True to the Original

FAITHFUL MEANS TO BE “TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL.”

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Deuteronomy 7:6-9.

Verse of the Day: “Stay true to what is right” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Curtis and Sharee left the Theater in the Park behind their parents. They had just watched a movie of a famous play by William Shakespeare.

“Did you two like the movie?” Mom asked Curtis and Sharee.

Curtis shrugged. Sharee, who was a few years older than her brother, nodded. “It was pretty good,” she said.

“Did you like it?” Mom asked Dad.

“Definitely,” Dad answered. “The acting was excellent, and it was a pretty faithful adaptation, don’t you think?”

“If you say so,” Mom admitted cheerfully.

“What do you mean, it was a ‘faithful adaptation’?” Sharee asked.

Dad seemed pleased by Sharee’s question.

“Well, it was originally a play, not a movie, but the movie script stayed pretty close to what Shakespeare wrote.” “Oh,” Sharee muttered.

“In a way,” Mom said, “that’s what faithful means-‘to be true to the original.’” Sharee looked questioningly at Mom.

Mom continued. “A play is ‘faithful’ when it stays true to what the author wrote. A husband is ‘faithful’ when he stays true to the vows he made when he got married. And a Christian is ‘faithful’ when he or she stays true to the commandments God gave in his Word. So, being faithful is being true to the original.”

Sharee’s eyes brightened. “Oh,” she said, “OK. I understand now.”

“Do you understand, Curtis?” Dad asked.

Curtis looked at Dad like he’d just been awakened from sleep. “Uh, yeah,” he answered.

“Do you know what we were talking about?” Mom asked. “No,” Curtis said slowly.

“But you said you understood,” Dad reminded him. “I understand,” Curtis said, “that I should have been paying attention!” “Well,” Dad said, with a chuckle, “I can agree with you on that!”

TO DISCUSS: Today’s Scripture reading says that God is faithful. For the Christian, being faithful means not only obeying God’s commands but also being true to his nature, because he himself is faithful. Is your behavior “true to the original”— namely, true to God’s nature?

TO PRAY: “Lord, we want to be ‘true to the original’ in our words and actions. Help us to reflect your faithfulness.”