Daily Devotional For Saturday, June 28, 2025

Hello Southside. It’s the weekend. Saturday has arrived. As you read this, Audrey and I are out of town for the weekend to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary. We are not far away. We are staying at an AirBnB in Pollocksville, NC, the hometown of Audrey’s father. If you have been reading these devotionals, we are looking at what it means to follow Jesus. Part of following Christ is that we treasure His words found in Scripture. 

In 1978, I was sent by the State Baptist Convention to Wilmington, NC to Temple Baptist Church to serve and be their summer youth pastor. This was Audrey’s home church. We became friends and over 8 years, we wrote many letters back and forth to each other. At the time, we were not dating, but just good friends. The home I grew up in had a shed in the backyard. I had all her letters I kept through the years in boxes in that shed. My father decided to clean it out and threw away all those boxes. Audrey, though, kept all of my letters. I think we have them in boxes in our attic. I would love sometimes to just pull them out and read what I had written to her. 

Audrey told me that over 8 years she treasured every letter, especially the ones after we got engaged. We were living in 2 different states. When she flew up to see me in Old Hickory, TN, I had friends who opened up their home for her to stay. Her father had passed away before we became engaged and so Audrey lived with her mother. Over 2 years we saw each other about 5-6 times and then we got married on June 28, 1986. 

If you were to read our letters, you might think they are juvenile or even immature, but to us, they are priceless. But when it comes to the words of Christ, to any genuine Christian, His words are priceless. They are not merely to be read, but to be reflected upon for discipleship. They are not just to be examined down to just the original language of Greek, but to be enjoyed as one’s favorite dessert. Christ’s words are not to be broken down and analyzed for educational purposes or syntactical purposes or grammar purposes, but they are to be applied. Jesus’ words are not just lines on a page, but life to a person. Look at how David characterized God’s word in the Psalms:

• Psalm 19:7-8, 10-11, “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (8) The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (NASB).
• Psalm 119:14, 20, 24, 47, 97, 111, 131, 162, 167, “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches . . . (20) My soul is crushed with longing, After Your ordinances at all times . . . (47) I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love . . . (97) O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day . . . (111) I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart . . . (131) I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments . . . (162) I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great spoil . . . (167) My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly” (NASB).

Chuck Colson was a politician who got caught up in the Watergate Scandal with President Richard Nixon. He eventually went to prison for his part in it and during that time, Christ found him and he confessed and repented from his sin. From his experience, he started Prison Fellowship, to reach hardened and convicted felons in prison. 

He shares this story from his book, Being the Body. He writes about meeting a businessman whom he calls Mr. Abercrombie. Mr. Abercrombie had invited Colson to speak at a Bible study he hosted. Nineteen other movers and shakers of the business world were in attendance. Colson writes about what transpired:

Mr. Abercrombie had asked me to speak at the luncheon and then allow time for questions. Somewhere in my talk I referred to our sinful nature. Actually, "total depravity" was the phrase I used. I noticed at the time that a few individuals shifted uncomfortably in their leather chairs, and, sure enough, it must have hit the mark. Because after I finished, the first question was on sin. "You don't really believe we are sinners, do you? I mean, you're too sophisticated to be one of those hellfire-and-brimstone fellows," one older gentleman said, eyeing my dark blue pinstripe suit just like his. "Intelligent people don't go for that back-country preacher stuff," he added. "Yes, sir," I replied. "I believe we are desperately sinful. What's inside of each of us is really pretty ugly. In fact we deserve hell and would get it, but for the sacrifice of Christ for our sins."

Mr. Abercrombie himself looked distressed by now. "Well, I don't know about that," he said. "I'm a good person and have been all my life. I go to church, and I get exhausted spending all my time doing good works." The room seemed particularly quiet, and twenty pairs of eyes were trained on me. "If you believe that, Mr. Abercrombie—and I hate to say this, for you certainly won't invite me back—you are, for all of your good works, further away from the kingdom than the people I work with in prison who are aware of their own sins." Someone at the other end of the table coughed. Another rattled his coffee cup. And a flush quickly worked its way up from beneath Mr. Abercrombie's starched white collar.

"In fact, gentlemen," I added, drawing on my favorite R. C. Sproul shocker, "If you think about it, we are all really more like Adolf Hitler than like Jesus Christ." Now there was stony silence…until someone eased the pain and changed the subject. When lunch ended and I was preparing to leave, Mr. Abercrombie took my arm. "Didn't you say you wanted to make a phone call when we were finished?" I started to say it wasn't necessary, then realized he wanted to get me alone. "Yes, thank you," I said.

He led me down the corridor to an empty office. As soon as we were inside, he said bluntly, "I don't have what you have." "I know," I replied, "but you can. God is touching your heart right now." "No, no," he took a step back. "Maybe sometime." I pressed a bit more, however, and moments later we were both on our knees. Mr. Abercrombie asked forgiveness of his sins and turned his life over to Christ. Colson concludes: "Martin Luther was right. 'The ultimate proof of the sinner is that he doesn't know his own sin. Our job is to make him see it” (Souce: Charles Colson, Being the Body, pp. 190-191.

Until you crave the Savior more than your sin, you will never experience the joy of your salvation. 

Assignment: So, what about you? Do you love the Bible and God’s Word in it or are their parts you ignore or disagree with in your life? Is the Word of God like a treasure you have found? Jesus and the Bible affirm that the Word of God is equivalent to the manna in the wilderness and the bread Jesus used to feed the 5,000 men, not counting all the women and children. Oh, you may have a daily quiet time where you read the Word. But being a follower of Christ is more than just reading  or “eating” the Word of God. There are ways to eat – you can down a meal so quickly because you’re in a rush you don’t even enjoy it. It’s just an item on your “To Do” list. But there is an alternative. You could eat slowly, taking your time to enjoy and savor the taste of it. Does this describe you with the Word of God? Why or why not? 

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I do not want to make my quiet time a rushed time. I want to drink from the Fountain of Living Waters and digest from the Bread of Life. Lord, I know You are trustworthy and therefore, I believe that Your word is truth. I accept that I am a sinner. I accept that in Your eyes, I am not a good person. I repent of my arrogance and pride of thinking I am better than others. Please help me to walk humbly in the truth and promise of Your Word. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly