Good Advice From Desert Pete!
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorizedThere are important life lessons which are learned from simple stories. In fact, our Lord used simple stories in His teaching to illustrate important spiritual truths. For example, the biblical principle of giving and receiving found in Luke 6:38 is illustrated in the following story:
Located in western Nevada is the Amargosa Desert. And in a remote section of that desert, was a seldom used trail which ran into a rundown hut. Near that hut, was a water well holding the only source of water for miles around. Attached to the well pump was a thin baking powder can with a message inside, written in pencil on a sheet of brown wrapping paper.
The message read:
“This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But, the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and the cork end up. There‘s enough water in it to prime this pump, but not if you drink some water first. Pour in about 1/4 of the water, and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast, and begin to pump. You‘ll get water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you get watered up, fill the bottle, and put it back like you found it for the next feller. Signed, Desert Pete.”
Folks, this is good advice from Desert Pete!
The spiritual truths found in the above story are these:
Don’t go drinking up all the water first! Let’s first prime the pump and we can get all the water we want (Matthew 7:21; John 4:14). Let’s not be selfish, but instead deny ourselves, seek God’s kingdom first, and God will care of us as well as all those who follow and obey Him (Matthew 16:24; Matthew 6:25-33; Hebrews 5:8-9).