"Can I go to the store with you, Mom?" Isaac asked. "I want to make sure you get my favorite cereal!" Mom laughed and agreed.
Shortly after arriving at the store, they met Carson, one of Isaac's classmates. "Hey, Isaac, thanks for shoveling my grandma's sidewalk when I didn't feel good yesterday," said Carson. "And thanks for helping me with my math homework too! Guess what I got on our test today? An A minus!"
"All right!" said Isaac. "How did your basketball game go?"
"Much better," said Carson. "Ever since you stood up for me when I missed all those free throws the other day, the guys haven't given me a rough time at all." He turned to go. "Oh! Mom says I can go to Bible club with you this week."
"Great!" exclaimed Isaac. "I think you'll like it."
"I'm sure I will if it's as good as you say," replied Carson, turning to leave. "See ya."
"Wow! I'm surprised," Isaac told his mom as they went down another aisle. "Carson wasn't interested in going to Bible club at all when I invited him. I wonder why he changed his mind."
Just then, they came to the place where a woman was handing out ice cream samples. "Yum!" Isaac exclaimed, taking a bite of the sample she handed him. "Let's get some of this ice cream, Mom."
"It looks good," Mom said. "Choose a flavor, and then we'll be ready to go."
"How can the store afford to give away so much ice cream?" Isaac asked as he debated which kind he wanted. "Look at all those kids coming to get samples now."
"Well, as you just proved, the samples make people want to buy the product, so the store will sell lots of ice cream today," Mom explained as Isaac decided on double chocolate. "You know," Mom added as she placed the carton in her grocery cart, "this reminds me of you. You've been a sample for Jesus."
"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.
"Carson was obviously impressed with the way you treated him," said Mom. "You've given him a taste of what it means to know Jesus, and now Carson wants to know more."
"A taste of life with Jesus," said Isaac. "That's even better than ice cream!"
-Geri Walcott
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a sample for Jesus? Do your words and actions give others a taste of what He’s like? When you treat others with the love He’s shown you by being caring, helpful, and kind, it can make them want to know Him too. Let others sample the sweetness of knowing Jesus in how you treat them each day.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV)
The word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere…for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. (NLT)