19 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Results of Life’s Trials” Job 2:7-13

19 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Results of Life’s Trials” Job 2:7-13

Officer Jim Heimerl , a Minneapolis policeman, was taking part in a 16.3 mile run in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Jim was four miles into the race, when two deer ambled out of the woods and onto the road. The startled buck, no doubt distressed to find himself in the middle of a human marathon, began zigzagging wildly through the runners. Jim didn’t even see the animal until the two of them collided and sprawled together onto the asphalt highway. Jim fell flat on his face, received a concussion and opened a nasty gash on his forehead that required 23 stitches. The buck, however, paid an even higher price for his encounter. The collision broke his leg and his back, and the only humane response was to quickly dispense him to the ranks of the deerly departed. Jim had already been admitted to a nearby hospital for repairs when state game officials called to tell him Wisconsin law holds that anyone who hits and kills a deer on a Wisconsin roadway can claim the deer. But since he didn’t feel up to dealing with a dead deer, and since he didn’t want to store the carcass in his station wagon in 80-degree heat while he recuperated overnight in the hospital, Jim declined the offer. He lamented his luck. “I hunt deer for 14 years without getting a thing, and then I get one while I’m running a race.”

We are familiar with the things that Job had to endure. He suffered greatly for the glory of the Lord, and for thousands of years, his life has stood as a testimony to the faithfulness of the Lord and of His ability to bring His people through any trial. Job's story is one of vast encouragement. In this passage, we will see what the trials of life bring our way. Look this morning at Job 2:7-13

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:7-13)

Job's wife comes to him and tries to get him to curse God and go to his death with some dignity. I have always been bothered by this woman's attitude. However, as I thought about all that she had endured; I could just begin to sympathize with how she must have felt. After all, she has just lost her ten children; she is no longer the "first lady of the east." Her husband, once the greatest man of the east, v. 1:3, now he is sitting on a garbage dump scraping his disease ridden body with a piece of broken pottery. No wonder she is a little upset.

Job was first attacked in the area of his faith. This is always the way with trials. If we will listen to the devil, he will tell us that God doesn't know, doesn't care, doesn't understand; and isn't able to do anything about our situation.

I Peter 4:12-13 says this: Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Understand that there may be no joy right now, indeed some things might get worse before they get better. The joy will come later- if anything there may be those times when all we can do is to look back on the situation and laugh.

Like the guy I read recently who awoke one morning to find a puddle of water in the middle of his king-size water bed. In order to fix the puncture, he rolled the heavy mattress outdoors and filled it with more water so he could locate the leak more easily. The enormous bag of water was impossible to control and began rolling on the hilly terrain. He tried to hold it back, but it headed downhill and landed in a clump of bushes which poked it full of holes. Disgusted, he threw out the water-bed frame and moved a standard bed into his room. The next morning, he awoke to find a puddle of water in the middle of the new bed. The upstairs bathroom had a leaky drain.

It helps to have a sense of humor when things like this happen. You might not laugh at them now, but by God’s grace, one day you can. When the trials of life come your way, instead of listening to the continually dripping of the faith destroying lies of the devil, learn to rest upon the unchanging promises of the Lord God. Your faith in God is never misplaced!

Have a blessed day!

17 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Why God Doesn’t Pass Us By” 1 John 4:10

17 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Why God Doesn’t Pass Us By” 1 John 4:10

A few days ago I awoke to hear the news on television- laying in bed as I watched it- probably not the best way to start the day. There were stories of murders, a fire that burned someone’s house down, how the economy is in shambles. More casualities in the war in Iraq. One that particularly bothered me was a 9 year old child who was killed while playing with a hand gun because he had been left unattended. I tell you, it made me want to pull the covers over my head and not get up. Makes me wonder, why doesn't God pass it by? Why should God care for so fallen a universe and so depraved a humanity? Why doesn't God pass us by?

