Cornerstone

Luke 10:25-37

Sometimes I wonder if God shakes His head in dismay.  As He observes our attempts to be good Christians there have to be times of divine discouragement.  We seem to learn rules and ritual more rapidly than right behavior.  As I read the following account shared by one of my online students I actually felt sorry for God.  A divine tear must have fallen on His royal robes as he watched this man in his attempt to be a responsible Christian leader.  Read and weep with God.

“When I first came to Christ, I was a real legalist.  Things had to be done a certain way or you were going to hell.  I did not give anybody any slack.  I not really interested in help serve people.  I just want to tell the truth of the Gospel and not really move to much farther beyond that.  That was until I had a unique experience happen to me in college.  When I was in college, I accepted Christ and got involved in the local Student Union.  After I was there for a few months, I volunteered to lead a Bible Study on Campus.  One day I was running late, so I grabbed my materials and ran up the hill to the building where the Bible Study was being held.  As I approached the top of the hill, A homeless man started toward me.  When I saw him, I moved to the other side of the street.  So he moved to the other side of the street.  I switched sides a few time, but he always followed me.  In my mind I said, “I do not have time for this.  I am late.  Maybe I can give him a few bucks and he will leave me alone.  So as I approached him, I pulled a few dollars out and handed it to him.  As he took the money, he grabbed my hand.  He would not let it go.  He said’ “Before you go, I have a quick question to ask you”.  I thought, “Ok here comes this guy’s sob story.”  He asked me “Do you know Christ?”  My heart sank.  He said’ “I see college kids go by all the time and I wonder if they know Jesus.”  At that moment I felt 2 inches tall.  Here I was going to teach a Bible Study about Christ and missed an opportunity to minister to someone else.  As we talked, he told me that it was hard to share with people because he did not have a bible.  I had some with me so I gave him one.  I walked away changed that day. “

Now it is time for us to pray.  Can we be changed like this young man?  Can we understand and order our priorities so that they follow God’s plan rather than our preconceived notion of what it means to please God?

by Dr. Gayle Woods

Luke 15:11-32

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa. 53:6

My wife got me a GPS (Global Positioning System) for Christmas! I had been hinting for a long time that I wanted one. She gave no indication that she was impressed with my great need. When we found them deeply discounted and we were about to leave for a 1600 mile trip to visit our son’s family in California for Christmas, however, I was able to “sell” her on the wonderful benefits of the technological toy.

This morning I took my wife to work. I didn’t need to use the GPS because I knew the route well. There is still some new to wear off of the little wonder so I hooked it up and turned it on. It was still programmed from the previous day to navigate to my home. As we left our drive and headed toward her workplace the lady’s voice on the GPS began to try to get me to go to the destination that was programmed in the GPS – my home! We had just gone one block when the GPS lady told me to turn right. She wanted to take me around the block and back to my house. This continued throughout the whole trip to my wife’s workplace. I was amused at the insistent effort of the electronic lady as she tried persistently to get me to go back home.

Later as I drove on toward my workplace I mused over the situation. This seemed to be so much like the voice of God that speaks to us when we stray away from His will. He talks to us step by step along the way trying to persuade us to make a U turn and come back to Him. No matter how far we stray, He is there by our side. His voice is clear. The message is consistent. The confidence is sure . . . we can get back home if we will just turn from our own way and return to Him.

Dr. Gayle Woods