SKIPPING JUST ONE TIME???

Bobby’s cousin was a wheat farmer in Texas and also ran a herd of cattle and raised calves.  He had a milk cow and when it had a baby calf, instead of opening the gate to let it out into the barnyard after nursing, he just lifted it over the fence because it was faster and easier than opening the gate and herding it out.  He did that every morning until it was a big calf.

But...one morning he wasn’t feeling really well...so he took the time to open the gate to let it out. 

The next morning, he was feeling all right again, but after all those mornings of lifting that calf, and skipping just one morning.... he could not pick the calf up.

This makes me think of our spiritual strength.  I won’t get into that but I can think of several parallels to this, can’t you?

 

Mark 12: 28-34

 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’   The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.  To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.