Daily Devotional for Tuesday, February 24, 2009 

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"Fading Glory" 

A man planted a crepe myrtle tree with lavender blooms on his front lawn.  
During the first year it produced beautiful flowers with rich colors which 
blessed
everyone who saw them.  The flowers remained the same year after year.

Hoping to duplicate the color elsewhere in the yard, he rescued the small 
volunteer sprouts that popped up from the fallen flower seeds.  For three 
consecutive
years he shared the offspring with neighbors and added color to his back yard 
as well.  

The first offspring grew nicely, but the flowers were not the same as the 
parent plant.  The buds were a faded, washed-out lavender color; pretty, but
not the same as the original.  

Flowers from the third generation were a deep pink, not lavender at all.

And the fourth generation crepe myrtle produced flowers which were a very, very 
pale pink color.

There seemed to be a generational deficiency in the experiment.  The plants 
farthest from the original root stock displayed the most differences.  No one
would think that there was any relationship at all in the trees which came from 
the seeds.  The glorious original colors of the parent are now disappointingly
faded in the offspring.

There are two truths to be learned from this parable.   

First, Christian testimonies never fade or waiver when they are rooted deeply 
in Jesus Christ. The more we become like people around us, the more we move
away from the original root of our Lord and Savior.  When our witness becomes 
weak and faded, it loses the glorious beauty it had when we were first enjoined
with Jesus.  Consequently, the kingdom promises we once accepted 
matter-of-factly are less promising, not because God has changed but because 
our lives
have gradually shifted away from Him.   

Secondly, Christianity is not inherited from our parents.  It is the Faith born 
deep within each individual heart which brings eternal security through
Jesus Christ.  One is not born into Christianity by physical birth, nor is 
salvation inherited by our nationality or race.  Grace comes independently to
those who ask by faith. 

Reclaim the glory of yesteryear and let your light shine as it did before.  
Walk not in your own understanding but follow the unchanging message of the
Father. 

GospeLines Prayer:  Blessed Creator, keep me close to the Root of Salvation; 
guard my soul so that I may testify of your everyday activity in my life. 
May the fragrance of my witness be a testimony of your grace and everlasting 
glory.  Let Your message of hope and peace burst forth in victorious song. 
Amen and amen. 

O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected]
window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: 
cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
 
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