My Dad's Devotions

I've been hard at work compiling my Dad's memoirs.  It has involved searching through endless boxes of stuff; sorting through all the photos in the house; assembling papers and memorabilia;  scanning, scanning, and more scanning; and a lot of time at the computer.  

In going through all his writings, I came across a folder of about a dozen Devotions that my Dad wrote over 40 years ago.  Most of them were written for the "Dial-a-Devotion" program through our church.  Each day you could call the number and listen to a short recorded devotion.  Others were done for the Mariner's group (a group of adults that met for fellowship, music and devotions through the church) that my parents belonged to and were presented at their monthly meetings.  I have found them very uplifting and still pertinent to today, so I would like to share them here over the coming weeks in hopes that some of you will also appreciate them.  

Devotion #1 

by Myron Plooster, written late 1960s

  Matthew 5:16

There is a story told about a blind man who never walked the city streets, day or night, unless he was carrying a lighted lantern.  Passers-by would occasionally stop him to ask why he carried a light, since light and darkness were all the same to him.  And his reply was always the same: “I carry the light so that no one might stumble over me.” 

Does not this have something to say to you and me?  We are all blind; we walk through our life in darkness, for none of us knows where it will lead us.  But we must carry the light.  So people come to God seemingly on their own, by reading the Bible, perhaps.  But most people come to Him through other Christians.  They see the light that the true Christian carries, and it illuminates their life and shows them the way.  We should all carry that light, day and night.  Just stop and think what it would mean if you or I should also be walking in darkness, and cause someone else to stumble.  There is nothing that we can do which can have more disastrous results.  We are called to be a living testimony to Christ in such a way that all men may see it.  All the good works done through the church come to very little, if we do not also show our Christian faith outside the church.  If we do not commend the Gospel to people by our walk and our conversation, we will not win them to the Lord.  Remember what he said: “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”