Dig Deeper!

Henry was caught up in the gold rush. Shortly after arriving in California he found a mine, staked a claim and began digging. One day he found some ore, became excited, and believed he had struck it rich. He knew without any doubt that fame and fortune would soon be his.

He kept digging for a few weeks but eventually became discouraged and wanted to quit. Finally, a stranger approached him and offered to purchase his mine. In a moment of frustration he agreed to sell his rights for $11,000.00.

The new owner was excited about his purchase and began to dig where Henry stopped. And he kept digging for years and years. Eventually the Comstock Mine produced $340,000,000.00 of gold!

Wanting to encourage the church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul wrote, “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time.”

We have all faced those times in our lives when we become discouraged and distressed at doing what we believe is the right thing to do. No one offers a word of thanks or encouragement and there are no visible results to accompany our hard work. But Paul reminds us to keep on doing good and to trust God for the results. Giving in or giving up or giving out is the sure way to forfeit the blessing that God will award us for being faithful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we be faithful to You in what You ask us to do. Protect us from allowing discouragement to destroy us and doubt to defeat us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:9  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

How Much Good Should We Have?

It was the first parent-teacher conference of the year. Mrs. Adams was a bit fearful as she entered her son’s classroom. She did not know what to expect when she met his teacher.

“Mrs. Adams,” she began, “it is a delight to have your son as a student in my class. He is so good!”

“My son?” gasped Mrs. Adams. She was shocked beyond belief.

“Yes. Charles is a model student,” the teacher continued.

Then, turning to her son, Mrs. Adams said to Charles, “Your teacher said that you are a good student. Even a model student. Why can’t you be good at home?”

“Well, Mom,” he replied slowly, “I only got so much goodness in me and I decided to use it in school.”

Goodness is an expression of “God-like-ness” that should reside inside of every believer and find its way outside of each of us in showing God’s grace to others. God-like-ness should come easily, naturally and constantly in our relationships with others.

As we become more of who God wants us to be, we must allow Him to move freely in us and through us. As we sense His love flooding into our hearts, showing God-like-ness should not be something we force ourselves to do. Rather, it is something we do without even thinking about it because we are a child of God.

Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to express Your goodness to others as You have expressed it to us. May our goodness to others reflect Your love for them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 

"I Do Care"

George went to confession on a regular basis. He was more faithful than most. But whenever he went his attitude expressed no feelings of remorse and his behavior showed no signs of repentance.

His priest was concerned that there was no sorrow for his sins or shame for his shortcomings. It hurt the priest because he loved George deeply. He had known him from his childhood.

One day in his frustration he said, “George, please go into the cathedral. Near the altar is a statue of Christ on the cross. Get down on your knees, look into the face of our Lord, raise your fist and say, ‘Jesus, you did all this for me but I don’t really care! It’s just not that important to me.’ Will you do that for me?”

Reluctantly he agreed and went into the cathedral. He slowly walked to the cross, dropped to his knees, looked up into the face of Jesus and began to repeat the words of the priest: “Jesus, you did all this for me...Jesus you did all this for me...Jesus you did all this for me.” Suddenly he began to sob loudly and shouted, “Jesus forgive me, please forgive me for my sins. Now that I see You, I really do care.”

Once we finally see and understand what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary our lives will change.

Prayer: Lord, may we come to that place in our lives where we will in some small way realize the depth of Your suffering, the price of our salvation and of the debt we owe You by the care we show others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

On Being Fear-Filled

A world famous surgeon was being interviewed by a television reporter for a series on the advances being made in the medical profession. Coming to the last question, the reporter asked, “Tell me doctor, what is your greatest fear?”

After thinking for a moment, he replied, “That I may no longer feel the pains of my patients.”

For him, feeling was essential if he was to help others. It moved him as he performed surgery on those in need of healing.

Sympathy is meant to stir us to service, to help us see the needs of others and to move us into action. Without sympathy we would do little to help the least, the last and the lost.

Paul said, “Share each other’s troubles and problems.” Sympathy enables us to see the needs that others have and do something about them. It is the very foundation from which love and obedience to fulfill the commandments of Christ flow.

No Christian should ever feel that they are beyond the requirement of or excused from helping and praying for others. At all times and in all situations we are to be alert to the needs of others and respond to them as Jesus did.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes that we might see the things that You saw and be moved by the things that moved You and then do as You did in love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Why Do Good?

Have you ever wondered what good might come from an act of kindness?

Looking for something to drink in place of wine, Thomas Welch began to make grape juice in his kitchen. He shared it with some of his friends. They enjoyed it so very much that they asked him to make enough of it for them to take home and share with others. From his kindness came the company that bears his name to this day: Welch’s Grape Juice.

Elliott Handler enjoyed making doll furniture in his garage for his many friends. His miniature products were so attractive, contained so much detail and were made so well that he could not meet the many requests for his products. Because of his many acts of kindness and the fine quality of his products, he became the head of Mattel, one of the largest toy companies in the world.

It is almost impossible to walk past the loaves of bread in a super market without noticing Pepperidge Farm products. Years ago Margaret Rudkin began baking bread in her kitchen to share with her neighbors and the rest of the story is history.

Paul said, “Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone.”

It is discouraging to continue to do the right thing and receive no recognition or reward. Often it costs us personally to continue to give and never receive anything in return – perhaps not even a word of thanks. But we are challenged in God’s Word to continue to do good even if we do not receive any recognition or any reward. God will always bless us if we do what we do in His name.

Prayer: Father, we pray that we use whatever talents You have given us to honor You and serve those around us. May we always do our best and leave the results up to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Togetherness

Lou Gehrig is remembered as the “Iron Man of Baseball.” At the height of his career he was stricken with a mysterious disease and realized that his days of playing baseball would soon be over.

Sharing the news with his wife, she courageously and comfortingly said, “Whatever it is, we'll see it through together.”

Togetherness is the opposite of independence. It suggests one of the basic blessings of being a Christian: we are never alone and need not face life alone.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What a comforting thought. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is with us at all times. He did not create us and abandon us to struggle through life without Him. But there’s more.

No Christian should ever feel independent from other Christians and not in need of the help of others. Nor should Christians feel excused from the task of helping other brothers and sisters in their times of need. The body of Christ – the church – is only doing the work of Christ when it works together for the well being of other members of the body. Whatever the need – spiritual, physical, financial, emotional, educational, legal – if I know about the need of anyone anywhere who is my brother or sister, I am obligated to Christ to do something about it.

Prayer: Father, let us humbly, in the Spirit of Christ, do His work in ministering to the needs of others in His name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:2-3 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.