By Chris WittsSunday 3 Mar 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Well, there’s a modern-day parable I’d like to tell you. Doctor Fred Cradock – he’s a well-known and respected minister and teacher in the United States, and he spoke one day about his sister who actually takes in retired racing Greyhound dogs. She’s a very kind lady. She can’t stand to think of them being put down after their racing days are over.
And so he went to visit his sister one day and he found these big Greyhound dogs. And there was a big old spotted Greyhound just lying there in the den and one of her children, who was just a toddler, was pulling on the tail of the dog, and the other kid had his head on the old dog’s stomach, using it as a pillow. But this dog didn’t seem to mind, it was very happy and content. So what Fred did was he started up this imaginary conversation with the dog.
Are you racing any more? No, no, I don’t race anymore. Do you miss the glitter and excitement of the racetrack? Said Fred. “No, no,”. What happened to you? You’re too old. “No, I I’ve still got some race in me.” Well, why didn’t you win? “Well,” the dog said ‘I won over a million dollars for my owner.” Well, that’s not bad treatment. “Well, they treated me like royalty when I was racing.” Yeah, Fred said, but did you get crippled? What happened? “No, I quit.”
You mean you quit? “Yeah.”
Well, why did you quit? And this old dog, in this imaginary conversation with Fred said, “I discovered that what I was chasing wasn’t really a rabbit, so I quit. He looked up at Fred and said all that running, running, running, and what I was chasing wasn’t even real.”
The message of the story
That rather peculiar story reminded me that things that we need in life, need to be real. And it’s like a foundation in life. It was back in 1983 actually that an earthquake hit California, and it was 8.2 on the Richter scale. A number of houses were shaken off their foundations by about seven inches, and, of course, that caused the buildings to collapse. But the houses that were bolted to the foundation, of course, withstood the earthquake and the houses that were not bolted might have been perfectly good. Houses are nice to look at, but they couldn’t stand up to the earthquake.
So I’m talking here about a foundation.
They were able to stand, and it reminds me that Jesus once talked to about the importance of building on a firm foundation. And he was talking to the people. And I think he talks to us today about how we need to build our lives on a firm foundation of his teaching. This is what he said. Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, just like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
And though the rain comes in torrents and the flood waters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it’s built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, just like the person who builds a house on sand. Because when the rains and the floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash. That’s Matthew 7:24-27.
There was an interview one day with Bette Midler, the singer and actress, and Bette Midler was talking about fame and how fleeting fame can be. But she didn’t seem particularly worried about it for herself. And then she said this which is quite remarkable. If I lost it all tomorrow, Bette Midler said, “I would be OK because I know how I got here.”
Now she was probably referring to her hard work and dedication as an actor in the many years of experience. But it started me thinking about this comment. If I lost all my fame tomorrow, I’d be OK because I know how I got here.
What would happen if the foundation for your life, whatever it is, was lost? How would you cope or would you cope?
Many people have faced an unexpected crisis like, you know, the foundation of the house not being very good and their world falls apart. Well, life can be great one day and horrible the next. I guess you know what I’m talking about. So my question is this morning, do you have a stable and a firm foundation for life?
It’s better to know Jesus because Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the life.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, you’ve promised to walk with us every day. It’s a great promise, Lord. It means we’re never alone. Thank you, that we know how we got here. Amen.