Dried Spaghetti Sauce

Hello everyone.  Please remember to pray for our nation and its leaders.  Even in these trying times let’s remember to keep God first in our lives and do our best to live peaceably with all men.

 This morning, I noticed one of our bowls from last night was left out on the counter.  The remnants of spaghetti sauce had dried at the bottom and around the edges of the bowl.  I rinsed it off to put in the dishwasher. 

 There was a problem.  I only saw from one side of the bowl across to the other side.  I neglected to look at the side closest to me.  It had spaghetti sauce on that side too. I’m glad I gave it a final look, so I could rinse it out all the way around.

 Isn’t it sad that we notice things happening over there on the other side, and fail to notice what is going on right under our eyes?  It might be that we see or hear another person’s child across the room.  Perhaps we even comment to someone else about that child’s misbehavior.  We forget our own son did the same thing last week. 

It is easy to point out someone else’s fault than it is to see our own.  Sometimes those things we notice are the very things we are guilty of.  We either truly do not see those same faults in ourselves, or we refuse to acknowledge them.  Maybe we point out the faults of another to distract people from our own.

We must be very careful to avoid this type of attitude.  We should examine ourselves and come to terms with our own shortcomings, even asking for forgiveness if necessary. 

God does not want us to tear down our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all part of His body. It is hard enough to make it in this world without having to deal with that kind of thing from our own church family.

Christ said we are to love one another.  Ephesians 4:29 tells us the only talk that should come out of our mouths is what is good for building people up.  Paul continued in Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

I really didn’t intend to go this direction with the dirty bowl illustration, but it is where I ended up.  At any rate, isn’t it better to build people up than it is to point fingers? 

And isn’t it good to clean up our own bowl (life) ? We should look at ourselves carefully – and not just at what we see first.  Let’s remember to see others as Christ did and keep ourselves free from any hardness of heart. 

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12).

Christ above all things - Robin

 

Finish What You Start

 Hello,  

We are almost at the end of another week and I'm thankful for the days of sunshine we've seen in our area lately.  I'm sharing something else our parents taught us.  

In my opinion, Mom and Dad were great parents.  They both wanted us to grow up to be responsible citizens.  We were to be respectful and courteous at all times.

 They taught us was to finish what we start – that included cleaning our rooms, doing school work or participating in extracurricular activities.  I remember them saying if we tried a sport or activity we didn’t like, we still had to finish out that season.  We made a commitment to the coach and our team.   They depended on us to be there.   

Learning to finish what we start is good training for life in general.  We learn about commitment, responsibility, and dependability.  These traits help us become good employees and good friends.  The same characteristics are necessary in our spiritual lives.

Our fellow Christians need to know they can depend on us.  I remember one lady arrived at our ladies’ devotional a little earlier than some of the others.  Her car was in the shop, so her husband dropped her off.  She told him not to worry about picking her up because a certain lady would bring her home. 

The unusual thing about this was the one who needed a ride had not even spoken to the one who would be giving the ride.  It wasn’t an assumption as some might think.  It was the confidence she had in the other lady’s dependability.  

The Savior needs workers in His kingdom, so He needs to know He can count on us.  This is not an unrealistic expectation.  After all, Christ finished what He started.  If we commit to Him, we need to be willing to do the same.

Two scriptures come to mind.  Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

The phrase “living sacrifice” indicates a continual offering of our bodies to the service of God.   It is quite reasonable for us to serve God considering all He has done for us – including the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. 

The second scripture is 2 Timothy 4:7.  Paul is in prison and knows he is nearing the end of his life.    He tells Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Oh what glory awaits us, if we finish what we start!

Christ above all things - Robin 

Elbow Grease

Hello everyone, 

It been over a week since my last post.  I apologize for that.  Going forward, I plan to post at least once a week.  

Our children may take some of the lessons we teach them and pass them down to their children.   The lesson may go on even further down the line.  That is why I have heard the term "elbow grease."

I was born on my maternal grandfather’s birthday and though he never made any difference between any of his grandchildren, I felt honored to share that day with him.  Grandpa was an honorable man. 

He was a shoe cobbler.  Grandpa learned this trade from his father who had learned it from his father before him.  I’m not sure how many generations of Marlowe men were skilled in this trade, but it went back at least to these three men.  By the time their grandchildren came along, my grandparents owned a shoe repair business in Virginia. 

We lived in Mississippi, so we usually only got to see them for about a week during the summer.  I loved to visit their shop.  The mixture of old leather and the oil used on the machines gave the senses a unique experience.  Everything about the shop was fascinating to me and my brothers. 

