July 13, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, July 13.
Our subject today is . . . transformation. When we bought our place in Tenaha five years ago, we got five acres of land, a restored 1920's farm house, a pool, a tree house, a barn . . . and a barn cat. The owner told us, "we feed her just enough to keep her around, but not too much, so she'll still be hungry for the mice." She was almost wild and wouldn't let us within ten feet of her. And we quickly discovered that this cat came with a litter of young kittens. And the next year there was another litter. Shortly after that we took a trip to the vet and put an end to all that. And then we sat back and watched - a transformation. We had named her "Mama" but, once she didn't have to worry about a new brood every few months, when she didn't have to worry about all those pesky Toms, she became a new cat. Now, just a few years later, she is mostly an indoor pet who likes nothing more than to curl up in your lap for a cuddle.
The cynical viewpoint is that people never really change. But, when we study the Bible, we find person after person, character after character, that was transformed by their relationship with God. In the Old Testament we marvel at the changes in the lives of Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, just to name a few. The New Testament is brimming with changed lives - Zacchaeus, Thomas, Peter, Paul. They literally became "new" because Jesus Christ passed their way. In Ezekiel 36:26 we read this promise - "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you." And in 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul tells us - "We, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
The Bible has a lot to say about transformation and change. And I could write much more on this great subject. But there's a lap cat who needs some attention.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
