Much sickness – physical, mental, and emotional – surely must come from disobedience. When the soul is confronted with an alternative of right or wrong and chooses to blur the distinction, making excuses for its bewilderment and frustration, it is exposed to infection. Evil is given the opportunity to invade the mind, the spirit, and the body and the sick person goes off to an expert who will diagnose his trouble. Sometimes the patient knows well what his trouble is and for this very reason has not consulted the Lord, fearing what He will say: Confess. Turn around. Quit that indulgence. Do not pity yourself. Forgive that person. Pay back what you owe. Apologize. Tell the truth. Deny yourself. Consider the other’s well-being. Lay down your life.
Elisabeth Elliot

Groups

Forum Navigation
You need to log in to create posts and topics.

BBD 09.23.02 Take a Wild Ride

Avatar
Forum Archives
2,181 Posts
#1 · September 23, 2002, 10:39 am

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website.  You can plant your country's flag on the map and leave a message.  You can find it on the front page at http://www.theburningbush.org

Today’s devotional was written by my son, Clark Wrather, who is the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.  Clark may be contacted at fbcbb@pine-net.com.  The Scripture and title have been added.

The Burning Bush Devotional
09.23.02

Take a Wild Ride

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”  - Colossians 1:9-11.

Someone recently gave me a motorcycle!  Can you believe it?  It’s not just any old cycle, but a Yamaha, Maxim X, with a 5 valve 700 cc monster.  If you don’t know that that means, don’t worry about it.  I’m not sure if I do yet, either.

When I first tried to get it started, I couldn’t remember how to do anything with a motorcycle.  Thankfully, someone was driving by and stopped to show me the finer points of the iron horse. 

Eventually, when no one was around, I actually got it started and tried to take off.  It surged forward a couple of times and then died.  I started it again and it surged forward three times and then died.  The third time, I gave it lots of gas, let off the clutch and it surged forward and took off!  Of course, I was unprepared for success and it scared me to death!  I was heading at warp speed towards the fence across the street from my driveway.

I swerved in the nick of time and missed the fence.  I nearly fell over and kept wobbling down the street for quite a distance.  All of this was happening in a matter of seconds and I could not figure out why I wasn’t slowing down.  The light bulb finally came on and I realized that if I wanted to slow down, I would have to let off the throttle.

After I got it stopped, I was too afraid of the thing to ride it back to my house, so I pushed it all the way back and into my drive way.  While trying to set the bike up on the kickstand, the thing fell over on me and scraped my leg up.  Of course, I told Libby as little as possible about any of this!

Now, it’s almost two weeks later after that initial experience.  I’m not ready to be in Easy Rider II or even take a road adventure to far away Idabel (10 miles), but I can ride that motorcycle.  It’s really a blast.  You feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and you hear and feel the rumble of the engine.  You can go fast or slow, but it takes lots of balance and coordination to shift all the gears and work the brakes when you slow down or stop.  I imagine that in two months I’ll enjoy it even more (because it won’t die on me every other time I stop) and feel like I could go anywhere on it.

God’s will is a lot like my motorcycle.  If you just hop on and give it the gas, you might be scared where it takes you.  New Christians or believers who first become active often feel like they have jumped off the deep end and that they’re on a “wild ride.”  This is why some get off and “park” and never quite get back on.  After a while, you realize that there’s nothing else like the “wild ride” of being in God’s will.  He’ll take you places you never thought you’d go and you’ll think it’s a blast!

It takes experience, time, and practice to be spiritually coordinated and enjoy the ride.  You get these from reading the Bible coming to church, praying and applying what you learn from those things by serving God.  If more Christians would do these things, their “spiritual ride” would not die every other time they try to start it!

Copyright © 2002. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited.

If I can help you in any way please contact me at wrather@logixonline.net

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer
requests to over 500 members. Send a blank email
to:  theburningbush-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email
to: bbinspire-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email
to: tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

I AM INTERESTED IN ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PREACH, SPEAK OR TO SHARE GOD'S WORD, WHEREVER, WHENEVER OR WHATEVER THE OPPORTUNITY MAY BE.   Contact me at wrather@logixonline.net

Click for thumbs down.0Click for thumbs up.0