Dedicated to all the individuals that will be there for you when the chips are down: low-maintenance, high-value people. They know your faults but don’t capitalize on them. In other words, they don’t use your faults against you. They know how God has worked in your life. They are more than gracious. Longsuffering is a trait that characterizes them. They’ll be there when you are cornered. Thank God for them. As a matter of fact, God doesn’t forget them.

Romans 16:3-4

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

We make it through life because of such people. They are truly the air beneath our wings.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I need to follow up on yesterday’s devotional because some of you will be wondering why these girls lack the “fear factor.” It’s probably the gene pool they came out of. When their mother was seven, she was coaxing me to follow her and her brothers down a double-diamond ski trail. They made it and I didn’t.

In addition, their father was probably on hockey skates before he could walk. He was in a sport where it wasn’t uncommon for players to sacrifice their incisors to the game, nor was it uncommon to see a puck fly at them at speeds close to one hundred miles per hour.

So, there you have it. This is what one generation of sports-minded people can pass on to their progeny. You might be thinking, what does that have to illustrate from the Bible? Glad you asked.

Joel 1:3 

Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Psalm 145:4 

One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.

Give it some thought and pass it on.

Gary

Our grandniece was six years old when she climbed a 25-foot rope in her gymnastics class, rang a bell and shimmed back down. I have it on video and show it off once in a while. When her sister started gymnastics class, she, like her sister, went to the top of that rope and rang the bell. She was five years old. It sends a chill through me when I see those unbelievable accomplishments.

When we endeavor to accomplish different feats, one can never tell who might follow in our footsteps. Always be cognizant of blazing a trail for others. Does the Bible address such things? Glad you asked.

1 Corinthians 11:1

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Just to let you know, that first grandniece gets these devotionals because she asked for them. Don’t you just love it?

Give it some thought.

Gary

I’m traveling through a secondary road in Canada when I come to a construction site. There were traffic lights and the light was red. I stopped, waiting for the light to change. Cars started lining up behind me, and I heard the tooting horn of an angry driver. Then a school bus passed me, along with all the other traffic that had formed a queue behind me. My mind was in a state of confusion when I realized I was the only vehicle waiting for the light to change. I said to myself, “You had better follow them.”

What would you have done? What do you do when life just doesn’t make any sense, when the rules just don’t seem to apply anymore? How do you live in a world without rules?

Romans 13:1 

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Acts 5:29 

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Proverbs 29:2 

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

Did they do the wrong thing? Did I do the wrong thing?

Give it some thought as you move through a crazy, mixed-up world.

Gary

According to new research from the University of Copenhagen, poisonous Caribbean box jellyfish can learn at a far more complex level than ever imagined, despite only having 1,000 nerve cells and no centralized brain. If that creature can accomplish what it does without a brain, can you imagine what we can accomplish with one? It is the will of God for us to put our gray matter to good use.

Philippians 4:8 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Proverbs 18:15 

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

 Give it some thought with your tête or gray matter.

Gary

As a paramedic I witnessed some humorous things. A memorable incident involved four old ladies attempting to back out of a downhill driveway. The driver put it in gear while stepping on the accelerator, instead of the brake. The car sped down the driveway, across the street, over the ditch and stopped up against the railroad bed. We arrived to find three very disturbed elderly females.  One, however, was as calm as a cucumber and she was the driver. Some people just never seem to lose their head in spite of circumstances.

Peter was in prison chained to two soldiers and death was imminent, but just take a look at his demeanor.

Acts 12:6

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 

That lady probably had a medical reason for being so calm, but Peter had a spiritual reason. He knew that God was in charge of his life and not the government.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Someone once said to me, “Your shoe is untied.”

 I replied, “Yes, I know and the next time I’m down there, I’ll take care of it.”

Translation: I’m on a mission and that is not the priority at the present time. Not being sidelined from a mission takes quick thought.

It’s found in 1 Kings 13. There was a prophet sent on a special mission from God. However, another prophet distracted him by giving a deceptive message. This led to his untimely death.

Here’s the result of the false prophet’s urgings:

1 Kings 13:26

And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD spoke to him.

If you have clear direction from God, I would strongly suggest you be found doing it.

Give it some thought.

Gary