Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the
least of these My brethren, you did it to Me"
(Matthew 25:40).

HORSE-TRADER

There is a wonderful story about a horse-trader
in the hills of West Virginia. He was a sharp
dealer but he always justified his horse-trades
by quoting the Bible. He knew just what passage
to use in each case. On one occasion, he had
a very sick horse on his hands. He tried to sell
it but everybody in the area knew the horse was
sick and they wouldn't touch it. Then a stranger
came along and it was't long before he was
riding out of town on the sick horse, as the
horse-trader counted a thick wad of bills. This
upset the horse-trader's wife very much. "Don't
tell me you sold that sick horse to someone?"
"Yeah," he said. "A preacher passed through
and I sold him the horse." "Really, a man of
the cloth! You would do this to a clergyman?"
she asked. "Oh, it's alright," he replied. "As
the Bible says, 'He was a stranger and I took
him in.'"

I hope this made you smile a little, but there
is a truth here and it is:

"As you did it to one of the
least of these My brethren, you did it to Me"

What will be your legacy?

"I will not die, but I will live to tell
what the Lord has done."
Psalm 118:17 NLT


"John Wycliffe lay dying in Lutterworth,
England. The year was 1384, and most
of his influential friends in church and
state had deserted him. Many thought
he had gone too far.

For one thing, Wycliffe had dared to
translate the Bible into English. He also
urged a separation of church and state
in order to reform the church. He
attacked the corruption and the abuses
of power that he observed — particularly
among the friars. But most of all he
preached that the Bible should be made
available in every language.

It sounded like heresy, and since Wycliffe
was now at the point of death, some felt
he should reconsider his statements. So
four friars and four senators crowded into
his bedroom. They spoke sternly to him,
reminding him of all he had advocated.
Now was the time to confess the error of
his ways.

Wycliffe was surprisingly alert. He asked
if he could be raised in his bed so he could
speak more clearly. Then he summoned
all his remaining strength to quote
Psalm 118:17, or at least part of it:
"I will not die, but I will live, and will again
declare the evil deed of the friars."

Wycliffe died, but his message and work
lived on: the English Bible available to the
common people. People die, but what they
have begun is not halted by death. The trail
they have left behind them goes on ahead
of them."

adapted from The One Year® Book of
Psalms with devotionals by William J.
Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale)
entry for October 1

(from God's Daily Promises)

And "don't sin by letting anger control you."
* Don't let the sun go down while you are still
angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT    

Reflection:

The Bible doesn't tell us that we shouldn't
feel angry, but it points out that it is important
to handle our anger properly. If vented
thoughtlessly, anger can hurt others and
destroy relationships. If bottled up inside, it
can cause us to become bitter and destroy
us from within. Paul tells us to deal with our
anger immediately in a way that builds
relationships rather than destroys them.    
If we nurse our anger, we will give Satan an
opportunity to divide us. Are you angry with
someone right now? What can you do to
resolve your differences? Don't let the day
end before you begin to work on mending
your relationship.

Life Application Daily Devotion