“…you will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” _Abraham (Genesis 21:22-34)
Recently the heading of an article captured my attention. It declared, “Scientists have finally discovered what is in the center of the moon!”
Of course I didn’t read it, I’ve known for a long time what was in the center of the moon…stuff.
Stuff is such a wonderful word. It has so many uses.
“What are you doing?” Answer: Stuff.
“What are you thinking?” Answer: Stuff.
The truth is, most of the headlines and headaches of life are just…well…stuff.
But then there’s Abraham.
I read the oddest passage of Scripture about him the other day (Genesis 21:22-34).
In this account of Abraham’s life he is interacting with the most powerful leader in the area and of all the things he wanted to talk about was a well. He was obsessed with it even to the point of risking being offensive.
You’d thought he could have found something better to talk about when the “big man” showed up. But then, if you’re living in a semi-arid area and you are responsible for the well-being of your rather large household, then a well is a game-changer.
Most of the stuff he could have talked about was…just stuff. Bottom line, long before Richard Carlson coined the phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” in his best seller of the same title, Abraham had already learned the lesson…
And its one we need to learn too.
The ONE THING for today: Stay relentlessly focused on the life-giving essentials. The other stuff is just stuff.
The ONE THING 
Love the article! As you know, the Lord willing, I will be preaching at the Logan Church of God this coming Sunday, May 21. Naturally, since the invite, I have been thinking about what should I preach! The Holy Spirit revealed it to me yesterday, as our Associate Pastor, Brother Seth Bumpus, was exhorting us during the morning worship service at New Life Church of God. He asked us the question, “from what perspective are you worshipping the Lord?” He challenged us to worship from an “Eternal Perspective” rather than, out of a “Circumstance Perspective”. Meaning, out of what we are facing here on earth. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” In other words, as we “turn our eyes upon Jesus, the things of earth will become strangely dim in light of His glory and grace.” The things of earth is just “stuff”, when you always have an eye upon Him.
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That is an excellent thought and a good reminder. I must confess, I have, far to often, allowed my temporary current circumstances to influence my worship.
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Same here! Especially if I’m dealing with difficult challenges or even if I’m not feeling well! It’s a continue battle to remain focused on the main thing! Thank the Lord for His Body and it’s varies members working together, as they operate in the Spirit to build one another up! Being in Church is a good thing. Hebrews 10:25
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