Today’s devotion is a little long, but worth reading. Thanks to my Cousin KH for sending this one to me.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1.
"REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT"
Have you ever heard the old hymn titled "I'll Fly Away"? It's a fabulous song, which is well loved by many Christians and one of my favorites. The words in part go like this, "Some glad morning when this life is o're, I'll fly away. To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away. When the shadows of this life have grown, I'll fly away. Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away". That is the picture painted for us in God's word of the transition we have to look forward to someday. At one point King David was weighed down with problems and he wrote these words in Psalms 55:6, "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." That's a great thought, but many of us are not quite ready to take off and fly, because we are carrying too much weight. A man recounts the following story that kind of puts things in perspective: He says, "During a business trip to Boeing's Everett, Washington factory, I noticed several 747 and 777 airliners being assembled. Before the engines were installed, huge weights were hung from the wings to keep the planes balanced. The solid-steel weights were bright yellow and marked '14,000 lbs.' But what I found particularly interesting was some stenciling I discovered on the side of each weight. Imprinted there was the warning: 'Remove before flight.'' That seems to be something, which could be understood without saying it doesn't it. You would think that anyone with common sense would understand that wouldn't you. Yet it seems we need to be reminded often about the seemly simple to understand problem of having sin in our lives. The writer of Hebrews writes a great chapter concerning our examples of faith in chapter 12. Notice how he begins that chapter in Hebrews 12:1. He says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress." Most of us understand that if you want to make something that will fly you need to get rid of as much weight as possible. So, what are you going to have to get rid of before you are ready to fly? What is the sin that has hold of your life and is weighing you down? How are you going to get rid of that weight? The problem with all of this is that if you want to take off the weight (of sin), then you have to decide first of all to do what is necessary to get rid of it. There is another old hymn that comes to mind here that says it all. You may know these words also, but it doesn't hurt for us to be reminded of them again. First the question is asked; "What can wash away my sins?" Then the answer is given, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" Are you ready for the flight? Then remove the weight!
Thought for the week: "If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average."
Funny for the week: God’s sense of humor….
God was sitting in heaven one day when a scientist said to Him, "God, we don't need You anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing - in other words, we can now do what You did in the beginning."
"Oh, is that so? Tell Me..." replies God.
"Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of You and breath life into it, thus creating man."
"Well, that's very interesting...show Me."
So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil into the shape of a man. "No, no, no..." interrupts God, "Get your own dirt."
GO GOD!!!!...Chaplain Barnes
Last week’s answer: Who was Jacob's favorite wife? Rachel (Gen. 29:30)
This weeks question: Who was bribed with 1,100 pieces of silver from each of many lords?
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