Katamanthano Consider

By Wendell E. Mettey

Katamanthano CONSIDER is a book about observations and events in this world – some small and fleeting, some life changing – and how, through these events, God reveals Himself to us and helps us learn and grow in grace. This book does as the Great Teacher did. It pauses along the roadside of life to “CONSIDER the lilies of the field” and in so doing to DISCOVER a message from God for our daily living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wendell E. Mettey
• Release date: Aug 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9780997729276

Wendell E. Mettey

Wendell Mettey grew up in Cincinnati, OH and has a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reverend Mettey has served as Pastor for several churches in the Cincinnati area. In 1991, after visiting war-torn Nicaragua and witnessing the poverty and devastation, he felt called by God to resign from his church and begin Matthew 25: Ministries. Reverend Mettey and his wife Mickey (Michelle) have three children; Tim, Clare and Aaron. Wendell and Mickey are also the proud grandparents of Ethan, Sydney, Olivia, Cora, Noel and Ashlyn. Reverend Mettey is the author of numerous devotional & inspirational publications. These include “Are Not My People Worthy? The Story of Matthew 25: Ministries” (released in 2004); “What God Desires The Story of the Center for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief” (released in the 2008); “On Which Side of the Road Do the Flowers Grow?” (released in 2009), “Meet Those Who Met the Master” (released in 2012), and “Lost and Found, Stories of Christmas” (released in 2013). In addition to these books, Reverend Mettey has published several compilations of stories, sermons and reflections. All books now available in audiobook format! Download your copies from Amazon today! All books

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Copyright © 1988 by Reverend Wendell E. Mettey

Copyright © 2018 by Reverend Wendell E. Mettey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval without permission in writing from the author.

Quotes are primarily taken from

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® or Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN (Kindle)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9977292-6-9

ISBN-10: 0-9977292-6-0

ISBN (ePub)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9977292-7-6

ISBN-10: 0-9977292-7-9

Book Website

m25m.org/theleastofthese

[e-mail]

Give feedback on the book at [e-mail]

Cover Art and Design by: Amber Harbin & Lauren Fogle

E-book formatting by: Maureen Cutajar

Acknowledgements

I have loved writing over the course of my life and have written numerous articles, devotionals, and books. All of my writings have been an attempt to share God’s message of love and hope. Unfortunately, due to illness I am unable to continue my love of writing. The writings in this devotional are a collection from my many years as a pastor and also as a follower of Jesus Christ. I have found that Jesus speaks to us through the simple things, the ordinary daily happenings of life. I hope that you will take the time to Katamanthano (CONSIDER) the message that God through Jesus is sharing with you.

I thank Joodi Archer for her endless hours of collecting my Katamanthano writings from over the years and the countless hours she and her team spent putting them into book format and proofreading. I also thank Amber Harbin and Lauren Fogle for their cover designs, and my wife, Mickey, for helping me get this devotional completed.

Wendell

Introduction

A Katamanthano* is a word, a Greek word to be exact. It appears in the Greek New Testament just one time. Jesus used it when pointing to a nearby field. He said, Katamanthano the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin: and yet I tell you Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)

Katamanthano is usually given the English translation of Consider: Consider the lilies of the field. However, its literal translation is "to observe well, notice carefully, learn thoroughly—Discover."

The God of Jesus spoke to people not through a distant star or through some esoteric religion, nor were His words the exclusive property of the learned or the holy. The God of Jesus spoke through the simple things, the ordinary daily happenings of life. It was these that attracted the attention of the Greater Teacher, and it was these He pointed to and said:

Consider a fisherman casting his net into the sea.

(Matt. 13:47);

Consider a shepherd searching for his one lost sheep.

(Matt. 18:12);

Consider a barren fig tree.

(Luke 13:1-9);

Consider laborers working in the vineyard.

(Matt. 20:1-16);

Consider clouds rising in the West.

(Luke 12:54-56);

Consider tares growing in with the good wheat.

(Matt. 13:24-30);

Consider a seed growing secretly.

(Mark 4:26-29);

Consider leaven in bread.

(Matt. 13:33);

Consider putting a new patch on old cloth.

(Matt. 9:16)

One can imagine Jesus pausing along the roadside to watch a man sowing seed in his field.

"Katamanthano–(CONSIDER)–observe well a man who goes out to sow seed. Notice carefully where the seeds fall. NOW!

What have you learned? What have you discovered about God and His Kingdom?"

This book is about this world and how through it, God reveals Himself to us. This book does as the Great Teacher did. It pauses along the roadside of Life to: "Katamanthano– (CONSIDER) the lilies of the field." And in so doing we discover a message from God for our daily living.

Considering has been a thrilling and challenging adventure for me. Each day brings with it an opportunity for God to reveal something new and exciting. Each day contains a personalized message from God. But we have to Katamanthano. (CONSIDER). Observe well and notice carefully. Then His message will be revealed to us.

For this Devotional I have selected one hundred of the more than two hundred considering articles I wrote during my many years as a pastor. Times and settings have changed. My children (and grandchildren) have gotten older. But I believe the articles are still relevant, and hopefully, God still speaks through them.

I invite you now to join with me in this adventure as we, together, CONSIDER the lilies of the field.

*Bauer. Arndt. Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press 1957.