In my first church out in the country town of Gainesville, Texas, up on the Oklahoma border there was a dear, sweet Christian couple who served actively in that church. He was a deacon and she taught Sunday School. They loved the Lord, and they loved their son, their only child, a son who turned out to be a terrible disappointment. Now grown, he was the same age as I was. But this boy was constantly in trouble with the law and in and out of jail for drug abuse, and robbery (to finance his habit). He would not work, he wanted to do nothing but get into trouble. In order to defend him in court and to make restitution in the endless series of robberies, they lost everything they had. They mortgaged their farm and lost it. It made me angry to see what their son put them through. Keep in mind I was just 23 years old, and asked the father and mother, "Why are you doing this to yourselves? Why not kick him out and make him fend for himself? Look what he’s done- he’s ruined you!” I regret saying those words, especially how, in love, they turned to me and said, "Preacher, he is our son. He's our boy. He’s all we got. And you're very young. And, if you ever have a child of your own, you'll understand."

Yet God so loved the world. And what is more, He still loves the world. Why doesn’t God just pass us by? Its because His attitude toward us is just like those godly parents had for their prodigal son. Its an amazing thing, when you think about it that God not only loved us once but He still does. This is because God’s love for us is described in a special word that means love, but completely unlike the love we see going on in the world. Not the eros love- to describe the love between a man and woman. Not philos love, which is brotherly love- we get the word Philadelphia from that love. Instead it is agape- a self giving, self sacrificing love, an unconditional love that no matter what we do to Him, God keeps loving us. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."—1 John 4:10. We cannot earn it, we cannot buy it, we sure don’t deserve it. The only way to have it is to receive it as a free and unconditional gift or not at all. What wondrous love this is to know that in spite of what we do, God still loves us and does not reject us.

May the reality of this love change our hearts and attitudes toward those we know today we think are undeserving of our own respect and love. Have a blessed day!

14 March 2008 Devotion for Today “What Were You Thinking?” Philippians 4:8-9

14 March 2008 Devotion for Today “What Were You Thinking?” Philippians 4:8-9

This past week we watched the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, go before the press to make a statement declaring that he was involved in a prostitution ring, and that he was stepping down. As the press’s camera shutters nearly drowned out the speech, a reporter in the background hollered, “Governor Spitzer! What were you thinking?”

What were you thinking? That is a question usually invoked in amazement when somebody does something careless or stupid. The conclusion most might answer- although never allowed- is this: “What was I thinking? I was thinking that I would not get caught. That was what I was thinking!” It is amazing to think that after someone would go to the effort of spending millions of dollars to get elected, spending thousands of hours campaigning, placing all of his hopes and dreams on the line- not to mention the respect and love of his family- just to throw it all away? Yet there are millions of people who have done it with far less.

This is because their lives were going in the wrong direction in the beginning. To keep us from temptation, as well as to point the way to godliness and to greater success, the Apostle Paul teachers us in Philippians 4:8-9:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

The first thing to note when I read this passage is that there is so much out there in the world to compete with these thoughts. It might appear harmless to most to watch a program like Southpark or Family Guy on television. But when you listen to these antics filled with profanities and vulgar humor for a half-hour, you cannot help but to be sullied by them in your thoughts. The same is true with the late-night comedy talk and variety shows. If you have a television in your bedroom and the program happens to be on before you fall off to sleep, you think of Jay Leno or David Letterman invading your mind with crude witticisms. For the Christian, that is the last thing he or she should be thinking. We should reject them, and refuse to put them before us. It ruins your spirit and sours your disposition when you wake up the next morning, and hardly makes for a mind conducive to godly thoughts, let alone godly conversation.

What were you thinking? Someone once said that what we laugh at is a window to the soul. I am inclined to believe it. Lately we have been taught as Christians that to engage the culture we live in is to embrace it. That is still the age-old lie of Satan who desires that we appear sophisticated to the world, but without any substance. We can still remain techno-savvy and be godly without having to resort to thinking and acting like the world. No matter what shape our culture has emerged from century to century, Jesus prayed for us that we would be in the world, but not of the world.

Have a blessed day!

