squeeze out a blossom and make it produce some fruit for the master.

Unfortunately, the young tree just didn’t understand that in its immaturity, it did not have the root structure to gather up enough nutrients from the soil. It could not transfer enough moisture to the branches to produce blossoms and fruit yet.

Week 1, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

THE ROOT HOLDS THE SOURCE

Roots go long and deep for hidden sources.
The Ultimate Comeback P g 12

Scripture Reading
“My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches”
Job 29:19

As we all know, a tree does not grow overnight.  It is a very long and intricate process.  Every drop of moisture in a tree and in its fruit must be squeezed from the soil by its roots. Those roots grow long and go deep to tap hidden sources of water and nourishment below the surface. Molecule by molecule the roots wrestle water from the earth. As the sap rises through the trunk of the young tree, fresh layers of new growth join the old and the tree continues to grow in girth and maturity.

It is in this process that we, like the tree, get impatient. The Gardner, like Jesus, comes by and inspects us and takes out the “weeds” in our lives.

As a Christian we try so hard to be the best we can be for God. We try so hard in fact that we can end up looking down on others.  We say to ourselves, “I’m much more mature than all these other people around us! Yes, I’m going to be seen as a lover of Christ”. With this attitude in our minds we tend to take the focus off God and turn it to ourselves.

In the Story of the Almond Tree, the tree thought, “Perhaps this is the year for me, when the warm spring sunlight begins to energize my buds, stems and leaves. Once the early sap begins to rise through the branches, things will begin to happen. Maybe this year I will produce fruit.

Has this ever been your plea? Have you ever longed to be used by God so badly  that it consumed your thinking?

We have to gain favor with God before we can gain favor with men.  Too often we have it wrong, we think the longer we walk with God the more important we become.  This is not how it happens!  The closer we walk with God the smaller we have to become. As we get closer to God we can’t help but to exhibit humility as we see our own inadequacies compared to his ultimate purity.

Has ministry become a distraction to intimacy?

Week 1, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

CUT OFF AT THE ROOT!

Roots go long and deep for hidden sources.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 13

Scripture Reading
He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.
Job 19:9

The almond tree is a story about a tree that was trying hard to please it’s master. He went through many years of trying to out-produce all the other trees around him until one day when the gardener was out making his usual rounds in the fields.

When the master gently bent the tree trunk a little bit, the almond tree said to itself, “Oh, he’s checking my root system. Maybe that is why he bent me a little.” O-o-o—that hurts!, thought the little tree. With the little tree bent and holding its breath, the master firmly encircled one hand around it. Then, in one swift movement, he reached for his axe and cut off the tree at the root!

In shock, the little almond tree thought, “What did I do? I did the best I knew how. I’m sorry I didn’t produce the fruit that you thought was necessary.”

The little almond tree actually felt betrayed! The very one who seemed to take such care and interest in him was now the one who separated the almond tree from the source of its nutrients. He couldn’t believe the master himself had cut him away from his roots. How would he survive? What had he done wrong?

Does this sound familiar? When we go through trials we are often too quick to blame God. Because of this, our ability to see what God is trying to do becomes clouded.  It’s really hard for us to understand what God is doing when our mind is filled with questions like, How am I supposed to bear fruit? All I ever wanted to do was be the best person I could be.  Now I have nothing. Nothing! Will I be tossed away-never to be used again?

We could get caught up in our situations, but we would be neglecting our ability to see what God wants to do.  God desires to make us stronger and assist us in reaching our desires.

The gardener had to strip the almond tree because he wanted to take it through the “grafting” process.  God wants to do this for us!  God wants to strip us of anything we don’t need, and anything that’s not of Him so he can get us connected with what He desires for us. 

Week 1, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Blessed by Broken Dreams

Roots go long and deep for hidden sources.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 15

Scripture Reading
“They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.”
Psalms 22:5

The little almond tree went though a test of its endurace.  It wanted so badly to be the best almond tree it could be, but the gardener eventually stripped him of everything.  The almond tree felt betrayed and like he didn’t know what his purpose was.

The almond tree had dreams of greatness. It dreamed of a life of prosperity doing exactly what he wanted to do in life. But this was not what the master had in mind.

The master picked up the dried out sapling and began to walk while leaning on its sturdy length. A startling revelation suddenly dawned on the almond tree: “I’m no longer an almond tree! I am a staff. I’m a rod. So that is what the master wanted—he wanted to turn me into a walking staff, a strong rod to lean upon.”

The little almond tree submitted itself to the pain of its aborted dream. It decided, “If I can’t be what I thought I was going to be, then maybe I just didn’t know what I was supposed to be. I am going to be the best staff that any tree could ever be.”

The master and rod were separated only when the master carefully leaned the almond rod by the door of a tent before entering. Each time he left, the master was careful to pick up his rod again. When the path grew steep and treacherous, when the master’s feet began to slip or falter, the almond tree was there, happily fulfilling its purpose.

This is the mentality that we must acquire! We independently develop goals for our lives without first consulting the one in charge.  God has a purpose for your life, but it may not be what you think it is. 

Week 2, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Marked by the Presence

“…the master had branded his own name onto his staff.”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 16-17

Scripture Reading
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…”
Ephesians 1:13

The Almond tree was crushed by his broken dream, but He realized that his Master had a purpose for him. Therefore, the Almond tree quietly reconciled himself to facing his new role, even though it seemed starkly different from the dream of what he thought he would be.

The Almond tree had started to become a comfort to his master. His master carried him around everywhere he went, even to meetings. Most of the meetings were boring, but one meeting remained vivid in his mind.

One night the top leaders of the community were called into a serious meeting—and the master of the almond rod was summoned. The almond rod never really understood what was being discussed. But something happened during this meeting. It was different from any other meeting the almond rod had seen.

When the chief leader stood to make an announcement in a firm voice, twelve men suddenly rose to their feet. One of them was his master. Then suddenly, everything changed once again. People started scurrying around the tent and searching through piles of belongings that were neatly stacked around the perimeter of the tent.

The master called for no servants. Instead, he walked directly to the opening at the front of the tent and removed the almond rod from its place.

The master then did the unthinkable! As if the rod hadn’t been cut enough, the master pulled a knife from the folds of his robe and began gouging gashes into the strong dry wood. Blowing away the particles of wood and nodding in approval, he mouthed his readiness.

Now everyone knew who had done this to the little almond tree; the master had branded his own name onto his staff.

Perhaps you are in a new environment and things are happening that you don’t understand.  You may feel as if your world is spinning out of control and chaos seems to be the only thing present.  If this is happening, don’t fear, because these are the times in which God is trying to brand you. These stormy times are the moments when God will place divine peace in your heart.

Week 2, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Will I Make it Through The Fire?

…fuel to the fire.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 17-18

Scripture Reading
“…so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.”
1 Thes. 3:3

The master had taken the Almond Rod and branded his own name onto the staff.  He did this as he turned to the center of the meeting area, and addressed the men crowded into the meeting tent.

When all twelve men had finally assembled in a circle with their rods in hand, the master threw down the almond rod in the very center of the meeting tent, where all could see it. As if on signal, the rest of the men did the same with their rods.

With this action fear flooded the thoughts of the almond rod. He’d seen the same thing happen to other pieces of wood. First they had been carefully laid together in a bundle, and the next thing he knew, someone had ignited the pile of dry wood with a burning ember or coal! Each time he saw this happen, the hungry flames of the fire quickly consumed every piece of wood in the stack. That was the last thing he wanted to happen to him.

When these thoughts arose the Almond rod began to question every action and decision he ever made since he started serving his master. In a panic, he told himself, Anyone will tell you that when you pile wood in this fashion, it becomes fuel for the fire!

Then an old man, who was the chief leader, picked up the almond rod along with all of the others and carried them away. He took the rods into a dark room and carefully parted the thick folds of a heavy embroidered tapestry dividing the room they were in from another darker, more mysterious place.

Absolutely abandoned. Every dream crushed, every hope gone, the almond rod felt alone and desperate in a dark place. “All I ever wanted to do was be the best almond tree I could be. When that didn’t happen, all I wanted to do was be the best staff I could be. Now it seems as though these men have decided to get rid of the lot of us.”

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers’ twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

God had, once again, revealed another level of the Almond Rod’s destiny.  God had grown the Almond tree for a specific reason.  The Almond Rod went through many transitions, and God proved Himself to be faithful in each one. 

Week 2, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Have you Ever Been “Laid Up”?

The almond rod’s journey appeared to end with a question mark, not an exclamation mark.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 19-20

Scripture Reading
“…so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.”
1 Thes. 3:3

In many parts of the United States, it is common to say of someone confined to a hospital bed, “They are going to be ‘laid up’ for a good two months, as a result of that accident.” One command appeared to change destiny’s course for the almond rod, and it came without warning or option: “…Lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony where I will meet with you.”

The almond rod didn’t have a choice about when, how,  or where things would happen to him. Forces above and beyond the almond rod’s control or influence dictated the act, the time, the place, the method, and its purpose.

The almond rod’s journey appeared to end with a question mark, not an exclamation mark. Often, a shepherd’s staff will have a crook bent in the end of it—turning what had been a straight sapling into a question mark. A question mark is often an exclamation mark that got bent at the end. Life itself is filled with both exclamation marks and question marks.

If you were to take a look at the rod, you would notice that the straight part of the rod looked closely like an exclamation mark, while the top of the rod looked like the question mark. When you seek direction or instruction from the Great Shepherd, the only way to discern which “end” of His rod you follow is by being still and waiting in the Presence of the Lord.

As with the story of the Almond Rod, everything that “could have been” or “should have been” was reduced to empty “what if?” speculations and imaginations. No parties or celebrations were scheduled for the almond rod’s future. All future possibilities had collapsed into the gloomy reality of the present, a dark day of devastation, despair, hopelessness, and abandonment.

Have you ever felt this way? Do you know what it is like to feel stripped, bare, vulnerable, and powerless?

From the perspective of the young almond tree, he had been cut off before his time.  The almond rod’s dreams had been dashed and permanently frustrated.  This marvelous genetic wonder of an almond tree could never produce the fruit prized around the world for its delicate aroma and sweet taste.  He had been abruptly severed from what he once believed was his greatest purpose and destiny.

Did you catch that?  The almond rod’s dream was severed from what it believed it’s greatest purpose was. It did not say that his dream was severed from what God believed His greatest destiny was.  In fact, the almond rod wasn’t concerned with what God wanted for its life, but was consumed with its own ambitions.

Week 2, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The “Until” Clause

You must become a graduate from the school of the “Ultimate Underdog”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 20-21

Scripture Reading
“…but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 18:23

“Plan A,” according to the almond tree, just never included the possibility that he would one day be turned into a lifeless rod. Nevertheless, the almond rod adjusted to “Plan B,”  his abrupt and unasked for change of life and purpose.

Everything seemed to be going along just fine and without incident until ….

Most of us can easily relate to the “until” clause. How many times has life actually seemed to be looking good for you “until …”?

For the almond tree-turned-leader’s staff, life was finally beginning to look good again, until he found himself suddenly gathered up and thrown into a pile; just like just another discarded stick of wood consigned to the fire.

Perhaps everything was going good in your marriage until…. Or your career was going well until…. Or life was going well until….  Something happened that was not your “Plan A.”

Are you still trying to comfort yourself with the words, “I was only doing the best I knew how to do”?

Perhaps you never claimed to be the “best,” or to be the “biggest” tree in the orchard. You never claimed to be the most productive employee, but you were doing the best you knew how to do. You gave it your all, only to discover in surprise that your best didn’t seem to be good enough.

You might even find yourself saying,“It hurts to think the Master Himself separated me from the very thing that He called me to do.” Is that what you are really thinking? Do you want to tell Him in heart-baring honesty, “God, I thought You put me here! Why are You now separating me from my obvious destiny?”

Many people want to experience the “ultimate turnaround” and the “greatest comeback” in history, without having graduated from the school of the “ultimate underdog.”

Week 2, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

UNDONE

What does true love for God really entail?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 23-24

Scripture Reading
”Woe is me, for I am undone!”
Isaiah 6:5

When your world collapses around you, is there anywhere you can turn?  When your closest friends walk away, who will be there?  When your dreams are shattered in front of you, what will you do?  What can you do when you feel stripped, bare and dry?

We never want to find ourselves in these situations, but unfortunately life is full of unfair circumstances. It’s not your actions in the “good times” that define who you are. Really,  your character is defined by how you conduct yourself when the pressure is on.   Life is easy when everything is going smoothly, but what are you like when easy street turns into chaos boulevard?

How do you feel when you’re undone?  And why do we all have to endure hard times?

If you’ve been stripped of your dreams, bare of hope, and dry of tears, friend, you’ve been undone. When you’re undone, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with emotion. But remember, it’s not always about how you feel, its about what you know to be true.  We know that God sticks closer than any brother.  He will never leave or forsake you.  He’s been with you, he is with you, and he will always be with you!

When you arrive at a place where you’re undone, you realize that you can’t make it on your own. It’s at this place where we can understand our dependence on God.  And friend, it’s in that place where you can’t go any lower that you realize there’s no place to go but up!

God allows though situations into our lives so we can get through them, not dwell in them. Tough times build character, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. God allows difficult circumstances in our lives so we will know him as our deliverer and as our strength in times of trouble.

Week 2, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Fruitful and Dumbfounded in the Presence

“… Where will I meet with you.”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 24

Scripture Reading
“…And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witnesses.”
Numbers 17:7

Often when we are most broken and weary, God allows us to step into His presence and behold Him in a greater way than we ever have before. If you are feeling broken and weary, don't be discouraged, God may break through at any moment. As soon as His presence hits you nothing else matters.

In the story of Moses and the almond tree we are told of the miraculous blossoming of the supposedly dead almond rod. Not only did the almond rod blossom, but it produced an almond fruit that ripened on the spot. This is not supposed to happen.

All of this happened at the very place and time that the almond tree felt most abandoned and broken. What happened in the lonely place and why?

         And thou shalt lay them [the twelve rods] up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony [the Ark of the Covenant], where I will meet with you.

And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of the witness.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Notice that God told Moses to lay up the rods in the Most Holy Place right in front of the Ark of the Covenant "… where I will meet with you."

Week 2, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Supernatural Habitation Trumps Dark Desperation

One night in God’s presence, and you can become what you always dreamed you were supposed to be
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 25-27

Scripture Reading
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9

Have you been telling yourself (and anyone else who will listen) “I’m drying up! Something is missing and I have to be reconnected. I need to get into the soil; I need to get back to the stuff that used to make me happy”?

When your outward circumstances all seem to be going downhill, it is important to remember, “When my dreams are dying His plans are often just beginning”.

This concept is illustrated in the story of Moses and the almond rod. When Moses laid the dead and discouraged rod of Aaron in the near darkness of the Most Holy Place, the almond tree was alarmed. He thought, Why would my master abandon me in what seems to be a lifeless place of punishment or disposal for unwanted things?

The almond rod didn’t understand or fully realize that he was still an almond tree until the following morning. All of the dreams and the genetic disposition he originally possessed  had somehow been resurrected. He was still alive and flourishing, but didn’t understand how or why!

Even though the almond rod was totally “disconnected from soil and sun, he felt a strange glow and warmth of life flowing through his dried-up cells. This feeling didn’t resemble anything he had ever received from the soil, and the sun never provided anything as potent as this!

