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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for June 16, 2010
“Trust in the Lord and Lock Your Doors”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
People I know were robbed yesterday.
Their house was broken into and valuables were stolen.
Thankfully no one was hurt, and hopefully justice will be swift.
But being robbed really messes with your head. You feel violated and vulnerable. You kick yourself for things you might have done differently, and you feel like kicking the life out of the jerk who did it.
And as a Christian there is always the question, “Where on earth was God?” You might think, “Come on, I’m faithful, I’m good and kind, I pray, I’m a better Christian than most people on the planet, and what good did it do me? I still got robbed.”
Well I know this won’t be comforting, but people get robbed every day. We just don’t think much about it until it happens to us. So if we want to get indignant about robbery, we need to be indignant everyday on behalf of all victims.
“But Doug, I was trusting God to protect me and look what happened.”
I understand what you are saying, so here is a lesson I learned early in my Christian life.
I was fresh out of college, living in an apartment complex; and I had great faith that life was wonderful with God on my side. I didn’t worry about things like locking my car or my apartment. I had a bicycle as well, and no need to lock it up. God’ll protect it. Like the song says, I had “angels watching over me!”
Then I came home one day and my bike was gone.
I was stunned. What’s up with this? How could this happen?
I knew a few of the kids around the complex so I started asking questions, and sure enough, they pointed out a boy who had taken my bike for a joy ride and left it in a drainage ditch. I gave him a quick lecture and made him go get it, which he gladly and nervously did.
And then it seemed as if the Lord was speaking to me, teaching me a little lesson that went something like this. “Yes, trust in Me, and yes, lock your doors.”
It reminds me of Nehemiah 2:20, when Nehemiah was preparing to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Listen to what he said. “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build…”
See the two elements at work? Nehemiah had faith that God would take care of them, and because of that faith, they got to work and did their part.
In Psalm 4:8 David wrote, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Yes, David trusted in the Lord to keep him safe; and he kept his sword sharp and his mighty men battle ready.
In Philippians 4:19 Paul said “…my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” And in Acts 20:33 Paul said “…these hands of mine have supplied my own needs…”
Well which is it?
It’s both!
And it’s both when it comes to protection from things like robbery. Trust in the Lord and lock your doors.
“But God is supposed to protect me!”
Yeah, and that’s what the devil told Jesus in Matthew chapter four, throw Yourself down and the angels will protect You. And what did Jesus say? “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
So take precautions. Lock your doors. Don’t leave valuables out in plain sight. Don’t leave your iPod on the dash of your car, for goodness sake. Don’t leave your purse in the shopping cart while you run to the next aisle. Don’t post on Facebook that you are going to be out of the country for six weeks.
Make yourself a difficult target for thieves: a barking dog, a home security system, motion lights. Don’t run around by yourself. Get to know your neighbors. Join the neighborhood watch program, or start one.
And think of the really big picture. Tomorrow’s thieves are just children today. Get involved and make a difference in the lives of some at-risk kids. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Join a mentoring program. Volunteer at Sunday school.
Let me be blunt. Helping a kid today may keep him from robbing you tomorrow.
And if you have been robbed, don’t let that rob you of your faith. Keep seeking God and find out what you can gain from the experience, dreadful though it may be. Let it open your eyes to what is going on in the world, and open your ears to what you may be called to do about it.
And forgive the criminal. Press charges, yes. Hold them accountable, yes. Do what it takes to shut down their crime and spare their next victim, but don’t forget to forgive.
Robbery is a mess, and unfortunately people do it every day, even to people of faith.
Don’t let that diminish your faith, but keep in mind that it’s a combination of faith and action, a combination I boil down to this little phrase.
Trust in the Lord and lock your doors.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 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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