12 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Drawing Waters" Psalm 18

12 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Drawing Waters" Psalm 18

On our tour of Ronneburg castle with my cub scout troop we
visited the castle well that is known to be one of the deepest on
the continent- 93 meters deep! For a fifty-pfennig piece, one can
drop a coin into a box that runs a series of lights that illuminates
the well all the way to the bottom of what looks like an abyss. It
is even more fascinating to fill a wooden bucket with water and pour
it into the top of the well and wait several seconds until one hears
the splash of the water as it hits the bottom. Once, as I leaned over
the edge of the well and trying to get a better view, the thought of
what might happen if someone were to accidentally fall down the well
shaft glanced across my mind. Thankfully there is a heavy metal mesh
provided for the saftey of tourists. To be certain, this mesh was not
always there. On one occasion, a tour guide told us about an individual,
a household servant, who plunged into the well hoping to escape a
maurading force of invaders as it overran the fortress during the
Thirty Years War. He survived the nearly 100 meter fall and lived for
about three days in the darkness until someone drew him out with the
elaborate pulley system rigged to haul large quantities from the well.
He lived through the invasion and was hauled to saftey after the fortress
was retaken.

Quite a story, I thought. I thought about the man who thought
he could hide in that well. How could he have gotten himself into a
situation like that? BUt the more I thought of it, I know that on more
than one occasion, I have gotten into such trouble. I never thought to
jump into a 100 meter well, but other things have had about the same
effect. If we were all honest, all of us could concurr with the same
experiences. Sin causes us to get "in over our heads" in deep trouble.
Trouble that is easy to get into, but nearly impossible-if not impossible,
without God's help.

I am reminded of God's mercy and grace in Psalm 18, where David
tells of such trouble as he writes, "He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me." Verses 16-17.

Are you in "deep waters" today? Call upon God and He will answer
you. God always has an ear for the voice of repentance. Call upon Him
today. Have a blessed day.

(from 23 May 2000)

11 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Half-Way” Judges 1:27-34

11 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Half-Way” Judges 1:27-34

A few months ago someone called me and wanted to talk to me. He was willing to drive from Wiesbaden all the way out to Hanau- about an hour and a half drive for him. With gas costing him about $5.00 per gallon (in 1999), I suggested to him that he didn’t need to do that, but that we could meet for lunch at a place near Frankfurt Airport. He was very happy to do that, and I felt better about it too.

The idea of meeting someone half-way is favorable to most people. If there is a considerable distance one must go to meet someone, and the business is mutually beneficial, we usually ask that person to meet us at a point that is half the distance instead of one or the other party having to drive the entire way. When we are bargaining and we think that the seller can come down in the price, sometimes we ask him to meet us half-way. But there are times when meeting someone half-way is neither agreeable nor obedient. In fact, our desire to please or not taking the trouble to do what we should have done will bring us trouble in the future. Israel began to discover this in Judges 1.

Israel was commanded by God to completely displace the inhabitants of the land of Canaan where they were to settle after their experience in the Wilderness. They dominated the land and were victorious in battle. But verse 27 says “However, Manasseh did not drove out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages.” Manasseh and the other tribes decided that it would be a waste to rid their lands of potential profits: “And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.” (v.28). Perhaps it might be considered that Israel did not have the ability to drive out the Canaanites. But Judges is very clear that this was not the case. They were never in a better position than to do what God told them to do. This was their golden opportunity, but they let it go by for riches that they could gain for the moment. In other words, Israel thought it best to meet the Canaanites half-way. As a result, Israel paid for this many times over throughout her history.

How many times are we tempted to go half-way when we know God wants us “to go the distance.” with Him. Perhaps fear holds us back, or we think we have to try to save all that we can now so that we can have more later. Yet the most profitable opportunity in faith is lost because we go half-way. May the Lord help us all to put aside these ambitions and to trust Him completely with our future. Then we will know not only the blessings of today, but of the future.


Have a blessed day!

