I’m sitting here today with a jealous heart. I’m studying the book of Daniel for a Sunday sermon and jealousy crept up on me. You’ll understand my emotions when you read this portion of Daniel chapter one.

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 

Now I can’t interpret a vision or a dream. I lack knowledge in multiple areas. Possessing skill, no, that doesn’t describe me.  Studying has always been hard work and never pleasure for me. So now you understand my situation.

However, I rest in the fact that my situation in life, opportunities, deficits and IQ are from God and all I have to do is rest in that fact. I’ll never be a Daniel, but by the grace of God, I can be me and serve God in the capacity He has seen fit to equip me for.

What about you? Are you jealous? Don’t ever let it stop you from serving.

Think about it.

Gary

“Some men die by shrapnel

 some go down in flames

but most men perish inch by inch

playing silly little games.” 

Do the silly games include watching sitcoms from the sixties, enjoying old John Wayne movies, and looking at old yearbooks? What a waste of time! Like the line in an old song, “No, I can’t go back there.”

It might be a reach, but it certainly is a Biblical reach.

Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

Don’t be dragged down by the past. Reach for the future while the candle still burns.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Jackie Robinson, the world-famous baseball star, once said, “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.”

Jackie was not a theologian, but he certainly saw that life had a grand purpose for every individual. The Bible describes it as running a race and boxing the opponent.

Hebrews 12:1

All these many people who have had faith in God are around us like a cloud. Let us put everything out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.

1 Corinthians 9:26

In the same way, I run straight for the place at the end of the race. I fight to win. I do not beat the air.

You need to figure out why you’re here and the best way to accomplish that is to open the Scriptures.

Give it some thought.

Gary

In a daring escape from a Sydney, Australia, jail, a prisoner climbed underneath the hood of a truck. At the truck’s next stop, he clambered out and found himself in the yard of another prison four miles from the first.

Judas, thousands of years before this event, found himself in a similar situation. He decided Jesus was not the Savior of the nation and it was time for him to cut his losses. Days later he would be found with his guts hanging out and a rope around his neck.

Life might not be what you planned for, but be careful, a new plan might be worse. Why not let the plan of God be the driving force in your life?

Esther 4:14

Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

How many times have we heard the statement, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” By the way, time is running out.

Give it some thought.

Gary

A pastor was giving the children’s message during church. For this part of the service, he would gather all the children around him and give a brief lesson before dismissing them for children’s church.

On this particular Sunday, he was using squirrels for an object lesson on industry and preparation. He started out by saying, “I’m going to describe something, and I want you to raise your hand when you know what it is.” The children nodded eagerly.

“This thing lives in trees (pause) and eats nuts (pause)…” No hands went up. “And it is gray (pause) and has a long bushy tail (pause)…” The children were looking at each other, but still no hands raised. “And it jumps from branch to branch (pause) and chatters and flips its tail when it’s excited (pause)…”

Finally one little boy tentatively raised his hand. The pastor breathed a sigh of relief and called on him. “Well…,” said the boy, “I know the answer must be Jesus… but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!”

Are you confused by the obvious because of your theological surroundings?  There is an account in John’s Gospel about a man born blind who was given his sight back by Jesus. His parents were happy but fearful of being put out of the synagogue.

John 9:22

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

I would say, “Look at the evidence. Do you really need the synagogue?”

Some might be better off reading their Bibles at home than going to church.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Is A PICTURE REALLY WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS?  With today’s Facebook-fascination, is the truth really there in the way a family vacation is portrayed?  Do you know about the fight over the flight arrangements?  Do you know about the way the kids grumbled or just took everything for granted with no appreciation shown?

Truthfully, unity and contentment are not always a reality, but what is pictured has to imply that all is well. It wasn’t like that in Job’s world and, I doubt, it is in yours.

Job 5:7

Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

Job 14:1

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.

Over a thousand years later, Jesus made a similar statement:

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The promise Jesus made to the early believers was that what they couldn’t find in the world they would find in him.

Give it some thought and anticipate trouble.

Gary

SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America’s Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there.

I have listened to the song about the Edmond Fitzgerald maybe a hundred times in my life. It’s about a journey in a storm with a valuable cargo. In a moment of time, the cargo became worthless and the crew didn’t even have time to send an SOS. Its remains lie five hundred fifty feet down and broken in two; the bodies were never recovered.

We are being transported through life with hopes, goals and ambitions. However, that can end suddenly, and in a way many won’t understand. While we still can communicate, let’s stay in touch with others and especially the One who sent us on this voyage in the first place.

 Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Give it some thought as you sail through life.

Gary