Awhile back I emailed this to a friend, and since I had to type it up, I figured I might as well post it here as well. I love this short devotion, as well as the book from which it is taken. Both this devotion and the book (see below) never fail to convict me.
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Twenty-One
The ancient Hebrews were so tied by tradition they couldn’t recognize the Messiah when he was right there in front of them,
and he was crucified.
The disciples, who walked and worked with the Christ, were very afraid of him; they hoped, but they also doubted, and they ran that night,
and he was crucified.
The common people mobbed him, showed him their sicknesses and sores,and they threw down an aisle of palms for him and sang to him,
and he was crucified.
His family was embarrassed, and stood outside, and wished he’d come home,
and he was crucified.
Would we crucify Jesus today? It’s not a rhetorical question for the mind to play with.
I believe,
We are each born with a body, a mind, a soul, and a handful of nails.
I believe,
When a man dies, no one has ever found any nails left,
clutched in his hands
or stuffed in his pockets.
God is No Fool, Lois A. Cheney, Abingdon Press, 1969
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God is No Fool by Lois A. CheneyRead more about this title… |
A Far Country 
The title of this is not “Nails.” Rather it is a meditation titled “twenty-one” and is found on page 40 of God Is No Fool, first edition. Copies of this little book are very hard to find.
I have adjusted the post. Thank you, Ron. I bought the book way back in 1985 at Lake Junaluska on a retreat for the Eastern Kentucky University Wesley Foundation where I worked.