I’m cashing out at the grocery store and leaving with a couple of bags of groceries. The bagboy looks at me and asks, “Can I take those for you?” Now he is just being polite, thinking this old, gray-haired man might not make it to the door. I smile and take the bags from him. I respond, “Thank you for the consideration.” Then I add, “By the way, could you watch me go to the truck in case you need to bring the defibrillator.”

Seems like yesterday I was trying to pass for twenty-one at the bar. I had my friend’s ID, but he happened to be three inches shorter than I was and he also had brown eyes. I had to flush his ID down the toilet because the liquor inspector was making the rounds. I didn’t want my friend getting into trouble. (I had standards.) Now the bagboy wants to carry two small bags to the vehicle for me. What’s going on here?

Psalm 39:4

“Lord, make me to know my end

And what is the extent of my days;

Let me know how transient I am.

Job 7:6

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle

Job 8:9

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

Certainly, I would not want to enter the seventh decade of life and be in the dark as to why and how it all transpired.

Can I help you with that?

Think about it.

Gary

When Isaiah was writing, Israel had a callousness manifested towards the Word of God. There was a willful blindness that brought down the wrath of God on the nation. They wouldn’t listen to what the Word of God had to say. However, in spite of all of that, God gave a promise that the day would come that the blindness would be removed and they would listen to their teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 

Have you been to the Great Optometrist lately for a complete eye exam? Is it better like this or is it better like that?  Have you been to the Great Audiologist to have your hearing checked? In which ear do you hear the tone?  Do you know that a hearing problem can throw your balance off?

Give it some thought.

Gary

All the experiences of the past, good and bad, can help us focus on the now. Because of the past, we can deal much better with the present. Those multiple situations that life threw at us hopefully balanced us for the present. I wonder if that is why Matt Dillion never married Miss Kitty, just thinking.

Now we need to introduce something that can better prepare us for tomorrow. When it comes to learning lessons, there is nothing like the Scriptures.

Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Think about that, Chester.

Gary

I’ll take a few moments and paint a picture of what it was like in the early church. James became the first martyr. Herod started persecuting the church and decided to kill James with a sword.  Peter was taken prisoner and it wouldn’t be the last time that happened. Dorcas, who had been a great help to others, died. Trouble with the saints lying about things they shouldn’t be lying about seemed to be infiltrating the church.

How would you like to be a Christian under those circumstances? Do you think the stressors of being a Christian ended in the early church? Is it possible that you believe that in our age being a Christian is an easy road? Biblically speaking, that’s not supposed to be the case. We might not have physical persecution, but there’s certainly emotional persecution.

Here is a promise the Lord left us that you can hang on to:

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The promise of peace and tribulation is in the same verse.

Give it some thought.

Gary

There is no one who understands like God does. He knows exactly what we need for the present and what lies ahead. Sometimes we question His actions because of the pain we feel.

The Apostle Paul didn’t do that when pain entered his life. He knew exactly what God had to do to get him back on track. His temptation came not from knowing too little but from knowing too much. He admitted it. Pride needs to be tempered.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We all have some serious deficits and sometimes they can only be corrected by pain.

Give it some thought.

Gary

The reason John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and another passenger died in a plane crash was that, as the pilot, John didn’t trust his instruments. He was too inexperienced to believe the instruments that were in the plane; instead, he believed his feelings.

There are a great number of people flying through this life, with darkness all around, and going by their feelings. The end of such a manner of living will ultimately lead to disaster.

God has given us a better way:

Psalm 37:23-24

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Look into the light and not into the darkness of the world around you. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

Give it some thought.

Gary

A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy, and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble.

In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and bailed out.

Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining.

The doctor grabbed one and said, “I’m a doctor; I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out.

The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.”

He also grabbed a parachute and jumped.

The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.”

The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry, Father. The ‘smartest man in the world’ just took off with my back pack.”

We can make some very serious errors when we overestimate ourselves and underestimate others. “You’re So Vain” is a song written in 1971 by Carly Simon and released in November 1972. My belief is that it hits this nail right on the head. Vanity can be a killer.

The smartest man in the world had this to say about human understanding as it relates to this world.

Ecclesiastes 1:6

The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.

If we can’t figure out the wind, how are we doing with the weightier matters of life?

Give it some thought and turn the pages of some ancient information on the subject of wisdom.

Gary