(7/22/99)

10 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Pride and Ambition” Judges 9:52-57

10 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Pride and Ambition” Judges 9:52-57

When my boys were 3 and 5 years of age, I took them fishing for the first time. We had planned to spend a nice afternoon by a lake and I would teach them to cast their line with their little fishing poles that I bought for them. I wasn’t expecting to do any fishing at all since I would be busy baiting hooks and reeling , untangling, and de-rat’s nesting fishing reels and lines. I also had the video camera ready just in case one of the boys caught something. The first thing Jared declared was, “I’m gonna catch a whale!” I smiled at his ambition as he did a very good job of casting his line out into the water. Then John, my oldest son, got a bite and then a huge tug on the line. “Help me, Daddy! I can’t reel it in!” Together we struggled to pull in what looked like a huge lake trout. As we pulled it into shallow water, I reached for the video camera. At the same time, Jared thought he should be reeling in his line also, despite my objections. He then decided to cast his line back out again. That was when I felt something hit me in the back and then, “Ouch!” Jared had caught me with his hook right in the middle of my back. The hook embedded and went deep. Meanwhile, he kept trying to yank the line to get the hook loose. Meanwhile, John started yelling because the fish he had caught was starting to get away and I could not help him because Jared was, by this time, reeling me in! I dropped the video camera in the dirt, desperately trying to grab Jared’s line and stop the grueling torture. The man we went fishing with was further down shore and came running to see what all the commotion was about. In fact, half the lake came over to assist me. People started laughing and snickering at the mishap. I think that hurt worse than the hook itself and admittedly I was in no mood to be good natured about it. No one could get the hook out of my back, and it hurt as it was pulling constantly against my shirt. Finally, a trip to the emergency room cured me. The whole time I could not help but hear Jared’s words of ambition, “I’m gonna catch a whale!” ring over and over again in my mind.

Pride and ambition. Separately they are a pretty good thing. But used together they combine to a destructive, even deadly force. Abimelech found this out in Judges 9. Abimelech was the son of Gideon who was so ambitious and hungry for power that he arranged to murder all of his seventy brothers so that no one in his family would be left to challenge his right to judge Israel. Actually, Abimelech had no redeeming qualities of his own to offer Israel. He was only trading off of his father’s name that people esteemed so highly. He was not much of a politician. And in this chapter he shows that he was not much of a warrior either: “And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to break his skull.” vv52-53.

For all of Abimelech’s pride and ambition, he showed that he didn’t really know all that much about what he was doing. He thought he was invincible, and instead of using his head and shoot a flaming arrow or two at the wooden door of the tower, somebody used it (his head) for him to break a millstone in two. He thought he was so clever to have eliminated any rivals for the position by murdering his brothers. But even there he was not very careful because one of the brothers escaped.

In our pride and ambition, we create so much stress for ourselves that we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and actually start believing the adulation people give us. When we do that, we get ourselves hooked. It won’t be long until we leave something undone or forget about a crucial pitfall that will lead us to disaster. Abimelech shows his real character in v. 55 “Then he called hastily (Abimelech was always hasty) unto the young man his armour-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.” His pride dictated that he would rather he died a suicide than to have it known that he died, not because a woman dropped a millstone on his head, because of his own stupidity.

Be careful today that you do not conspire with pride and ambition to get you somewhere in life. You may likely find that these two will conspire against you. Have a blessed day!

06 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Honey from the Rock" Psalm 81

06 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Honey from the Rock" Psalm 81

From September 17, 2000: For several weeks our church building had in Germany had been besieged by a swarm of bees that have made their nests within the eaves of the building. One of the nests is right above the front entry-way. Thankfully, no one had been stung but they sure make a pesky sight. Many of them found their way into the church building. They created a distraction when I preached as people dodged and swatted. One such bee must have flown through a cob-web, but it didn't hold him down. He continued to fly around the sanctuary with a long strand of silky cob-web attached to his bee-hind!

I consulted the landlord on the matter. He said it is illegal to exterminate bees and insects unless they are taken care of professionally. The Feuerwehr,(fire department) he said, will dispose of them. So I called the Feuerwehr. The fireman took a look at where the bees are flying into in the building, shook his head, and said, "I can't do anything." When I asked why, he said that if the bees nests were hanging on the outside of the building and could be taken away intact, he would gladly do it. We had no recourse but to wait until the first frost, he said, and then all the bees will be gone. When I asked what would

happen if someone were to be stung, or if they suffered an allergic reaction, he glibly said, "Don't swat at them and they will leave you alone!" I was then told that if I wished for a professional to exterminate the bees I could do that, but it would be expensive and a very time- consuming beaurocratic hassel. Exterminators have to apply to the city government for permission and this could take up to three weeks. By then, he said, your bee problem will have taken care of itself.