Under the best circumstances, it normally takes much more time for a healthy almond tree to produce buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds, but the little almond tree became everything he ever wanted to be in about twelve hours! And it all happened while the almond rod was “laid up” in the presence of God.

Has this story reminded you of times in your life when you felt disconnected from what mattered most to you? Do you wonder why God would take you out of your comfort zone and leave you feeling stripped?

Week 3, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

His Presence Resurrects the Disconnected

He imparts His life when you lay down your life-In His presence.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 27-28

Scripture Reading
“ For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19

We all feel down at times. It’s a fact.

When we are in a rut, it feels like we will never get out of the situations we are in. But, if we wait on the Lord, even when we feel “laid up” in the dim isolation, we will gain new strength.  Life WILL spring up again. There is always hope with God!

When we go through these dim times its easy to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel or to lose the “eternal perspective” of the situation.  We get so distracted by our mess that we become disconnected from our purpose. The valleys of our life are not meant to last forever. Things will happen in a short span of time that seem beyond explanation or understanding.  HIS presence reconnects the disconnected.

If you can persevere through your season of being “laid up” or “laid off” on earth, Paul said there is “laid up” for you a crown of righteousness!

This is God’s desire for you. People will look at you and see that it doesn’t make sense for you to be blessed as a result of your desolate times. Society thinks that in order to be on top you have to be connected to the right people, have years of experience, and have all the credentials, but God elects his leaders and he blesses those who love him.

“How do I get to this point?” “How can God do that for me?

This is the answer to those questions:  your desire must be only for the presence of God, stemming for a love for him and a need for greater relationships.  You must lay everything down in the presence of God.  Seeking Him for what He can do for you is not seeking Him at all.

It doesn’t matter to God whether you failed or others failed you.  He imparts His life when you lay down your life- in His presence.

Only an intimate encounter with His presence can resurrect your dreams and restore you to the destiny for which you were born. 

If you are ready for God to turn your valleys into mountains, examine your relationship with the Father. Does the relationship represent true death? Does it seem one-sided? Decide to enter into an intimate relationship with God and your world will change.

Week 3, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Your Darkest Hour….His brightest moment?

The Ultimate Comeback Pg 28-30

Scripture Reading
”..but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

Do you ever feel like you have been left out or lonely? Have you ever felt far away from God? Many people feel this way, and many say that it’s natural.  Feeling lonely and separated from God is not what God has in mind for his children. God desires for you to be happy and close to his side. He loves you!

Never underestimate the potential of one encounter with God’s presence!

God moves in our lives but we may not be able to see why or when this is occurring. Perhaps your path will follow that of the almond rod. It may be that God will not restore your life piece by piece. He may decide do everything in just one night. He may choose to resurrect your dead dreams in one powerful movement of intimacy!  But whether He moves instantaneously or over a period of years, we must be content with the knowledge that He does what is best for us.

You might be saying to yourself, “But you don’t know how striped I feel.”  God can do anything!  He says to come as you are.  We don’t have to put on false identities.  It’s not about getting the right job. It’s not spotlighting yourself in front of the most important people. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that you always need to be in God’s presence. Learn what the almond tree learned, the soil is not your true source.

Week 3, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Don’t move me-My life is in this Presence!

Where do we stand in the Presence of God?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 30-31

Scripture Reading
In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.
Psalm 31:20

We all feel down at times. It’s a fact.

After that night in the presence of the Lord, Moses returned to pick up the rods.  Aaron’s almond rod had budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds.  This twelve-hour wonder was so incredible that you could almost imagine the little almond tree asking Moses that Morning, “Please don’t move me away from here.  My life is in this presence!” 

How many of us have said that very same statement, “Please don’t move me away from here.  My life is in this presence!” We experience a mighty move of His spirit, and a place gains a new significance for us.

But yet how many of us, after being in the presence of God, want to receive the Glory because we were there when it happened.  Never fall in love with the spotlight.  Never fall in love with the crowds.  Even the rod, the little tree, now longed to be placed behind the veil.

There in that thick and private Presence, he was hidden from the crowd.  He was spared the test of pride in an accomplishment he could not claim or explain.  Never take credit for what you cannot duplicate.  The presence of God is something that we cannot duplicate; it is God’s.  Many of us try hard to do so, but we end up falling on our face. 

Week 3, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

AVOID RIGID MAN-MADE RITUALS AND MECHANICAL MANTRAS

Worship is the art of “hanging out” with God.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 33-36

Scripture Reading
”All to well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”
Mark 7:9

Many people today earnestly try to draw close to God through man-made religion and ritualistic behaviors.

Let me warn you that our discussion about God's presence is more that mere words or rigid man-made ritual. Don't expect to lean on some mechanical mantra of deeper Christian experience, thinking in it you will find the secret of God. People have made this mistake for untold generations. It is not about an equation or fleshly formula-it's about relationship.

The name of Jesus isn't some magical equation-there is a presence attached to it. You cannot disconnect the Lord's presence from His name. It is powerless to invoke the name of Jesus to do man's will.

When we say "the presence of God" we often want to put stained glassed steeples over the image in our minds. Perhaps it makes us feel better on a different level. Many people seek comfort within the confines of man-made religion, but only God can bring true security and peace into your life.

Don't you feel safe when you are in the presence of your heavenly Father? The question is, “How do you stay there?”

Worship and prayer usher in the presence of God; the more time you spend in God's presence, the more you will know Him. Worship is the art of "hanging out with God".   Please pardon my slang, but it helps refresh our view of something easily taken for granted.

Prayer isn't a matter of the mechanical; it is a matter of understanding. When you invoke the name of Jesus, do not use it like some "abracadabra" magic equation or manipulative incantation taken from a child's cartoon or an occultist text. When you invoke His name, you are acknowledging His presence. And that's that.

Week 3, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

THE STORY OF TRUE LOVE

What does true love for God really entail?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 36-37

Scripture Reading
“It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
1 Cor. 13:5

When you call on the precious name of Jesus, you can instantly feel His presence. Have you ever wondered why you call on Him? Is it because you love and adore Him, or is it simply for what he can do for you Yes, His benefits are amazing, and He does desire to pour out His blessings on you, but what is your motivation in asking?
           
Your love is not pure if all you want to do is steal from God’s credit card, use the name of Jesus to obtain results, line your pockets or protect your future. This just simply means you love His stuff, and the unlimited bank account that comes with His name.

Gehezi was impressed when Naaman arrived to give Elisha a huge offering because of his healing.  Naaman could have said, “I have come to give him a couple camel loads of silver, some gold, and some fine garments from Armani of Syria.” Gehazi was really excited and immediately came to tell Elisha the news.

Once Elisha found out he said, “No, I do not want to see him.” Elisha wasn’t impressed with the riches he could have received from Naaman's affection.  He was more interested in the pure love from God than the offerings of man.
           
As we get married, we promise our faithfulness “in sickness and in health.” And I dare say you cannot really know what true love is until you two have gone through some tough stuff together.

Could it be that the true test isn’t necessarily falling in love, but staying there.

Love is not the recitation of memorized vows or a passionate kiss in front of everyone you know. True love is when you are in the depths of despair and that significant person would rather walk through the lowest valley with you then the highest mountain with anybody else. True love just might be the most difficult curriculum in the “University of Life.”

This concept, which is so difficult for us to grasp, is the one that God most wants us to understand.  He is the very definition of unconditional love, and we cannot walk in true relationship with Him until we know Him in that way.

Week 3, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The Wealth of Worship

“Your restoration is connected to worship.”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 39

Scripture Reading
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water…for You have been my help
Psalm 63:1, 7

Why is it that we say we want to go to heaven and spend an eternity doing what we don’t appear to enjoy doing on earth?

Worship will be our main activity and chief joy in heaven, yet some people can barely tolerate God even an hour on earth.  Often we are in such a hurry that we miss Him! 

Are you too busy to spend time in God’s presence?  Are you so caught up in keeping your schedule and being on time that you run past what God wants to do in your life?

Do you see the value and importance of worship, or do you have the attitude that says, “I can be late for church and miss the worship, but I’ll be there for the preaching!”  Worship is an important part of our services because it is the only part that God gets anything out of!  It is a time when God can have “one-on-one” time with His kids.  It’s when we love on Him, and He loves on us. 

Worship is more than part of a church service!  It is the art of knowing how to be in God’s presence.  God’s presence can transform your darkest hour into your brightest moment.  It is in His presence that we find the starting point for our ultimate comeback.

Week 4, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

THE CHOICE IS YOURSE

What does true love for God really entail?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 41-42

Scripture Reading
“From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?”
Job 28:20

Have you ever said or done something you wished you could take back?  Have you ever felt like one error in judgment, one bad decision and life as you know would be over?

I’m certain that we’ve all known someone who came close to greatness, but never seemed to actually achieve it. Many of these people worked for greatness! Have you ever wondered how these people could work for great people, great causes and great institutions, but never achieve greatness themselves?

Let’s discuss a man who served greatness and then entered the “oops” chapter in his life.  We focus on this little-known figure because the best way to make right turns in our lives often is to retrace the mistakes, wrong turns, and failures of others in the past.

His name is Gehazi. This man’s troubles began after he second-guessed the leader he served. Some people may be temped to make excuses for him, but in reality he committed a gross error of presumption. 

He acted on the unspoken assumption that he was exempt from the usual standards of common courtesy because he served a great leader and national hero.  As a result, he was cursed and blacklisted in the worst possible way.

Week 4, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

THE “OOPS” CHAPTER OF LIFE

The Tomb of Failure can become the Womb of Success.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 43-44

Scripture Reading
“So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy..”
2 Kings 5:14

God’s capacity for restoring our lives goes way beyond our own understanding.  Sometimes what we see as our greatest obstacle, God sees as a tool to develop us into the men and the women He desires us to be!

Rejection by others, the loss of a loved one, problems with your spouse, and failures in life are all seasons that everyone goes through. “We all love to hear stories of restoration, but we want to avoid the story of the crises that created the need for restoration.”  Too often we forget that something has to die or wither before it can be restored.

There is always hope behind the hurt.  Just as with Lazarus, “The tomb of failure can become the womb of success”.  When Naaman went out to the prophet to be restored from leprosy, he got upset with the response he received. Elisha sent a messenger instead of coming himself, and secondly, he actually told him to jump into the river!

God will wait for you to reach a point of desperation to see how you will respond.

Reluctantly, Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, just as Elisha had instructed him. When he did this, Naaman’s skin became healthy again! He was healed!

We don’t realize it, but so many times we do the same thing that Naaman did. Sometimes we get so caught up in our problems and our circumstances that we forget that there is a loving God who is waiting for us to surrender all to him so he can restore us. When God asks us to surrender to him, and cast our cares and burdens upon him, we say to ourselves no way, that’s way too simple.  We don’t realize all we have to do is to be obedient, submit, and surrender. God is always able to bring something good out of a tragedy.  When we give our pain, our suffering, our hurts, and our mistakes to God, he doesn’t just sweep them under the rug; he reaches down and touches that very same place that hurts, bringing complete restoration.

Week 4, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

TROUBLED ON EVERY SIDE

What does true love for God really entail.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 44-47

Scripture Reading
”Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.”
2 Cor. 4:8-9

Did you know that just three little words can ruin someone’s entire life?  If you don’t believe it, just ask Naaman.  The words, “but a leper” literally turned his world upside down!

Naaman, was a mighty Syrian general, who had everything going for him, until one day he was faced with the fact that he had contracted an incurable disease. Naaman was on top of the world, and with only three words he was violently toppled to the bottom.

Have you ever felt like everything was going smoothly, and then all of the sudden things take a turn for the worst?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you wondered if anything would ever be the same again?

Even the mightiest people can be brought down swiftly with the right obstacle. Can you imagine what Naaman was going through during this tragedy?

Today, this would be the equivalent of a doctor diagnosing you with an incurable cancer or the AIDS virus! And to put it into reality, he suffered a fate much worse than someone with cancer or AIDS. No one could touch Naaman, or even get close to him! Those three words sentenced him to a life of isolation, and hopelessness.  Naaman wasn’t even able to be close to his wife and daughter.  He had to say his goodbyes at a distance to avoid putting them at risk of contracting leprosy. Throughout this horrible process Naaman had to have thought things would never be the same again, and that he had just lost everything and everyone who meant something to him. He even thought it would have been better to die in a violent war, than to die alone in exile.

How could he survive the pain and agony caused by this disease?  What kept him going even when all hope seemed lost?

The Bible clearly states that Naaman encountered an Israelite servant girl who informed him of a prophet who had performed miraculous healings. The young girl said to Naaman, “if only my master (Naaman) were with the prophet in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” This statement, offered by a young Israelite girl, gave Naaman a glimpse of hope in the midst of his tragedy. It would have been easy for him to just give up, but there was desperation in him to defeat this horrible sickness. And when Naaman called on the prophet, he was told to dip in the water seven times, and on the seventh he would be healed. 

Naaman obeyed, and was totally healed and restored. 

Week 4, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Will You Allow Bitterness to Affect Your Destiny?

If bitterness does not affect your spirit, then it cannot affect your destiny.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 47

Scripture Reading
“If only my master [Naaman] were with the prophet who is in Samaria!  For he would heal him of his leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:3

Naaman had much favor with the Lord. Seeing that the word states that he is a "man of valor", he won a victory for Aram. After this great victory, bands of raiders went out from Aram and captured a young, innocent girl who became the slave of Naaman's wife.

The compassion of this slave, the young girl from Israel, is amazing. She refused to allow the bitterness of slavery keep her from the work of God. I suspect that most people in similar circumstances would have been tempted to curse their captors rather than helping them because of bitterness.

The slave could have said, "I hope they all get leprosy. May it spread death, pain, and sorrow to every one of them! It's only what they deserve. They separated me from my family, they carried me captive into foreign land by force, and now I have to take care of the very people who stole my life! I wish upon them all the pain they have given me and more!"

Instead of desiring the worst for Naaman and his family, she adhered to a great truth: if bitterness does not affect your spirit, then it cannot affect your destiny.

This principle can apply to all areas of life when unfair circumstances arise. Make your decision and declare, "It doesn't matter what my circumstances are, I will not allow bitterness into my spirit." Learn how to navigate the rough waters of "downturns" while avoiding the rocks of bitterness.

You even have to take control over your thought life. If you open the door for bitter or discontented thoughts, they will just roll over and over in your mind. Stop the pity parade now!

Week 4, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Circumstances Will Not Dictate My Level Of Worship

I will worship the Lord and praise His name despite my circumstances.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 48-49

Scripture Reading
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”
Psalm 34:1

At some point you just have to say, “That’s it! I refuse to let circumstances dictate my level of worship! If Paul and Silas can worship in a jail cell, then I can worship in this adverse circumstance.”

Naaman’s wife didn’t waste any time passing along to her husband the news from her servant girl. In the very next verse, General Naaman the leper tells the king of Syria about the Israelite prophet who could cure leprosy. The king, eager to take care of his star player, wasted no time. He loaded up his general with a fortune in gold, silver, and exotic clothing; and sent him directly to Israel along with his personal letter of introduction.

The Israelite king was suspicious of anything Syrian (and for good reason!). His first reaction was to get angry because, in his mind, the Syrian king’s letter required him to heal the leper himself! If and when he failed to do so, he believed the Syrian king hoped to pick a fight with him. He was so upset that he even tore his clothes in anger and frustration!

