The Rest Of The Story

TITLE: The Rest Of The Story
DATE:  August 17, 2019
TEXT: Isaiah 53: 4-5 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Oh, there are times when I wish Paul Harvey were still around.  Those are the times when I want him to say, “And now, the rest of the story.” You see, I try, and I just can’t do it.

The first part of the story began last week when the Wyoming Valley West School District in Pennsylvania looked at the parents who owed money to the school meal plan and sent them a letter. The logic of the letter was:

1. They are not paying for their children’s meals.
2. Which means they are avoiding their parental responsibility and
3. Are abusing their children. Which means
4. The School District can turn them over to various Children’s Agencies and
5. Have their children taken away.

Now those Children’s Agencies said, “That’s not what we do. Keep us out of that.” Various County Officials said, “This isn’t right. The School District needs to apologize and tell people they are speaking for nobody but themselves.”
Well, folks, here comes the rest of the story. Todd Carmichael is the CEO of La Colombe coffee. When he was in school he had to rely on food stamps and a free lunch. Remembering those days he was moved to pay  the accumulated lunch bill total for all the students:  $22,467.76.

He instructed one of his people to make it happen. The man did as he was instructed.

He called the school district’s attorney and had to leave a message. Then he contacted the superintendent of the school system. Once again he had to leave a message. After a respectable period of time, he concluded he wasn’t going to be called back.

That’s when Mr. Carmichael’s representative tried one more place.
​
 He called the School Board President...AND THIS TIME HE MADE A CONNECTION. This time the representative was able to explain Mr. Carmichael’s  desire to even up the score for everybody’s meals.

And MR .CARMICHAEL’S REPRESENTATIVE  WAS TOLD,  are you ready for this? He was told ”It ain’t a- gonna happen.”  At the end of the week the kids were in the same place they had been; the school system was in the same place. The only person who wasn’t was Mr.  Carmichael.

I have no word what he said when he got the news.

As you listened to the story, did it occur to you that there was also a time when you  had a debt...  an unpayable debt for sin. You were sunk and you were headed to a place where nobody wants to go. When it seemed there was going to be no future, the heavenly Father sent His Son into this would o take care of your debt.

It was not a small bill amounting to a few tens-of-thousands of dollars. It was a bill so big that for it to be paid, God’s Son had to take our place. He had to live a perfect life, resist all temptation, and then die for us while He was carrying our sins.  Three days after dying, He had to defeat death.

Now because of what Jesus has done, all who believe in Him as Savior are redeemed. And that’s the rest of the story.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You have saved me. May others also be brought to believe in Your grace.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278208/ceo-tries-to-pay-kids-lunch-debt-is-refused.htmland the article written by Kate Seamons.
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html