Pet Peeve

 

Do you have a “pet peeve”?  You know, something that really bothers you?  I have several.  I hate cold butter.  I try to spread cold butter on toast, but it just rolls up behind the knife.  I hate infomercials.  “But wait, there’s more!  We’ll double your order!  Just pay a separate shipping and handling fee.”  My worst pet peeve is to be put on hold, waiting to speak to someone on the phone.  And that background music that is so distorted that you can’t recognize the tune.  But waiting for someone on the other end of a phone line is not the same as waiting on the Lord.  “Waiting on the Lord” is like a good waiter at a classy restaurant who is attentive to your every need.  David said in Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”  If we will wait on the Lord - be attentive to Him - He will bless us and give us all that we need.  Hey, don’t be discouraged!  Be patient!  Wait on the Lord!  Trust me, it will be a good experience … no “pet peeve.”

Carriers

 

The current variations of covid are not nearly as dangerous as the original Covid-19.  Some folk think that they have fall allergies, but they actually may have the covid virus.  They show up at work with a runny nose thinking “allergies” while they may be “carriers” of the virus.  And they carry the virus to those who are more vulnerable.  But there is a different “carrier” in the Bible.  In Mark 2 there were four men who carried their crippled friend to Jesus to be healed.  They were the right kind of “carriers.”  When they couldn’t get near Jesus because of the crowd, they didn’t give up.  They went up on the flat roof, tore open a hole, and let down their friend right at the feet of the Savior.  And Jesus looked up through the hole in the roof into the faces of those four friends.  Mark 2:5,9,11, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, … Thy sins be forgiven thee, … Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk, … and go thy way into thine house.”  Those men were “carriers.”  They had the faith to carry their friend to Jesus.  Hey, are you a carrier?  Do you know someone who needs to get to Jesus?  Do you have the faith for them?  Just be a “carrier” and get your friend to Jesus.  You both will be glad that you did.

Matilda!

 

The story is told of a man visiting an insane asylum.  Inside a padded cell was a patient banging his head against the wall wailing, “Matilda, Matilda, Matilda!”  The visitor asked the doctor for an explanation.  The doctor replied, “Oh this poor man was rejected by Matilda and went totally mad.”  In the next padded cell, another patient was banging his head against the wall wailing, “Matilda, Matilda, Matilda!”  The visitor again asked the doctor for an explanation.  The doctor replied, “Oh this poor man married Mathilda and ...”  Have you ever wanted something (or someone) so badly, only to be disappointed when you got what you asked for?  Many things in life are only fleeting fancies.  We long for the idea of having trinkets only to be disappointed when we secure them.  But I am so glad that the Lord Jesus Christ never disappoints!  I trusted Jesus almost seventy years ago, and he has never disappointed me once!  While Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus, he got so excited about the dear Lord that he broke out into a benediction right in the middle of the book!  Paul said in Ephesians 3:20&21, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”  Right on, Paul!  Praise the Lord!