Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

My mind is haunted with memories from this past weekend. Luke, Abigail, Dad and I participated in our town’s opera house production of Broadway Tonight, a musical revue produced by members of our small village and several adjacent communities. We had so much fun meeting new people, reconnecting with others, and being part of a fantastic show that everyone enjoyed immensely.

I smiled as she slowly approached the auction check-in table and asked for a bidder number. Her curly, silver hair framed a sweet, wrinkled face. Reaching a well-manicured hand into her purse, she grabbed her wallet and passed me her ID. Glancing at the photo on the plastic to verify the information and image, my eyes widened and I did a double take. Instead of handing me her driver’s license, this elderly lady had handed me her conceal and carry card.

I can’t tell you how important it is to verify the truth of someone’s word before supporting his or her message. There are many in the world today who speak with great authority and charisma about spiritual things, but who are miles away from what God says is right and true. It is crucial to check the message before supporting it. For the past two weekends we have attended numerous high school graduation parties and enjoyed all the fun, fellowship, and food. As is customary, we brought a gift for each graduate and were glad to encourage each of them with a small token of recognition for their accomplishments.

Have you ever wondered how a cell phone works? Most of us never even think about the mechanics behind our phone calls or texts. We just punch in the numbers and expect the person we’ve called to be on the other end. The younger generation has no understanding of the days before you could reach someone anytime, anywhere. But we all teake for granted the expertise and work that inventors put into making our life easier and helping us stay connected to those we love.

Sometimes there are weeks, or even months, where every day holds some type of crisis. Large or small, it seems necessary to be on the alert and constantly solve problems. As the issues stack up it is easy to fall into a pattern of worry. It is at times like these I am reminded of what Great-Grandma’s favorite preacher, J. Vernon McGee, once said.

This mindset is prevalent in so many areas of life. Students compete for the top grade point average and class ranking. Athletes compete for the highest jump, the lowest time, or the most wins. Businessmen and women compete for lucrative deals and influential positions. We crave the benefits and the honor of being recognized for rising to the top and nothing will stand in our way to achieve this goal. There is not much room for encouraging and building others up because this could cause us to lose our edge.