Category: Devotional Thoughts

Yesterday was quite sad for a couple of reasons. As everyone knows, a deadly explosion happened at Glorietta Mall not long after lunch. The latest I’ve heard is that 9 were killed and over 100 injured. I wonder who will claim responsibility for this cowardly act. Regardless of who did this, the fact remains that innocent people died and dozens of others were injured.

The second event did not make international news, but was much more personal for me. The sibling of one of my teammates recently died of cancer. He was only 19 years old. We went to the funeral wake last night. We prayed with the family and did our best to comfort them. I’m glad that we could be there for them, but I cannot fathom their loss.

I watched the news once I made it back home from the wake. There were no new insights into what caused the blast. It was kind of hard for me to sleep as I thought about the things I have witnessed today. It’s hard for me to imagine life ending so suddenly or so young. The day’s events reminded me of a passage in the Bible:

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
-James 4:13-14

This verse, like yesterday’s events, reminds me of a couple of important truths:

1. Life is uncertain. The Bible never promises that this world will be safe, even for followers of Jesus. It does promise that we can be certain of eternal life once this life is over.

2. Life is temporary. The few years we spend on this earth are fleeting when compared to eternity. Rick Warren was right when he said “life is just preparation for eternity.” Whether we live 20 years or 120 years, our years are as seconds compared to eternity.

Today I’m more thankful for the life that God has granted me. More importantly, I’m thankful for God’s certain promises in this uncertain life.

Let’s pray for the families of the bomb victims. While you’re at it, please pray for the family of my teammate.

National Geographic, Animal Planet, and Discovery Channel are my favorite TV channels. I enjoy learning while watching television. One of my favorite shows is Seconds From Disaster. This program investigates the sequence of events that led to some of the world’s worst accidents. Recently they covered the Titanic, the world’s most famous and tragic ship story.

There are many small details that led to Titanic disaster. One, however, stood out among the rest: rivets. Much of the Titanic’s hull was held together by steel rivets, pounded in place by a large machine. The riveting machine could not be used on the front of the ship, so they had to hammer them in manually. Because of this, they used rivets made of and iron/slag mixture. These iron rivets were easier to handle, but they were much weaker than steel. They quickly snapped when the Titanic hit a giant iceberg. The world’s largest ship sunk in part due to small pieces of metal—pieces that would fit in the palm of your hand.

I believe the iron rivets illustrate a life principle: “small things” can lead to major disasters.

The Bible warns of this in different places. The following warning appears in the Song of Solomon:

Catch all the foxes,
those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
for the grapevines are blossoming!
-Song of Solomon 2:15

This verse warns to guard against the small things that can ruin relationships. Simple, day-to-day actions can build or break down our connection with love ones.

This principle goes beyond romantic relationships. Paul wrote about the danger of “small things” using yeast as an analogy. He warned that one individual’s sin could affect the entire congregation (1st Corinthians 5:6). Paul and Jesus both used the yeast analogy to warn against false teaching. Jesus told his disciples to “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6). Paul gave a similar warning to the Galatians (Galatians 5:9). Just slight distortions of God’s truth can lead to legalism and false religions.

Let’s guard our relationships, our lives, and our beliefs against “small things.”

See also: Meditations on Mopping