Devotions

GOOD NEWS WE COULD USE

Life is full of good news/ bad news situations.  In 1991, when I was thirty years old, the average person faced seven adverse situations a day.  Today, they face twenty three. Reminds me of the old preacher story about two baseball fanatics that agreed that whoever died first would try to come back and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven.  A few months later, one died during the seventh inning stretch at a major league baseball game.  And a year later, the remaining fan heard a strange voice in his sleep, Joe, Joe…..Joe woke up and said Fred is that you?   Yes old buddy it’s me and I got some good news and some bad news.  Joe said give me the good news first Fred.  Fred said well, the good news is there is baseball in heaven.  Joe said and what’s the bad?  Fred said – the bad news is, you’re scheduled to pitch tomorrow afternoon.

• Jesus said – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has appointed me to preach the GOOD NEWS.

We don’t have to be a crumb in a crumbling world.  We have too much going for us.  We have God’s promises right at hand.  There is good news to be found in His Word.  Search for the eternal wisdom in the face of earthly adversity.  Take a great big drink from the water that never runs dry, even when we are walking through the desert.

          I was talking to a couple of preachers recently who were lamenting how difficult it seems anymore to get people interested in Church.  Well I have never met anyone who wasn’t interested in Good News.  Maybe we have given people the impression that Church is just about the bad news.  We are sinners, there is a Hell, the devil is after you, life is hard, we’ll never measure up, we’re against so many things, death awaits us all, and on and on the list goes.  And all those things are true.   But equally true is the gift of God is salvation through Jesus.  And there’s a heaven given to those who surrender to Christ.  And we have freedom in Christ to enjoy life here as we look with hope to life there.  Seems like it would be easier to convince people they need the Church and the Lord if we got them to see more than just the bad news.   There’s so much good to share, let’s share it because the truth is – everyone could use a little good news.