Photo by Nathália Rosa on Unsplash
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I’m a list maker and “yellow sticky” aficionado. Office, house, wallet – I have yellow stickies everywhere. Often, there’s a “box” followed by whatever I need to do. It’s my tried-and-true method to track what needs to be done to completion. It’s how God wired me.
In a way, the Bible is the “divine yellow sticky” from God to help us stay focused on His “to-do” list. A good example – Hebrews 13. At first glance it looks disconnected – what do hospitality, adultery, greed, and following have to do with each other? A close look reveals it to be a “yellow sticky” for living out God’s word AND His reasons for living that specific way. For example, show strangers hospitality – they might be divine appointments. Keep the marriage bed pure – God judges the sexually immoral and adulterous. Don’t focus on material things – God will provide for your needs. Don’t be led astray by teachings inconsistent with God’s Word – His Word is constant throughout history.
This last one, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings,” (Hebrews 13:8-9) is especially important. People will say, “Oh, that was written a long time ago. It doesn’t apply today.” But God tells us the exact opposite; His Word is timeless. It applied in Moses’ day … in David’s day … in the apostles’ day … and applies in our day. We may know more about how things work, because that’s how God reveals His creation to us – through the gift of the thinking mind. But, in the end, God still commands us to live by His Word.
In the beginning God – not some accident – purposely created everything. As the Creator, He knows how it works and how to keep it working. Therefore, He authored, through people He selected, His Word, instructions to us. The Bible isn’t a list of optional suggestions. It’s the Divine Yellow Sticky – His “To Do List” for us to serve Him and His creation in accord with His will.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Jim