I enjoy getting email responses to the almost daily devotionals I send to you. Most of the time the responses are pleasant reactions to a story that triggered a good memory for someone. Occasionally I get negative replies. That’s okay. I am certainly under no delusion that everything I write is wonderful. Recently I got a different kind of response. The writer requested that I write on different topics other than my usual “Jesus loves me” topic. It reminded me of a church member who came to me after a morning sermon and said, “When are you going to start preaching about something other than “this love stuff?” Sorry. I don’t know anything else that is more important. Some like to preach about prophecy. Others like to preach about self-help psychology issues. Others like to preach about the history of the Old Testament. But I like my rut. It’s a good rut.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Paul also spoke of the importance of the body having a head, arms, legs, etc. We all can’t be the same. We need people to speak of prophecy. We need Old Testament scholars. We need self-help material. When we combine it all it makes for a healthy whole. Therefore, God gives different gifts and different callings. Through the years I have tried most of those other things. However, I have never been good at prophecy. Things rarely work out the way I believe they will. As for self-help, I have enough trouble keeping myself disciplined let alone tell you how to fix your problems. I have come to the realization I need to focus on the one and only thing I really do know. Jesus loves you and me.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 12, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574