Timing is everything. A few years back there was a show on Discovery Channel. It was about the wild animals in Africa and how they migrate. It focused on wildebeests and zebras as they migrate and how the predators would wait for them. In this one instance they had to cross this river and these huge crocodiles were waiting. They would cross by the hundreds. As these zebras and wildebeests were crossing this one zebra was crossing a bit downstream from the rest and out of nowhere this giant croc grabbed the zebra by the head and dragged it under the water and drowned it.
-This poor zebra was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
15Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), 16Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
- Ephesians 5:15-16 (Amplified Bible)
Dear Lord we thank You for the time you give us, we pray that we would use it wisely. We pray that we would take every opportunity to do the things you would want us to do. In Jesus' name, amen.
As we take a look at the house cat we can learn some important lessons.
1. Pounce on opportunity. He who hesitates, misses catching the passing lizard.
2. Patience. Infinite patience...
3. Concentration. A cat studying an opportunity just beyond his grasp is the perfect example of focused attention. He doesn't even blink as he tunes out all distractions. His body is completely still except for his wildly twitching tail releasing his nervous energy.
4. Nothing is worth disturbing your beauty sleep.
5. Catnap. Even a few moments of shut-eye is refreshing.
6. If you're happy, purr. Show your appreciation by letting people know that you like what they do.
7. Do cat stretches - as we age, gentle stretching is one of the best things we can do for our bodies.
8. Wrestle with your best friend. It’s good to be playful.
9. Eat when you're hungry and not by the clock.
10. Ask for what you want. If you are lovable and patient, you will probably get it.
11. You can't have everything you want. If you put your claws where they don't belong, you're going to get spanked.
12. Revel in life's simple pleasures. A ball of string is magic. Catnip is heavenly.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
- Colossians 3:23 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we would do our very best in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Normally the flight from Nassau to Miami took Walter Wyatt, Jr., only sixty-five minutes. But on December 5, 1986, he attempted it after thieves had looted the navigational equipment in his Beechcraft. With only a compass and a hand-held radio, Walter flew into skies blackened by storm clouds.
When his compass began to gyrate, Walter concluded he was headed in the wrong direction. He flew his plane below the clouds, hoping to spot something, but soon he knew he was lost. He put out a mayday call, which brought a Coast Guard Falcon search plane to lead him to an emergency landing strip only six miles away. Suddenly Wyatt's right engine coughed its last and died. The fuel tank had run dry. Around 8 p.m. Wyatt could do little more than glide the plane into the water.
Wyatt survived the crash, but his plane disappeared quickly, leaving him bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest. With blood on his forehead, Wyatt floated on his back. Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. A shark had found him. Wyatt kicked the intruder and wondered if he would survive the night. He managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours. In the morning, Wyatt saw no airplanes, but in the water a dorsal fin was headed for him. Twisting, he felt the hide of a shark brush against him. In a moment, two more bull sharks sliced through the water toward him. Again he kicked the sharks, and they veered away, but he was nearing exhaustion. Then he heard the sound of a distant aircraft. When it was within a half mile, he waved his orange vest. The pilot radioed the Cape York, which was twelve minutes away: "Get moving, cutter! There's a shark targeting this guy!" As the Cape York pulled alongside Wyatt, a Jacob's ladder was dropped over the side. Wyatt climbed wearily out of the water and onto the ship, where he fell to his knees and kissed the deck. He'd been saved. He didn't need encouragement or better techniques. Nothing less than outside intervention could have rescued him from sure death. How much we are like Walter Wyatt.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we thank you for saving us. We pray that we would be always mindful of what you did for us and that we would share the free gift with our family and friends. In Jesus' name, amen.
One of my pets was a hamster. As I thought about Hammy our pet hamster I wondered what lesson could we learn from him? Below are a few we could learn from a hamster.
1. Hammy was thrilled when we gave him a small carrot stick or a grape as a treat. It's a reminder to appreciate small gifts and favors.
2. Hammy use to shred ordinary cotton balls, transforming them into a comfortable bed. Get creative with what you already have instead of wishing for more.
3. Hammy would run in his wheel for hours not going anywhere -- but every morning he woke up wiggling his little nose ready for another day. Work, family and friends will occasionally run you ragged. Sometimes all you can do is put up with what is going on around you, get a good night's sleep and make tomorrow better.
4. Hammy lived alone in his cage and kept himself busy most of the time, but he always allowed us to pick him up and take him places. Be open to new people and opportunities.
5. Hammy rarely made a noise not even squeaked, because he was so quite we had to listened carefully when he made a noise. remember to listen more carefully to those around you before opening your mouth. Make an effort to chose your words more carefully.
There you have it a few lesson you can learn from that little ball of fluff we call a hamster.
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we would learn these lessons from a hamster. We pray that we would appreciate the small things in life, and that we would watch the things we say. We pray that we would have words of blessing for those around us. In Jesus' name, Amen
One day, a man in the forest found a large two-toed sloth on the ground, upon the bank of the Essequibo. “As soon as I got up to him,”; he says, “the sloth threw himself upon his back, and defended himself in gallant style with his fore legs.”“Come, poor fellow,” said he said, “I'll take no advantage of you in your misfortune; the forest is large enough for both you and me to rove in; go your ways up above, and enjoy yourself in these endless wilds; it is more than probable you will never have another interview with man; so fare thee well.”
On saying this, he took a long stick which was lying there, held it for him to hook on, and then conveyed him to a high and stately mora. The sloth ascended with wonderful rapidity, and in about a minute he was almost at the top of the tree. Thus, the world has erred in its judgments concerning the sloth, from descriptions being given of him on the ground, and not in the only position in which he ought to have been describe, namely, clinging to the branch of a tree.
We must be careful not to judge others. People are to be appreciated for those things which they do best. We must remember that people have different abilities, experience and education. God has given each of us unique and special talents.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
-Matthew 25:29 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that our eyes would be open and that we would look past the weaknesses in others and look for the positive in each of them. In Jesus' name, Amen.
There are many things that a dog does not like. Chief among them for many dogs is the seeming innocuous task of having their nails clipped. Dogs have very sensitive paws. I have often been amazed at the amount of time our Dalmatian spends grooming. The lick,lick and lick is often followed by nibbles and chomps directed at the skin and between the toes. Taught at a very early age to be fastidious groomers by their mothers, what we might regard as almost ritualistic and surely repetitive is really more than it seems. Dogs don’t sweat. For the most part they exchange body heat largely through panting. But there is one place on their bodies that is the exception and that is the bottom of their paws. The only place on a dog’s entire body that sweats is its paws. Stress a dog and make it pace. Then, touch the bottom of their paws. Surprisingly they are quite moist. It is no surprise, therefore, that dogs are so sensitive to the manipulation or grooming of their paws. Their paws are precious to them providing not only their sole means to escape enemies and pursue prey but also the one avenue by which they are able to employ evaporation as a means of cooling down.
The longer you allow a dog to go without grooming, especially a dog that is kept indoors and away from the natural corrosive environment that will normally serve to keep a dog’s claws blunted and short, the harder and harder it becomes for it to walk. As the claws grow the paw is pushed upward causing an abnormal pressure on the spine. Eventually a dog with unmanicured claws may develop back problems, become listless or agitated. Yet, as good as grooming is for a dog, the dog doesn’t seem to recognize the boon. It will pull, bite and writhe in your grasp as if you are trying to inflict great harm on it. And, the fact is, nail clipping is uncomfortable for most dogs since their paws are very sensitive to touch, temperature and pressure. The very thing that benefits them is the one thing they most fear.
Sanctification, the process by which we are made holy, like Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit seems to have the same effect on humans as nail clipping does on dogs. We want to be like Christ. We long to conform to the image of our Savior in every way possible. We long to walk uprightly and in a “holy” manner. But we often stumble and fall. Just as a dog must be sat upon in some instances just to convince it that what we are about to do will ultimately be for its own good, so too sometimes our God must sit upon us with the weight of his grace.
We need to keep working toward the goal of being what God wants us to be no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
-Romans 6:13-14 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we will allow you to work through us. We pray that no matter how uncomfortable it is we will allow you to do your work through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
One morning there was a young boy taking a walk. As he was walking before sunrise through the neighborhood, he came upon a rabbit sitting on the sidewalk. He passed within just a few feet of him (her?), but he didn’t move. Tranquil and still, he watched as the boy came and went. As I read the story something occurred to me–if he had food to give him, the rabbit would have to remain still to receive it. If he didn’t trust the boy enough to let me walk up to him and offer the gift of food, he couldn’t give it to him.
