Devotionals
September 3, 2008
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out."
IMPACT Youth (and anyone else reading this)--
Take time for God this school year. Try and read God's Word daily--it will most certainly leave an IMPACT on your life and your heart. Join the Youth Bible Study, come to Sunday School, participate in Impact Youth, pray daily, love others...I could go on and on. Make God your First Priority and you will certainly grow in Him.
November 15, 2006
Walking with Him
Genesis 5:23 (NKJV) So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Three weekends ago my six-year-old son (Bobby) and I went on an YMCA Indian Guides camping trip. Now, my idea of camping and roughing it is when the motel does not have room service, so I was quite apprehensive about this "camping" business, but very excited about having a father-son weekend. Around 100 dads and their sons went up to the foothills of North Carolina to a summer camp for kids. Our "tribe" has 11 dads and 11 boys. So it can be quite a commotion when we are all together. After being in the cabin and running around outside a while, I asked Bobby, "Hey little buddy do you want to go on a little walk, just the two of us?" His little eyes lit up and said "Sure Dad!"
We did not walk very far, but the walk went along way in bonding a father and his son. We held hands, explored the woods, ventured down some trails, and checked out the "mess hall", the zip line, the bow and arrow range and the firing range. We picked up some rocks along the way, talked about different trees and sometimes we just walked silently along, looking in wonderment at a place we both had never been. As the silence grew I asked him, "Son what are you thinking" He replied, "I don't know Dad, I was just thinking how great this is, just to be walking along with you." As I held back my tears, I said, "You know Bobby, I was just thinking the same thing, how great it is to be walking along together just thinking about each other."
The Bible often speaks of "Walking in the Light" or "Walking with Christ" or "Walking with God." Have you been on a walk with your Heavenly Father lately? Just walking, listening and thinking about God? I love what Mother Teresa told Dan Rather in an interview. Dan Rather asked her what she did when she prayed, and the wise woman said, "I listen." To which Dan Rather replied, "What does God do?" Mother Teresa said, "He listens." Have you taken a stroll lately with God? Have you listened to Him? Have you tried? Next time you get in your car, cut the radio off, roll up the windows, enjoy the silence. Get up early and go sit in a quiet place and just listen. Go for a walk with God. Just you and Him, not you and 200 other people, not you and the radio, not you and the stresses bearing down on you, not the thoughts of worry and concerns. Just go for a walk and enjoy each other. Go let Him love on you and you love on Him. Go and listen.
Hebrews 11:5-6 (NKJV) By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
For three hundred and sixty five years Enoch walked with God. Enoch was close to God, in close fellowship and communion with God though his wonderful faith in God. Just as Bobby and I walked in wonderment of each other for that 30-minute stroll, I think Enoch walked 365 years in wonderment of God. He never lost his wonderment for God. He never lost the, "Wow God, You do everything, You made everything, You are everything, You are my Hope, my Savior, my very reason for being here." It was as if Enoch's wonderment kept his oneness with God all those years. And you know what I think? I think one day God said, "Enoch, we have been walking together all these years, today let's just walk on home." And then God took him home, to have an external walk and closeness with God. Have you taken a walk with God lately?
Dear Father, Increase in our hearts our wonderment of Your awesome irrational love for us. Increase in us our desire to be one with You in our daily walk through life. Increase in us a hunger for Your Word in your Bible, increase in us a hunger to just slow down, to just stop, to just tune out the world, to just listen to You listening to us. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.
david@cfdevotionals.org
August 1, 2006
I was watching a movie the other day and something at the beginning really caught my attention. The start of the movie began in an airport terminal. Before Sept. 11th happened, we could still greet our friends and loved ones arriving at the Gate. Now, we meet them at Baggage Claim or at the car, but the effect is still the same. WE ARE EXCITED--a friend we haven't seen in quite some time arrives for a visit...One of our parents returns from a business trip...A grandparent arrives to spoil his/her grandchildren for a few days...
The narrator in the beginning of the movie is observing these interactions...the excitement and the hugs and the LOVE...he talks about how if we look hard enough, we certainly can find LOVE in this world that seems to be falling apart around us.
So, this caught my attention...Airports are definitely a good place to see people show love, but what about the rest of the time. Sometimes I get so busy with day to day life that I forget to look for the positive in the world. I forget to look for moments of love happening all around.
Try to stop and watch people once in a while--you may get a few laughs, but hopefully you'll see moments of love being shared too.
Jesus told us to LOVE HIM ABOVE ALL ELSE--and to LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES (paraphrased from Mark 12:30-31). If we are to live as Christ, we must be showing love to Him and to others at all times...if this is the case, then surely we can find evidence of love in this world--surely we can help others to have a brighter day and in the process our days will be brighter too.
Go into the world...a child of God, loved unconditionally by Him--go and show others this love too.
July 12, 2006
"As they (scientists) contemplate the order of the earth, the solar system, and the stellar universe, scientists and scholars have concluded that the Master Planner left nothing to chance.The slant of the earth, for example, tilted at an angle of 23 degrees, produces our seasons. Scientists tell us that if the earth had not been tilted exactly as it is, vapors from the oceans would move both north and south, piling up continents of ice.If the moon were only 50,000 miles away from the earth instead of 200,000, the tides might be so enormous that all continents would be submerged in water--even the mountains would be eroded.If the crust of the earth had been only ten feet thicker, there would be no oxygen, and without it all animal life would die.Had the oceans been a few feet deeper, carbon dioxide and oxygen would have been absorbed and no vegetable life would exist.The earth's weight has been estimated at six sextillion tons (that's a six with 21 zeros). Yet it is perfectly balanced and turns easily on its axis. It revolves daily at the rate of more than 1,000 miles per hour or 25,000 miles each day. This adds up to nine million miles a year. Considering the tremendous weight of six sextillion tons rolling at this fantastic speed around an invisible axis, held in place by unseen bands of gravitation, the words of Job 26:7 take on unparalleled significance: 'He poised the earth on nothingness.' ......Creation discloses a power that baffles our minds and beggars our speech. We are enamored and enchanted by God's power. We stutter and stammer about God's holiness. We tremble before God's majesty...and yet we grow squeamish and skittish before God's love. I am flabbergasted by the widespread refusal across this land to think big about a loving God. Like nervous thoroughbreds being guided to the starting gate at Churchill Downs, many Christians bray, bridle, and bolt at the revelation of God's all embracing love in Jesus Christ..." (taken from "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning)
OWASSO FUMC YOUTH (and anyone else reading this)-GOD LOVES YOU...Even if you think you have done something terribly wrong, GOD LOVES YOU. Even if you've been told you're awful and not worth it, GOD LOVES YOU. God made this INCREDIBLE world we live in with such precision...don't you think He made you with the same precision? He loves you with every freckle, zit, mole, blemish, flab, bone, hair you've got--YOU ARE HIS CREATION. Wrap yourselves in his AMAZING LOVE--