Devotion for the Second Week of October 2008

Many years ago, a big oil well in Texas caught on fire, and the C.E.O. of the oil company could not find any crew with the courage to put it out. Advertisements were put out offering lots of money to the crew who could put out the fire. Finally, the advertisements reached the attention of a tiny volunteer fire department in Alabama. The crew in this fire department thought that they could put out the fire, so they loaded up the fire truck and went to Texas. When they got to the oil field, they did not stop at the gates. Like true heroes, they drove straight into the thick of the fire. They had that ferocious fire out in one hour.

That evening, the C.E.O. of the oil company had a huge party to honor the firemen. When he presented the fire chief with a gigantic check, he asked them what they were going to do with the money. Without hesitation, the fire chief replied, "Well, the first thing we are going to do is fix the brakes on that fire truck!"

That brings me to the passage I want to share this week. "If any want to become my followers," said Jesus, "Let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." "Here is your opportunity to be heroic," Jesus was saying to them. "Here is your call to go where few have gone before. Deny yourself, take up a cross and follow me."

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Mark 8:34