Thursday, August 6, 1998
Thursday, August 6, 1998
Paul writes, "And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are
in Christ; they only heard it said, 'The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming
the faith he once tried to destroy.' And they glorified God because of me." (Galatians 1:22-
24
NRSV)
Notice in our scripture reading today that the people did not glorify Paul. They glorified God
because they knew that real change comes as a gift from God.
There is a story of a Daddy Longleg that was trying to get free from a spider web under a chair.
The Daddy Longleg had seven free legs and one leg that was caught in the web. The Daddy
Longleg would pull and pull trying to free itself only it couldn't get enough traction on the slick
concrete floor. So every time it would gain a little ground, it would slide back to the same place it
started. This went on for about 5 minutes. The onlooker felt so sorry for the poor fellow he
reached down and set him free.
We are much like that Daddy Longleg. We are trapped in sin. It may be only one little area of our
life that we have not yet yielded to Christ. But like that Daddy Longleg we gain a little ground
spiritually, only to slide back frustrated and disappointed in our inability to make any significant
change. May we give our all to follow in the footsteps of our savior Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, guide me as I give my all to follow you. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA