Every Day in Every Way

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

— Matthew 11:29

 

My wife is a very good driver. She is very careful. But I don't like to be driven around by my wife, because I am a consummate backseat driver. I am constantly giving her instructions: "Turn right . . . get in the right lane. Get in it now! Now! Okay . . . hurry! Go around that person. . . ." I think she has found it easier to just let me drive.

Many times, we can be that way with God. He says, "Give me the steering wheel," but we are saying, "Lord, speed up. Speed up! Speed up!! No, Lord, get out of this lane. I don't like this. Change this. . . . " But He wants to be in control.

Trying to Keep Up

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

— Matthew 11:28–30

 

Some years ago, a Tacoma, Washington newspaper ran a story about Tattoo, an eight-month-old basset hound who went for an unplanned run one day. When his owner accidentally shut the dog's leash in the car door and took off for a drive, Tattoo had no choice but to try and keep up. Fortunately, a motorcycle officer saw the passing vehicle with something being dragged behind it. But before Tattoo's owner finally stopped and the dog was rescued, the vehicle had reached speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. Although Tattoo was dragged some of the way, he was not injured. Imagine poor Tattoo with his little basset hound legs, trying to keep up.

Who Wore It Best?

Who Wore It Best?

Perhaps you have seen those side-by-side photos in magazines like People or US Magazine that ask, "Who wore it best?" You see pictures of two celebrities wearing the same outfit, and the readers are encouraged to vote on "who wore it best?" It's usually a no-brainer, since one is usually quite a bit more attractive then the other.

Allow me to take that same question and apply to a different area of our lives: our acceptance of sin.

God's Sign to a Lost World

God's Sign to a Lost World

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority."

— Matthew 12:38

Sometimes we think that if we could do a miracle for our unbelieving friends, they would come to faith in Christ. We might be thinking, If I could just pray and this person was healed, they would believe right there. I know they would. If I could just do something dazzling. . . . But you know what? That wouldn't convince them.

Even though Jesus raised people from the dead, and even after He was bodily raised from the dead and people saw Him with their own eyes, they still rejected Him.

The Esau Syndrome

The Esau Syndrome

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

— Luke 6:45

 

It has been said that in an average day, from morning to night, we speak enough words to fill a book of about 50 or 60 pages. In an average year, our words could fill 100 books consisting of 200 pages.

But I don't think it is necessarily a good thing to say so much, because the Bible says we will be held accountable for everything we say. Jesus said, "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak" (Matthew 12:36).