Daily Thoughts

Uplifting Daily Christian Thoughts

Wednesday, January 11

Daily Bible Reading

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Genesis 21:1 - 23:20

New Testament Matthew 8:23 - 9:13

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 7:10-17

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

LIFE WITHOUT A SAFETY NET
THE SUPREME TEST
Join the party
Integrity Ensures Protection


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Would Jesus Dial for Mr. Whiteside?

I looked up from my desk and groaned. "Not today! I can't deal with him today!"

Old Mr. Whiteside was limping up the driveway to our auto repair shop, cane in hand, wearing layers of not-too-clean clothing even though it was a warm afternoon. He's not homeless, but a stranger wouldn't know it from looking at him. Gruff-voiced and curt, he is a familiar fixture on this side of town. He walks from business to business and keeps all the guys apprised of the latest old-timers who have passed on. And he's always looking for a handout.

Mr. Whiteside isn't particular. Years ago when my husband Bill smoked cigars, he came by regularly to ask for a stogie or at least a stub of one. "You got any ends today?" he'd ask. He'll take an unopened soft drink or finish drinking Bill's. A piece of fruit, a donut, or a bag of chips, even if it is half-eaten, is always welcome. Bill gave him a floppy old sun hat one time, and he wore it all summer.

But when Mr. Whiteside comes straight to the office, he's not looking for Bill. He wants to see me. I know what he wants. He wants to make a phone call. He doesn't read, so he hands me the little notepad someone at the retirement home filled with the phone numbers of his friends. I dial, and he talks. He doesn't talk long because, sadly, no one ever takes too much time to talk to him, but he will keep giving me names as long as I'll dial the numbers. Over the years I've missed a few calls because he doesn't seem to recognize the call waiting beep. Or perhaps he just doesn't want to acknowledge it and miss precious seconds in his already short conversations.

Normally, I don't mind making calls for Mr. Whiteside. But this particular day, I just wanted to be left alone. I was deciding which bills were most urgent, because business was slow and there wasn't enough money to pay them all. The only phone calls all morning had been from salesmen. Not a customer in sight. Rain was in the forecast, but I knew that before I ever heard the weatherman say a word. My screaming knees and complaining knuckles had already warned me. Concentration on my bookwork was difficult. The faces of my children kept popping into my head. They were each facing major life challenges, and their worries and heartaches lay heavy on my heart. In the middle of my emotional chaos, Mr. Whiteside walked up.

I was tempted to stop him at the door and tell him to come back another day. However as I watched him hobble up toward the sidewalk, I knew the effort it took for him to walk with his arthritic knees. "Come on, Karen," I thought to myself. "Who do you claim as your example? What would He do?"

There was no doubt in my mind what Christ would do. A particular example came to mind.

It was a heart-wrenching moment for Jesus. He had just been informed that someone close to Him had been brutally murdered. John the Baptist was beheaded and, compounding the tragedy, his head callously offered to Herodias on a platter.

Not only was John spiritually bound to Christ and the one who baptized Him in water, he was also Jesus' blood kin, His cousin.

Jesus needed some time alone to grieve and pray. He went to a deserted place, no doubt hoping for respite from earthly demands. But the multitudes found out where He was and followed Him. Jesus' heart was so big that when He looked on the crowd, He sensed their individual needs and was moved with compassion for them. He set aside His own hurt and ministered to the people. Not only did He perform miracles of healing, He also tended to their most basic needs and fed them (Matthew 14).

What does this teach me?

Somehow it seems easier to lay aside my personal burdens and concentrate on someone else's need when the situation calls for spiritual help, maybe a prayer or a shared scripture verse. That includes the emotional needs of a hurting soul which require a word of encouragement or a hug. I must act when I see someone who is hungry, and I am able to offer food. But am I as willing when it comes to something like this? A phone call to someone who doesn't really want to talk anyway? I just wanted to be left alone.

But wasn't that what Jesus wanted when he went to the wilderness to pray? He could have said, "Enough! I've ministered and ministered. This is my time. I'm hurting. I need to be alone with my Father. Go away and come again some other time."

Yet He didn't consider the inconvenience to Himself when people came to Him wanting something. Their needs were important to them, and therefore He had compassion. Whether the person on the other end of the line wanted to talk much was not the point. Mr. Whiteside had a need. He needed to reach out and connect with someone, if only for a moment.

I thought of my shining Example, and put a smile on my face. "Have a seat, Mr. Whiteside. How are you today? Would you like a Coke? I bet you want to make some phone calls, don't you?"

by Karen Harper DeLoach
http://karendeloach.tripod.com
from http://www.hearttouchers.com/


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Precious Memories
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Customer Review: A few decades ago nearly every country singer had at least one--often more--gospel albums in their catalog. Today, aside from gospel veteran Amy Grant, who balances the sacred and secular, and Randy Travis, that concept has long faded. For Alan Jackson, however, treating the musical past as present has been a way of life, as it is with these 15 tim... [read more]



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Do we ever use other people?

His name was Billy. Without question he was the most popular boy in our junior high school. As a ninth-grader, he played on the school basketball team and made good grades, and he was popular with the girls. He was also running for student body president.

I was a lowly seventh-grader who would have given my right arm to trade places with him. So when Billy took notice of me, spoke to me in the hallway between class periods and generally treated me well, I was impressed. Naturally, when it was time to vote, I cast my vote for him.

Billy was elected. He never spoke to me again.

Forty years after that experience, I stepped down from leadership as a superintendent in my denomination. I am amazed at what happened. For one thing, the telephone stopped ringing. Before, when I would check my e-mail messages, I would find dozens waiting; now the screen tells me that there are none. People who once made a point of calling me or of taking me to lunch have disappeared from my life.

All this might make some people angry or bitter, but it drives me to the mirror. I am more troubled for what it says about me than for what it says about other people. Because, as I look into the mirror, I see a person who has sometimes been guilty of the very same kind of behavior. It is easy to stop seeing people for who they are and to start seeing them as things to be used or ignored.

When I was a college freshman, E. Stanley Jones came to our campus to speak. He was one of the most famous missionaries in the world. People who knew him commented that E. Stanley Jones was more like Jesus than anyone else they knew.

After Mr. Jones' lecture, he was immediately taken out of the auditorium by people who were responsible to get him to his next appointment. A few minutes later I was standing alone in a hallway when I saw a group of people hurrying in my direction. At the center was E. Stanley Jones. I tried to move closer to the wall and out of their way, but Mr. Jones saw me and stopped.

I still remember his smile and his eyes focusing on me. It was as if we were the only ones present. He wanted to know who I was, where I was from and what subjects I was studying. While the people with him looked at their watches and then looked disapprovingly at me, he listened intently to my answers.

For those few minutes I knew that I genuinely mattered to him. And I knew the reason was connected in some way to his relationship with Jesus Christ. Being young and shy, I never would have stopped him. But he saw me and wanted to stop. I believe that Jesus would have stopped His delegation to talk to me too.

Be encouraged to have the same mindset towards all men. Do not be like the world giving preference to those who bring benefits to you. Treating a stranger the same as you would treat a millionaire not only shows what great character you possess, but more importantly shows the Spirit of the Living God that lives within your heart. This should be the main objective that all believers strive for to Love equally without prejudice and treat others the way we ourselves would want to be treated. (Romans 12:16)

By Robert E. Rogers who is a pastor, a speaker and a free-lance writer. He and his wife, Brenda, are parents of two grown children and live in Bethel, Delaware.

Source: Decision, May 2000, Copyright (c) 2000 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, www.graham-assn.org/decision

From http://www.witandwisdom.org
Used with permission


Play Amazing Grace

Precious Memories
by Alan Jackson; Price: $9.76 (49% off)
Customer Review: A few decades ago nearly every country singer had at least one--often more--gospel albums in their catalog. Today, aside from gospel veteran Amy Grant, who balances the sacred and secular, and Randy Travis, that concept has long faded. For Alan Jackson, however, treating the musical past as present has been a way of life, as it is with these 15 tim... [read more]



Categories:

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