A Picture

I remember years ago buying my son a bicycle at Wal-Mart.  He picked it out and we told the clerk which one we wanted.  So, the clerk went in the back and came back with a box.  The entire bicycle was in a box!  It was just about then that I realized that I was in trouble.  We put the box in the trunk of our 1978 Chevelle and drove home.  My son was so excited, but I was so nervous.  And I had reason to be.  We got the frame and two wheels out of the big box, but there were three other smaller boxes inside.  In the first box, there were yet smaller boxes and plastic bags galore.  With each new revelation, my hopes sank.  I found the directions, and they were in English, but they were written by someone in China who had told their boss that they knew English.  And clearly, they did not.  They knew English words, but they couldn’t communicate in English.  The only saving part was the picture.  I understood the picture.  Hey, that’s the way it is in life.  God gave us directions in His book, but we just don’t seem to understand them.  But we do understand when we see an example in the life of a committed Christian.  What a blessing they can be!  David said in Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”  Are you following someone who is a good example?  Or are you being a good example?  Think about it.

Clue

When I was about ten years old, I spent the night with my cousins.  They had a new game called “Clue”.  Do you remember playing the game of “Clue” when you were young?  After careful strategies and suggestions, a player becomes confident that they have deduced the contents of the envelope.  They are ready to accuse, “Miss Scarlett with the lead pipe in the conservatory” of murdering Mr. Boddy.  The excitement is in opening the envelope to see if you have guessed correctly.  All too often, I have guessed wrong and had to sit out the rest of the game as a “loser”.  Hey, have you ever made a guess in life that turned out wrong?  It might have been about the character of someone.  It may have been about a choice or about a decision.  Some decisions are petty and inconsequential, like whether to have strawberry jam or grape jelly on your breakfast toast.  But some decisions are important, like the person that you choose to marry.  But your greatest decision by far is to trust in Jesus Christ for your eternal life ... or to not. David said in Psalm 91:2, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”  Put the care of your eternal soul into the hands of Almighty God.  You will never regret that decision.

Rules vs. Relationship

Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.  It isn’t a set of rules to follow; it’s a great Friend to follow with.  In John 14:6, “Doubting” Thomas was confused.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  Pretty clear.  Jesus didn’t say to keep the Ten Commandments; He didn’t say to faithfully attend church; He didn’t say to be baptized or go to confessional.  Jesus DID say that He himself was The Way.  Hey, it’s not a list of do’s and don’t’s; it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Trust Him today and talk to Him in prayer.  Jesus is real and He wants to be your Savior and your best Friend.