What’s the best thing about Switzerland? I don’t know, but the flag is a big plus.

The white cross on the red base represents the Christian cross, as well as the sign of the old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss flag in the traditional sense represents freedom, honor, and loyalty.

Now you know, but do you know what the cross at Calvary represents?

1 Corinthians 1:18 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Hebrews 12:2 

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Give it some thought.

Gary

A customer walked into my clothing shop and asked to see the pants that were advertised in the paper that day. “We don’t have an ad in the paper today,” I told her. She insisted I was wrong, so I got a copy of the paper, and we went through it, eventually landing on an ad for pants from another local store.

Exasperated, the customer glared at me and said, “In my newspaper, the ad was for this store!”

–       Edward Oppenheimer

In my life I’ve heard people make statements about the Bible that sound just like that. Case in point, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” The irony is threaded throughout the Word, for God is helping those who are incapable of helping themselves.

Romans 7:24 

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Romans 5:8 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Oh, the insurmountable list of things we can’t do for ourselves.

Give it some thought.

Gary

So, this is what the individual sent me for a text: “OM, it is so hot outside IDK. If I don’t survive, it is NBD, LOL.”

All I could come up with for an answer was, you’d better get out of the sun because it looks to me like your brain is frying. You are a few letters short of a word.

I sure am glad the Scripture is written in a language I can understand.

Psalm 116:6 

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

1 Corinthians 14:33 

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Proverbs 15:16 

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

I can understand every one of those communications from Heaven. IRL

Give it some thought.

Gary

Some translations for you: OM – O my; IDK- I don’t know; NBD- no big deal; LOL – Laugh out loud; IRL – In real life

You seem to be suffering from delusions of adequacy. Carly Simon sang about you in 1972. It’s amazing that the future is so clear that you can fill your schedule right to the grave. Nice to be a prophet extraordinaire.

However, if I’m not referring to you, here is some hope for the future. 

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 16:3 

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Give it some thought, O needy one.

Gary

I wish you folks would come to church,

If only for a visit.

For someday they will carry you in,

And the Lord will say, “Who is it?”

Isn’t this a piece of Christian humor that has no connection to Scripture? Not so. We find in the Word a few statements that are convincingly close to that statement.

Matthew 7:23

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Hebrews 10:25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

With the evil pressing in on our present world, maybe the day is closer than we think.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Did the parachute fail to open? You took a leap out of the plane of life and thought you would enjoy the long descent and have something to tell others about the thrill of it all. However, like the question previously entertained, you didn’t find a soft landing.

Case in point is a man who had it all and landed in hell.

Luke 16:22-23

The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 12:5

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Give it some thought before the landing is not what you anticipated.

Gary

My grandson is providing today’s devotional.

Recently I stepped on a “daddy long legs” spider before a shower and decided to learn more about them.

Unbeknownst to me, it isn’t a spider at all.  Rather it’s its own order called the Harvestman, which isn’t a predator as much as an omnivore, looking for dead plants and bugs to eat.

Each creation, including us, has a purpose and a plan given to us from the day of conception by the Father.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. 

Psalms 33:11

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 Give it some thought.

Gary/Joshua