October 30, 2024
LISTEN TO AUDIO
It was a noble quest. My good friend, Randy Perry, and I led our crew of fearless kids – the Selke twins and the Perry boys – on a journey in pursuit of blue crabs. We were full of hope and resolve. I was confident that the crabs would be there.
As a small boy, my Aunt Orile had taken me and my cousin John crabbing in the surf off Galveston beach. We crabbed at night under the light of lanterns, wading out into the dark Gulf waters up to our shoulders. As 8-year-olds, it was scary, but we were motivated – those crabs were absolutely delicious! However, after we’d eaten our fill, my aunt insisted that we spend the night on the beach, which I hated – sand everywhere, in everything. But sand was a small price to pay for such a fine meal!
This time, Randy, the kids, and I were crabbing on the Bolivar peninsula in the late afternoon. The memories of my experiences with my aunt had given me a solid faith that the crabs would be there, and I shared that faith with my crabbing buddies. They were all on board. But there were those of lesser faith, those who had no doubt that we would fail in our endeavor, those who had prepared the ultimate backup meal - meatloaf for dinner!
Aunt Orile had taught me well, so I knew how to set up our rig – two poles stuck deep into the sand with a single line running between them. Vertical lines spaced about 10 feet apart long enough to reach the bottom. Weighted hooks on the ends of the lines with chicken necks for bait. We set up our equipment and waited in anticipation – and faith. We grabbed our net and buckets, and, one by one, slowly pulled the lines to the surface. The crabs were there, clinging to the bait! Catching them in the net, we dumped the crabs into the buckets, took them to shore and emptied them into ice chests. Then, we waited a while and repeated the process. The kids were ecstatic – and so were the adults!
Our faith was rewarded. We caught a multitude of blue crabs that day. After the kids chased them around the kitchen, we cleaned the crabs and joyfully devoured our feast. We had a blast. And best of all - we didn't have to eat meatloaf for dinner!
At an early age, crabbing taught me a lesson about God and His provision. I experienced His abundance often enough that I developed faith that abundance is part of His character, not only with crabs, but with other things as well.
Throughout the Bible, we’re reminded of a God who provides not just enough, but an abundance. The manna in the wilderness, Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, Jesus feeding the five thousand – each event describes a God who provides more than just survival – He gives abundantly. And He loves to share that abundance with us when we come to Him in faith. Thank You, Lord!
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, our God provides abundantly!
QUESTIONS
Do you believe that our God is a God of abundance or scarcity? What has been your experience? In what ways has God shared His abundance with you?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank You for Your abundance. Help us to release our felt sense of scarcity, knowing that You provide all we need and more.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
Comments