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
Numbers 14:13-19 (17)
The young man was busily installing a window air conditioner in his home. He wanted his visiting parents to be comfortable. He placed the case in the window and then carefully secured and braced it. The opening on either side of the casing was then measured, filled and chalked. Finally he was ready to place the air conditioner into the case. He maneuvered the heavy appliance into place in front of the window. Next he lifted the back of the air conditioner onto the edge of the case. Reaching down he tried to lift the front up so that he could slide it into the case. Then unexpectedly one corner of the air conditioner slipped off the case. The weight of the appliance jerked the young man off balance. Using all his strength, he awkwardly held the tilting hunk of steel in place. His mind raced. What should he do? It was then that the unpremeditated cry sprang to his lips, “DAD, come and help me quickly!”
So many times we try to work out all the details in our lives. We seem to do well for awhile. Then things go wrong. At that time we cry out, “God, help me!” What we know and yet repeatedly seem to forget is that He would come to our aid before we get into a crisis situation if we would just call upon Him.
Dr. Gayle Woods