Elisha the prophet heard about the king’s fit of anger and sent a messenger to ask “Why are you tearing up your clothes? Send the guy to me… and the King of Syria will know there is a prophet in Israel.”

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at Elisha’s door.

Just like Naaman, we need to make a conscious decision to bless the Lord despite our circumstances, knowing that our lives are resting safely in his hands and being sure that “He who has began a good work in us will be faithful to finish it”.  Naaman’s circumstances were strained, and the solution that Elisha offered him was strange, but he was willing to walk through it and let God finish the work.

Week 4, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Go Jump in the River!

The Ultimate Comeback Pg 49-50

Scripture Reading
Without wise leadership, a nation falls;there is safety in having many advisers.
Proverbs 11:14

We expect a lot out of our leaders.

It’s true! In today’s world we have a tendency to look towards people –often celebrities- to determine what we should do and how we should act.  But what happens when they don’t meet the expectations that we have set upon them? We become devastated and lose hope in our own abilities to overcome.

We have to remember that the man we put on the pedestal is just as tall off the pedestal as he is on top of it.

We can see an example of this situation in the Bible.

General Naaman, the conqueror of Nations and ruler of armies, was used to receiving the red-carpet treatment wherever he went.  People bowed their heads when he showed up or walked by. Why? Everyone knew this Syrian commander in chief had the power to cut off any heads that did not bow.

When Naaman contracted leprosy he went to Elisha’s house. He thought that Elisha could tell him what he could do to get rid of it.  To Naamans surprise, Elisha didn’t even take time to come out side. Instead, Elisha the prophet sent a message through a servant (probably his butler and personal assistant, Gehazi) saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean."

Just think how the mighty General Naaman answered that message! “I beg your pardon!” Naaman was probably shocked and couldn’t understand why Elisha wouldn’t even come out to give the message personally to someone of such high social standing as himself.

“I expected a lot more from this so-called prophet,” Naaman must have said to himself. “That pompous preacher wouldn’t even step out of his office long enough to see me!”

How many times has this happened in our lives?  We lose our ability to respond appropriately to situations because we let our expectations of other people get in the way. People will always disappoint us, but is the root of that disappointment the result of them doing something wrong, or the result of our personal high standards not being met?

Week 4, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Obedience is God’s excuse to bless you!

Should you give God an excuse to bless you?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 51-52

Scripture Reading
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”
2 John 6

Are you having a hard time trying to obey God?  Naaman had that very same problem.  Naaman had leprosy and went to Elisha to get the so-called “Moses treatment” But Elisha had something else in mind.  Instead of the dramatic raising of the arms and the outstretched prophet’s staff to get his healing, Elisha told Naaman to jump in the sorriest excuse for a river he’d ever seen.  This Jordan River isn’t a river at all – it’s a meandering creek that is too muddy to drink and too filthy for bathing!  To him, it was just another insult heaped on top of the others.

I think that many of us are like Naaman; we expect God to tell us what we want, but when God has something else planned, it is like jumping into the muddy Jordan, or it is just another insult.  Sometimes God sets up barriers of obedience for you to surmount.  He may say, “If you love me, keep my commandments”.  I believe that if we truly love and keep God’s Commandments that we should have no problem obeying Him. 

We have to understand that even though the Jordan River didn’t seem pleasant, it was important because it was the place God choose for Naaman’s miracle.  You may not like what God is telling you, but we must remember that it is important because it is the decision that God has made.

Sometimes God ask us to do things that we do not understand and  can’t figure out.  Our usual way of handling this is to do everything but obey.  We would rather make great sacrifices of time, money, and convenience, rather than to simply obey.  We must understand that God says that it is better to obey than to sacrifice. 

Week 5, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

INTEGRITY OVERRIDES CIRCUMSTANCE

“God will gladly sacrifice your comfort to develop your character.”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 53

Scripture Reading
“… but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Romans 5:3-4

Do you realize that God will gladly humiliate you into obedience if that is what it takes to help you? Why? Because He loves you that much. He wants the very best for you, even when you see no hint of it in your circumstances.

God is more interested in your character than He is in your comfort.  God will gladly sacrifice any comforts you have if it will increase your character. Like a gardener, He constantly cuts back and prunes away “branches,” even if it hurts at the time. He knows that what will develop is much greater than what is now.

When the Syrian general, Naaman, was told to dunk in the muddy river in order to be healed of leprosy, it was definitely outside of his comfort zone. We can almost hear him saying, “I’d rather keep my leprosy than dunk in that filthy muck”.

It was then when one of the Syrian general’s lowly servants stood up an said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, “wash and be clean?”.

It would have been much easier for Naaman if he had been commanded to slay one hundred Philistines. As an army general, that would have been all too easy. Instead he was asked to dip himself in the muddy, murky waters and believe that this was actually going to cure him of his incurable disease.

Dressed in his finest formal attire, he stepped out of his comfort zone and emerged into the questionable waters. We all know what the result was…he was completely healed of his leprosy!

God is more interested in where you will end up than where you are right now. If our humiliation is necessary to bring us to our destination, then God will allow it.

Week 5, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

WHO CARES ABOUT THE METHOD?

CAN YOU SPIT-A LOT?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 53-54

Scripture Reading
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
1 Cor. 1:20

Have you noticed that when Jesus ministered to people, he hardly ever prayed the same way twice?  He didn't want us to build a permanent box labeled "Procedures and Policies for Praying for People."

Jesus prayed for a lot of people, so He had to be very inventive to not replicate the process but to duplicate the product. He seems to have purposely mixed things up to steer us away from simplistic fixations on His techniques.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

In today’s services we often use oil when we pray for the sick, but I am sure that’s not the only way to heal the sick.  After all, Jesus used his own saliva! What if Jesus had spat in the dirt and made mud to anoint every sick and demonized person He prayed for? Most churches would then have a box of dirt from the Holy Land sitting in front of the altar area instead of anointing oil!

All He wants us to do is be obedient to His voice.

Jesus did things in different ways so we wouldn't make a doctrine out of a situation. He did things that seemed foolish to the world so that no man could take glory for what God does. God would much rather us call on His name and be obedient to His glory, than to offer false praise for man’s glory.

Week 5, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Private Priorities

Sleeping under the influence.
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 56-57

Scripture Reading
The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
2 Kings 5:16

The young general smiled from ear to ear as he approached the house of the prophet. "Gehazi, I have been healed by the prophet and I come bearing an offering for him." Truth has it that this was one of the finest offerings anyone could receive. The offering included gold, silver, and the finest garments from Armani of Syria.

Gehazi became overwhelmed with excitement and ran to tell Elijah. However, as he performed such a task he was met with a unique response:

"Tell the young man I will take nothing and desire not to see him," Elijah said. Was this because Elijah was praying or doing something so spiritual that he could not take a moment to see the young man? Nobody will ever know for certain.

Elisha could have been just spending time with some friends, or with his family. He could have been praying, studying, or just taking a nap.

Week 5, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

WILL YOU PASS THE OPPORTUNITY BY?

“Whence comest thou, Gehazi?”
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 56-57

Scripture Reading
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Luke 11:28, John 14:15

Gehazi’s heart must have skipped a beat when he saw the taillights on that Rolls-Royce chariot disappear around the corner.  Suddenly he said, “ I can’t let this opportunity go by!”  He sprinted after Naaman’s chariot, “Hey, hey! Hold on, guys; stop! Stop for just a minute.

So the Syrian general stopped his caravan of servant and donkeys loaded with gifts. Then Gehazi answered, “ All is well, my master hath sent me.”

Now at this part of the story we see nothing wrong with Gehazi’s actions.  He is just receiving the reward for faithful service.  The only problem with that is in a few verses earlier his master Elisha had just sent Naaman and his gifts away. Stating  “As the Lord lives, before whom I must stand” that he could not receive the gifts from Naaman.

Gehazi then added a second and more elaborate lie to cover his deception. He said, “ My master sent me to tell you about a couple of young Bible school students from Mount Ephraim who need tuition and some new suits. They could use, I would say, about seventy-five pounds of silver as well. Naaman was glad to give him all that he asked for plus more and the servants to help carry it home.

Personally hiding the loot he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him “Whence comest thou, Gehazi?” And he said, “Thy servant went no whither?”

Week 5, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

How did I get here?

I will have to give God an account for my behavior
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 52

Scripture Reading
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and asked, “How did I get here?” 

The answer can be made with either the Elisha mentality, or the Gehazi mentality. 

After Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of leprosy, he attempted in vain to bless the prophet of God with money and gifts.  Elisha would have nothing to do with this and said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept a thing.”  Elisha had the fear of the Lord.

When Gehazi said, “As the LORD lives,” he omitted the words “before whom I stand” and therefore omitted any personal implication of personal relationship and divine accountability. 

Having lost the fear of the Lord, it was not long before Gehazi said, “How did I get here?  How could this happen to me?”

Gehazi set after Naaman because he thought Elisha was in the wrong for refusing gifts from Naaman. After lying to Naaman and receiving the gifts, Gehazi returned to Elisha.  Elisha declared to Gehazi, “Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever.”  Gehazi left covered in leprosy, asking himself, “How did I get here?”

How about you?  Do you find yourself making decisions according to what you think, or out of the fear of the Lord?

Obedience is God’s excuse to bless you, and disobedience can lead to a cursed life.  Every decision has an outcome. It is critical that we make our decisions with Elisha’s mentality.  We must live in the fear of the Lord.  For after all, we can’t hide from God!  Don’t be like Gehazi. Stay on the right track.

 

 

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Week 5, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Accosted by His Own Mistake?

Obedience is God’s excuse to bless you, anddisobedience can be God’s permission to curse you.

The Ultimate Comeback P 60-62

Scripture Reading
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

In one life-crushing instant, Gehazi was accosted by his own mistake. He was actually held back in life because of his decision!

It all happened because Gehazi illicitly took silver and garments that were not his. Gehazi illegally and presumptuously intercepted riches and valuable goods God intended to be returned to their source. He literally contaminated himself with illicit goods, presumptuous disobedience, and the attempt to deceive God’s anointed prophet.

Gehazi’s secret triumph was replaced by public tragedy. As a result, fear replaced faith, and despair displaced hope. One error in judgment, one bad decision, and life as he knew it was over.

I’m sure that Gehazi wished he had never said what he said, or done what he did. But you can’t undo mistakes.

The prophet asked him just before pronouncing Gehazi’s doom, “Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments?” The problem was not the money or the garments; it was the “time.”

He was banned from society, condemned to suffer gradually increasing disfigurement and perpetual pain, followed by certain and premature death. His future was over, just because he misjudged the time.

If obedience is God’s excuse to bless you, then is disobedience a reason that people carry curses? Gehazi’s actions placed him under the curse of leprosy.

God has set divine times and seasons for everything under the sun. There is a time to be reverent, and a time to have fun. There is a time to laugh and a time to cry.  Timing is literally everything. In this situation, God wasn’t concerned with the material goods Gehazi received; he was concerned with his lack of obedience. 

How often do we do things that seem fine in one environment, but in another instance, seem entirely inappropriate? How often do we have errors in judgment? We must learn to listen to what God has to say in every situation.  We must be sensitive to His desires and divine timing unless we hope to go through the torment that Gehazi experienced.

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Week 5, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Love and Obey.

I will have to give God an account for my behavior
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 62-63

Scripture Reading
 “Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.”
-Deuteronomy 6:3

 

Have you ever pondered the reality of the word “forever”? Perhaps the thought of forever causes depression in your life. Gehazi was cursed, and this curse was intended to last forever. This judgment came upon him because of his disobedience to the word of God; therefore, his entire family line of male descendants was virtually extinguished in one word: “FOREVER.”
 
Gehazi lived in the same house with a prophet. As a result, he thought he understood everything and later made a fatal judgment call. Although there were other times when Elisha gladly accepted gifts from people, at this time he made it clear he would not take Naaman’s silver or garments.

Elisha implied to Gehazi that his decision reflected divine direction, but never gave a reason why! Sometimes the mark of maturity is to obey without a reason why. Gehazi presumed to second-guess the prophet of God, thus opening the door to sin.

It is always dangerous to second-guess God. Presumption is leprosy of the soul. Never try to live your life and pretend to be a child of God, while only leaning on another person’s intimacy with Divinity.

We, as children of God, must learn to obey God. It’s time to awake from our sleep and realize how important obeying God really is. This one key can change your life and make your forever’s bright.

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Week 6, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

“This Could Be a Miserable Year"

The Ultimate Comeback, p.65-66

Scripture Reading
“…In truth, I have sinned against the Lord…” Joshua 7:20

Naaman the Syrian and his royal caravan were barely out of sight. The former leper’s loud, uninhibited shouts of joy could still be heard echoing in the distance when Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, saw his life shatter before his eyes.

It happened in the time it took to say one short sentence: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.”

He didn’t see it coming. Gehazi was in complete shock as he stumbled out of the cool inner chamber of the prophet’s house. He shivered at the memory of Elisha’s smoldering eyes in those final moments.

What do you say after you say “oops”? Typically, the next exclamatory phrase is, “Uh-oh.” Suddenly, it all begins to sink in that you have just entered a miserable phase of your life.

Have you ever felt like saying, “Just forward my mail to “hell,” because that’s where I’m going to be living?”

I’m not just speaking of a time when you are in the proverbial “dog house” because of a spat with your spouse, or when your boss was temporarily angry with you. No, this is the ultimate stroke of doom, the final blow to any hope for normality in the immediate future. “She’s not just mad…she left.” Your boss is not just upset—“You’re fired!” Now your future is clouded with misery.

How did Gehazi become so blinded to the stark supernatural power of God? The human desire to hide, shift, and justify is strong. Perhaps Gehazi’s familiarity with what others considered holy got the best of him. Gehazi must have struggled with his “mistake” and the seriousness of the penalty.

Once he digested the seriousness of his actions, I'm certain that one name in particular resounded in his mind: Achan. Every Jew could recite from heart the story about the man who took for himself what was set aside for God. Immediately after the Israelites watched the massive walls of Jericho come down, Achan secretly looted illicit silver and gold from the rubble. That action had been banned by God.

His secret sin of touching what God openly declared off limits brought a curse on the entire nation. Every Hebrew child was carefully taught to fear the judgment unleashed on those who committed “the sin of Achan".  His story was a lesson learned that the Hebrew people of many generations could glean from, but Gehazi failed to learn the lesson from it, and because of that failure, suffered greatly.  We must be always eager to learn the lessons that God has for us.

 

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Week 6, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

How Did the Old Prophet See Me?

The Ultimate Comeback, p.66-67

Scripture Reading

"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your descendents forever…" 2 Kings 5:27

Gehazi’s sin of Achan occurred when he secretly looted illicit silver and gold from the rubble at Jericho, which had been banned by God.   Achan’s secret sin of touching what God had openly declared as off-limits brought a curse on the entire nation. This same sin occurred in the life of Gehazi.

What did the secret sin of greed and shame have to do with anything? Gehazi had just committed the sin of Achan …the prophet made it clear there was something "off-limits" about this silver and those garments.

Gehazi forgot that covetousness is as bad as idolatry. When looking at this situation, one might come to the conclusion that “it's not what you do, but how God sees it. God is serious about His commands. If you choose not to obey, there will be consequences.  It might help to look at the commandments as the ten freedoms instead of a do-not-do list. God was doing us a favor.

