Quote from Forum Archives on April 13, 2011, 1:24 pm

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
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04.13.11

Chasing Sticks

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the
Greek. - Romans 1:16.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33.

In a Peanuts cartoon, Linus throws a stick for Snoopy (Who is a dog.) to
chase and retrieve. Of course, being a dog it is an overwhelming temptation
to chase after the stick, and retrieve it. However, Snoopy pauses for a
moment, and decides not to chase the stick, and says, "I want people to have
more to say about me after I'm gone than 'He was a nice guy, he chased
sticks.'" I did a google search for this, and found more than four million
results for what Snoopy says. Four million or more people have put their own
spin on what Snoopy said, and so I want to add one more.

I think we can all agree that there are some things in life that are more
important than others. For those of us who are Christians, we know that
there are some things eternally more important than other worldly things.
What is it that could be put into the category of chasing sticks? Here, are
some possibilities:

Accumulating as much money and material possessions as possible, but never
helping anyone, or doing anything meaningful for anyone else with the money
or material things that have been accumulated.

Gaining as much power over others as you can, because you enjoy having the
power, but could care less about solving any of the problems others might
have with your power and authority.

Becoming famous, well-known to everyone, because you want everyone to know
how special you are, and better you are than others.

Those are the big three in the category of chasing sticks, but perhaps we
all chase sticks in smaller ways. When we use all of our time and money,
regardless of the amount, only for the benefit of ourselves and our
families, maybe we are chasing sticks. When there are those who are lost,
dying, and going out into eternity without a Savior; and we never do
anything to reach them, maybe we are chasing sticks. When we always have
time for our favorite activity, whether it is sports, or watching TV; but
never time for God, maybe we are chasing sticks.

If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have within you resurrection power;
within you is power, beyond your human comprehension. To exercise that
power, does not always take extraordinary deeds; often, it only takes doing
what we know we ought to do.

Instead of chasing sticks, we ought to be in church. Instead of chasing
sticks, we ought to read God's Word. Instead of chasing sticks, we ought to
spend more time in prayer. Instead of chasing sticks, we ought to tell
someone that God loves them and that, and that is what Easter - that we will
soon be celebrating is all about.

God loved us so much, that Jesus came down from the glories of Heaven to
walk upon this earth; tempted at all points yet without sin, to be the
perfect sacrifice. He suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine,
that we would have a Savior, if we will only believe in Him. As Easter comes
near, let us stop chasing sticks, and instead let loose the power of God
that resides within us. Let the Holy Spirit have control of your life, and
that will make an eternal difference in the your life, and in the lives of
all those that you encounter.

Copyright © 2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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