The Price Is Right

 

Have you ever noticed the stage girls on “The Price is Right”?  They always move to be in front of the camera.  They ooze elegance with those fake smiles on their faces.  Then they cleverly slip aside with a wave of their hand as the curtain opens and the new car is shown.  They slide right behind the new car, stroking the fine finish with one hand while flourishing with the other hand in the air.  We notice them because they are gorgeous, but their purpose is to showcase the car that is up for bid.  Oh, they get our attention, but their job is to shift our attention from them to that new car on the stage.  Hey, that’s our job as Christians.  We are to look good to the world, but our real job is to draw attention to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Paul said in I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  Everything that we do, every move that we make, everything that we say, everything that we accomplish, ALL should point others to Christ.  Hey, be a good Christian example and draw attention to yourself.  But then point people to Jesus Christ, for He is above all things, and He deserves all the honor and glory!  After all, it’s not about us; it’s all about Jesus Christ, the Lord!

Kindness

 

Our Sunday school lesson has been on the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22&23.  Last Sunday, Brother Roth used the story of Ruth gleaning to illustrate kindness, which is the fruit of gentleness.  Boaz was kind to Ruth.  He allowed Ruth to glean among his farm workers even instructing them to drop a few “handfuls on purpose.”  The workers were not only to allow Ruth to work right there among them, but they also intentionally dropped some stalks of grain on the ground while Ruth wasn’t looking.  Boaz not only wanted Ruth to have food, but Boaz wanted her to keep her dignity.  What a beautiful picture for us.  Paul reminded the Ephesians in Acts 20:35, “… to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  When we give to others, we are giving as unto the Lord, and the Lord will bless the giver.  Boaz blessed Ruth, but Boaz himself was blessed in return by his own giving.  Boaz found a wife in Ruth, they had a child, Obed, who had a son named Jesse, who had a son named David, whose descendant was Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!

Flowers of the Field

 

Sunday afternoon, I took these pictures of the front yard at church.  Aren’t these tiny little flowers so cute?!  But they are only weeds.  No one planted them.  Brother Tom mowed the church yard last week and he will mow it again next week, so these little flowers/weeds will only survive for a few days.  But they did a great job brightening my day while they lasted.  Their brief blooming window is long enough for them to thrive.  And they provide a great lesson for us:  Bloom where you’re planted.  Bloom while you can.  Don’t worry about tomorrow; just do what you can today.  David understood the brevity of life when he said in Psalm 103:15&16, “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.”  Hey, serve the dear Lord while you can because you will soon be in eternity.