Witnesses

Years ago, I was traveling on rain-slick Highway 153 when I saw a semi-truck plow over a pick-up truck.  I helped a couple and their twelve-year-old daughter out of the ditch to safety.  No big thing.  But then, six months later, I was summoned to court as a witness in their suit against the trucking company.  When I got on the witness stand, the bailiff held out a Bible, asked me to place my left hand on it, raise my right hand, and repeat after him, “I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”  Wow!  What a serious statement that I had to affirm.  Hey, that’s what the apostles of Jesus were asked to do in the book of Acts.  They were asked to repeat the truth about Jesus … the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  And they did.  And what were they called?  You guessed it, “witnesses”.  Acts 4:33, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”  They obeyed the Lord’s command to be witnesses.  Are you obeying the Lord’s command?  If you are, you are a witness.  Good job!  Keep it up!

Patience

I am so impatient.  Guilty.  I don’t like to wait at a traffic light.  I even watch the light going the other way just to get a split-second head start on my green light.  And doctor offices wear me down.  Why do I have an appointment for 9 AM when everyone knows that the doctor won’t see me until 10 AM?  Now I know why it’s called a “waiting room”.  I get done with supper at Cracker Barrell and can’t wait to get the check.  I look around for the waiter and fume, “What’s taking so long?”  But have you ever noticed that God isn’t in a hurry?  He has all the time in the world.  It could be that God is using difficulties in my life to develop patience.  James 1:3 & 4 says, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”  The following statement doesn’t seem to make sense, but it really does: the only way to overcome impatience is to be patient.  And God is wise to enough to send us difficult situations to help us to develop patience.  So, be careful what you ask for.  Don’t ask for patience, or God will give you trials to develop your patience.  Ask for wisdom during your testing, and you’ll get patience … for free.

Murder

When I was about seven years old and my brother, Phil, was about five years old, and we were riding in the car with our parents.  Suddenly, a police car passed us with lights flashing and siren blaring.  My little brother remarked, “That policeman is going to murder someone.”  My mother corrected him saying, “The policeman may have to shoot someone, but he isn’t going to murder them.”  Then, with my infinite wisdom, I spoke up and said, “Don’t say what you don’t know what is.”  My dad opened his mouth to correct me but thought for a moment.  Then he shrugged, closed his mouth, and dropped what he was going to say.  What I had said made sense.  Well, kind of.  Hey, the words of little children may not always be accurate.  They speak from their limited understanding.  But the good Lord always has the right things to say.  In Psalm 12:6 we find, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”  You can trust the words that God speaks.  They are true.  Hey, why not read some of His words right now.  Why not read them every day?  Daily Bible reading is a good habit to get into.