Mom told us many times that when Grandpa showed her or her siblings  how to do some kind of chore he would say, “Put a little elbow grease into it.”  Meaning work a little harder.  Put honest effort into what you are doing.   Grandpa was never lackadaisical about his work and he didn’t want anyone else to be either. 

He passed that on to Mom.  She taught us to do our best too.  Mom still says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.”  If we do our work right the first time we don’t have to worry about doing it again. 

Colossians 3:17 is a great verse.  I think it shows us why it is so important to do the best we can.  “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

When we work enthusiastically – and do things the right way we honor Christ our Savior and sometimes we have to use a little elbow grease to get it done. 

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  1 Cor. 10:31

Christ above all things – Robin Whitley

Where Are the Nine?

Few folks in this world remember to be thankful.   Luke 17:11-19 gives us a biblical example. 

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.  He passed between Samaria and Galilee.  On His way, He entered a village where He was approached by ten lepers who begged to be healed.  Jesus told them to go to the priests and as they went they were healed. 

Most of us probably already know about this event.  When one of the lepers realized he was healed, he turned back.  He praised God with a loud voice. As well he should have for Jesus had given him a remarkable gift of healing.  But that wasn’t all, was it? 

Luke 17:16 says the man “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.  Now he was a Samaritan.”

I can just see this scene played out in my mind.  This man with such a horrible, debilitating disease – one that makes a person an outcast of society – praised God loudly! 

He was overjoyed and full of thanksgiving.  So much so, that he fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him.  Leprosy is such a terrible disease.  I can imagine the beauty of this scene.   But why did Luke mention that the man was a Samaritan?

I think the next two verses answer this question.  “Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Ten were cleansed.  Ten.  Only one came back.  NiNE did not come back.  They were healed just like the Samaritan was, but they were not thankful. 

Now when Jesus called the Samaritan a foreigner, He did not do so because of prejudice.  It was not a derogatory remark.  Not at all!  It was meant for emphasis.  Do we think Jesus didn’t already know there was a Samaritan in the group?  Of course, He knew!

Jesus’ remark was for emphasis.  It is most likely the other nine men were Jews.  They were the ones who were God’s chosen people.  They should have known their cleansing came from God!  Yet, they did not come back.  Only the Samaritan did. 

Jesus came to die for all nations – not just one.  God promised Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed through his lineage.  Jesus is the answer to that promise for all of us. 

Near the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14).   

Are we among the few?  The answer is up to us.

Christ above all things - Robin

Making the Right Choice

This week our Thursday morning Bible class studied from Hebrews Chapter 11, and we only got through the first seven verses! That’s OK. Our discussions helped me grow. It amazes me how I can study a passage many times and still gain something from it.

Hebrews 11:1 gives us a definition of faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

We are sure we will receive what we hope for -that is the promises of God. We are convinced of things we cannot see –not only the promises, but the very existence of God.

Verse 3 says “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Think about that. It is mind-blowing, isn’t it?

What we see was made by things we cannot see. God literally spoke the universe into existence. “And God said let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).

If we bake a cake, we do it from things we can see and touch. We don’t just say “Let there be a cake.” It does not work that way. Only God can create by merely speaking.

We also discussed Abel, Enoch, and Noah. They are the first three people mentioned in this chapter who had great faith. Why these three?

Abel offered to God (v.4). Enoch pleased God (v.5). Noah constructed an ark (v.7). They are mentioned because they did something. They followed God’s instructions because they believed what He told them.

Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice because God had instructed him what to sacrifice. Enoch could only have pleased God by believing and doing what he said.

We know this because of Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

I never thought about Enoch and verse 6 being related, until we studied together Thursday. Isn’t that crazy? It makes perfect sense, but I just never connected it with Enoch. The Holy Spirit inspired the writer to insert this verse so we could understand exactly how Enoch pleased God. It was because of his faith.

What about Noah? He was warned of God about something the world had never seen – a flood. No one had ever seen a flood, but Noah believed what God said anyway. He built the ark out of reverence for God. Noah held God in the highest esteem and was in awe of His power.

Noah, Enoch, and Abel all acted on their faith and obeyed God. They made the right choice.

We all have a choice. Will we make the right one?

Christ above all things - Robin

Where Are My Instruments?

Dad was a preacher for quite a few years.  Part of this devotional is paraphrased from one of his sermons.  I remember him telling a story that touched my heart.  It is kind of sad, but it made an excellent point – one that I should remind myself of more often.

