Daily Devotion for January 18, 2006

UNDER IT ALL

 

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8

 

I learned to pick berries when I was just little. My mom taught me that if you lift up the bushes or leaves, the juiciest, tenderest, best berries are underneath... you just have to look. Some people just pick from the top, never taking the time to see what wonderful gifts lay underneath.

 

We're that way with people and/or situations sometimes too. Sometimes we meet people who are brash, brazen, or rough around the edges, and we may be embarrassed to be seen in their company. But usually, there's a reason for their behavior, and when we take the time to know them a little better -- to "look underneath" -- we see what wonderful gifts they have to offer.

 

Some situations on the surface may look too hard, too involved, too time-consuming, or too petty, but once accepted, we find treasures "under the surface". We learn new things, meet new people, and see new places.

 

Often Christians are viewed as something of an oddity, but once explored we find that on the whole Christians are actually quite normal people. They breathe in and out like everyone else. They laugh at jokes, sing regular songs, watch television. Yes, when you take the time to look beyond or "underneath" the label, there's usually nothing odd at all.

The same holds true with God. When we really read the Bible, His inspired word, when we "look underneath" and see what's being said, we are "shown" what wonderful gifts He has to give.

 

Prayer
We thank You for Your word, for revealing what it is You want for us and from us. In Your name we pray. Amen.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
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