Title:- Of Gnats, Camels and Ice Cream Cones
Matthew 23:24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
May I share with you some of the interesting laws from the fine State of Kentucky? For example, did you know that it is illegal for a man to purchase a hat unless his wife is with him? In Frankfort Kentucky, it absolutely forbidden to shoot off a policeman’s tie, and in Lexington, it is illegal to carry an ice-cream cone in your pocket! It’s bizarre I know, but we can at least be thankful that Kentucky’s State Law still insists that “Everyone must take a bath at least once a year.” Phew! My favorite law of all though is that, “No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state, unless she be escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club.” Crazier still though, an amendment to the above legislation reads: “The provisions of this statute shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses.” Let me assure you that the people of Kentucky are sweet and ‘right friendly’ folk. I have no further comment.It would be fascinating to trace the origin of these pieces of legislation. After all, apart from the sticky mess, surely there must have been a good reason to make a law about ice-cream cones not being in your pocket, though for the life of me I cannot think what it might be? However, someone did recently tell me that horse thieves (Kentucky is horse country) would in days gone by, lead some expensive stock out of their fields and into waiting horse boxes by sticking an ice-cream cone in their pocket! “What am I doing officer? What me steal a horse? No sir, the beast just followed me in here! What do you mean what do I have in my pocket?”
Husbands, fathers, wives, foremen, supervisors, team leaders, coaches, whoever we are, we are lawmakers of some kind or another. If we don’t make them for others, we certainly make them for ourselves, and my oh my, what a heavy yoke they can be; even yokes of iron! Friends, let’s be careful, not to restrict our freedom. Let’s be careful to let go of rules which we have made for others and ourselves that like in the great State of Kentucky, actually no longer apply. Let’s be careful not to add to Scripture. Let’s get these curses removed from our own lives and our churches' constitutions. Let’s be careful not to live in the darker side of insignificance.
Listen: - "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt 11:29-30
Pray: - Lord, help me let go of the insignificance of gnat straining and the strain of camel swallowing that at last, I might dance in Your light burdens of this day, amen and amen!
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