<FONT COLOR="navy"><FONT size="6">Playing with the Box</FONT s>
A Devotional
© 2001 Steve Lattier and Men's Help Ministries</FONT c>
<FONT face="comic sans"><FONT COLOR="purple">I think it is hilarious how we can spend so much money on a toy for a young child or toddler, pack it neatly and wrap it in colorful paper. Then the long anticipated moment comes and the pretty paper is ripped to shreds, the box torn open and the packing strewn in a evenly across the living room floor. That child gleefully takes out the well thought of gift, that we waited in an enormously long line to purchase and tosses it aside carelessly to begin playing with the box it came in! While we get a lot of joy watching that toddler play and use their imagination, our heart breaks to see the original gift laid aside and ignored. Look at us through God's eyes for a minute. We are His toddlers and he has given us a great and well thought out gift. Imagine His dismay as we sit and play with the box His gift came in! It is simply not so funny anymore. What is so cute for children is a cause for heart-ache in God's family. God gave us a gift and all to often the church is guilty of playing with the box it came in. Just a hair over 2000 years ago God sent us His son to become our Savior. All that was required of us was to have a relationship with Him.</FONT c></FONT f>
The Word:
John 6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
<FONT face="comic sans"><FONT COLOR="purple">If we would focus on our relationship with Him then would we be using the gift that our Father God gave us, so long ago. More often can we be seen "playing with the box". The box can be religion or participating in church-things, like a group or committee, even a ministry can become "the box." If a pastor or leader spends too much time shepherding the people instead of building his or her relationship then they will have been playing with the box. Some people who won't let the church be unlocked without them being there don't have a relationship with their Savior.</FONT c></FONT f>
The Word:
Luke 13:25 Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. [25] Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, `I don't know you or where you come from.' [26] "Then you will say, `We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'[27] "But he will reply, `I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' [28] "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
<FONT face="comic sans"><FONT COLOR="purple">It is serious business to be too busy ABOUT the things of the Lord and not busy WITH the Lord. Sometimes we can get entirely to involved in doing good things that we forget what it is all about. It is a close personal relationship that He desires with us. Now don't misunderstand having a relationship with Him will cause you a desire to work for Him. Rarely if ever has a bunch of work given anyone a desire to have a relationship. We must just be careful to not get the two in reverse order.</FONT c></FONT f>
The Word:
Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. [39] She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. [40] But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" [41] "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, [42] but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
<FONT face="comic sans"><FONT COLOR="purple">It is important to note in the verses above the one common theme that they have. When Jesus showed up people who knew what was important came to hang out with him. Mary stopped doing not only any godly work but even the menial chores that were required on a daily basis to be with Jesus. While Jesus is not preaching and healing in the flesh anymore, nor is he walking the countryside and stopping at friends houses for dinner and rest. We have an opportunity that the Old Testament believers did not have. We can have a relationship twenty four hours a day! Those folks had to wait for him to show up. But when he did, they came out in droves. Most of the time in the Bible it refers to simply "crowds" that gathered when Jesus came to town but in two verses it states a specific number. One was in Matthew 14:21 where about 15,000 people came and then again in Matthew 15:38 another 12,000 or so showed up! Considering the sparse population of the little villages those numbers are astronomical! But the people got it right. They showed up! We need to place the importance on a relationship with Jesus that they did. While it is wonderful that we have gifts of preaching, teaching or serving in some other fashion we can't let doing them become more important than spending time, one on one, with God. Let us all remember to play with the gift that God gave us and not the box it came in.</FONT c></FONT f>
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Pray with me:
Father I have been guilty of playing with the box. I am so sorry please forgive me my sins. Give me the character to want to be with you, even if it is just to sit quietly while you talk. I love you for giving me gifts Father, teach me to use them wisely. Help me to use them for your Kingdom and not because it feels good or that someone can see me doing them. Father I need your help to keep a relationship with you as the most important thing in my life. I ask for your help in the name of the Gift you sent to me, your son, Jesus. Amen!</FONT c>
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SLattier@JESUSaves.every1.net <FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">This message has been edited by SLattier on 01-16-2001 at 12:03 AM</font>
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