the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
The story is told of a man and his wife who were on their way out to eat one evening when they were confronted by a man who kept getting in front of them and trying to slow them down. He jumped in front of them on their way out the door and bothered them all the way to their car. Once in the car he tried to keep them from leaving their driveway but finally they were able to get away. However, when they arrived at their destination who should be there to meet them but the same man who began employing the same tactics as before.
In frustration the husband asked the man why he was doing this. "What else should I do?" replied the man. "I am a medium and I am just so happy." With that the husband reached back and struck the man very hard sending him falling to the ground. With that he and his wife went to enter the restaurant but were approached by an onlooker who witnessed the event. "Why did you hit that man?" he asked. "I didn't know what to do," the husband answered. "Then I remembered that when in doubt, strike a happy medium."
If only it were that easy. Doubts can swirl so rapidly in our minds that we are left gasping for the right path to take to resolve them. We become confused and halting as a result of our doubt. Frustration sets in and defeat can soon follow as we can't seem to find a handle on the situation. I wonder. When doubts arise are we focusing too much on us and not enough on the Christ? When things don't make sense are we trying too hard to understand and not hard enough to live through the situation?
Throughout Jesus' ministry He was confronted by those who wished to throw doubt into the minds and hearts of Jesus' followers. Oddly enough, when such times occurred Jesus placed the focus on God rather than on Himself. He directed those who would cast doubt to the understanding of God's wisdom and purpose rather than man's inability to be everything that he was supposed to be. Those things that would threaten the peace of Jesus' followers he cast into the ring of God's grace.
The apostle Paul understood this as he wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 No need to strike a happy medium or commit any other violence in understanding. Rejoice in your relationship with God and let Him take care of it in Christ Jesus.
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