This reminds me of todays verse. “Be still and know that I am God”
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
- Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we will be still so we can hear what you have for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In Southeast Asia, monkeys are trapped in an unusual way. A trap is made by hollowing out a gourd. It has one opening, which is only large enough for the monkey to put his hand in. The gourd is tied or nail near the ground so it cannot move. Then, the hunter puts a piece of fruit inside for bait. When the monkey smells the fruit, he puts his hand inside to grab the bait. When he tries to pull the fruit out, he can’t because his closed fist is too large to pull out of the small hole. The monkey is trapped! It would be very easy to get away - simply let go of the bait. But the monkey will not let go. He is in terrible danger as the hunter approaches, but he will give up his freedom to keep holding onto the bait. If only the monkey knew the terrible price he was going to pay for refusing to let go of that bait!
Sadly, people are often the same way. Refusing to forgive someone is like the monkey refusing to let go of the bait. Unforgiveness brings terrible consequences to the one holding on to it. Unforgiveness is a sin and it often leads to more sin. It causes hatred, envy, bitterness and more. The unforgiveness truly holds that person captive.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- Colossians 3:13 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we would truly forgive those in our live and that we wouldn’t hold that a disagreement against them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 (New American Standard Bible)
Dear Lord we are thankful for our friends. We pray that we will be the encouragement that they need and that we will be there when they need to be lifted up. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Each of us feel at times like things are falling apart because of house maintenance problems, car repairs and personal issues that were strapping them financially and taxing them emotionally. But like the giraffe we need to learn to get back up. God is always there to keep us moving.
"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
- Job 17:9 (New American Standard Bible)
Dear Lord we pray that we will have the strength to get up and keep going, knowing that you are there to encourage us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
One day, six blind men decided to go to the zoo. They hired a guide to tell them about all the exotic animals they couldn't see. When they came to the elephants, the zoo keeper wanted them to have more than a verbal description, so he allowed them each to feel the elephant.
Since the elephant was large, and since the zoo keeper had limited time, he let each man touch one part of the giant mammal.
The first blind man reached out and his hand grabbed the elephant's tail. "Aha," he exclaimed, "the elephant is like a big rope."
The next man felt a massive elephant leg. He looked strange, no rope was that big. "No, the elephant is like a large log or tree." He was sure of this.
The third blind man walked forward and ran straight into the elephant's side, whereupon he pronounced that, "The elephant is really a big wall."
Next, another of the blind men reached out and took hold of one of the elephant's ears. It must have tickled, because the elephant wiggled the large ear, causing the fourth man to exclaim, "Oh, see this, the elephant is like a big fan."
The fifth blind man decided that the first four were all slightly daft and they couldn't be describing the same creature, so he carefully walked up and put out his hand, the elephant raised his trunk to the man who felt it and grinned in wonder. "My friends, it is obvious the elephant is like a huge snake."
The final man was totally confused, he walked forward and reached out, hoping to find the truth, and encountered a tusk. He paused and brightened, "I understand, the true nature of the elephant is this, he is a sword."
The zoo keeper and guide smiled at one another, knowing that none had seen the big, elephantine, picture.
How often are we guilty of the same thing? There are times when terrible things come our way during the course of our lives. When this happens, we tend to only look at what we can see. However, there is far more to the picture than we can see..
As the Psalmist teaches us we need to get our eyes off of our circumstances and place them squarely upon the Lord. You see, like those 6 blind men, where a person stands determines what that person sees. Put your trust in God for He alone knows the whole truth.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
- Psalm 143:8 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we pray that we will trust in You and You alone. Help us not make our choices based on where we stand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Consider, for a moment, the lowly penguin. Each Spring they look for a rocky place where they can nest. Such a place is called a rookery. Large numbers of penguins lay their eggs and raise their young there. The rookery is very crowded. Up to a million penguins can live in single rookery, but each penguin has her own nest. If thousands upon thousands of penguins live in one spot how can a penguin tell which babies are hers? After all, they are all dressed alike. Each penguin has a different voice. The parents can pick out their own children from thousands of others just by the sound of their voices. They know their own children, and take care of them. In the same way, millions upon millions of people are scattered all over the world, but God knows those who belong to Him -- those who have trusted Jesus as Savior.
1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
- Psalm 139:1-5 (New International Version)
Dear Lord we are thankful that You know us. We pray that we will always be aware that you are there and want the very best for each of us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
