Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Things are not always what they seem. In a world where solid truth has dwindled away to almost nothing it is not prudent to trust everyone we meet. Instead we must be wary and check the facts carefully . . . and rely on our Great Fraud Detector to find the truth. I read a good book a number of years ago.  Catch Me If You Can tells the story of Frank William Abagnale, Jr., a brilliant con artist. Between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one, this young man fraudulently posed in numerous professional capacities. Without significant trouble he masqueraded as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, a Louisiana lawyer, and a US Bureau of Prisons crime agent. Somehow he pulled the wool over peoples’ eyes for a short time. But eventually each charade unraveled, and he had to escape to his next identity. After being caught and imprisoned, Abagnale developed a successful business to help other professionals recognize fraud.

Well, they did it again! Abigail and her high school friends have pulled off another fabulous drama production. They spent many weeks and days practicing and preparing for these performances and they did not disappoint. They treated their audiences to an enjoyable weekend at the Iowa State Fair. Belly laughs filled the high school auditorium Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night as we followed the loveable and hilarious Frake family’s adventures at the Iowa State Fair. The plot, though filled with crazy love affairs for the youngsters, the elder Frakes, and even their prize hog Blue Boy, was closer to real life than one might expect. Ordinary life events confronted each character and forced them to make choices as to how they would respond to each circumstance.

Our world has a deep belief in entitlement. Somehow over the years, we have come to the conclusion that everyone has a right to whatever they want. It is my right to think what I want, believe what I want, express what I want, and obtain what I want. No one may stand in the way and deny me my rights. While this may seem enticing, it is not healthy or possible. First of all, one person’s desires may stand in the way of someone else's receiving their desires. For example, there may only be one lead in a theatre production. A talented actor's getting the spot necessarily leaves another, who might want the part just as badly, to take a lesser role. This decision does not downplay anyone’s importance as a person, but makes a distinction based on talent, role casting, or maybe even just hard work. Also, the attitude of believing ourselves entitled to certain things necessarily exalts us above everyone else. Love and consideration of others is lost when we strive for this place of honor.

I have always found it interesting how people end their correspondence. In recent years email has taken the place of written letters, but the complimentary close has stayed similar though quite varied. Often we tend to sign off our message with the word "Love." In business it is more official to say "Sincerely." Yet there have been numerous other niceties I have come across over the years such as "Thanks," "Affectionately Yours," "Blessings," "Joyfully," and the plain old "From." Some try to be very creative with phrases like “For God and His glory,” “Serving His Kingdom,” and once I even read, “Here, there, or in the air!" I wonder whether we really think about what we are saying, or is it just a perfunctory habit.

Black and white, tall and short, high and low, new and old – these comparisons all have something in common: they are opposites. Each adjective describes something, and by virtue of having one quality, the other one doesn’t fit. If an item is black, then it isn’t white. If it is tall, then it isn’t short, and so forth. Even a child can understand the differences in certain things when they look at the noticeable characteristics. These contrasts are particularly apparent when it comes to humans and God. When measuring the two against each other, there is absolutely no comparison.

Most people like to have the last word. When it comes to arguments we each feel that our point of view is correct and work really hard to get our opponent to see our side. In a healthy relationship each party can give and take and come to an agreement, or at least agree to disagree, but sometimes the effort is not worth the trouble. Sometimes the effort produces more damage than help. Any regular study of the Bible will reveal that humanity has not changed much: customs and living conditions are different, but the basic human nature stays the same. Then, as now, there are many who have turned from God’s point of view to their own understanding of the world. The desire for relevance and the need to justify sinful actions creates a tension between believers and unbelievers. While we as God’s children are called to point others to the truth from God, there are times when we must give up our aspiration for the last word.