11 ¶ I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. ~ Psalm 77:11-12 (NKJV)
By Bro. John L. Cash
I wrote my first devotion for this column way back in 2008. My, how time flies when you’re raising kids! And since 1985, every single week I’ve needed to teach a Sunday school lesson, preach two sermons, and prepare a Bible study for Wednesday night. I’m having a wonderful time. But, as you can see, it’s a lifestyle that depends on the inflow of a steady supply of good ideas.
Usually, the hardest part of being a writer isn’t the “writing” part. The difficult thing is thinking of something that you want to write about. Once you have a topic (especially one you feel passionate about) the story will pretty much write itself.
Years ago, I read a book by a minister who preached for a very large congregation. He said the most valuable thing in the world is an idea. And because ideas are so indispensable, he stressed the importance of never losing a good idea once you have one. To insure this, he always carried a blank 3-by-5 card in his shirt pocket. He also kept a stack on his bedside table. To him, losing a good idea was the equivalent of losing a gold coin.
I’ve moved this famous pastor’s idea into the new millennium. Whenever I have an idea for a column or a sermon, I no longer write it on a note card. Instead, I send a text message to my own cell number. Whenever I’m suffering from “writer’s block,” I just check my phone to see what I sent to myself in more inspired times. I pride myself on having a good memory, but I’m always amazed at what ideas I have texted to myself. I always find a treasure trove of good ideas that would’ve been lost into eternity if I had not taken the time to write them down.
Even better than recording our ideas is taking time to make a note of the ways the Lord has blessed us. The Bible I use while I’m preaching is filled with tiny notes I’ve written over the decades. It always strengthens me to be reminded of the way God has continually cared for me. This week, let’s strive to fulfill the words of the Psalmist: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)
Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and has spent the last 33 years being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He’s a retired Mississippi public schoolteacher with grown sons, and is now a stay-at-home-grandpa with his grandson, Landon Cash. He and his lovely wife, Susan, live in a brick house in town (where we’re having clouds of yellow pollen this week.) You can send him a note at brotherjohn@ilovechurchcamp.com.
