38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 “and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:38,39 (NKJV)
May 14th, 2016
By Bro. John L. Cash
Just a quick thought today. I’m writing this on Friday, and today’s a busy day. You see, my younger son, Seth Madison is getting married tomorrow. The rehearsal dinner is tonight. As you can imagine, everyone is in high gear.
I haven’t written too much about Seth’s fiancée, Brenda Leanne Weir. I’ve always worried about saying too much when my sons were dating. After all, they might not want their “business” on display for all the world to see, and fathers are pretty famous for causing havoc in their kids’ relationships. But once you’ve married into the family, that all has to change. It’s just an occupational hazard of being a part of the Cash family; there is a good chance that you’re going to be mentioned in a column or that you’re going to be the topic of a sermon illustration. So, I’m sure you’ll be hearing all about her in the future.
That being said, I just want to say I adore Leanne and give thanks to God for her. We all adore her. She’s a ray of sunlight — everybody says so. And she’s “just the girl” for my son Seth. The Lord has answered my prayers. He sent me two wonderful sons. And now He has sent me two wonderful daughters. My cup runneth over.
I don’t have words to tell you everything I feel, so that will just have to wait for another time. Because, you see, we have this rehearsal dinner tonight. And we have that wedding tomorrow.
I think the Scripture lesson (at the top) is a good one for today. The disciples asked Jesus what the sign of His Second Coming would be. Jesus said the sign of His coming would be the same sign that was given to Noah. But the people in Noah’s community were getting married on the day the flood began.
Given that I’m writing these words on the morning of what will be a busy wedding weekend, that verse is hilarious to me. Do you see the “punch line”? If the people in the time of Noah had known the world was coming to an end, they wouldn’t have planned a wedding for that day. If you knew the world was ending in a flood, you’d build a raft instead of a cupcake display. There’d be no point in going through all the stress and strain if you knew in advance that it would all be washed away. It makes me want to laugh out loud.
It also reminds me that none of us know when the end is coming, which is why it’s so important to live for Jesus this week and every other week. The Bible says that the only sign of His coming is that “there will be no sign.” The only way to be ready to meet Him is by staying ready.
And if you don’t understand the humor about weddings, don’t worry. Before you know it, it’ll be your turn to plan a wedding. And then the joke will hit you…. 🙂
Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and has spent the last 30 years being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. (On week days has a desk-job at a public school, where he used to teach Latin on closed-circuit-television.) He and his lovely wife, Susan, live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where, hopefully, everybody is eating leftover wedding cake today.) Their kids include Spencer (age 25), his wife Madeline (age 24), and Seth (age 21), and his wife Brenda Leanne (age 20). You can send him a note at brotherjohn@ilovechurchcamp.com.
