Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Sweet Tea for the Soul.
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Choose you this day whom ye will serve. — Joshua 24:15 KJV
Southern climes are known for their triple-digit temperatures. Some days are downright hotter than a stolen tamale!
It gets so hot in the South, in the South, hot water comes hot water comes out of both taps!
- Did you know that Jesus actually prefers only two extremes in temperature—hot and cold? Lukewarm, not so much.
Such was the city of Laodicea whose water supply came from a hot mineral springs about five miles from the city. By the time the water reached them via aqueducts, it was lukewarm, and it smelled like sulfur.
Can you imagine what sweet tea made with sulfur water would taste like? Jesus said of Laodicea that their works were like their water supply, neither hot nor cold. With God, we need to let our yes be yes and our no, no! He gives us free will to either choose or forsake eternal life with Him.
There are some folks who like “playing church” on Sundays and living like the devil the rest of the week. They never really commit their whole heart and their whole life to Him. Jesus finds this lack of commitment as disgusting as a mouthful of smelly, lukewarm sulfur water (Revelation 3:16).
FAITH CHECK
Sitting on the fence will never get you through the Pearly Gates.
Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. — Psalm 11:6 NKJV
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Once Upon a Time
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. — 1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV
When company shows up and the temperature’s less than scorching, a proper hostess will seat her guests comfortably on the shady side of the porch. She will soon return with a tray of chilled sweet tea and a plate of freshly baked cheese straws. When folks commence to talking, they might just start out with a Southern fairy tale, which usually begins like so: “Ya’ll ain’t gonna believe this...”
In spite of the fairy-tale moniker, most of these stories start out as true-life adventures that somehow become embellished over time. Take fishing tales for example. The “caught fish” gets bigger every time the story is told.
True-life testimonies about what God has done in our lives are bigger than any twisted tale. Can you imagine the Israelites trying to explain to outsiders about the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night? (Exodus 13:21). Or telling folks, “Ya’ll ain’t gonna believe this, but we don’t need to go grocery shopping like you do. God our Father rains down this delicious stuff called manna that falls from the sky and we gather it up in our baskets every day and eat it.”
FAITH CHECK
God is great and He does great things for us.
Those who follow Christ know that answered prayers and miracles follow those who believe (Mark 16:17). And that’s no fairy tale.
Excerpted with permission from Sweet Tea for the Soul, copyright DaySpring.
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Your Turn
No matter how hot (or cold) it is outside, don’t let your heart be lukewarm about Jesus! He is worth your adoration… and your testimony! ~ Devotionals Daily