I shook my head in amazement at the bee dilemma. But the fireman went on to explain that in Germany bees are protected. "Without them we would have no flowers, no fruit trees, no honey!" The honey industry in Germany is a very lucrative enterprise and they depend upon the bees for their livelihood. I suppose the fireman sold me on the importance of the bee by the sweet-sounding words in his mouth. It made me wonder if he had been sent to me by the German Bee-keepers

Association. But after the fireman left it occurred to me that just because the bees and hornets are a pest to me doesn't mean that God is not using them to provide for someone else.

Psalm 81 is a psalm of God's deliverance and provision. At times, however, Israel seems content to want none of what God can do for her. Desiring her own way, she has found herself destitute. But God continues to promise: "I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people will

not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways." (verses 10-13). "He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with the honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."

What satisfies you today, my friend? Is it the things that your own counsels provide, or do you prefer the sweetness of the rock of God's provision? Taste today of the "honey from the rock." Have a blessed day!

05 March 2008 Devotion for Today “One Body in Christ” Romans 12:3-6

05 March 2008 Devotion for Today “One Body in Christ” Romans 12:3-6

I would like to tell you the story of an event in 1999, when the church where I served- the Friendship Baptist Church of Hanau, Gemany, participated in what they called “the Christian Fest” that was held at the World Outreach Ministries center. In response to that vision, our church, in concert with the World Outreach and another ministry called “Street Church” Christians came together to help with the barbecue, food and clothing distribution, and worship service. It was beautiful to see how so many Christians, many of different denominations and independent churches, came together to feed about 500 refugees and homeless people, as well as citizens of Hanau who just dropped in when they read the flier and the ad in the paper. God blessed in a tremendous way. The greatest blessing was to see the joy on the faces of the people, especially the children that came. Donations poured in from everywhere-not necessarily monetary donations, but other meaningful help such as 500 kilos of spareribs at 1 DM per kilo, a bus company donated the use of their bus and driver to pick up the people from the refugee camps; the Hanau commissary donated all of the soda and chips we could eat and drink. The president of the Traktorverein (Antique Tractor club) housed his tractors near by, and when he heard of the event, he was delighted to bring over his club to help out. It turns out that he is a Christian, and delighted to take the children on wagon rides around the perimeter of the farm. He told me that there are God’s people everywhere who are just looking for an opportunity to serve people in Jesus’ name.

Several of the children that came on the bus attend school with my children. They were amazed to see them there and they played happily together all afternoon. One amusing event was that some of the refugees thought that the food being set up for the barbecue was part of the food distribution. Dozens of Albanian, Turkish, and Roma Gypsy children descended upon the cola, potato chips, and chocolate bunnies like ants on sugar and started carting the stuff away by the armloads. It seemed like Christmas in the middle of May. Concerned that we might not have enough to go around, we asked them to kindly replace it, which they did. But what an opportunity to tell these children about Christmas-most of whom had never heard about Jesus or Christmas.

So many spiritual gifts were employed that day. We had people speaking all different kinds of languages from all walks of life and doing so many things-but not one time did anyone experience a breakdown of communication. That was because they were busy doing what the Holy Spirit directed them to do. Its hard to think how God is going to work everything out when there are so many differences-we had a worship service going in two languages, and no one knew what the other was planning to do or say up until the last moment. But in the end, the people were blessed, and even more, God was glorified!

Romans 12:3-6 teaches us 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. (Romans 12:3-6)

Perhaps God has laid upon your heart people you would like to reach with His love but don’t know what to do or how to accomplish it. This is why He has given us the church, and other churches other than your own, to extend His love to people in need. May you find and participate in such an adventure in faith also!

Have a blessed day!

