the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
Not long ago someone asked me what I would do if I were ever given a comb. For those of you who have not seen me in some time or who do not know me at all, I am, well, follically challenged. I am bald. What hair I have is trimmed very short. So when faced with the above mentioned question I responded very solemnly, "I would never part with it."
Some people love to give and receive gag gifts. You know what I am talking about. The dress tie for the man whose wardrobe is mostly tee shirts. A Jeff Gordon bobblehead doll for a diehard fan of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I can remember the time as a child when a gag gift would be something repulsive modeled in either plastic or rubber. With my passion for THE Ohio State University, a University of Michigan sweat shirt would make a great gag gift.
But it always seemed like the people who knew what gag gift to give also knew what serious gift to give. If they knew what made us laugh or made us think they also knew what touched us personally. Usually, somewhere after the laughter had subsided the hand would come from behind the back bearing the gift that counted.
God is like that in a way. He gave us the platypus to remind us what animals might look like if their design were left up to us. He gave us kittens to make us laugh as they chase a ball of twine and puppies to tickle us with their persistent licking of our faces and hands. Then He pulled out the serious stuff. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 3:23 "And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
God hands us salvation nailed to a cross and says, "I love you." Then he fills us with His Holy Spirit and says, "Love me." The whole purpose of the Holy Spirit is so that we can love God in return for what He has given us. Without the Spirit we would not understand how to love God in return for His great gift of slavation. With the Spirit the love of Christ fills our souls and leads us to love God the best way possible; we live it.
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
