OK, so I'll confess: There have been times when
I've tossed it out of my car window. No, I'm not talking about aluminum
cans or paper products; I have strong feelings against littering. What I
have tossed out now and then are apple cores. They're biodegradable, so
I know what will happen once I've thrown them out: they'll either be
eaten by an animal or they'll eventually decompose.
There is a third possibility for that apple core:
Someone might come along after me, pick it up and sell it. "Are you
crazy?!" you're probably thinking. Yes, I would be if I thought
that might happen. But then, I'm not Tiger Woods.
Perhaps you've heard the bizarre story that came
out of the recent U.S. Open golf tournament. Tiger Woods was the
eventual champion of that match, and he has firmly established himself
as one of golf's all-time greats, if not the greatest. Tiger was
munching on an apple as he waited to tee off one of the holes. When he
finished, he used my method of disposing apple cores - he tossed it.
Marty Kunkel was standing among the crowd watching
when he saw Tiger toss the apple core. He convinced a nearby
photographer to kick the core to him. Later, Kunkel posted the apple
core on Ebay, offering to sell it to the highest bidder. Don't laugh
just yet, for the initial bidding went to $36,000. That bid was
apparently a hoax, but a later string of bids appeared to be legitimate.
A story on CNBC.com on Thursday morning reported that the bids had
reached $630.
Tiger's apple core is not the only strange item to
appear on Ebay. The newspaper for Eugene, Oregon ran a story in March
about a pretzel that had been put on the online auction site. Michael
Fleming found a unique pretzel in his bag of Rold Golds, one that had
the appearance of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus in her arms. Fleming,
who reports morning traffic on a local radio show, put the pretzel up
for bids as a joke. "Let's see how much people will pay for
this," he said to to his friends.
"How much" turned out to be over $5,000.
But the bidding was stopped by authorities at Ebay, saying that it was
against company policy to auction perishable items. Even though the
earnings from this holy pretzel had been promised to charity, the
bidding was over and Fleming had to find another way to dispose of his
religious relic.
An old adage says, "One man's junk is another
man's treasure." These two stories certainly seem to confirm that
theory. But we've seen it demonstrated in many other ways, haven't we?
Antique stores are filled with items that once were commonplace. As
people became more affluent, they replaced these pieces of
"junk" with more desirable items. Many years later those
pieces of junk have sizeable price tags attached.
It's also the principle that drives yard sales. My
family has only had a couple of these events (and I'll be happy to never
have another!), and I've been amazed at some of the things for which
people shell out hard-earned money. "Why I got tired of that
several years ago!" I think as I take their money. Once again,
another man has found his treasure among the things I consider junk.
"Value" is a relative thing. A craftsman
may put much time into a finely sculpted work of art. But will anyone
pay him what it's really worth? That's why there have been so many
starving artists.
God must watch in disbelief as His people regularly
choose junk to be their treasures. Though he has provided good things
for us in abundance, how often we choose those things that actually turn
out for our harm!
It happened in the beginning. The first man and
woman were given a marvelous home in the Garden of Eden. All around them
were fruit trees, and there was nothing they lacked. Only one tree was
labeled as "off limits", and God warned them they would die if
they ate from it. But, as we know, that was just what they did, and
their beautiful home was forfeited because they chose to not heed God's
instructions. (Read about this in Genesis 3.)
The one behind their fall was Satan. Though God had
been clear in His warnings and gracious in His provisions, Satan
convinced them that the fruit of that forbidden tree would improve their
circumstances. Today our arch enemy is still in the business of
deceiving people. We're still turning away from gardens of blessings to
fruit that will lead to our deaths.
Jeremiah stated the principle in this way:
"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the
fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns - broken
cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 1:13). What person in
their right mind would choose to drink from a mud puddle when there is a
gushing fountain just steps away? But that's the kind of conniving of
which the devil is capable. He'll keep us from the water we need, and
steer us instead to cisterns that can hold no water.
A few years later another prophet appeared on the
scene, urging the people to make better choices: "Say to them: 'As
I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from
your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'"
(Ezekiel 33:11) God wants His people to live and to have the best
things. Satan, however, does all within his power to keep us from those
good things of God.
The choice could not be more clearly stated than
the words of Jesus in John 10:10: "The thief does not come except
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Abundant life is
what Jesus Christ offers. Misery and death come from Satan's schemes.
A father tries hard to instruct his son in the best
way to live. He has learned by experience that danger awaits those who
turn off the path to pursue evil. But young boys don't always listen to
good advice. They often learn the hard way that father knew best.
That's the scenario behind Proverbs 4:14-18, a
father trying to help his son avoid the misery that always follows sin.
Consider those words for your own situation: "Do not stray onto the
path of wicked people. Do not walk in the way of evil people. Avoid it.
Do not walk near it. Turn away from it, and keep on walking. Wicked
people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their
sleep unless they make someone stumble. They eat food obtained through
wrongdoing and drink wine obtained through violence. But the path of
righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and
brighter until it reaches midday" (God's Word Translation).
Our Father tries hard to keep us from sin's misery.
He has clearly labeled the junk of life, calling it "sin". We
do well to avoid it, and when we find it is already in our life, we must
quickly get rid of it. Satan, however, is the one who tells us that this
junk is treasure. "Pick up that apple core," he whispers.
"It's all you need to keep you healthy." Don't listen to his
lies. Only God tells the truth. Treasure only those things He identifies
as valuable.
Would you like to know more about God's will? Do
you have questions about today's lesson? Get in touch and let's talk
about them. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I have the Book
that does! I'd love to study with you from God's word. Let's talk soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright, 2008, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture
quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version
(Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
"HEM-Lines" is produced by the Central
Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601,
and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every
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