Devotion

Years ago, when I was a poor preacher with a young family living below the taxable wage, worrying about where we would live in year-to-year rentals, people said with conviction that I was a poor preacher of the good news. They said: “Go to church and hear it for yourself!” I asked for mercy and occasionally prayed and bought a lottery ticket hoping for a little luck, when Grace (as always) abounded beyond my clouded vision. Well! Thankfully, I gave up the lotto foolishness and continued to pray for mercy in the form of daily bread, not a windfall. My father-in-law, a righteous reformer, who openly recognized the burden of the pastoral vocation, gave us a wedding gift of a pup tent, saying, “There! you’ll never be homeless!” He was right! A home in heaven is far more secure than a year-by-year rental. Like the Samaritan, my family and I turned to Christ Jesus for daily bread, rarely went hungry, and never were homeless.