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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 8, 2005 MENDED |
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Frontline Devotion for Tuesday, March 8, 2005 By Penny
Risen
Matthew
7: 24-27
Some people have very skillful hands -- put them to a task and they make it look
like child’s play. My sons are enthusiastic builders: sandcastles, ice-block
forts, quarter-pipes for skateboarding, ramps for snowboarding, sets for plays,
platforms for shooting videos. And when I had six, redwood chairs to quickly
assemble before a deck full of guests arrived for a cookout, whom did I call?
You guessed it. I expected fine, sturdy work and I got it. Smiles all around.
Of course, most of us can’t fit Slot A into Slot B to assemble a cardboard box. Arms loaded with bent pieces, an embarrassed coworker once motioned me into an office supply closet. He needed help to assemble bulky FedEx shipping envelopes for software he had to return to the manufacturer. After reading the directions, I worked silently to turn his clutter into workable mailers and stacked the mended results on his desk. No words were exchanged, but the rest of the workday this somewhat stressed-out friend quietly mouthed “Thank You!” whenever we passed.
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them
will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house. But it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will
be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell,
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was its fall."
“So, what did you expect?” Jesus asks in this parable. Did you expect to be able to mend this mess all by yourself, you foolish builders, after making a poor and ill-advised start? God has sent the Messiah, so listen and learn. This closing section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is one everyone can relate to: We all fall short and can use help. God’s voice is near, full of forgiveness, love and hope.
Jesus reminds us that God’s Word is meaningful, always there to guide and speak to us if we’d only let it. His Good News isn’t just for Bible studies or Sunday worship or a short nightly prayer. Work these solid lessons into your daily life, He says, and your “house” won’t budge when storms and floods, sin and trouble, threatened to strike it down.
God also sends helpers to mend and give us strength in our lives. His Word can and does work through others, and there is nothing wrong in seeking counseling or aid to lift us up spiritually when life gets us down. You’d be surprised how people actually are willing and able to help, and to see how you can help others. A simple task like fixing mailers for a stressed and confused friend can help us see that we’re not the only one who needs a hand: We can be sensitive to other’s needs, and see how God also works through us.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, thank you for Your Word and the countless ways it helps me mend my troubled soul. Your gift of Jesus and forgiving Grace keeps my way steady and grounded in love. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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