December 11, 2012
Today's Photograph . . . . Take Time To Love On Someone Using Jesus Christ's Examples Of Love To Others (Tom B) |
Bible Study Verse
John 10:28
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (NKJV)
Thoughts
When
I was growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio there was an old man who lived up
the street from where I lived. I was probably not older than 9-10 at the
time. He was probably in his 70s.
He used to sit in his side yard, in front of his garage when the weather was nice. My Mom, Dad and I would pass by him while we walked to the bus stop or on other errands. He and we always exchanged hellos. We didn't have a car and neither did he. When I was out riding my bike, I would often pass by him.
Sometimes I would be carrying my fishing tackle, heading out or coming back from my favorite fishing hole, "Dream Valley Lake." The lake was a small pay fishing lake where you paid a dollar and could fish for 12 hours for channel catfish. In the winter months, the lake was stalked with rainbow trout. Today it is still a popular place to fish. The lake is located in a secluded valley about 2-3 miles from my home. To me fishing there was like entering the pearly gates of Heaven.
One time when I was not on one my fishing trips, the old man (I never did know his name) asked me to come into his garage with him. He wanted to show me something. From one of the dusty, cobwebbed shelves he pulled down a wooden box complete with gold hinges and hasp. Inside the box was a built in tray that could be lifted out. The tray had small divisions, lined with felt. It was his fishing tackle box that he made.
Inside the box were fishing hooks, fishing weights, some line, rusty pliers, and other assorted items of terminal fishing tackle. The biggest find in the box, under the tray, was his original Pflueger casting reel, complete with braided line (original braided line - not the kind that anglers think of now). He was giving me all of his remaining fishing tackle.
Being as young as I was, I accepted his gift, but didn't think much of it because it wasn't nice and shiny like my tackle. My Mom and Dad thought the gift was really special. I wish I had kept the tackle, especially the reel. It would probably be worth a great deal of money now.
He used to sit in his side yard, in front of his garage when the weather was nice. My Mom, Dad and I would pass by him while we walked to the bus stop or on other errands. He and we always exchanged hellos. We didn't have a car and neither did he. When I was out riding my bike, I would often pass by him.
Sometimes I would be carrying my fishing tackle, heading out or coming back from my favorite fishing hole, "Dream Valley Lake." The lake was a small pay fishing lake where you paid a dollar and could fish for 12 hours for channel catfish. In the winter months, the lake was stalked with rainbow trout. Today it is still a popular place to fish. The lake is located in a secluded valley about 2-3 miles from my home. To me fishing there was like entering the pearly gates of Heaven.
One time when I was not on one my fishing trips, the old man (I never did know his name) asked me to come into his garage with him. He wanted to show me something. From one of the dusty, cobwebbed shelves he pulled down a wooden box complete with gold hinges and hasp. Inside the box was a built in tray that could be lifted out. The tray had small divisions, lined with felt. It was his fishing tackle box that he made.
Inside the box were fishing hooks, fishing weights, some line, rusty pliers, and other assorted items of terminal fishing tackle. The biggest find in the box, under the tray, was his original Pflueger casting reel, complete with braided line (original braided line - not the kind that anglers think of now). He was giving me all of his remaining fishing tackle.
Being as young as I was, I accepted his gift, but didn't think much of it because it wasn't nice and shiny like my tackle. My Mom and Dad thought the gift was really special. I wish I had kept the tackle, especially the reel. It would probably be worth a great deal of money now.
(Tom B)
Action Point
At
first glance some people might say that I going into the garage with
the old man was not something I should have done. People and times were
different then. There were no devious intents on his part. He just
wanted to give me something that he couldn't use anymore, something that
probably meant a lot to him!
God wants to give us His gifts:
God wants to give us His gifts:
"Even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off," Isaiah 56:5 (NKJV).
"Then I will give them a heart to know Me,
that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their
God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart," Jeremiah 24:7
(NKJV).
"Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh," Ezekial 11:19 (NKJV).
And
best of all, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no
one can snatch them out of my hand," John 10:28 (NKJV). All we have to
say is, Thank You Lord. I accept!!!
The greatest Christmas gift we can give, for our self and others, is to help someone find the everlasting gift of salvation. Take time to love on someone using Jesus Christ's examples of love to others.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
Share some of your bounty from hunting and fishing trips this past year with some of your neighbors and friends. I know I will never turn down deer sausage or fish fillets. It makes a great way to share the story of how you caught or harvested the fish or wild game. Who knows, maybe you can share the Salvation story with them. At the very least you are sharing God's love to them.
