Pastors:
I wrote the Encouraging Word below for the teachers and staff at Berta Weathersbee Elementary. I thought it might be an encouragement to you.
Hey, I hope you preach good Sunday. Let ‘er rip, ‘Tater Chip!
Brother Aaron
This past Monday night the Troup Baptist Association became a satellite campus for the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University. (Nine Monday night’s.) As Dave was speaking he told how that at twenty something years of age he became a millionaire, lost it all, and then regained it. This experience caused him to develop what has become known as Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. As Dave was telling his story, he made a tremendous statement. He said, “I met God on my way up, but I got to know Him on my way down.” (Wow! What a statement! I encourage you to stop, reread it, and meditate on it for a while.)
My fear is that, as Dave, many people have only met God on their way up. Life is good! But at best, their relationship with God is a casual one. They recognize Him as the God Who blesses them, listens to their occasional prayers when a crisis arises, Whose house they visit on special occasions and holidays, but have little time for Him otherwise. Sadly, they have met Him but don’t know Him.
In short, meeting God and knowing God are two vastly different things. In Philippians 3:10 (KJV) speaking about his relationship with God, Paul says it this way, “That I may ‘know’ him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” In his own way, Paul is saying what Dave said. You meet God on your way up, but you get to know Him on your way down. The reality of our relationship with God is often forged through the fires of adversity. So, in my opinion, for you to be the teacher, administrator, husband, wife, or person that God wants you to be, requires that you get to know Him! And likewise, for you to make a difference in the lives of your Berta Babies requires that you not just meet them on their way up, but that you get to know them on their way down. And you do that by having compassion for them, and fellowshipping with them in their sufferings, faults, and failures – just the way Jesus does with us!
I realize that my Encouraging Word has been a little heavy today – and that’s okay. I want the takeaway from this devotion to resonate in your mind over and over and over: I met Jesus on my way up, but I got to know Him on my way down!
Y’all know that you’re my heroes and that I’m praying for you! And if you have any special prayer requests, you can either e-mail me directly at: aaron@troupbaptist.com, or go to: www.troupbaptist.org/prayer-request, fill out the form, and our entire association prayer team will pray for your request!
Brother Aaron