Dear Faith Family,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.

There is a major difference between lukewarm, day-old, Dr. Pepper and ice-cold, freshly poured Mellow Yellow.  Who knew?!  Let me explain.  Let’s say hypothetically, you eat lunch at Arby’s on Monday.  You fill up a take-out cup of Dr. Pepper.  You take said hypothetical cup to the office and you set it neatly on a cupholder on your desk.  And let’s say hypothetically, you eat lunch at Arby’s on Tuesday.  You fill up a take-out cup of Mellow Yellow.  You take said hypothetical cup to the office and you set it carefully on the chair mat on the floor next to your desk (possibly because the cupholder on your desk was occupied with yesterday’s Dr. Pepper).

If you reach for your lukewarm, day-old Dr. Pepper thinking that you have picked up your ice-cold, freshly poured Mellow Yellow, you will abruptly discover the difference between the two.  Hypothetically speaking of course!  Lukewarm, day-old Dr. Pepper can disguise itself to look just like ice-cold, freshly poured Mellow Yellow!  Who knew?!

Isn’t that what happened way back in Genesis 3?  Adam and Eve thought they were about to delight their tastebuds with ice-cold, freshly poured Mellow Yellow only to contort with the aftertaste of lukewarm, day-old Dr. Pepper.

Unfortunately, the difference between sinful behavior and good works is found beneath the label on the cup of our lives.  Sin comes from the heart.  We are quite capable by the grace of God of an outward act of kindness from a heart of love.  And, we are quite capable of the very same outward act of kindness from a heart of selfish manipulation. 

That’s why David concluded Psalm 139 with this request:  Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!  David was asking God to take a drink from the inside and let him know if there was any lukewarm, day-old Dr. Pepper in the cup.

Learning how to trust,
Pastor Karl