Slip n Slide II

No, this is nothing like Toy Story II or Shrek II...this is something entirely different.

This is using the slip n slide idea but seeing it from a completely different angle.

Skyler, Josh and Mary Ann had thoughts that were totally different from mine when we were trying to invent a devotional thought from slip n slide.

Of course, they all thought it was funny when I belly flopped and stuck to the slide.  Yep, its always a bit funny to see teachers or pastors get dunked in the dunking machine or wipe out in the inflatable moon bounce (which I also did last week).  When I smacked my head against the moon bounce floor, everyone stared in shock; but once we all knew that I wasn't hurt, we were rolling around laughing.

So Skyler's devotion is simply this: "get up and keep trying!"  If you belly flop or smack your head, which we all do at times, get up without whining and give it another go.

The Bible has a lot to say about a big word called "endurance".  Hebrews 12:1-3 teaches us to "strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith (NLT)."

Notice that the Bible doesn't just say, "Hey, quit being such a sissy!  Get up off the ground and keep trying."  It doesn't even say, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

No, the Bible teaches us to focus on Jesus.  He is the One who started our faith, who gives us faith and who perfects our faith.  In other words, to "get up and keep trying" we must focus on the One (Jesus) who allows us to believe.  Can you do it?

Let's pray about it!

Prayer: Lord, you know we will all fail, yes, do a complete belly flop.  In fact there are times You build things around us in such away that we learn to look to You and trust You.  But teach us, dear Lord, to keep looking to You when things are hard so that we can "get up and keep trying."  In Your Powerful Name, Amen


Proud of you,
Pastor Wilson