April 7, 2022

My mom loves to go to the casino. She’s not a habitual gambler and only does it for entertainment. I’m continuing to clean out stuff at my father-in-law’s house after his passing in January, and yesterday I ran across a slot machine in the garage. I decided to plug it in to see what would happen. It lit up! I was so excited that I ran back into the house to get some quarters to give it a spin. If this thing works, I thought it would be a great way for my mom to have some fun without leaving the house. I stuck the quarter in, and nothing happened. The leaver wouldn’t pull, and it didn’t spin. What a disappointment! It may be illegal to have one that works. Still, it would have been fun. That slot machine is like living a life without Jesus. You are attached to some kind of power, but you are empty inside and have no purpose other than to decorate a space. Jesus is the one who gives us purpose, and the things we do for him and because of him make a difference in the world in which we live. My heart breaks for those searching for something to fill their emptiness; they can’t pull the handle because it’s locked, and the wheels don’t spin. If only they knew that if they had Jesus, they would hit the jackpot. Keep putting those quarters into those empty slot machines, and maybe they will come to life one day. Jesus is life.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11