Danger

 

I’m not much of a hunter, but I know many men who are.  My Uncle Gray took me with him squirrel hunting, but I couldn’t keep quiet long enough for him to get a shot at a squirrel.  Rabbit hunting requires dogs to run the rabbits.  And deer hunting calls for a tree stand.  A hunter in a tree stand has an advantage over the deer because deer never look up.  Deer have never encountered danger from above.  Well, almost never … until opening day of hunting season.  Hey, sometimes Satan gains an advantage over us as well.  We feel that we have weak areas and strong areas in our lives.  And because we aren’t looking for his attacks in our strong areas, we become overconfident.  Often, we aren’t prepared for Satan’s clever advances because of our pride.  Peter warns us in I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Hey, Satan is on the prowl!  Don’t be like the deer; don’t be oblivious to danger.  Be careful, be vigilant, and above all, trust in the Lord.  He can defeat Satan and keep you safe.  He can, and He will!

Hurricane Season

 

Well, hurricane season is upon us once again.  With all of our technology, we receive adequate warnings, but why can’t we actually do anything about these storms?  We can put a man on the moon and bounce phone calls off of satellites in space, but when a hurricane threatens, the only thing that we can do is to run inland.  David knew trouble and he knew where to get help from.  David said in Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled …”  Hey do you have a relationship with the Creator of the Universe?  When you have a serious need, can you quickly get ahold of Him?  If not, now might be a good time to repair your relationship with God.  You might need Him … like in a second or two.

Tee Shirt Tags

 Sometimes my obsessions become my frustrations.  I hate tags sticking out on tee shirts, so I cut them off.  Then the no-tag feels so much better on my neck.  But my nylon sleep tee shirt has no printing on it, so without a tag, I don’t know which way is front or which way is back.  So I just put it on and I have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.  Or so I thought.  Why is it that I almost always get my sleep shirt on backwards?!  You’d think that every once in a while, I would get it right.  But no, I usually have to pull one arm out of the sleeve, slide the shirt around while pulling the other arm out of the sleeve and then put both arms back in the sleeves of the right side of the shirt.  And all of this drama because I cut off the tag.  Bad idea, Gerald, bad idea.  Hey sometimes I think I have a brilliant idea in the spiritual realm too.  I think I have a better plan of how to do things than God does.  But those plans work out kind of like cutting the tags off of tee shirts.  I may think that they are good plans, but I soon find out that God’s plans are much better than my plans.  Solomon said in Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”  I just THINK that I know what’s best for me.  But God sees into the future and God really

knows what’s best for me.  But don’t be too quick to laugh at me.  How about you?

Toaster

 

Marleen keeps her toaster under the cabinet in an appliance corral.  She likes to keep the countertop nice and clean.  I toasted a bagel this morning for breakfast and then grabbed the toaster to put it away.  Note above that I had just toasted the bagel, which made the toaster hot.  Note again that I grabbed the toaster which was still hot.  Not a very bright move, Gerald.  I set the toaster back down rather quickly to let my fingers cool a bit.  Most people would have remembered that the toaster was hot, but not me.  I was focused on the bagel.  Hey in life, I often forget little details that are nonetheless quite important (like toasters that are still hot).  I have 5 things to do today, and I must prioritize them.  All of them need to get done, but one or two may have to be pushed off until tomorrow.  So, I need to pray and read my Bible first so that the rest of the day falls into place.  Hey, that’s a good plan for you too.  Try it.  Psalm 34:4&6, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”  Put first things first, and have a good day.