John 20
At 76 years old I’m still not one for a strong personal devotional time period, i.e. reading by myself. Yet all these married years, and a little before, 47 years in all, I have had family devotions, a daily Bible reading. This small thing has been great in my life . As God said, it has been the mustard seed that, though a tiny seed, grew to “a great tree with branches that the fouls of the air may nest in.”
Jesus, by the sacrifice, asks how important is your [job, animals, wealth, self-esteem, power, etc.] to you? More important than me? He answers the question of how important are we to him: we are important enough for him to give his only begotten son, important enough for him to die himself for us, important enough for him to give his spirit to dwell in us.
One thing I have confidence about: I KNOW what God thinks about a lot of things. Some would take me aside as being a “Christian Bigot”. They would say, “How can you be so arrogant as to say you KNOW what God thinks?” I would say to them, “What principles are a guide for your life? Any? Some favorite author or politician? Some particular group you belong to?” From reading the Bible I know right from wrong, good from bad, profitable from unprofitable. Each time I read the Bible I get yet more from it. I have been a better man to the world because of it – even to those who would say it's “just another book”.
