I Kings 18:30‑39 (39)
As wonderful as it may seem, Israel’s choice to follow God in this scriptural account was tarnished due to the fact that He was their second choice. God had to go to great lengths to prove to them that the non-god Baal was a powerless hunk of material. We can make a right choice and yet not experience the joy of the decision.
Luciano Pavarotti the Italian operatic tenor said, “When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song. He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teacher’s college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’
“‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’ “
Pavarotti chose what he loved most. He loved to sing more than he loved to tell others how to sing. When we chose to obey and follow God freely because we desire Him foremost then we can truly enjoy the joy of relationship and the joy of service.
by Dr. Gayle Woods
Col 3:3-11 (10)
The men in the Woods family laugh and bear it. There is no reason to deny the fact that if you have seen one of the Woods family you have seen them all. We could have a random changing of noses and no one would notice that anything had changed in our appearance. We bear a resemblance that is unmistakable.
My first grandson, Joshua Gayle Woods, was born December 24, 2001. The discussion among the ladies followed the well worn path of former discussions. AI think that he has Becky’s nose and ears.” AI think he has Jonathan’s eyes.” Feeling a little mischievous I picked up Joshua and held his face next to mine and said, “Can’t you see the resemblance?”
In like manner, there must be a resemblance that is clear when people look at our character, our priorities, our ethics and our purpose for living. When they look at us they must see a resemblance of Jesus. When we are “born from above” we are made in the likeness of our Lord. When we become a “living sacrifice” we are conformed to His image. Our lives are to be a mirrored image of the One we serve. He alone must be seen when people look at us. This only becomes possible in the serious pursuit of holiness.
Dr. Gayle Woods
