Have You Updated Lately?

   A week or more ago, I prepared to preach the Sunday morning sermon by getting my charts in order. As I had done dozens of times, I turned on the projector and then the computer (the recommended order of operation), clicked on the appropriate file, and began to review. While on my computer the charts were bright and clear, on the screen they had a horrible looking green tint! Of course, my first response was to blame the bulb in the projector. But on Wednesday night, with a different projector, the same problem proved the offending item was my computer.

   While searching for answers on the Internet, I found nothing; mostly, I found nothing because I didn’t know what I needed to find! A friend suggested I search for any updates to the PowerPoint program and see if there was a fix to the problem. That sure helped! A new “driver” was found to fix the color problem. However, the main problem was the lack of updates to the entire computer! It had been nearly two years since any updates had been made.

   The list of required updates was extensive. I started the process of downloading and installing these needed changes at noon, and more than twenty-four hours later, the list was complete. Now the computer is working as well as the one I use nearly every day! And yes, before I stopped work for the day, I made sure my “newer” computer was updated!

   The lesson: Knowing God designed our brains to be the most complex of all “computers” and knowing it is our minds (“hearts” – KJV) that must be richly filled with the word of Christ in all wisdom (Col. 3:16), have we “updated” recently? Notice it is not the word of Christ that requires updates, but rather our minds!

   Carefully read 2 Corinthians 4:16. How often must the inward man be renewed? (In this discussion, we should say, “updated.”) Now read 1 Timothy 4:15 – 16. If Paul’s instructions to Timothy are equally commendable to us (and they are), then how often are we to meditate upon, and be given completely to serious consideration of the doctrine of Christ? Reading the Lord’s words of Matthew 4:4, how many of God’s words can we ignore and still be filled richly with His truth?

   When a child, I appreciated spending hours with Grandmother on Saturday nights in bible study. When we finished with our study, she’d let me draw a fresh bucket of water from her well. As I let the bucket down via the windless, and then turned the handle to draw it upward, she’d say, “Our bible study is like this old well. You’ll always get a bucket of water, but it’s always a bucket full you never had before.”

   That’s the idea of “updating” our souls with God’s truth. Sure, there’s truth in us, and perhaps we’ve read every verse of His truth several times. But when we give ourselves to the serious meditation of His Word, we find things we never noticed before: we are “renewed” (updated) with increased protection, ability, determination, and all the fullness of God (read Ephesians 3: 14 – 21). The more we “update” the better prepared we are for every contingency we may encounter in life (2 Peter 1:3).

  

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Leading in the Right Direction

   The metropolis was so confusing to the elderly driver. He had no idea where he was and needed to get to his doctor’s appointment. Stopping at a convenience store, he asked the clerk who motioned with his hands and mumbled some directions that only further frightened the old man. But, thanking the clerk he returned toward his car. A young man had overheard the conversation and noticed the fear on the old man’s face. “I’m going that way,” he said. “If you like, I’ll lead you.” Thanking the young man profusely, the elderly man consented. They drove for what seemed miles and miles and finally reached the destination. The old man tried to pay the young man for his kindness, but the youth refused the money. “No thanks,” he said. “I told you I was coming this way. It’s O.K.” The old man smiled and said, “You must live close by.” “No,” said the youth. “I live about twenty miles from here in the other direction, but I knew you needed help to get to your destination. I’m glad to help you!” “But you live so far from here, and this is out of your way. Please let me pay you something,” insisted the old gentleman. “No,” said the youth. “I’ve been lost and confused at times myself. Someone led me in the right direction, so I’m just repaying the favor.”

   True story? Could be! Have you ever been lost, and someone led you in the right direction? How about returning the favor to another lost soul?