Today’s Verse—Galatians 6:10
So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it.
Let us make a special point of doing good
to those who belong to the family of believers.
Camels drink a lot. Did you know that a thirsty camel can slurp up between twenty-six and forty gallons of water at a time? That’s important to know if you’re ever in line behind a camel at a drinking fountain. It also gives us a deeper appreciation of Rebekah’s kind service to Abraham’s servant in Genesis 24.
Abraham had sent his servant on a journey to find a wife for his son Isaac. Who would it be? They didn’t know, but the servant set off with ten camels, most of them loaded down with gifts for the girl’s father. After traveling awhile, he stopped near a well where young women drew water. He prayed and thought of a test. He would ask one of the women for a drink, and if she offered to water his camels, too, he would know that she was God’s choice for Isaac. Sure enough, along came Rebekah, who gave the servant a drink and then said, “I’ll get water for your camels too. I’ll keep doing it until they finish drinking” (verse 19).
How long do you think it took Rebekah to serve this stranger? Let’s do the math. If her jar held three gallons, and each camel needed about thirty-six gallons to quench its thirst, how many times would she need to fill her jar to satisfy ten camels? If you want to figure it out on your own, stop reading. If you’re not a big fan of word problems, the answer is a whopping 120 times! Now that’s generosity. That’s sacrifice. That’s gotta leave a girl’s arms feeling like linguini! Rebekah had no idea there was anything in it for her. She was just being kind.
Wandering with Wooton
I can’t believe Penny threw a surprise party to remember the day I converted from jellied cranberry sauce to the kind with whole berries. That girl knows how to celebrate an anniversary! It makes me want to rinse out her paint brushes and give her a jangly bracelet with charms representing PowerBoy’s symbols for “help.” Doing kind things for people sure makes them feel important. And it makes life better, y’know.
If Rebekah could go that far to serve a total stranger, how far are you willing to go to show kindness to the people you meet?
Daily Challenge
Have you ever heard of an RAOK? That’s a “random act of kindness,” which means doing something nice for someone—maybe a total stranger—and expecting nothing in return. Make a list of fun ideas, and do one a day for as long as you can. How many days in a row can you go?
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Serving Others Theme Memory Verse—Matthew 25:40
[Jesus said,] “Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”