"Christian Voices" (1-22-04)

August 5, 2010

HUMOR

There’s a nice poem by Valerie Cox about a woman who bought some cookies and a book at an airport and sat down to read and nibble while waiting for her plane. She soon noticed a man sitting next to her, who casually took a cookie from the bag.

Although shocked and seething, the woman remained silent as the man, without the slightest sign of shame or gratitude, quietly helped himself, matching her cookie for cookie.

When there was one cookie left, she watched in amazement as he picked it up, smiled at her as if he were being gracious, and broke it in half. He ate one half and gave her the other. Congratulating herself for maintaining her cool, she said nothing to this rude cookie thief, astonished at the nerve of some people.

Later, when she was settling into her seat on the plane, she rummaged through her purse and discovered the bag of cookies she’d purchased, still unopened. The moral message is contained in the poem’s closing stanza:

“If mine are here,” she moaned with despair, “Then the others were his, and he tried to share.”

Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

.....ChapnotesMail@aol.com (ChapnotesMail@aol.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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THOUGHT PROVOKING – INSPIRATIONAL

Timeless Truths

We need to remember that God is still in control, even in times of uncertainty and chaos. Romans 8:28 is still in force: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” So is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which tells us, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I am also reminded of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” He said. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).

And then Jesus goes on to say (in Matthew 6:25-33): For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

These are the timeless truths we need to focus on - the words we should read together as husband and wife, and the words we should be reading to our children. They tell us that God will provide for our needs. His provision may come in different forms than we expect, but His promise to meet our needs has not expired in the 21st century.

Jesus’ words also remind us that there is more to life than meeting our daily material needs. When we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we operate according to His priorities—we’re concerned about building our family relationships, and connecting the hearts of our children to God’s heart, and impacting future generations by proclaiming Christ. That’s what life is really about.

.....The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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GOD’S GPS

I saw one of those new Global Positioning System units today. Those are the ones that hook up to satellites to tell you where you are and what turn to take to get where you are going. It wasn’t in my car of course. Like a lot of men I prefer to go where the road takes me even if I do get lost once in a while. Some of my best times have come when I have taken my old car on a wrong turn or down a road less traveled. I find that the scenery is always a bit more exciting too when everything isn’t mapped out for you.

In fact, life itself is full of wrong turns, missing maps, and frequent potholes. That is what makes it such an interesting drive. Thankfully, there is one GPS that we all can use when we find ourselves lost on this road of life. This GPS won’t give us a lighted map or step by step directions. It will, however, help us to make the right choices to get where we need to go. This GPS will even let us make a wrong turn if we want to, but it will always gently nudge us back to the right highway to take us home. This GPS is God’s love.

God’s love is always there to nurture us and guide us as we travel on. It is there to help us make every choice and decide on every turn. It is there to help us drive our lives down the right road and to enjoy the scenery along the way. It may even guide us off the highway at times to help a stranded motorist or pick up a lost hitchhiker. One thing is sure though. God’s love will always lead you home in this life and in the next.

Dannion Brinkley said that: "When love alone acts as your compass, your life is always right on course." I may never want a GPS telling me how to drive my car, but I will always welcome God and His love to guide me on how to drive my life. He may not always let me see the map, but I trust that He knows where we are going.

.....Joseph J. Mazzella (joemazzella@frontier.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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