In this case, Gehazi not only coveted, but lied about where he had been when the prophet Elisha asked.

"Where have you been, Gehazi?"
"Your servant went nowhere."
"Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olives groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants?"
"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your descendants forever…forever…forever."

Unconsciously scratching the spreading itchy spots on his face and neck, Gehazi shuffled hurriedly toward his house while avoiding anyone he saw. Every word and nuance of his encounter with the prophet was burned into his memory.

How many times in the ensuing miserable years did Gehazi rehearse his story to himself to justify his actions? Please don't end up like him, bearing a lifetime of consequences for a moment's mistake. With Christ by your side, you have the power to overcome any temptation of sin.

 

Week 6, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Stunned By His Sudden Fall

God can accelerate judgment just as He can accelerate mercy, but He would rather have mercy.

The Ultimate Comeback p. 67-68

Scripture Reading

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

It is important to remember that our God is just. He desires to reveal His mercy. In addition, it is important to remember that if we continue to blatantly sin against God, we will be judged, and this judgment will affect the ones we love as well as us.

For example, Gehazi took for himself what had been set aside for God. When he did this, Gehazi’s life was reduced to the lowly, despairing life of a leper. As if that wasn’t enough, his family members inherited his demotion as well!

Gehazi was stunned to experience the suddenness of his fall. His judgment was permanent and his decision offered the extension of leprosy’s sorrow to his sons and his grandsons.

It was as if he were told, “By the way, Gehazi, don’t worry about not being around to enjoy your children’s future. They’ve already got leprosy too.” It wasn’t fair!

Life is not always fair. Why punish his family? The pain of watching others suffer for mistakes you made is often unbearable.

Gehazi’s arrest, trial, and conviction were swift enough to make his head spin. The instantaneous sentence of leprosy had to have stunned him. He went from being a person of high stature to someone who was considered to be lower than low in less than one minute!

It usually takes time to develop leprosy, but just as God can accelerate mercy, He can accelerate judgment. Perhaps when you were younger, you experienced the “acceleration of judgment” on a smaller scale when your parents made the statement, “That’s it! I’ve had it!” (When they make the statement “I’ve had it,” that usually means you’ve had it.)

Someone other than Gehazi also learned firsthand just how quickly failure follows false victory. Another prophet once said of that one’s swift fall, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.”

Week 6, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Naaman’s Leprosy Latched onto Gehazi

The Ultimate Dead End
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 69-70

Scripture Reading

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” -1 John 4:11

Failure! Loser! Disappointment! Catastrophe!

Do you ever feel like everything you put your hand to turns to disappointment and letdown? It seems like as we enter these times, we can’t see the light at the end of the end of the tunnel.  Perhaps you have even heard a degreed counselor or doctor pronounce a dark future over your life or those you love. It doesn’t quite leave you in high spirits, does it? Now…. do you think that it would feel any better if the curse were leveled over your life by a renowned prophet of God?

This sounds a little like what Gehazi went through.  It was like accelerated judgment when the leprosy jumped off of Naaman and came onto Gehazi.  Elisha said, “The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your descendants forever…” This man was an acknowledged voice of God to Gehazi’s generation. When Elisha cursed you, it was universally understood that God Himself had cursed you. Could you imagine Billy Graham or Mother Teresa cursing you because of the situations that you go through and the sins you commit? The future doesn’t look too bright for that family!

At this moment, we see no hint of any comeback or turnaround.  Gehazi has experienced the worst scenario possible, a fate some consider worse than death.

If you feel permanently cursed at this moment, then perhaps you can identify with Gehazi. Perhaps it was not a minister; maybe it was your boss or your spouse.

If you had leprosy you were stripped and considered unclean.  The infected ones had to live alone outside the camp. Possibly, you have felt that you are left to fend for yourself without anyone to help mend your wounds.  It’s conceivable that you have felt like you were unclean and not worthy of the love of God.

God is a God of love.  That is who He is.  The choices we make are very important and we need to remember who we are in Christ.  We are His beloved.  God is always there to be our Comforter and Friend. Sometimes, we feel that we are in situations that we can’t escape, but He is always there waiting and longing to be a friend to the friendless.

Week 6, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Leprosy of the Soul?

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 70-72

Scripture Reading

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”- Daniel 9:3

The curse of leprosy is devastating. This curse even had a distinctive impact on the love of Moses.  He had to take action when his sister was struck with leprosy for her rebellion. He wasn’t just talking about someone who was merely ritually unclean; he was desperately seeking for divine intervention for her physical wellness.
Some said that a decree of leprosy was a punishment just short of death. One could even say it was a “death sentence on layaway!” Many people preached that death was easier than leprosy. In any case, leprosy was a dreaded disease. You did not live with leprosy… you died with it.

Leprosy came to be recognized as one of the most feared judgments of God. Those who were guilty of presumption and openly trespassed against His authority and commandments caught this awful sentence. This biblical disease started to kill its victims from the moment it began to appear. The first symptoms to appear were often dry scaly patches of skin on the forehead or on the back of the head or neck. As this progressed it began to devour your body from the outside in.  It moved from your skin, to your muscles, then to your bones and finally your inner body organs.

In our society leprosy is rarely seen today, but spiritual leprosy is everywhere we turn! It is what we call leprosy of the soul. Spiritually, this disease is hard too see until it is too late. We, as a society, have lost fear in God we have become complacent in our Christian walk, which ultimately leads to spiritual death. Until we repent before God for the sins in our lives, we continually become worse till we are completely separated from God. As Moses cried out to God for his sister, so do we need to cry out to God to forgive us?

 

Week 6, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Do you have leprosy?

What is leprosy, and how can we get it?
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 72-73

Scripture Reading
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate.  They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘ We’ll go into the city’ – the famine is there, and we will die.  And if we stay here, we will die.   So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender.  If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”
2 Kings 7:3-4

As I have explained before, leprosy in is fatal, fearful, painful, and humanly incurable. It causes disfiguration, isolation, and depression.  This biblical disease started to kill its victims from the moment the first symptoms appeared.  The initial signs were often dry scaly patches of skin either on the forehead or the back of the head and neck.  As it progressed it began to methodically eat inward, moving from skin muscle and sinew, to the bones and inner body organs.

How can Christians obtain Leprosy? What is it that we have to do to deserve such a fate? In many ways it can be in the way we live our lives, it can be in the way we say things, it can be in the way we do things, it can be in the way we react to things.

Sin is the germ that infects us with leprosy. The sin that we hide and ignore is the driving force behind our spiritual sickness. Unless we find the sin before it spreads to other areas in our live it will continue to grow.

The only way that we can conquer and kill this leprosy we call sin is for us to lay ourselves down before the Lord and ask him to wash away all our sins.  If you declare him as Lord He will come into your heart and wash the sin and leprosy in our lives.

 

Week 6, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

When Hell Becomes Your Forwarding Address

Living outside human interaction is hell.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 74

Scripture Reading

“The Lord is close to the broken hearted and the oppressed.” Psalm 34:18

Have you ever faced something in your life that seemed to isolate you from the rest of the world?  Whether it was a loved one’s death, an incurable disease, news of an adulterous spouse, a child involved in drugs; the pain and the trauma of it pushes you away from being able to interact with life. Did you fee like you could see the community, but you just couldn’t participate in it?

Welcome to Gehazi’s hell! The moment Gehazi appeared in daylight with full-blown leprosy, it was as if his forwarding address had become “hell.”  As a result, Gehazi was banned from cohabiting with the living because he was seen as the living dead.  Gehazi was previously a man that lived in high esteem.  Now, because of his leprosy his forwarding address changed from the prophet’s house to outside the city walls!

When a member of a community contracted leprosy, they were put outside of the city; away from the village, separated from any camp occupied by “normal people”. They were “dead men walking” and nobody wanted to join their club.

Perhaps you feel as if everyone pities you from a distance, but no one can step in and bear your pain along with you. They only stare at you from a “safe” distance.

Although you may have become unreachable to society, Jesus can meet you right at your pain.  That’s what he does best. He steps beyond the boundaries of human limitations to walk into your hell and raise you to life again. What an awesome God we serve! He will go through the trials over again just to help you through it. All you have to do is ask and trust that he is Lord of your life!

Week 7, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Identify Yourself: Unclean, Unclean!

Loneliness itself is a disfiguring condition.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 75

Scripture Reading
My God, My God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? Psalm 22:1

Do you feel alone, disfigured, and dishonored in your pain? Is life and joy draining from your personality? Welcome to Gehazi’s hell, the neighborhood where dying is actually easier than living.

That is what leprosy does. It isolates, disfigures, and destroys you. Not only do you die, but you die alone. And you die a disfiguring and painful death.

With each passing day, the disabling effects of neuropathy (death of the nerves) continue to aggressively advance from the extremities of the toes and fingers toward the heart.

The curse of numbness robs it victims of freedom, independence, and the ability to interact with the world around them. We even see this curse attacking the souls of our Prozac society, inducing a paralyzing, and crippling numbness of spirit-producing an unfeeling, uncaring, numb nation.

This leprosy attitude seems to be spreading. We feel all alone, pushed in a corner, like no one understands, when maybe God is pulling us away from people to be closer to Him. He hasn’t forsaken you-maybe you just refuse to let loneliness be a good thing.

 

Week 7, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Is There A Way Out Of Dead Situations?

What Do You Do When Your Mail Is Forwarded To Hell?

Scripture Reading

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Have you ever felt such pain in your life that you felt as if your present address was hell? Have you wondered whether dying would actually be easier than living? (It isn’t!)

There is One who can show you the way out.

It reminds me of a scene in a movie about the life of Mahatma Gandhi, the late East Indian leader. One scene in particular captures the power of what you are about to discover through Gehazi’s life.

A political bloodbath drives Gandhi to conduct a public hunger strike to the death unless the Muslims and the Hindus make peace between themselves.

Although Gandhi was a Hindu, he conducted the hunger strike in the home of a Muslim in Calcutta. He is so weak and emaciated that his friends fear he is dying. The Muslim governor of Bengal, who helped incite the bloody religious riots in Calcutta, is so repentant (and afraid of losing such a famous and powerful leader on his watch) that he is willing to do all he can to help.

Then a group of would-be rioting Hindu murderers walk in and surrender their weapons. The wildest looking of them all bursts in and almost throws bread on Gandhi. “Here! Eat!” he shouts. “I am going to hell; but I do not with to have your death on my soul!”

Gandhi feebly whispers to him, “Only God decides who goes to hell. Tell me, who do you say you are going to hell?”

“I killed a [Muslim] small child! I dashed his head against the wall because they killed my little one.”

Gandhi says, “I will tell you a way out of hell: You find a Muslim child whose parents have been killed. Then you and you wife bring him up as your own.”

With a look of disbelief on his face the Hindu man solemnly bends low to touch Gandhi’s feet with his forehead before leaving without another word.

One greater than Gandhi said:

“I know a way out of hell.”

This leader, teacher philosopher, and Savior didn’t simply lead us on a tortuous path of “self-enlightenment.” He broke open a door where there was no door by laying down His life at death’s dead end. He rose again and destroyed the power of death and sin forever.

 

Week 7, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

“He’s Back” and “He’s Back”

Have you ever said to yourself, “I’ll be back” or “I shall return”?
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 80

Scripture Reading
”You are from God and have overcome…for greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

Have you ever found yourself caught with “both hands in the cookie jar?” 

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, found himself in this unpleasant situation.  He stole money and possessions from Naaman for selfish gain, and was caught red handed.  Elisha then pronounced swift judgment on Gehazi, reducing him to a life of pain, isolation, and hopelessness. 

How many times in life do we find ourselves in Gehazi’s situation?  We’ve blown it and are faced with hopelessness and private pain.  Our future appears to be one of loneliness and heartache.  It is during these times that hope is hard to find, and the thought of a comeback is too good to be true.” 

Gehazi suddenly drops off the scene.  And then suddenly, three chapters later, Gehazi is back!  As quickly as he disappeared, he returned!  And not only did he return, but in a greater state than before!  The Bible tells us that Gehazi was now in the king’s court and had royal status!  The king confided in Gehazi!

“How could this happen,” we might ask.  “Wasn’t he banished to a life of incurable leprosy?”  Yes, according to Levitical law and prophetic decree he was, but with God, “It ain’t over till it’s over!”

God loves to take the impossible and make it the possible.  He loves to take individuals who have fallen, brush them off, clean them up, and restore them!  He wants to do that with you and me. 

I’m sure Gehazi said to himself, “I’ll be back.”  And sure enough, he was!  God is not finished with you.  He wants to reach down and restore you “back”.  It is His specialization, and He has been binding up the broken hearted for years!

 

 

Week 7, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

God Loves a Great Mystery

Why should we be surprised to find a “surprised ending” in the bible?
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 82-85

Scripture Reading
For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’
Isaiah 46:9-10

 

Perhaps God loves a great mystery.  I read somewhere that He even called the gospel of Jesus Christ – His grand plan to restore humanity- a “great mystery.”

The secret to the art of crafting a good mystery is the skillful presentation and management of time and events.  How do you tell part of a story while carefully withholding and concealing the dramatic climax for the very end?

We see examples in countless celebrated classics, modern novels, short stories, and award-winning motion pictures.  They begin a story at or very near the end- usually when things look the worst.  Then they jump back-ward in time to tell the story forward to its final dramatic conclusion.  Only then do all of the pieces come together for maximum impact.

The Author of our existence used the technique long before human civilization existed. He said, “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient time things that are not yet done.”

Why should we be surprised to find a “ surprise ending” in the Bible? The Book of Life is filled with them.  Let’s take a look at one, the Shunammite woman. She and her husband blessed the prophet Elisha with open hospitality.  He regularly spent the night in the prophet’s chamber that they had attached to their house exclusively for his use.  She was well connected financially and politically so she didn’t need any material or political favors.  When the prophet sought to know what need the woman might need the only thing he could find is that she was childless. She is childless in a society that defined women by the ability to bear children. 

While looking back over a lifetime of memories, she concluded that she was at the end of her story.  She pondered the question, “Who will carry on my and my husband’s legacy?” The prophet acted on what he saw and prophesied that the childless Shunammite woman would have a son at about the same time the following year.  The woman’s response was essentially “Don’t tease me.”  The son was born exactly as promised.  God was seeing the end before she had a beginning.  The mystery of the story is this: Why didn’t he give her a son in the beginning, or even in the middle of her life? Why did he wait to what seemed like the end?

Do you find yourself at a stage in life that looks like the end?  Are you staring back at a lifetime of mistakes, and doubts?

Every great mystery has an “aha!” moment after the climax.  God’s “aha!” moment for you is simply the knowledge that God can provide new beginnings to the “dead ends” you encounter in life.  This is where you find your greatest comeback.  This is the season of seeing dreams come true.

Week 7, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Just a little Extra!

It's not enough to receive a miracle, Preserve what you receive!
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 86

Scripture Reading
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” -2 John 1: 6

In Louisiana there is a French phrase for “something extra.” It's called “lagniappe” (lán-yap). When you go to the store to buy something in the Cajun country of South Louisiana, they often give you an extra—you just received a little lagniappe . If you purchase a dozen eggs, then for a little lagniappe, the grocers or storekeepers will give you one extra egg. (This old French custom from the days of the Louisiana Purchase is very similar to the English custom of a “baker's dozen,” where a baker may throw in 13 donuts or rolls instead of just 12.)

