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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 1, 2009
“Magical Beans”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
My wife likes Brooks Chili Beans.
The problem is, they don’t sell them in Florida. It’s just a Midwest thing.
She has been very vocal about the fact that other beans just don’t measure up.
And now listen to what’s happened. People have listened. They’ve heard her cries for Brooks Chili Beans. We’ve had friends visit from the frozen north, and what do they bring?
Brooks Chili Beans.
Last night I came home to a big box sitting on the dining room table. It was full of guess what?
Yep, someone had Fed Exed us a case of Brooks Chili Beans.
In the three years that we’ve lived in the South, even though they don’t sell them here, we have hardly had a time when we did not have those magical beans.
See how that works? Someone mentions they would like to have something, others pick up on it and make it happen.
My wife didn’t ask anyone to Fed Ex us a case of chili beans. They just picked up on the fact that she would like to have them.
Now isn’t that the way the best gift giving happens? You want something, but you don’t beg for it. You simply express the desire – and someone gets it for you.
The Bible has a great example of that. First Chronicles 11 says that one day David – out in some rocky, dry place, with Philistines everywhere – suddenly expressed his desire for water. And not just any water. He longed for “water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem.”
Well three of his top soldiers heard this and decided to get him some. They broke through the enemy lines, got some of that special water, and brought it to David.
And now listen. David wouldn’t drink it. He was so deeply moved by the gift, and the price they paid to get it, he said, “God forbid that I should do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?”
So instead of drinking it, the Bible says he “poured it out before the Lord.”
To me, that’s the perfect gift giving story! David expressed his desire for something. His men decided to make the great effort to get it for him. And when David got it, he didn’t take it for granted. He understood all that went into it, and he was profoundly moved.
And listen to this. Instead of selfishly hogging up the gift for himself, he offered it up as an offering to the Lord.
What an excellent gift giving story!
Now some people are already great at gift giving. It seems to come naturally.
So this message is for everyone else. This is your reminder to get into gear.
Become a better gift giver.
And here is where you can start. Listen to people when they mention what they want, when they talk about things they like.
When I was a kid I collected baseball cards. A lot of people picked up on that, and when they found baseball cards at a yard sale or whatever, they would buy them for me. And you know what? Even though a lot of people did it, I was grateful to them all. Even if the cards weren’t that great, it was just special to be remembered.
So listen to what people say, and log that away in your mind. Then when you come across something that reminds you of them, get it.
And as Christian people, we should be known as the best givers.
Psalm 37:21 says, “…the righteous give generously…”
Proverbs 21:26 says, “…the righteous give without sparing.”
Proverbs 11:24 indicates that we should give freely.
In Acts 20:35 Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Second Corinthians 9:7 says that “…God loves a cheerful giver.”
And Jesus’ instructions in Luke 6:38 can be boiled down into one word: give.
So perk up. Pay attention. Listen to what people are saying, then watch for ways to give it to them.
This is your call today – to become a better gift giver.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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