Scripture reading
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
–Ecclesiastes 7:8-9
Thought of the Day
I read what I considered a somewhat odd thing in a recent SPORTS ILLUSTRATED magazine. It was in the Scoreboard section where they often lift up interesting and fascinating facts. It always lifts up a number and talks about that number. The number was seventy nine. (79). Seventy nine is the number of unprovoked shark attacks around the world during the year 2000, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. (I wonder how long it took them to come up with the name of that file???) Have you guessed what struck me as odd? It wasn’t the number. It was the word “unprovoked”.
Now I am not a rocket scientist, but even I in my simple state figured out a long time ago that you don’t go around provoking sharks. In fact, my list includes lions, and tigers, and crocodiles, and a few people that I know. Re-read the scripture for today. It doesn’t pay to be provoked either.
Prayer
Lord, Teach me your patience. Amen.