When Elisha found out the Shunammite woman's son died, he threw his staff to Gehazi. He told him to run ahead to the woman's house and lay the staff on the dead boy's body, but nothing that Gehazi did seemed to work. The prophet's staff was powerless in the faithless servant's hands. Gehazi had to be frustrated.

Once Elisha arrived and heard Gehazi's report of failure, he locked himself in the room with the dead boy. He prayed for the boy twice—the first time, the boy's body warmed up, and the second time, he sneezed seven times and was restored to full health.

Once he healed and raised the boy from the dead through the power of God, Elisha added a little something extra.

After Elisha raised the boy from the dead, for a little lagniappe, he told the boy's mother, “By the way, you need to take your family and move out of town for a while. A terrible famine is coming to Israel. You can come back safely in seven years.”

Why would Elisha add this advice? What would you do if God used you to raise that boy from the dead, and you knew he would probably face death again through starvation?

    Sometimes you have to apply unprecedented effort to preserve what God has given you. That truth often just doesn't register with some people who get blessed or have something restored to them by God.

Let me ask you this: If God raised your son or daughter from the dead and then said, “You need to leave here for seven years,” would you take the risk to come back in six years and nine months? I believe the Shunammite woman and her son returned to Israel exactly seven years later.

Do you wish to receive a miracle from God? Are you willing to step out of your situation and “come— back” to your first love?

God has a miracle in store for you. It is a father's nature to give sacrificially to his son. God is no different! He wants to bless you exceedingly and abundantly more than you can even imagine. Once you receive your miracle, however, it is up to you to preserve it and protect it.

Week 7, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Restoration
Mysterious Reappearance

Aren't you supposed to be hanging out in hell?
The Ultimate Comeback Pg 88-89

Scripture Reading
I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?
- Psalms 6:3

The King held all legal authority in his hand, so the Bible tells us that the Shunammite woman and her son sought an audience with him over their squatter problem. The prophet made a promise, and they wanted their land back.

When the women and her son arrived at the King's Palace, she saw Elisha's servant Gehazi telling about the great works of the prophet Elisha. Gehazi told the King about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked into the room!

Most people who read these passages quickly notice the amazing “coincidence,” that this woman and her son would walk into the throne room at the exact moment Gehazi was telling their story to the King. It is amazing timing, but it was no coincidence. Yet, that is not what caught my attention.

What I found baffling was the sudden appearance of the “Mysterious Missing Man from Hell.” How did Gehazi show up again in the biblical narrative? I thought he had been relegated to a leprous excommunication! In fact, it's possible that by now, seven years later, Gehazi could have been dead!

The last time we heard about Gehazi, he was tangled up in the nets of pride and greed, while illicitly receiving silver and garments from grateful Naaman the Syrian, who was healed of leprosy. He was a condemned felon! He was supposed to be hanging out in hell, not in a king's palace. It was part of his life sentence, administered through the prophet Elisha (a prophet who was still very much alive).

If you were a leper in Jewish society in Elisha's day, then you were not going to enter the king's court. And you could just forget about entering the king's presence. You wouldn't even get past the city gate, in most instances.

Remember, lepers were considered ritually unclean, and therefore dead, in ancient Jewish societies . You would be treated like the walking dead, doomed to live out your disfigured existence in enforced isolation.

If you have leprosy, you are not going to be whispering in the ear of the King of Israel . There were laws against that sort of thing.

Obviously, something happened to orchestrate Gehazi's escape from leprosy and his unhappy home in hell! How could a leper hang out with a king? How could he be restored from destruction? We had written him off!

Perhaps some have done the same to you. Perhaps you feel like those you love have given up on you. Gehazi was tossed out of his home, away from friends and family, to live outside the city gates, but he returned once again to be with the King. God will bring you back inside the city once again! God will restore your life. He did it for Gehazi!

Week 7, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Fullness of Time

The Ultimate Comeback Pg 90

Scripture Reading

“And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king. "Look, my lord!" Gehazi exclaimed. "Here is the woman now, and this is her son--the very one Elisha brought back to life!” "Is this true?" the king asked her. And she told him that it was. So he directed one of his officials to see to it that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence”- Second Kings 8:3-6

After seven years away from her home, the mother and her son, who was raised from the dead walked into the palace at the same exact time that Gehazi was telling the King about the life of the prophet Elisha.

Doesn't it seem a little strange to you that this mother and son duo shows up in Gehazi's life, before he gets leprosy, then they reappear seven years and one famine later?

Exactly what happened to link their lives so closely? How can we explain this “coincidental” drop-in visit, seven years to the day from the prophet's revelation, and at the very moment Gehazi is rehearsing a story with that same mother and son as the main stars?

This marks the place where the Divine Author steps back in time to establish a digression in plot. God took us backward so He could tell the story forward to some mysterious divine conclusion.

In this case, God set up the scene for the arrival of mother and son at the “fullness of time.” At the exact moment, literally , when the lips of the leper-turned-court advisor completed the story of the miracle of the mother and her son, they suddenly walked into the King's court!

It was SEVEN years since Gehazi has even seen the mother and son, yet, at the exact time he spoke of them; God placed the couple into his life once again!

Week 8, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

He's Back!

Hell just announced an escape!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 90-91

Scripture Reading
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."- Luke 20:38

 

The due date for the delivery of God's promise came when Gehazi mysteriously resurfaced from the depths of leprosy with new life and fresh favor. Somehow this man went from serving the prophet to serving the King. We know that much, but there are at least seven years of shrouded mystery to unravel before we can connect the two points.

Something happened that was powerful enough to transport Gehazi from hobbling with lepers in earthly hell to hobnobbing with a King in the royal palace of Israel ! Somehow, sometime during those dark days and years of hell on earth, God set the stage for Gehazi's miracle comeback. And this one looks like an ultimate turnaround of true biblical proportions. How did God do it?

This reminds me of another time and another mystery. On this occasion, everyone involved in the story was confident the condemned man was down for the count. He could never come back—all of the “i's” were dotted , all of the “t's” crossed.

The Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes knew their stuff—this man had been convicted of blasphemy and turned over to the Roman executioners. His fate was sealed—and for good measure, they sealed His tomb too.

Everything that could be done had been done. Their greatest enemy was now their greatest trophy. His body was wrapped in the grave, and all hope of His kingdom coming was over. Then it happened.

Hell's broken gates and death's shattered grip announced an escape! And Heaven announced, “He's back!” No one knew how it happened or how He did it. But Hell knew the party was over. Jesus was alive again! He's back!

The words, “He's back!” sum up what we know about Gehazi. This begs the question, “How did he get ‘back'?” How did he make such an ultimate and unlikely comeback? Is this kind of miracle turnaround available for everybody? Can you turn such a bad night into a good day?

The answer is Yes!

God provided an ultimate comeback for both Gehazi and His own Son, Jesus! If you have accepted Jesus, you are now in His family. What does that mean? It means that we are now sons and daughters of creation's Father. In God, we are joint heirs with Jesus! Did you get that? We don't just get the leftovers or the hand-me-downs of Jesus; we get the same exact quality as He does!

God has already planned your comeback. If God provided a way for His Son to come back from the grave, God has made a way for you, His child, to turn back to an abundant life in Him.

Week 8, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

What happens after… ?

God Does His Best Work In Secret
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 94-95

Scripture Reading
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”- Revelations 21:7

During my search for answers to the life of Gehazi, the Lord seems to continually bring a favorite biblical character into my mind— Esther.

God has revealed a mysterious ability to do His best work in secret. Esther decided to take action against her enemy, Haman. She prepared an elaborate banquet for the King to set the stage for her petition. Despite all her efforts nothing worked, so Esther invited the King and Haman to another banquet the following night. But nothing worked in Esther's favor... It was going to be a very bad night.

When they all went home after that final night's banquet, I don't think any of them slept. The Bible states definitely, “On that night could not the king sleep.”

Perhaps you have had sleepless nights watching circumstances align themselves against you on your job, in your marriage, with your children, or in your finances. You did everything you knew how to do. You went to church, prayed, knelt at the altar and stayed longer that anyone else. You gave more in the offering, you fasted, and you did everything you felt you needed to do.

As you can see, you are not alone.

Faith is not really tested during a worship service, while you are in the presence of the King. Your faith will be tested after the service. It's what you do after church, after salvation, after you've done everything and apparently nothing has changed.

In Esther's situation, after she risked her life to enter the presence of the King unbidden, her enemy still existed— his powers intact, his plans proceeding. He was ready to execute legalized murder against every Jewish person in the Persian Empire .

On “that night,” the one where no one slept, everything that Esther knew could be done had been done. She simply had to wait on the Lord and cast her cares on Him. God made a way for Esther, and He will make a way for you as well. After you have done everything you can, God will step in and do the rest. Decide now to walk head first into your destiny!

Week 8, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Devine Insomnia

Reward delayed is not reward denied.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 95-97

Scripture Reading
“O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”
- 2 Chronicles 14:11

On that night… no one in the Palace could sleep. Not a single person. Esther tossed and turned, alternating between prayers of desperation and unsuccessful attempts at sleep while Haman happily engineered the demise of Mordecai. Meanwhile, the Bible tells us, “On that night could not the King sleep.”

Perhaps due to divine insomnia, the King asked for someone to read the court records. As the servant droned on and on, something of great significance interested the King. His attention was suddenly jarred by a paragraph describing the deeds of a royal scribe named Mordecai. This man had learned of a plot, hatched by two of his own bodyguards, to assassinate the King.

The King asked, “What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?” When he learned that nothing had been done, the King acted immediately.

What an interesting discovery! What do kings do when they can't sleep? They check the records.

You may be enduring a bad night or perhaps a bad week, my friend, but take heart. Just because you are enduring a sleepless season, that doesn't mean we have a snoring King. The Bible says, “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” When you face a “that night” crisis that robs you of sleep, remember that your King is fully awake as well.

And what do kings do when they cannot sleep? They check the records. Reward delayed is not reward denied.

While Esther tossed and turned, her King checked the records and discovered Mordecai's good deed. The next thing we know, the King was no longer checking the records; he had shifted his focus to planning Mordecai's reward!

Do you toss and turn at the possibility of the impending doom of your tomorrows?

 

After it's been “one of those nights” and you're left with little hope of improvement, God has stayed up all night to devise your victory! Always remember that the plans made in secret will be revealed in public.

Week 8, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

You're Still Here

I watched as the hurricane hit-not someone else's home, but- my home!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 98-99

Scripture Reading
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” – Psalms 107:29

Just when you think that you've had enough- something else comes in to make it worse.

As a resident of Louisiana, I remember a night like that. In the fall of 2005, I breathed a personal sigh of relief when Hurricane Katrina skirted our city. Needless to say, my sigh of relief was short-lived. Only a few weeks later, Katrina's wicked twin sister, Hurricane Rita, visited our state. On this occasion, her aim was a little more direct and her reach extended farther inland. I remember “that night” when Hurricane Rita hit my house. I watched as the hurricane hit— not someone else's home, but my home!

It's one thing to watch, through the small window of a television, the devastation being wreaked on other people's homes. But when the hurricane hits your house, then your bedroom window replaces the “electronic window!”

The devastation left by Hurricane Rita remained long after her winds of destruction subsided. Likewise, although the storms have passed in your life, the problem often remains. Hurricanes leave deep footprints that often take a long time to erase.

For Esther, the name of her hurricane was Haman. For me, the name of my hurricane that night was Rita. I don't know the name of your hurricane. It could be depression, or divorce, or cancer, or the loss caused by unexpected job layoffs.

When these hurricanes come, you have to remember one important fact:

You are still here.

Satan may have tried to take you out. You may be in a weakened condition, but you're still here!

Week 8, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

You're Still Here

I watched as the hurricane hit-not someone else's home, but- my home!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 98-99

Scripture Reading
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” – Psalms 107:29

Just when you think that you've had enough- something else comes in to make it worse.

As a resident of Louisiana, I remember a night like that. In the fall of 2005, I breathed a personal sigh of relief when Hurricane Katrina skirted our city. Needless to say, my sigh of relief was short-lived. Only a few weeks later, Katrina's wicked twin sister, Hurricane Rita, visited our state. On this occasion, her aim was a little more direct and her reach extended farther inland. I remember “that night” when Hurricane Rita hit my house. I watched as the hurricane hit— not someone else's home, but my home!

It's one thing to watch, through the small window of a television, the devastation being wreaked on other people's homes. But when the hurricane hits your house, then your bedroom window replaces the “electronic window!”

The devastation left by Hurricane Rita remained long after her winds of destruction subsided. Likewise, although the storms have passed in your life, the problem often remains. Hurricanes leave deep footprints that often take a long time to erase.

For Esther, the name of her hurricane was Haman. For me, the name of my hurricane that night was Rita. I don't know the name of your hurricane. It could be depression, or divorce, or cancer, or the loss caused by unexpected job layoffs.

When these hurricanes come, you have to remember one important fact:

You are still here.

Satan may have tried to take you out. You may be in a weakened condition, but you're still here!

Week 8, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The Sun Will Come Out….

“On that day…”
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 99-100

Scripture Reading
“His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning!” -Psalms 30: 5

What would happen if we stood firm in our faith? What could we overcome if we knew that God was taking us through a process to prepare us for victory in the future?

Often, in the midst of our circumstances, we see the proverbial handwriting on the wall that seems to tell us that our demise is coming. We seem to say, “If tonight is a ‘bad night,' then tomorrow looks to be a ‘worse day'!”

On Esther's bad night, Haaman was planning to kill her Uncle Mordecai, and her hopes of restoration for her people the very next morning. While she lay helpless in her bed in the palace, he was out constructing the instrument of her demise!

What Esther did not know was though Haman might not be sleeping, neither could the King. “On that night could not the king sleep….” Even as Haman happily engineered Mordecai's execution, the sleepless King checked the records and discovered Mordecai's good deeds.

God always checks the records, and He always plans a reward. Remember, when Haman's plans collide with the King's plans, what the King has planned in private often is revealed in public.

The secret plans of the palace trumped the public construction of Haman's gallows. “That night …” is not the end of the story.

Esther 6:1 begins with, “On that night ….”

But Esther 8:1 begins with, “On that day ….”

It is not always a bad night; often, it just seems like a bad night. A bad night can turn into a good day if faith has not wavered. You may feel as if you've been going through a bad week or a bad month, but remember: Your King is still awake! “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” !

Week 8, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Your Enemy is the King's Enemy

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 102

Scripture Reading
“Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.” - Psalms 140:9

In one night, “the man whom Haman plotteth to kill” had become “ the man whom the king delighteth to honor.” Ancient wisdom has always dictated that when a man is a friend of a king, then his enemies become the king's enemies. The value of Haman's political stock was crashing through the floor. This was the beginning of Haman's end, and the end of Esther and Mordecai's beginning .

Haman's bad day was about to get much, much worse. No only had he found himself on the south end of the King's honor roll, but he had that small problem of a towering gallows in his yard—the one he built for Mordecai.

After the parade, Mordecai returned in unprecedented honor to the King's gate. Haman, on the other hand, covered his head in shame and returned to his front door as if he were in a funeral procession. Just as he finished canceling his celebration party and bemoaning his sorrow to shocked family and friends, the King's bodyguards arrived to personally escort the bleary-eyed official to the banquet with the Queen. This was the banquet he had planned to attend happily, unencumbered with Mordecai's continued existence.

