A LEFT OVER GOOD/Reaction or Response)

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Isaiah 44:13-15

The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses.  He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.  He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak.  He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.  It is a man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread, but he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

 

          If we were to meet, and down the road you forget me, we will have lost the possibility of a new friendship, but it will not be life threatening.  If you meet Jesus and down the road forget Him, you will have lost a friendship and a relationship that is life threatening. 

          I expand upon this story in the book of Isaiah for it is more that just a tale about a tree cutting.  What it really is, is a parable about priorities.  For if the carpenter is not careful to put first things first, he may cut down a tree because he is cold and wants a fire to warm himself.  Then hungry, he uses more wood to cook his food.  If, when all the important things have been taken care of, he then finally takes the remainder of the wood and begins to shape a God, he is truly out of sync because now he bows down  before the idol he has just made from left-over wood, and belatedly prays, “Deliver me from all harm; for thou art my God.” 

A left-over faith for a left-over God made from left-over wood. 

One day, a conversation took place between a cow and a pig.  Were you an unusual but very talented linguist, you might well have been able to interpret what was said.  At any rate, they are discussing the different kind of treatment each receives from their owner.  The pig is complaining, “Cow, you get the best of whatever food is available.  I get only the scraps that are left.  The farmer has given you a name, Betsy.  When he wants me to come he only shouts out ‘souey, souey’   Why does it happen this way?” 

The cow pauses a moment and then answers, “Well, I think it is because I give the farmer what he wants while I am alive.  As for you, Mr. Pig, he has to wait until you are dead to get anything out of you.”

Call it commitment to God with conditions.  Call it reacting rather than responding.  The terrible truth is that some people do not respond to God by giving Him the first fruits of all their increase.  They simply react to God and therefore give Him only their leftovers.  Concerned with how little they can get by with, they wait until they are almost dead before they decide to at least think about giving more of themselves to God.

It is a tale of two commitment categories.  Those who say, “God, I will remember You when and if I can find the time.”  And those who say, “I will constantly remember You because You gave me time.”

Not that long ago, Tucky and I enjoyed another ride on one of the many roller coasters we have ridden on over the years, and of course, the best ones give you that momentary weightless feeling.  Maybe something like walking on the moon.  Gravity not at its best.  Well, I think this is the way it is with faith.  If we aren’t solidly grounded, if we are gingerly, cautiously living our faith, we can find ourselves momentarily, and sometimes not so momentarily, at a loss for stability.  If we don’t dig our toes in and give our religion our all, what we get from our half-hearted efforts is half-hearted results.

Let’s put it this way, if we give God spiritual-leftovers rather than our total selves, logic as well as scripture says, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”  (Galatians 6, 7)

And unfortunately, if we gingerly give of ourselves to worship, we may well give ourselves gingerly to our ethical actions.  

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Recent articles Rev. Wyrick has written for this web site are:  

·         Many Kinds of Slavery - But Are They Not All Very Much The Same? (July 2012)

·         Here Comes Summer (July 2012)

·         Spring (May 2012)

·         Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (April 2012)

·         Wayward and Windy (April 2012)

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