Wednesday, October 28

The Big Leagues: SPAM

Intro:
I spent many frustrating years in southern California following the California Angels. For some reason we could never find a way to make the whole thing work at the same time and so lost many games. The SPAM sandwiches with mustard did not help either. Didn’t matter if mom toasted the bread …. it was still SPAM. What is SPAM any way?

When I was 13 we finally fielded a team that was pretty good, led by Rod Carew, Don Baylor and Nolan Ryan. It was so awesome to be on the winning side of the stadium that even the SPAM sandwiches were tolerable.

What was the difference? Talent! Guys that knew the game and applied the things they knew. They worked together as a team and read off the same page of the playbook.

When a team works together and follows the playbook they increase their odds to win.

Today’s reading will tell you why the Playbook is so important. This is good food for the soul ….. unlike SPAM!

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
14 But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Chapter 4
I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: 2 preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.

Think:
The pages of the Bible have the scent of God on them. They are God-breathed, meaning He has put his life into the book. He moved the authors to say what He wanted to say to insure we would have all we needed to grow.

So, in vs. 16 we read that the Scriptures are profitable for us. No surprise since they are from a God that loves us. He left us the Playbook so we would know Him and share His heart for others.
His desire is that we change how we think (Scriptures profitable for teaching and reproof) and how we act (Scriptures profitable for correction and training in right living). 2 negatives and 2 positives.

Negatives:
Reproof – Challenge poor thinking
Correction – Challenge poor behavior

Positives:
Teaching – How to think rightly
Training – How to act rightly

So, every time I read the Playbook God is at work through the pages to change me into the player I need to be to win championships. That’s awesome .... unlike SPAM!

Do:
As you read the Bible this week, stop and ask God to show you things in His word. Be open hear encouragement and rebuke. Look to bring your lifestyle in line with the Scripture not the other way around.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

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