I can imagine Haman's face as he approached Esther's banquet, head down and full of shame. God had completely transformed what he intended to do for evil, to good! God can shame our enemies just as He did Esther's!

God can make your enemies powerless against you. Once God has given you favor, there is nothing that Satan or anyone else can do to harm you. God is waiting for you to offer Him your obedience as you go through a storm. The moment He has that, He will give you victory!

Week 9, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

In One Moment!

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 102-104

Scripture Reading
“Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!” – Psalms 3:7

When the Queen's guests were fully satisfied with her banquet fare, the King asked Queen Esther once again to tell him what she would not reveal the night before; “What is your petition?” Neither the King nor Haman was prepared for her answer.

“…if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

“For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss.”

This was Esther's moment. Her good day spilled over into an exceptionally good night!

And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

When Esther pointed to Haman, the King grew so angry that he had to leave the room…and he looked for his bodyguards in the meantime.

Only the night before, Haman planned to solve his problems by hanging Mordecai on a specially built gallows in his own backyard. But on that night, the King's bodyguard mentioned the gallows to the King and explained that it was built for Mordecai's execution, so the King used Haman's instrument of execution to solve his problem . He ordered that Haman be hung in his own backyard on the same specially built gallows he'd personally designed for Mordecai!

Haman spent a lifetime—even if it turned out to be a short one—accumulating wealth, possessions, and land. In one moment, at the King's command, everything evil Haman owned transferred to Esther. Then Esther delivered control of all of Haman's hoarded wealth to his most hated enemy—Mordecai.

Sometimes we grow depressed watching our enemy accumulate things, but could it be that according to the King's plans, the enemy is not accumulating for himself? What if he is simply accumulating and taking care of your things until it is your turn ?

od provided for Esther; He can do it for you! He used the instrument that Haman built to kill Mordicai, to kill him! God will use the traps that your enemies set to destroy them. You have a God, who is in control. Nothing can ever escape His reach. God has promised His loyalty to you!

Week 9, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

29/29 Vision

God Works the Night Shift
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 105-106

Scripture Reading
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever…” Deuteronomy 29:29

Did you know that God works the night shift?

On “that night” for Esther and countless Jews living under the power of the Persian Empire , things looked bad, as if it where the beginning of the end. Needless to say, they discovered God's working hours the following day.

We are talking about a God who created the world in just one day. Just imagine what might happen if He were to stay up all night? He crafts comebacks and miraculous turnarounds even while we toss and turn in despair over our circumstances. God has the final say, and He does His best work in secret.

Even if you have 20/20 vision, you cannot see what is going on in heaven's throne room. You can't see into the dark unknown. But God has “29/29” vision! We can see this in today's scripture.

God can work in the dark—in fact he does His best work in our darkest times. Surely he can change your “bad night” into a good day—He did it for Esther. He will do it for you! Remember Esther chapter 8 begins with the words, “On that day…”? One of the last verses of chapter 8 of Esther states: “The Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day”!

Did you read that? “A good day.” Now, lets go write the end of your story.

Week 9, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The Anointing of God

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 106

Scripture Reading
“ Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'”-1 Cor. 15:33

How does God provide restoration for an ultimate comeback? Although, we may not know everything, we do know something. God restores the inward person before the outward person.

Lets take a look at Samson.

Samson had all of the outward characteristics of a hero and leader. He stared his career spectacularly and regularly humiliated his enemies, the Philistines. He made mockery of their best warriors and most elaborate plots to entrap him. Yet, from God's viewpoint, Samson was outwardly strong, but inwardly weak. Outward strength wasn't enough; He wanted to restore Samson's inward man.

Samson's weakness of character betrayed his God-given gift and derailed his spiritual calling. He dismissed God's warnings and freely crossed boundaries of safety and propriety. When Delilah betrayed him and cut off the seven locks of his long hair, it caused him to fall into the cruel hands of his enemies.

By some accounts, Delilah means “delicate.” I should add, “delicate, but dangerous.” Samson was a he-man with a she-weakness. A man's strong hands could not bring him down, but the “weak” hands of a woman trapped him.

When your outward talent is greater than your inward character, there is often a crash. Samson's crash was spectacular, but so was his restoration. We lean from his story that God restores the “inward man” before there is outward evidence.

his goes for you too! Your ultimate comeback begins inwardly before evidence is seen outwardly. Character is essential to living a successful life. The anointing of God can take you where you need to be, but your character will be what keeps you there. God is waiting for you to offer him everything—not just your problems. He wants to give you His best.

Week 9, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Samson's Grow-back Triggered His Comeback!

His internal desire became external strength with eternal consequence.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 107-108

Scripture Reading
“ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”- Philippians 1:21

Samson knows what it feels like to be set up for an ultimate comeback.

Samson sinned against God, he failed his nation, and he brought disrespect to his family. Now, day after day, even the lowest specimens of Philistine culture taunted and mocked the blind captive without fear.

  Unknown to his overconfident captors, the God who does His best work in secret heard Samson's humble cries of repentance. A surprise comeback had already been launched from heaven the day that hair began to grow back on the head of Israel's Nazarite champion. Samson's grow-back triggered his comeback! What was once dead in your soul can grow back.

As Samson's hair grew longer and time grew shorter, a surprise comeback was rising underneath the Philistines' noses. Samson's inner man was growing stronger than the outer man.

Finally, on what looked to be the worst day of a long unbroken string of bad days, Samson cried out to God in repentance. Three thousand Philistines gathered for a great feast and blind Samson was the entertainment for the lords and leaders of Philistine. They all pointed as they began to mock him and revel in their abuse of this once-feared Israelite warrior.

Perhaps no one but God noticed that when the Philistines chained Samson into position between the pillars, their old enemy looked much as he did in his heyday of power. Blind but with his hair now fully grown, Samson rededicated himself to the Lord. The stage was now set for a comeback!

When Samson said, “Let me feel for the pillars…,” the internal desire became external strength with eternal consequence. You have to feel it internally before you can do it externally.

While others may have given up and assumed that “ what had been ” would define “ what would be ,” Samson prayed a prayer of faith and humble desperation. After living a life of self-absorption and self-gratification, Samson was now totally focused on destroying the enemies of his people. If it cost him his life, it meant nothing.

It reminds me of something someone else said one time, someone who became a champion of God: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Week 9, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Lift your hands up and “Shout”

When the logos speaks a rhema, He gets specific.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 109-110

Scripture Reading
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” - John 11:43

Samson knows what it feels like to be set up for an ultimate comeback.

In countless tongues and cultural settings, preachers, teachers, and people in trouble have rehearsed the word that Jesus shouted at the tomb imprisoning Lazarus's cold body: “Lazarus, come forth!”

With the shout that shook hell and the grave, Jesus rescued His friend from death and gave early notice that a visitor was coming to hell itself. Lazarus was a common name at the time. But a rhema word kept every other buried Lazarus in Israel for coming out of the tomb. When the Logos speaks a rhema, He gets specific: “ This if for you, Lazarus.”

Think of the impact of the Lord's command in terms of “one buried grain of wheat named Lazarus.” He spoke to that one grain of wheat. I can't speak for everybody, but He can speak to you!

Where are you today? Has your husband walked out on you and your kids? Lost your job? Did the doctor state that the lump is cancer? Does the Bible seem like just pages in a book, not the inspired word of God?

He can speak the rhema word into your life today and everything will change. Your husband does a one eighty and returns to you and your children. Your new job has better pay and benefits. Your body is healed. When He speaks oceans roar and mountains fall down.

Week 9, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Dead Zone

How do you return from the Dead Zone of Failure?
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 110-111

Scripture Reading
“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent” – Job 22:23

What has to happen for you to comeback from despair?
Who has the answer?

The Bible is full of these comeback answers! Lets look at the story of John Mark.

We learn of John Marks miserable failure early in the Book of Acts and how he was rejected as unworthy for missionary service by one of the church’s most respected and powerful missionaries.

John Mark failed miserably as a member of his uncle’s ministry team early in church history. He was chosen to accompany Barnabus and Paul on their first ministry trip, but “chickened” out and quit the team under the pressures and challenges of the mission field. He abandoned Barnabus and Paul and returned home alone early; leaving the two apostles to forge on without him. (Don’t the Scriptures say something about one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back?)

The apostles completed their journey with historic results and ultimately returned home. Some time later, while planning another major apostolic trip to Gentile lands, Barnabus wanted to take along John Mark again, but Paul wouldn’t have it.

John Mark’s failure made such a deep Mark on Paul that he refused to take the guy on the trip, even if it meant he had to go without Barnabus! John Mark hadn’t merely failed; he dug his own grave and climbed in.

What we don’t know is how John Mark returned from the “dead zone” of failure. How is it that he was named as one of the only faithful men to stand by the same man who had rejected him—at the end of that apostle’s life?

It is clear to us how and where John Mark failed. Paul’s distrust for the nephew of Barnabus is unmistakable—even with the passage of time. Anyone looking on would say it was permanent. (And it appears that up to that point, John Mark gave no evidence that anything changed.)

Sometimes what you need is a loved one who won’t turn loose. It was a loved one named Barnabus (the son of consolation) who “couldn’t turn loose of a failure” that contributed to John Mark’s turnaround. They just can’t let you drown in the sea of your own mistakes.

So at the very end of Paul’s life, it was to John Mark that he appealed. Once again, we do not know what happened in the hidden years between John Mark’s failure and his faithful stand with Paul at the end of his ministry. Yet something had to have happened to change a failure into a success, a coward into a hero.

You can have a turnaround like John Mark.  Perhaps you know of a close friend or family member who refuses for you to settle less than your potential. Perhaps you have messed up and you have a reputation as a loser.

John Mark was an outcast in Paul’s book, but he somehow found good graces for Paul to have such high favor of him at the end of his life.

Week 9, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Flip On the Switch!

Are you “in the dark?”
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 112

Scripture Reading
“Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved” – Psalm 80:4

Wouldn’t you like to see a tsunami of restoration transform your situation so completely that everybody will notice the change? Would you like to hear people say, “The last time I saw you, things weren’t going so well. Just look at you now! Tell me, how did this happen?”

That might not be you now; you may still be “in the dark.” If so, take heart. When God gets ready to restore, He does His best work in the dark!

Let me give you an example. When God was ready to do the work of redemption at the Cross, He flicked the “off” switch on the sun and caused darkness to come on the earth. It was as if He was saying, “What I am about to do is so incredible, that you will never understand it or properly handle it without My help. So I am just going to turn out the lights.” (He turns out the lights so no one can say, “I saw it all, I understand everything.”)

At this point, all I can tell you is that sometimes God does His best work in secret. When you are in a prison of despair, God is often setting the stage for a pardon! You just don’t know it. And others might not know it either.

Perhaps you know what it is like to be living in isolation, just trying to survive in the wilderness of failure, in the desert place of unendurable pain and hurt. Then it happens; somehow, you don’t know exactly what or how it happened, but suddenly you are on the path to restoration!

Week 10, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Why not now?

Don’t let your past dictate your future.
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 112-113

Scripture Reading
“But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.”
–Isaiah 44:1

You may feel you’ve made such serious mistakes in your own life that you are living under a curse permanently. If God can restore Gehazi, then He can restore you! But let me warn you:

Don’t you let your past dictate your future.

Gehazi had seven years to relive each detail of his life. He must have struggled to keep life in his limbs and hope in his heart. It is almost guaranteed that he scratched incessantly at his itching body.

Can you conceive of the sorrow Gehazi endured in those long pain-filled nights? Every hidden motive leading to his downfall haunted his dreams. Every waking thought was filled with the loneliness of his cursed existence!

He believed he was living a nightmare of sorrow that could only end in death and darkness, yet there was a learning process going on.

Gehazi was taught the lesson, but he didn’t listen! He was taught the lesson about the power of repentance when the leprosy of Naaman was taken away. Naaman repented of his arrogance, went, dipped, and was made whole.

Could it be that Gehazi spent seven years in contrition and repentance because he didn’t learn “the lesson of seven dips”?

Week 10, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Could it be…?

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 113-114

Scripture Reading
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
–2 Corinthians 3:18

How many people are waiting for their ship to come in? I’ve always said, with my luck, when my ship comes in, I’ll be at the airport.  What a tragedy that would be!

Too often we don’t take time for our recovery to occur. We want restoration, and we want it now! We want God to let us in on the exact moment we will be restored, but if He chooses not to, as He often does, we get offended.

Don’t get caught up in the timeline of your recovery—focus on obedience.  Some people recover so quickly that we might call them “seven-dip wonders.”  Don’t trip over the snare of jealousy, rejoice with them and learn from their lessons.

Perhaps you feel more like the people who recover slowly—sometimes you wonder if you ever break free!  Allow God to have His way.  Recovery is in the making—whether or not you can explain it or accurately anticipate its arrival.

Because we are allowed to peek through the window of the Scriptures to see “the end from the beginning” in Gehazi’s life, we know that somehow God would prepare this prophet’s ex-servant for an undeserved and unexpected second chance.

Week 10, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Life as Normal?

Sometimes life gets so difficult that you feel as if you are on life support...
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 117-118

Scripture Reading
“Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also.”
–2 Kings 7:3-4

After reading today’s scripture you might ask yourself, “What famine are these lepers talking about?” Could this be the famine that the prophet spoke of to the Shunammite woman? It is in the right place. Elisha told her, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the LORD has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.”

That would explain why somewhere near the end of that seven-year famine, we find these four lepers sitting outside the city gate of Samaria debating among themselves, “If we go in the city we’ll die there, but if we sit here, we’ll die here.”

As if seven long years of near-starvation and lack weren’t enough, Syria returned to its old tricks and launched a military siege of Samaria. By surrounding the city and shutting off what little food was making its way to the people, the siege produced a situation that was unbearable.

By this time, even the “normal” people inside the fortified city were starving. If the desperation and hunger inside the walls was out of control, then outcast lepers who lived outside the walls were really in trouble.

In the best of times, they survived on the trash thrown outside of the city, with supplemental food left by family members or other generous people inside the city. These were terrible times—even the trash had become too precious to discard.

Sometimes life gets so difficult that you feel as if you are on life support. Even the slightest problem or power outage could create a life crisis. If a person is literally on life support, then it’s all over if the power is interrupted for just a few moments.

This was worse than merely “life as normal” for the four lepers. They were at the bottom of the Samarian food chain—if the city was operating at the edge of total starvation, then hands-down they were the ones most likely to die during the famine. When “normal” people started depleting the city trash supply for survival, they essentially confiscated the lepers’ primary food supply.

Does your life ever feel like this?

Week 10, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Forward Motion

At Least I’ll Die Moving Forward!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 121-122

Scripture Reading
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it," when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.
–Isaiah 30:21

God is looking for people who have nothing to lose. He needs someone who understands what it is to say, “I’ll die if I stay here in my crisis; I’ll die if I try to go back into the mess I came from. So if I’m going to die, at least I’m going to die moving forward!”

The four forgotten lepers who huddled against the wall of a city that rejected them actually had a key role to play in God’s divine drama that day. Everything hinged on their ability and willingness to risk what little they had for what they might gain.

It almost seems as if something inside of those four hopeless lepers resonated with a silent message sent from heaven. Does God send signals of love, purpose, and direction to people who feel as if they are past hope? I think He does. His greatest signal, of course, was to send His only begotten Son.

