Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 4:19, “But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.”

Background

A local well-known restaurant caught fire yesterday, destroying over seventy-five percent of the building due to what appears to be a faulty ice machine. Now this is not the first time that this establishment has suffered a setback. During its thirty years of serving Mongolian cuisine, the building has been flooded four times from the creek that flows nearby. Some joked about the condition of the tables and the obvious lack of décor as evidence of the floods that have occurred and possible anticipation of the ones to come. But even as dozens of meals were simultaneously cooked on the giant five-foot circular grill year after year, no one expected a fire to accomplish what water had tried to do but failed. And now the real challenge begins. As difficult as running a successful restaurant can be, even greater will be the task of rebuilding and recapturing the essence of what the fire took away. The owners say they will rebuild, even hoping to salvage the signature circular grill. What comes from that intent remains to be seen.

Application

You and I make statements and issue declarations every day. We plan to do this and we hope to do that. We can talk a good game, even in the face of setbacks and challenging situations. But how good would we make out if someone came to examine the actions that were to flow from our words? If we opened up our lives for the dots to be connected from our words to our actions, what kind of picture would be painted? Sloppy watercolor and primitive crayon lapped across cheap velvet would be a compliment to mine. And no offense, but if you think yours would look pretty good, I suggest you look again. For my Bible talks about the power of God indwelling His children, calling them out and propelling them onward. It does not promote a comfortable life of stability and complacency. It demands urgency, maturity, sacrifice, and supreme dependency. Quite simply, trust. He demands our complete trust. And living on trust puts the words of a restaurant owner, and a follower of Christ, into action.

Charge

As we seek Him today, make no plans and have no intentions that will not actually get done. Speak as though your every word will be examined for its fulfillment.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words