[Spam Probability:18%] BBD 05.13.05 The World's Noise
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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05.13.05
The World's Noise
Today's devotional was written by my son, Clark Wrather, who is the pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. The title and Scripture
have been added.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the
Father but is of the world. - 1 John 2:15-16.
Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the
word, and the CARES OF THIS WORLD, the deceitfulness of riches, and the
desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes
unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the
word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a
hundred. - Mark 4:18-20.
But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with
carousing, drunkenness, and CARES OF THIS LIFE, and that Day come on you
unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face
of the whole earth. - Luke 21:34-35.
A week ago last Sunday; I met with a family that lives several miles outside
of Broken Bow. They had asked me to conduct the funeral services for a
family member that had gone on to be with the Lord. I had an adventure on my
way home.
On my way back to Broken Bow, one of those hot rod motorcycles pulled up
behind me. The noise it made was deafening. It was a high-pitched whining
noise that must cause insanity if a person has prolonged exposure to it. The
motorcycle was behind me for some time. Then it moved to pass and stayed
beside me for some time. After a few minutes, for some unknown reason, the
guy takes off going warp speed and disappears in the distance.
The high-pitched whining noise had droned on and on and on when the
motorcycle was present. Imagine my surprise when I realized the noise was
still with me after the motorcycle had gone. It actually threw me for a
moment and I thought the noise must have caused the insanity I speculated
about earlier. I rolled down my window, looked back and saw that my back
tire was as flat as a pancake.
I suddenly had a major problem. This was my third flat in the Explorer. I
broke the factory jack with my first. With the second, the new factory jack
would not lift the Explorer high enough to change the flat. I became serious
about this problem and bought a shop jack. It is huge and normally resides
in the back of my Explorer in a large plastic case. It can lift my car in
just three or four cranks of the handle. I had been looking forward to the
next flat for two years. Sadly, just two days before my third flat, I had
taken the jack out of the Explorer to transport a lawn mower and I had not
put it back into my car.
I was a few miles from home. I had a flat tire and did not have a jack. My
wife was out of town and could not help me. What was I going to do? I
recalled that Ron Purdy lived just a quarter mile away from me. I dropped in
on them out of the blue. He had a jack and in just a few minutes I was back
home.
How often does the noise of life disguise serious problems that need our
attention? I think this is happening all the time. We are busy with our jobs
and interests and fail to notice problem areas that need our desperate
attention. For example, if most of us were honest with ourselves, we would
admit that we need to exercise more and eat less. Let the noise of life
distract you from this and you may have heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes or a visit from Richard Simmons.
The noise of life can distract us from problems with our spouse or with our
children. The noise of life can distract us from serious problems in our
relationship with God. When was the last time you really prayed and read
your Bible? When was the last time you were in church and connected with God
while you were there?
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