Many years ago, there was a train wreck.  Several passengers were on board and some of them were injured.  People rushed to the wreckage to see what they could do to help.  One man was found pacing up and down beside the train.  He was apparently dazed.

One lady heard him muttering to himself.  “My instruments.  My instruments.  If I only had my instruments, I could help.  Where are my instruments?” 

He kept saying the same thing repeatedly.  The lady stopped him.  “Excuse me, sir.  Why are you talking about your instruments?  What is so important about them?”

The man stopped his pacing to look at the lady.  “I am a doctor,” he explained sadly.  I was on the train, but I lost my instruments when we wrecked.  If I only had them, I could help the people who are hurt.”

Dad went on to say, “I wonder if God ever looks down from heaven and asks, ‘Where are My instruments?” ` yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).

As always, Christ sets the example for us.  He told the apostles, “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

Finally, our brother Paul wrote in Romans 6:13 “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

I don’t want to be missing when God looks for me to help, do you? 

Christ above all things - Robin

Daniel Knew that God Would

Have you ever seen the quote, "Faith is not believing that God can, but knowing that He will?"  Think about that.  It goes pretty deep doesn't it?  There really is a difference between believing and knowing.  Our faith is God should be based on knowing - knowing God will keep His promises.

We see faith exemplified and rewarded in many ways.  We probably all have experienced times in our lives (and seen it in the lives of others) where we acted on our faith in God.  Maybe there was an occasion when we just took a giant leap of faith.  In turn, our Heavenly Father rewarded us richly. 

One beautiful example of knowing that God will is the example of Daniel and his 3 friends as told in Daniel Chapter 1.  It is a wonderful story of faith affirmed.  

Daniel, along with many other Israelites were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.  Daniel and his friends were part of the group of young men taken to be trained to serve in the king's court.  

According to what I have studied, Daniel was anywhere from 15 to 20 when this all took place.  It is logical to assume he was young enough to be "re-trained," so it makes sense. 
     

These young men were those who were healthy, good looking (Daniel 1:4 says they had no blemish) and intelligent.  But they were Jewish, not Chaldean.  They were to be taught the Chaldean language and culture.  

The king wanted them to totally forget their past and who they were.  How would you feel if this happened to you?  These young men were probably frightened.  They were ripped from their homes - their homeland, and their families.  They were even given new names. 

The name Daniel means - "God is my judge."  His new name was "Beltshazzar" which was in honor of one of the Babylonian gods.  It meant "Bel protect his life."  See what I mean about stripping their identity from them?

 Daniel's three friends, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah are brought in to be trained as per the instructions of the king.  These three were re-named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

According to verse 5, they were all given a daily portion of the king's food.  The king meant to nourish them with the best food the land had to offer so that they would be able to "stand before the king."

The food, however, was not "clean."  It was not allowed by God's law for the Jewish people to eat this type of food.  

Here is where Daniel's knowing faith comes in.  Verse 8 says, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat."  He requested not to have to eat the king's food.  

Verse 9 says God brought Daniel into favor with the prince of the eunuchs.  God knew Daniel's heart and He provided a way for Daniel so that he would not have to defile himself with the king's meat.

Had Daniel not been regarded with such high favor by the chief eunuch, it is very likely his request would have been ignored.  He & his friends would have been forced to eat whatever was given them.  

Daniel bargained with the eunuch.  He requested that they be given vegetables and water for ten days.  This way Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah would not be disobeying God's laws.  

At the end of the 10 days, the chief eunuch could compare these four with all the others who were eating from the king's table.  If the four of them did not look as healthy as the others, they would also eat the king's food.  

But if they looked as healthy and fair as the other young men,  they would be allowed to continue eating vegetables and drinking water.  

This event when Daniel was young is typical of the way he lived his entire life.  He never allowed himself to break God's laws.  He always trusted God would provide a way for Him.

Was this bargain a gamble? I don't think so.  I think this is a perfect example of someone who "knew that God would."  He never doubted for one second he and his friends would pass this test.  

He knew that he was obeying God's laws; and he knew that God would make sure they were as healthy as the other young men. This was no gamble.  It was an act of pure faith.  

We can all learn from Daniel and his friends.  Our faith must be a confident, knowing faith.  We should know God will take care of us as long as we are striving to do His will.  

  
Hebrews 11:6 says - "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe (know) that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  

I think these four young men sought to please God.  They knew He would reward them.  Why?  Because they diligently sought Him by staying true to His teachings. 

What a wonderful record of a 'knowing God will' kind of faith!

Christ above all things - Robin