God sends signals to us all the time. People who “have ears to hear” and “eyes to see” are sensitive enough in their spirits to hear those signals, but not everybody can perceive them. And many might refuse to act even if they understood the message.

In the physical realm, a wide variety of electromagnetic signals (radio signals) constantly pass through the atmosphere. It’s happening now—right where you sit, radio and television signals are in the air. You can’t see them, but if you have the proper receiver tuned in to the proper frequency, you can detect and decipher messages they are carrying.

If you have a cell phone and someone called you, then you could pick up those signals. If you have the proper radio, then you can pick up and listen to any FM, AM, or satellite radio signal passing by.

God was sending out signals about Israel through His prophets, but certain key people just refused to listen. He was saying, “I want to set the nation free and liberate My people from the Syrian army. I just need somebody to move. That king has a “heart” problem, and his general has a “hearing” problem. They were both set in place to lead and protect—it seems they believe they have too much to lose. Is anyone listening down there?”

Are you listening to the signals that God is sending out? Is you mind telling you that what you have is too important to give up? 

Week 10, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

God’s March!

Your weakness is stronger than your enemy’s strength when God amplifies it!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 123-124

Scripture Reading
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”
–Isaiah 43:2

Those lepers had decided that at the very least, a quick death is better than a slow one. It is interesting to me that when they started marching, apparently, so did God.

God was on the move! Often the only thing necessary to get God to move is for man to move first!

Since these men lived with leprosy for some time, their bodies were undoubtedly showing the strain. The famine hadn’t helped things either. They must have been emaciated, weak, and unsteady on their feet. Even the act of clambering to their feet may have been a major challenge that left them breathless.

As they walked they realized that the further they went, the more resolved they felt. Their feet began to move together to a unified beat, and perhaps they began to pick up the pace. I think they could actually smell the food simmering in the Syrian pots long before they could see anything.

We've learned from the experience of Naaman, the leper, that God is waiting for an excuse to bless you. The obedience of the four lepers to their inner prompting linked with their risk-it-all attitude gave God the excuse He was looking for.

God could have used four nobles or five city elders, or a single king from Samaria, but He didn’t. He could have hand-chosen four Israeli Green Berets or Samarian SEALS—but none of them seemed to be listening that night. The only ones willing to step up were four lepers. And that was all He needed to break the enemy’s chokehold on the city.
The Bible tells us the four lepers started walking, and roughly during the same period the Syrians started hearing things…big things, loud things, sounds like warhorses and a mighty army of foot soldiers on the march.

Week 10, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Turn Up the Amplifier

Never underestimate the power of four limping lepers!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 124-125

Scripture Reading
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am strong."
–Joel 3:10

We have heard that as the four lepers walked toward the Syrian camp their enemies heard their steps and thought that it was a large army.  How can that happen?  How can the bloody feet of crippled lepers scare away a ferocious army?

This is what I suspect happened: God amplified the eight feet of those four determined lepers as they marched. Their path perhaps was marked with bloodstained footprints.

When God turns up the amplifier, He can make eight shuffling feet sound like an army. The enemy hears you coming—even in your weakness—if you have a “nothing-to-lose” attitude! The Bible says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Your weakness is stronger than your enemy’s strength when God amplifies it!

Can you hear God leaning over the ramparts of heaven and calling to His archangels, Michael and Gabriel:

“Hey boys, take the microphone down there to the road leading out of Samaria. Put it real close to the ground and amplify the sound of those feet. You know the ones, the bloody footprints marching toward My purposes. That rhythmic shuffle pleases Me—it is the music of obedience to Me. Turn it up—more—more! Let the earth shake with the glory of My praise! Let My enemies be scattered with the sound of eight obedient feet moving to do My will.”

The four lepers didn’t have a clue about the power of fear being loosed on the enemy. Step after step they moved toward God’s purposes. Soon they would witness its aftermath.

Week 11, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Bring out the Grill!

“If they kill me, they kill me.  But I refuse to let those lamb ribs burn on that grill!”
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 125-126

Scripture Reading
May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
–2 Thessalonians 3:5

Have you had enough?  Have you truly gotten to the point to say, I don’t care—I have to do this?

When the lepers reached the far outskirts of the vast sea of tents at the Syrian camp, they might have hesitated; half-convinced they would be arrow-shot on sight. They could smell the food cooking on hundreds of different cooking fires.

Perhaps the four chose the youngest and most mobile of the group to sneak up closer to the campfires and give a report. When he finally shuffled back to their hiding spot, he confirmed what their noses and growling bellies already told them.

The Syrians had some meat cooking on the barbecue grill—it looked like they had lamb on the menu that night. Maybe the campfires also had big batches of lentils simmering; the candles were lit to ward off the growing darkness of twilight. “I think everybody is eating right now—maybe they are all in their tents. No one was hanging around the campfires,” the scout said.

All four of these lepers were hungry--they hadn’t eaten anything in days, and they hadn’t eaten well since their diagnosis long ago, much less the seven-year famine. Once the scout made his report, the other three lepers became even more restless.

How long could they stand to stay hidden on the outskirts of the camp, only a matter of a few yards from the feast of their lives? They were at the point of starvation, and finally, they just couldn’t take it anymore. One of the lepers tells the others:

“You know, maybe they are sitting in their tents, and when we walk over there they just might shoot us in the back with arrows. Do we really care? At least we have a chance to get something to eat before we die.”

Then one of them must have said,

“Well you know what? I’m going to go in. If they kill me, they kill me. But I refuse to let those lamb ribs burn on that grill!”

You have to admit there are some admirable characteristics about these four lepers. For one thing, those four men came to the point where they said, “Enough is enough!”

Now, what will you sacrifice to get closer to your goals? These lepers realized that if they died, they would not be much worse off if they lived.  They decided that it was worth the risk of death, in order to get what they needed.

Week 11, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

March Toward the Promise

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 126-127

Scripture Reading
Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fullness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
–Psalm 16:11

Perhaps you have reached that point in life where you know you’ll lose only if you stay where you are and the way you are. You have nothing to lose, so why not put your hope in God? Start marching toward the promise. Tell yourself and anyone else who is listening, “If I’m going to die, at least I’m going to die going the right way. Why sit here till we die?”

“What good is it going to do if I go look for a job?”

“What good will it do to attempt to start over at my age?”

“What good will it do to keep on trying? My husband’s gone and the  children are out of control.”

“What good is it going to do if I write that letter and try to heal that relationship? I already know what they’re going to say. For years, they’ve said they don’t want to talk to me.”

This is what the story of the four lepers was about.  They were tired of sitting outside the city walls and dining on the meager scraps that no one else wanted.  When they saw their opportunity, they took it! They marched toward the promise of food by putting one bloody foot in the sand at a time.  They decided that they would rather die trying to improve than never try at all!

Take a lesson from some lepers who said, “Look, we are going to die here, or we are going to die there, so at least we should die moving in the right direction!”

There comes a time when you just have to make up your mind and do something. Draw a line in the sand! Make your stand! Declare out loud, “I am not going to run or turn away anymore. This time I am not going to back up.” Remember—when you are down to nothing, God is up to something!

Week 11, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Hear the Sound!

“We have a visitor!”
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 127-128

Scripture Reading
Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, And the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
–Job 37:2

Once the four lepers decided that they were going to pursue the promise, regardless of the risk, they began their journey!

When the four lepers started walking on the road from Samaria, there wasn’t anything special or magical about that road. And there was nothing unique about those lepers to frighten away the Syrian army—the enemy was frightened by the thundering sound of their faith and obedience! The enemy army retreated in fear as the lepers advanced in faith. The fight was finished before it started.

There was another time where one who many considered to be an unlikely hero, also left a trail of bloody footprints. They led from a city to the place of God’s highest purpose.

Those footprints of obedience stained the ground red with the sin of thousands of generations. But they shook the earth and ended in a twilight battle of the rejected against the rebellious. When that wounded Hero returned from the battlefield, He held captivity captive and carried with Him the keys to hell and death itself. He confiscated the keys from their previous owner.

That was when God drew a line in the sand and said, “It is finished,” and hell screamed, “We have a Visitor!”

Week 11, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Going The Wrong Way?

There is a first step to “the ultimate turnaround,” and it is simply to turn around…
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 127-128

Scripture Reading
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.”
–James 4:17

Did you know that U-turns are legal at every intersection of life? 

When we make a wrong turn in life, we often condemn ourselves and beat ourselves up over it.  But in reality, a wrong turn is simply an opportunity to turn around! 

Four lepers found themselves at this place in the Bible.  Although they were separated from civilization due to their leprosy, they chose to enter civilization anyway.  As they cautiously entered the city, much to their surprise they found it deserted.

“First they ate and drank.  Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it.  They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder.” – 2 Kings 7:8

The Bible says the lepers helped themselves to the free food and drinks, and then they helped themselves to the free silver, gold, and clothing.  They began to go from tent to tent gathering loot, taking a break only to hide everything from view.  A hoarding, hiding mentality is not the will of a sharing, caring God!

These lepers had made a wrong turn like we so often do.  They were hungry, cold, and exposed to the weather.  Their flesh got the better of them and they did the wrong thing.  Many of us are all too familiar with this!

But, as soon as the lepers hid their plunder, something incredible happened that still sends shivers up my spine thousands of years later.  One of them said, “We’re not doing right.”  Can you imagine how hard it must have been to stand up for the right thing?  Yet, a confession of “I’m guilty” always precedes a U-turn in life.  No matter how hard to it may be, to ever get out of a mess, you must do what you know is right!

Week 11, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Going The Wrong Way?

A Turn for the Worse
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 135-138

Scripture Reading
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence [comest thou], Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. And he said unto him, Went not mine heart [with thee], when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? [Is it] a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.
–2 Kings 5:25 – 27

Have you ever felt like giving up?  Has there been a time in your life when you felt hopeless?  Have you ever lost someone or something you love? If you have, don’t give up! Don’t lose hope. There is no problem too big for God to solve. If God can cleanse a leper, He can give you the strength to overcome any obstacle life may throw in your path!

What can you do when life suddenly takes a tragic turn for the worst?  Sometimes life deals us circumstances that change our world. Oftentimes we make decisions that lead to negative circumstances, but other times, things are simply out of our control.

We can learn a valuable lesson through examining the life of Gehazi. Gehazi was smitten with leprosy over one mistake! Because of one decision, his life was left without hope! There was no cure for leprosy in Gehazi’s time. To be a leper meant total isolation from everyone and everything!  He was labeled unclean, and sentenced to a life of hopelessness. What could Gehazi have done to deserve such a ruthless sentence?  He took a reward that he hadn’t earned.  He took a reward from Naaman, when Elisha, God’s prophet, instructed him not to do so. Gehazi disobeyed God and God’s prophet, and he took what wasn’t his in the first place!

When we walk in deliberant disobedience to God, we put ourselves in a vulnerable place.  Anytime we take credit for something that we didn’t do, or lie to protect our integrity, we’re doing the same thing Gehazi did. God isn’t waiting for us to mess up to smite us, but God does desire for us to Life for Him!  God desires us to strive to be closer to Him each and every day, and if we strive for Him, we’ll stay far from the mistakes Gehazi made.

Even if you are striving to be closer to God, and you’re doing your best to obey God, unfortunate things can still happen.  It rains on the just and the unjust.  It’s important to remember that God is merciful and He never leaves us or forsakes us, even in the difficult times! In hard times, it’s important to focus on overcoming your problems, and not allowing your problems to overcome you!

Week 11, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The “Put It Back” Principle

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 138-139

Scripture Reading
Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
–3 John 1:4

Any time you “take” anything out of God’s hands, He will let you have it. On the other hand, He will take care of anything that you put into His hand. There is a big difference between taking and receiving. If it is a gift from God, receive it with thanksgiving. If it is something reserved for the Lord, don’t touch it, claim it, covet it, manipulate it, or gain glory from it. Put it back! Pass the test! God is watching!

When Gehazi and his leprous sons took the food from the enemy’s camp, there was no preplanning or careful execution of a plot. Gehazi and his sons acted under the motivation of survival and desperation. Even though no one was looking, they still acted as if their theft was wrong. They hid their loot! From whom? They hid it from a guilty conscience, as if it would be taken from them if discovered.

If this had taken place in the climate of our culture today, I’m sure many would rush to argue the side of the lepers, citing their poverty and the extreme prejudice they endured. We want to justify our “I needed it” mentality and defend our “I needed it more than them” attitude. The problem is that this was a test leading to a second chance and a new beginning—one that was unexpected and that most people would say was undeserved.

Gehazi probably didn’t even know he was facing a test—just as you and I rarely perceive tests in our lives until later. One thing we should remember is that God is always interested in the heart, not in our high-sounding arguments or lengthy justifications.

Given the gift of failure seven years before, would this man, Gehazi, learn from his mistake and transform his failure into a new future? Would he successfully negotiate this test and enjoy a second chance?

Did you note what I said—“the gift of failure”? We often learn more from our failures than our successes.

Do you feel as if someone has stamped the word FAILURE on your life and closed the book?  Do you feel like you’re not even worthy of a second chance?

God is a God of second chances.  He allows us to fail our tests so that we may receive the lessons from our failures. I don’t think that you can expect to pass the test, but with God there is always a chance for a retest!

Week 11, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Lessons from Failure

Failure Is Often the Womb of Success
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 139-140

Scripture Reading
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
–John 16:33

Presumption never mixes well with destiny.

For Gehazi, on that dark night when he endured the trial of his soul, nothing was certain except his sentence of lifelong leprosy and an inner conviction that he would not make the same mistake twice.

Failure can be our best teacher, but many people don’t seem to realize it. For instance, one of the latest trends in some schools is to eliminate grades because of the possibility that failure may somehow permanently damage students.

History would say otherwise. I’ve studied and analyzed human events all of my life; it is part of my general fascination with history. Even a quick survey of the historical record reveals the prevailing wisdom of thousands of generations and civilizations on the subject: Failure is a master incentive for success. In fact, failure is often the womb of success!

Finishing well is our ultimate goal, but failure is often the first foundation stone we receive to help us reach that goal. The only thing about failure that is permanently damaging is the misconception that we are doomed to remain there.

God’s method shows up again and again in His Word. If you fail the test it doesn’t frustrate God, He has all the time in the world. It may take a little extra time, but in due season He will bring you back to the same place so you can take that test again.

And the way you pass the test is to take a lesson from Gehazi. He remembered his failure in the first test. (It is possible that your mind may be saying, “Isn’t it a stretch to connect Gehazi to these four unnamed lepers?”)

Week 12, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Freedom from Failure

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 141

Scripture Reading
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
–Romans 12:21

Perhaps you’ve caught yourself saying:

“You don’t understand. I’ve relived that failure every night since it happened. No matter what I do, no matter what drug I take or whom I am with, I can’t shake the guilt and shame of my failure.”

Remember that God is on your side. Jesus loved you so much that He personally paid the price for your ultimate freedom from failure! God loves you, even in your failure, but He loves you too much to leave you there!

Trust God enough to let Him take you through situations where things went sour due to bad decisions, weakness, wrong motives, or difficult surroundings. When you pass the test, you give God the excuse to bless you, and you release Him to deliver you from the “leprosy” of failure and inadequacy.

You will no longer feel like an outcast, as Gehazi did. As far as your family, friends, and enemies are concerned, they will say, “One day you were down and out, and the next thing we knew, you were restored and on the top of the world, whispering council in the King’s ear.”