04 March 2008 Devotion for Today “God is on Our Side” Psalm 124:1-8

04 March 2008 Devotion for Today “God is on Our Side” Psalm 124:1-8

Can you recall what it was like as a child at school, to experience the insufferable humiliation of having to endure “choosing up sides” to play a game of basketball in gym class? You know how it goes- the coach chooses two who are competitive athletes to be team captains, who then take turns picking the best of the students according to their abilities. The ones with the least prowess or competitive seem to be chosen grudgingly, as no one seems to want them on their side for fear they will become a detriment to the game.

If you have ever been in that situation you know how desperately you cry out for approval, for some one to pick you before you end up being chosen last.

I want you to know, however, that there is One who has already chosen you as His beloved and desires you to be on His side. The Psalmist writes: “If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, Let Israel now say- If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:1-8

The Psalmist tells us that we have God who comes to our defense, who stands against anyone who dares to threaten or intimidate us. He is our power whenever we feel powerless, and our Helper when we feel helpless. When we are in a trap we cannot get out of, God comes along and releases us. He will not let us drown in the sea of our critics who delight in watching us get overwhelmed in a stream of troubles. Indeed, our help is in the name of the Lord.

Do you feel overwhelmed today without much support from those around you? You can take heart to know that God is there for You. You are precious to Him, and He will not allow you to get swallowed alive or leave you for last to be chosen. He is on your side!

Have a blessed day!

03 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Flip Flops” Romans 14:5-8

03 March 2008 Devotion for Today “Flip Flops” Romans 14:5-8

I own a pair of Birkenstock sandals I bought when I lived in Germany. They have a cork and leather sole that makes everything else I wear feel like a concrete block by comparison. In the coastal Carolina climate in which I live, they are nearly perfect for wearing around the house, swimming, sailing, and, when I get the chance to do it, lounging around the house. I might even venture to wear them to the country store in our community or when I go to the trash dump. By the looks of those sandals, some might think that is where I got them. I like wearing flip flops, but I would not want to wear them all the time. For example, it would be dangerous to wear them while cutting my grass or doing certain kinds of yard work. I might not have any toes to keep those flip flops on.

This type of shoe, also known as “flip flops” are gaining such popularity that it is now appropriate to wear them at more formal occasions such as at work, at school, or at church. Two years ago, a group of young college women- members of the Northwestern University Lacrosse Team- posed in a formal photograph at the White House with President George Bush. Some of the young women photographed in the picture were seen wearing flip flops. Their fashion statement is comparable to when we started wearing blue jeans as contemporary semi-formal clothing in the 1970s.

I have found, however, that flip flop is not just a noun to describe certain types of footwear. It has also become a slang-verb in modern culture to describe changing one’s mind or attitude about certain issues. To flip- flop has been used to describe a politician or other public official who is inconsistent with his or her views about issues, ethics, or public policy. Many have been accused of “flip-flopping” over the years, but one thing that this idea does not consider is the fact that people do and should change in their thinking as they learn and grow and become more informed about something.

There may be some things that we ought to be solid as they pertain to matters of essentials- salvation, the sanctity of human life, inspiration of Scripture, etc are non-negotiables for me. But I also know that there have been things through the years where I think differently about things now than I did in years past. That’s not flip-flopping, that is growing. While I would not feel comfortable wearing flip flops to preach in behind the pulpit, I also know that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a suit and tie to a family cook out.

It was about issues like these that the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14: “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. (Romans 14:5-8)

In Paul’s day- the idea was not what should one wear, but what one should eat. He also deals with people’s attitudes about the Sabbath and what particular day to worship the Lord. The Apostle was not so concerned with what one does or does not do, but that one is fully convinced in his own mind about what they do. He is also concerned that we be not seen as feeling superior to others, or having a judgmental spirit toward others which may be worse than a behavior itself.

We ought to be more concerned with how are we growing in the Lord, not what are other people doing or not doing. How have our attitudes changed toward certain people and what they do? When it comes to dealing with others, do we wear a pair of steel-toed work boots or do we wear flip flops?

Have a blessed day!

Note: Devotion for Today is also available for download or voice-stream podcast at http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com