We all know there are reasons that we can be late to something.  My Dad didn’t recognize that.  I remember my cousin Jeff, when he was working for Dad, they were building a huge apartment complex.  Jeff, for all intents and purposes, had no parents at that time in his life, and so Dad took him in under his wing and taught him a trade.  He was always in trouble.  I went to visit him when he was in the military.  He was on trial for desertion—many different things that he had been in jail for—and, I remember that he prayed with me at that time.  There has never been any real evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in his life, but we’re still believing; amen?  His Mom, my Aunt Maxine, was led to the Lord when she was 80-something.  So, we still have hope for Jeff.  

So, Dad taught him a trade:  plumbing, taught him many of the other aspects of the trade field.  He did pretty well.  He’s a multi-, multi-, multi-millionaire today; he owns his own company.  Dad taught him the trade.  All he works today—he won’t work anywhere but Pebble Beach.  That is the only place he will now do any plumbing.  He became very, very close friends with Clint Eastwood after having done many of his homes.  We would share with Jeff, ever since he was a little guy, the gospel, and he still has not bowed his knee.

So, Dad was training him up.  One day, Jeff showed up about five minutes late.  He rode his bike for miles and miles to be there.  He told him, “Mr. Scott, this and this happened,” and my dad said, “That is just an excuse.”  He said, “You planned to get here on time.  You should have left to be here early and then you wouldn’t have been late.”  That was my dad’s philosophy.  Well, Jeff hasn’t bowed his knee yet, but we haven’t finished with him yet either; the Lord hasn’t.

Who are you hanging around with?  What kind of example are you following?  You see, it pertains to the spirit realm just like it does to the natural realm.  We’re called to provoke one another to love and to good works; amen?  That provocation to see…, and here’s where we got off on that and I’ll finish with this. 

I got off on this particular definition to recognize and meet the needs of others.  We can’t be oblivious.  We have to realize that when we encounter a need, whatever it might be, emotional, natural, that we respond with hearts of compassion.  He looked on the fields and they were white unto harvest and He had compassion.  That’s that kindness, that’s that gentleness.  Is that spirit in us as it pertains to the lost, to the body of Christ, even, sadly, some of us, to our immediate families?  “Take up your cross and come and learn of Me,” He said, “for I am meek and lowly of heart.”

Father, we thank You for the great gift of Your Spirit who lives in us.  We thank You for the transformation of our hearts and our minds.  Father, I ask You for a good heart.  Let that recreation that brings to me imputed righteousness and holiness become the daily fruit in expression of my life.  For that, Father, we’ll give You all the praise, we give You all of the honor, in Jesus’ name; amen.  Amen!