Week 12, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

I’m Going Back!

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 145-146

Scripture Reading
Then [the lepers in the abandoned Syrian camp] said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
–2 Kings 7:9

After the lepers discovered the food, one leper said to another, “We aren’t doing right.” Even though they were shunned from the city, they knew that it was not right to see a city perish as a result of bitterness.

It is likely that each of these men harbored up to seven years of painful memories in their minds. They had vivid, full-color, wide-screen panoramic visions of the steady stream of daily insults, put-downs, snubs, sneers, cursing, and cruel jokes they endured as lowly lepers and beggars.

This brief exchange of words conceals a major victory over at least seven years of physical and emotional pain that the four lepers had to overcome before they could take their first steps back toward their city.

Once they learned there was a way back, they still had to go back and face the possibility of rejection.

By the skewed standards of modern society, Gehazi and his leprous sons would have every right to hate the residents of Samaria. Those sons would have even more reason to hate their father! After all, what part did they play when their father committed the sin that condemned him and them to the banished life of lepers, walking dead men living in endless torment and regret over what could have been if….

Gehazi and his sons passed the primary test when they laid down their illicit silver, gold, and garments. They also passed a second test when they decided to return to the city to share their good news and good fortune with the very city that rejected them.

God will give you a retest. God always has a way for you to come back to your failure.  In the case of the lepers they were tempted with the opportunity for revenge but didn’t take it.  Could it be that this is what God will test you with?  Could it be that you might have a chance to hurt those who hurt you?

Week 12, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Someone will hear me!

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 149-150

Scripture Reading
Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, And the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
–Job 37:2

Gehazi had to learn quite a lot of things before he could have his turn-around.

When Gehazi realized that the miraculous flight of the Syrians wasn’t just about them, he said, “We have to tell others, we must tell the king.” I can almost see his sons jerk back in surprise, fully covered in the rags and bandages that marked hopeless lepers. I can hear them say, “Dad, even if we go, they won’t let us enter the city. How could you forget? We are lepers!”

“I don’t know about all of that, but I do know we have to go. If they won’t let us in, then we’ll stand outside the gates and shout our message until somebody hears us!”

When God restores you, He often has more in mind than you, your life, your family, your job, or even your present situation. The smallest details of your life do matter to Him, but God does things on a cosmic scale. He may have something bigger in mind, even when He appears to be working small miracles in our lives.

Perhaps I should say it this way: When God used the four lepers to bring deliverance, I imagine He was saying, “I’ve been looking for somebody. I want to set the whole city free. These four will do just fine—there is no way they will touch the glory.”

Take heart! You will do just fine for God’s use.

Week 12, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 150-151

Scripture Reading
A man's heart deviseth his way; But Jehovah directeth his steps.
–Proverbs 16:9

After Gehazi and his sons passed the test of the illicit silver and garments. Next, they passed the second test by choosing to return to the city where they had been outcasts for seven years. They would face yet another indignity on the path of obedience.

Sometimes the very people who need the good news you have, choose to isolate themselves from you.

People may sever you from their lives because of your past, remembering your history and all the things that didn’t go well in your life. You may remind them of a painful memory or of their own weaknesses or failures. Even though you have what they need, some people want to shoot the messenger before hearing the message!

Even the woman at the well of Samaria was no doubt rejected by her townspeople because of her ruined reputation, even though she was bringing the greatest news her village could ever hear.

She confessed to Jesus that she had been through five marriages, and she was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Those aren’t exactly the credentials of an anointed evangelist. The woman knew it was very unlikely that anyone in her village would listen to her, but she went back there anyway.

Can you see the faces of the villagers, their eyes rolling, when the five-time divorcee says, “Come meet a man!” Yeah, and how many men have we already met? This is just another to share your bed.

Thank God she refused to give up. “I’ve got to tell you about this Man! I have Good News to tell you. Somebody, anybody, will you just check out my story? It sounds too good to be true, but come meet a man who told me everything about my past. He said He is the Promised One. Come with me, and meet Him for yourself!”

Week 12, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

What’s Your Diet?

Your diet of doubt can hinder your restoration
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 152

Scripture Reading
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and He will direct your steps.”
–Proverbs 3:5-6

Have you ever had something to do, and all you could do was expect the worst, think of the worst, and plan for the worst? 

There was an instance in the Bible, where a king received news that his enemy had abandoned camp.  His advisers were urging him to go plunder their camp and get the spoils.  But, the King could only think of the worst.  One minute his mind thought it was a trick; the next, he couldn’t believe it was even true!  All he could do was focus on the negative!

The King made it clear to everyone that he believed it was a suicide mission.  All he could focus on was the negative!  You see, our enemy would like to see us wallow in the pool of self-pity, growing more helpless by the day as we say to ourselves over and over again, “Nobody has it as bad as me.”  

Do you live in this place?  Are you always focusing on how bad your life is or how terrible things are going in your life? 

You must learn to feed your faith, not your fears!   If you sow fear and self-pity, then all you will produce in your life is fear and self-pity!  You must feed your faith more!

Just like the messenger that brought the news to the king, you have nothing to lose by doing what is right!  Just as the King thought it was false information and a bad idea to follow the advice, so people might think your choices and decisions are crazy.  But what do you really have to lose? 

Week 13, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

There is a Path Out of Hell

“I’m Going Back”
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 154-155

Scripture Reading
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
–Psalms 23:3

Let me encourage you: Regardless of how bad you think your circumstances may be, there is a path out of hell—there is no limit to God’s power to restore you.  It begins with repentance and the willingness to return to the point of your past failure to retake the test.  Once you past the test, you may find yourself walking and talking a new way.

Okay, I’ve made my mind up.  I know what to touch and what not to touch. I know where to go and where not to go.  I know what to do, and what not to do, I’ve learned from my mistakes. Now how do I get from here to there?
I’m going back!

Don’t be surprised if God sends you back to bring good news, hope, and deliverance to others just like you!  He did it with Gehazi and his sons.

What would have happened had the four lepers listened to logic or heeded their painful memories and just enjoyed their own private meal and personal treasure trove?  I’m convinced they would not have been healed had they chosen not to pass the test of the silver and garments. 

Their city and nation would have fallen into destruction and ultimate captivity sooner rather than later.  The Syrian army would have caught on soon enough to return and reclaim everything the lepers tried to take in secret.

The four lepers answered the question, “ Where to from here?”  Once they learned the way back, they chose to go back and face the risk of rejection.  They marched back to their city to share their good news from God, and I believe they were healed as they went. 

Again, let me tell you as plainly as I can— I’m talking about something I do not know. I do not know how Gehazi was restored. But I believe he was. I do not know how Gehazi got healed. I just know he did.   This is the ultimate proof that God does His best work in secret.

Week 13, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Restoration

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 158-161

Scripture Reading
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
–Revelations 21:5

Have you ever had someone promise you something?  Have you ever been anxious, wondering if the promise would ever come to pass? Have you ever been let down by someone who didn’t follow through on their word? Well there is one person who may keep you waiting, but will never let you down! His name is Jesus!

Elisha, the prophet, raised a woman’s son from the dead, and then Elisha instructed the woman to move from their home because a famine was coming. So the woman and her son, grateful for all God had done, left their home for seven years. After seven years had ended, she and her son returned. Miraculously the King and his servant were discussing a miracle Elisha had performed, to rasing a boy from the dead at the precise time the woman and her son entered the King’s presence. Gehazi, the King’s servant, recognized the woman and her son. They had come to ask permission to return to their home. The King, because of his discussion with Gehazi!  granted the woman’s wishes and restored to her completely everything she had lost while she and her son were gone!

This story is a beautiful illustration of how God will fulfill His promises, and how, if God tells you to do something and you do it, He will always provide! The woman and her son were given favor because of their sacrifice. Sometimes, in the process of restoration, God will use people that everyone else has counted out! God used Gehazi, a man who had been stricken with leprosy, to restore a family to their home! It’s astounding that a man who once had leprosy stood in the presence of the King! Be careful who you rule out in your life, because God just may use them to bring restoration to you! 

Week 13, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

They don’t believe me!

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 160-161

Scripture Reading
And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
–Romans 11:23

Have you ever felt like it was impossible for you to receive your restoration?

This reminds me of a city in biblical times named Samaria. Restoration was highly unlikely for this city.  The city was surrounded by a powerful, well-equipped army and led by a ruthless conqueror, and to top it off, it was in the middle of a seven year famine! The King had a total of five horses left in his “royal stable” and no food for his few able-bodied soldiers (other than the horses).

The city had been reduced to cannibalism, and the King already wore his grave clothes. We have to admit the improbability of Samaria’s restoration.

Perhaps you sense the improbability of your restoration too. When the Word of the Lord finally comes to you, it will cause some people to say, “You couldn’t be restored if God opened a trap door in heaven!” Just tell them stranger things have happened before!

This was the case for Samaria’s King and his head assistant. The last words the King’s arrogant assistant heard from the prophet that day were, “You will see it [restoration] happen, but you won't be able to eat any of it!” Then the old prophet dismissed him as if he wasn’t worth the time of day, and continued his meeting with the elders of Israel—excluding, of course, the King.

The long night began and the King grew more agitated by the minute. Perhaps he had just nodded off, while still dressed in his sackcloth mourning clothes, when his servants reluctantly woke him. What more could go wrong now?

When told of the rumor from the gatekeeper that the Syrians fled their camp—for no reason at all—every paranoid bone in his body told him it was just another trap! Then he told his staff, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore, they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’”
Even though he just knew the Syrian King was up to something, he finally agreed to send someone to check out the ridiculous rumor about their army abandoning camp.

The sun was up by the time his charioteers returned with the unbelievable news.

It was true! The enemy was gone and there was food aplenty available in their encampment.

Week 13, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Somebody’s coming back—
make sure it’s you!

Will you be the one that the king leans on?
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 167-168

Scripture Reading
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
–Luke 4:19

Can you imagine the scene in the King’s court that day?  In the beginning, soldiers, courtiers, and the King all kept their distance from the leper who now claimed to be clean just in case.  As the story unfolded in incredible detail after detail, the heads of Gehazi’s hearers must have bobbed back and forth between the King and the leper’s baby-smooth face, like spectators at a modern tennis match.

Because of their persistence in coming to the Syrian army encampment, the lepers were not only healed, but also found favor with the King.  Because of obedience, the lepers were healed.

If we, as the children of God, come back to the throne, like Gehazi we too can be trusted with higher things.

“Concerning the former leper, Gehazi, Jehoram the King of Samaria, Israel, hereby rewards you with a special title and position of importance.  You shall spend the rest of your days in the kings court, serving my royal presence.”

If we just come back to the Lord, even in the mist of the hardest storm, and we give everything back to the Lord, then we can have the Ultimate Comeback.

Week 13, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

The Day of Restoration

The Ultimate Comeback, p. 174-175

Scripture Reading
Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly.
–Mark 8:25

Those who love and care about you are linked to the consequences of your actions for good or for evil.  They are blessed when you are blessed and, unfortunately, they are cursed when you are cursed.  The first in line are often the members of your own family.

What about the parents of someone addicted to drugs?  How do you think they feel?  They are condemned to walk through the hell of addiction through no fault of their own! How painful can that be?  Perhaps you can relate to this?

Very few seem to mourn over people convicted of such crimes, but what about the innocent spouses, sons, and daughters, who may know almost nothing about the day-to-day activities of their guilty family members?

Regardless of whether the negative consequences came through your actions, or weither you are the innocent one believing for restoration, I have more good news!

If you live in painful regret over the way your mistakes have impacted other sin your life, step into Gehazi’s shoes for just a moment—immediately after his ultimate comeback.

Think of the emotional waterfall experienced by Gehazi’s family the night he showed up at the door with his sons!  The sorrow and the stigma of seven long, painful years spent in constant worry about the future evaporated in an instant!

Imagine the impact Gehazi’s miraculous restoration had on the Gehazi family’s financial portfolio: After nearly seven years without his income or his presence in the home as father and husband, Gehazi’s family suddenly enjoyed the full financial favor of the King of Israel!

No longer would Mrs. Gehazi be forced to sneak out to public markets at odd times to avoid the rejection inevitable for families of lepers and outcasts.  Never again would they be forced to submit to the hundreds of small injustices and private insults they had endured as a “condemned family” living under the shadow of a public curse.

After seven years of sharing the weight and pain of her husband’s nationally publicized curse, now Mrs. Gehazi and her family were beginning to enjoy the fruits and benefits of Gehazi’s incredible restoration!

Week 13, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Restoration Can Be Contagious!

When you “come” back,” your family can “come back” with you
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 176

Scripture Reading
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
–John 10:10

Very few people seem to mourn over those convicted of violent crimes, tax evasion, and money fraud.  But what about the family members and the ones close to those found guilty?  Our quest for justice often trumps our compassion for those affected!  We forget that those close to us are blessed when we are blessed and, unfortunately, are cursed when we are cursed.

If you live in painful regret over the way your mistakes have impacted others in your life, be encouraged – because restoration is truly contagious!

When Gehazi the leper rose again, so did his battered family!  When Gehazi sinned and became leprous, his entire family was made to be outcasts by society.  Gehazi’s curse, cursed them as well!  They were rejected and lost all hope of a successful, happy life. 

Yet, Gehazi suddenly shows up seven years later, healed completely!  Suddenly, everyone wants Gehazi and his family over for dinner.  His wife is once again recognized in public and is asked to speak at the local Samarian Women’s Auxiliary.  Local churches wanted to hear his testimony!  You see, when you “come back,” your family can “come back” with you!

Do not live in condemnation over past mistakes and the ripple effects they have caused to others.  Even if you’ve managed to mangle “Plan A” for your life, God has a great “Plan B” for you too!  He can make Romans 8:28 come true in your life.  “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purposes.”

Week 13, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney
The Ultimate Comeback

Exchange the Bitterness of Your Life for the Joy of the Lord!

God allows U-turns!
The Ultimate Comeback, p. 177-179

Scripture Reading
To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
–Is. 61:3

It doesn’t matter how far gone you think you are! God allows U-turns! Stop making bad decisions. You are coming back!  Exchange your heartbreak for His wholeness! Trade your lack for His plenty!  Give Him the weight of your bitter pain and rise up in His joy!

One thing should stand out above all your efforts to survive and beyond all your fears, pain, and suffering. God loves you.  Let me say it again. God really loves you.

Jesus supplied everything you need for a comeback from fear, failure, despair, and death.  The next step is up to you.  The first step in your restoration is just that—you need to take the first step. Make the first move now.

Start marching toward God’s promises—even if you feel you can barely hobble through a life crippled by mistakes, missteps, and evil circumstances.  Health can be yours!  Step out of the shadows of your failures and fears.  Start your journey with a step of obedience, and follow that with praise and worship so God can launch a “comeback miracle” in your life!

The gap between Plan A and Plan D in Gehazi’s life is so incredible that we don’t even know for sure how God brought the man back into biblical record!  If “Plan A” was working for the prophet, then “Plan D” is being in the King’s court!  Is it possible that God can make can make Plan B better than Plan A?

The good news is that the end result is more important than the journey in your life. Your life isn’t too far gone.  When you are down to nothing, God is up to something!  No matter how seriously you’ve failed God or man, the God who sees the end before the beginning has a miraculous Plan B in store for you.