I got hooked on a YouTube production called “Fridays with Frank”. Frank is a Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff’s Deputy. He is assigned to traffic control, and he is constantly being filmed by a camera man to showcase his traffic stops and police work. The violations include speeding, DUIs, past due registrations and the like. Deputy Sloup is a pretty even-tempered guy and there are scores of his videos out on the internet. After watching these videos, I am amazed at how people react! Most often, the reason they are pulled over is that they have been speeding. And he doesn’t pull people over for going 5 miles past the posted limit…it is often more like 20 to 30 miles over the legal limit. But what happens then is that so often people have warrants out for them, they have not registered their cars, and some people don’t just have expired licenses…they don’t have and license to drive at all. But then beyond that, there are a number of people who have been “caught” breaking the law and instead of just taking the ticket, they refuse to cooperate and end up in handcuffs, taken to jail and their vehicles are towed. And Deputy Sloup is on camera, and he goes to great lengths to make this as painless as possible. So what I’m watching is people who don’t have insurance, have not registered their cars and are plowing through a 15 MPH school zone going 50 MPH. And the good deputy will say that I wouldn’t have found out all this if you had not broken the law…right here in front of me! I shake my head and can’t imagine what the people were thinking. But then I thought about how often I’m kind of that way with God. I know the right thing to do…but so often I do the wrong thing. Like the Apostle Paul wrote, I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it…. instead I do what I hate. As believers we need to remember that even with our salvation and work of the Holy Spirit in us…that old sinful power is still out there. That means that we can’t just do whatever we want to do but our task is to follow this Jesus who has redeemed us. That means that every day we are going to go up against sin, our self-centered, selfish desires and ideas instead of living like those children of God that we have become. The Apostle Peter said that while we are waiting for God’s wrapping up this history of humanity, we need to make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. We are to now live a life that makes God look good…and that takes effort. And when we fail…and we will…we need to repent, experience forgiveness and then get back out there living as, talking as and being the people that God has redeemed us to be. And for heaven’s sake, wear that seatbelt and slow down your driving! Here's our Bible verse for today…
2 Peter 3:14 NLT And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ
2 Peter 3:14 NLT And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