"It's Dangerous Out There"

I send this devotional out once a year so all the new people on the list can see not only how weird I am but that God has to be the one writing these devotionals?

IT’S DANGEROUS OUT THERE.

I’m not as bad as I used to be in thinking bad thoughts but I still have a long way to go. You see, a lot of weird and I mean weird things have happened to me. Instead of forgetting and moving on I remember and step back, OK run back.

I was having one of those bad weeks where all you do is fret. Ever been there? This is what happened in a 7 day period of time.

1st – I was living in Phoenix at the time and on my way to work I stopped at a Dunkin Donuts drive through. I said to the woman at the window, “I’ll have 3 cake donuts and a cup of coffee”. She started mumbling something that I couldn’t hear. I thought she may be able to hear me if she opened that window. It was early, I hadn’t had my coffee and was getting annoyed, OK I was annoyed. AGAIN, cake donuts and coffee, again I hear her mumbling through the glass. I thought “I’m going to have to stick my head through the window of hers and let everyone know inside the restaurant what I WANT”, and of course I did. I leaned forward to tell her what I thought and SMACK. She had not forgotten to pull her window open, I forgot to roll down my window. I hit my head on my window so hard I saw stars. She started laughing and I can’t tell you how embarrassed I was. I finally got my 3 cake donuts, my coffee and drove sheepishly away with her still laughing.

2nd – I drive up to a McDonalds and tell the BOX I would like a hamburger, fries and a large coke. She said that will be $ 2.75 please pull around to the first window. I pulled around to the first window and paid my money. I was driving down the road and made a sharp turn to avoid a car and put my hand over to hold the coke so it wouldn’t spill. The only problem was there was no Coke. There wasn’t a hamburger or fries either. Apparently I paid my money and just kept on driving past the window with that person holding food for me. I did go back, AND AGAIN instead of 1 person there were 4 laughing waiting for the man to come back and get his food.

3rd. Needed gas. The pump wouldn’t take a credit card so I had to go in and pay cash. Paid five dollars (That was a long time ago) and while I was driving down the road I looked at the gas gauge and thought to myself “That didn’t put much gas in.” It would have if I had pumped the gas. I paid, got in my car and drove off WITHOUT pumping the gas. Again I drive back, the guy smiled; apparently more people do this than at Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds.

Where was my head at, what was I thinking? We have all been to that place where we think we cannot take another step, where we think we cannot go on, where we think we cannot handle it any more. You may be there right now. When we attempt things in our own strength we will never succeed in the long haul. We will burn out and not be good to anyone. A lot of times we find comfort in trials and pain because that is all we know. Most of us don’t go to the dentist till the pain of the tooth is much worse than the fear of the dentist. But by that time so much damage may have been done that it costs 10 times as much than if you went for a normal checkup.

Matthew 7:7, 8 “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

If you are troubled, burdened, without hope and in pain, ASK the Lord to keep you from sinking. Ask him to lift you up on dry land so you will not slip into the chaos that this life brings. We have not defeated Satan but He who lives within us has. Start today by turning your power or lack of over to Jesus and let him reign in your life. Why not let the one who knows the outcome before it evens happen help you in all the decisions you make? Remember, if you pay for something make sure you at least pick it up.

Have a great day

Brad