Table of Contents

A Beautiful Sight

Every Litter Bit Helps

Making Ends Meet with God

One Poor Child at a Time

Singing in the Darkness

Company Policy

They or We

Upon His Shoulders

The Bigger It Is, the Harder to Turn Around

A Perfect Fit

United or Untied

Turning a Phrase

Go On, Make My Day

Do Your Own Sweeping

Blossoms of Nicaragua

The First Customer of the Day

A Faded Message

Propped Up

A Fish Story

The Abundant Life

Coming Home

A Spider’s Web

The Easter Story

Having a Baby

An Expired Offer

Too Heavy to Bear

Moisture Rich Eyes

A Time of Need

The Flea

Lower Your Wrecking Cost

A Throwaway Flashlight

Germinating the Seed Within Us

The Incredible Weed

Beautiful Music

A Magnificent Team

He Knows — He Knows

The Red Delicious Within Us

Clapping: An Expression of Appreciation

An Inedible Prize

Move Over

Where the Water Goes

Nothing I Have Made is Unclean

A Maker of Angels

I Was Sick

The Message and The Messenger

Barbed-Wire Memories

From Annuals to Perennials

Lost and Found

A Daily Reminder

Please Remove Your Cleats

The Measure of a Great Man

A Calm and Deep River

Dark is Never Cheap

He’s Still Calling Us

A Precious Treasure

One Small Cedar

Be an All-Weather Pilot

Someone’s Knocking at Your Door

When Life is Churning Away

A Row of Begonias

God’s Night Light

The Lord is With Us

Blind Crayfish

An Unbroken Melody of Faith

Transforming Compassion into Action

Changing the Channel

A Worser Day

Needed: Witnesses

Too Heavy of a Theology

Something You Can Keep Around Here

We are not Keeping Track of You

Drown Proof

A Matter of Looking

Hide and Go Seek

Watching Eyes

The End of the Movie

Some Who Did Remember

Blooming Together

No Check-List Love

Two Birds Locked in Combat

Dealing with Failure

Construction Areas

The Cross We Wear

A Life Under Construction

One Lone Life

Standing in Our Own Shadow

A Dumpster

Who Has Moved

Dirty Tears

Jesus, the Great Positioner

No More People Food

Praying for Those Who Kick You in the Shins

The Lord’s Prayer

God Doesn’t Make Mistakes

A Sandbox

Oh God, So Great is Thy Power

Which God Do You Follow?

Standing Together

Loved into the Hearts of Others

A Renewed Love

About the Author

About Matthew 25: Ministries

Additional Works by Reverend Wendell E. Mettey

A Beautiful Sight

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:10-13

One day I received a note from an older friend. It came at a time in my life when everything seemed to have fallen apart. It was a time of wrestling with self-worth and claiming a faith that worked. The note spoke of a God who follows His children even into the wilderness. It spoke of a morning after, and it spoke about waiting upon the Lord. The note spoke of an older friend who cared. I kept the note and placed it in my desk drawer.

As time passed, I began placing all such correspondence in that drawer. Many years have passed since that first note, and the drawer is overflowing. To others it may look like a pile of junk, but to me it is a beautiful sight.

CONSIDER, whenever the world begins to get the best of me I open that drawer and think about the people in this world who take the time to care. I think about people who do so much good and do it quietly, with no fanfare. I think about people who live in the same negative world in which we all live and still have something positive to give and say. And you know, after a few minutes with that drawer, my thoughts are quickly shifted away from what’s wrong with people to what’s right with people. The few words of hurting criticism are crowded out with countless words of encouragement.

I would highly recommend such a drawer for everyone.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to help me to notice those in my life who offer encouragement and hope. May I find a drawer full of good thoughts and prayers during my darkest hours…amen.

Every Litter Bit Helps

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path. Proverbs 23:17-19

Turning into the church parking lot, I saw him running along with a bag in his hand. He would run a few steps, stop, bend over, pick something up, stuff it into his bag, and off he’d go.

What is he doing? I CONSIDERED as I parked my car. Maybe he is picking up aluminum cans. No, there can’t be that many. Getting out of my car, my curiosity got the best of me. I walked over to him, now directly in front of our church building. He was picking up what appeared to be scraps of paper.

Hi. How are you? I said. He looked up and smiled. I then proceeded to ask him what he was doing. This is what he told me: He began running a while ago for exercise. It was then that he discovered all the litter that lined our highways. Each run, he’d see the same litter, and more litter, and it didn’t seem as though anyone was going to pick it up. So he decided to carry a bag when he ran and pick up the litter as he went along. I did my share of littering, he said. I just want to do my part by cleaning it up.

Walking back to my office I CONSIDERED how there is litter that clutters our highways and parks: such things as empty cans, bottles, candy wrappers, and nasty cigarette butts. There is also the litter that clutters the mind and spirit: things like ugly rumors, unkind words, jealousy, anger, critical attitudes, and negative thinking. This litter we cannot see, but it pollutes and kills the human spirit as surely as toxic waste pollutes our lakes and streams and kills the wildlife.

I also CONSIDERED how we, too, can carry a bag with us as we journey through life. Each time we see the things that litter the spirit of another, we can pick them up and stuff them into our bag. We pick up hatred and stuff it into our bag with love; we can pick up ugly rumors and stuff them with truth.

Hopefully, by journey’s end, we’ll have a bag full of litter we can properly dispose of.

Remember, picking up every litter bit helps!

Lord, help us all to pick up the litter along the paths of our lives. Help us not to carry it with us but to take it to Your cross and leave it there. Then help us to go on. Thank You God! amen.

Making Ends Meet With God

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. Luke 11:1-4

The city of Chicago offices started on one side of the street, the state of Illinois offices on the other side. Across the street from each other, the idea was to connect City Hall with the State Offices by an underground walkway. Four years behind schedule, the walkway was finally completed...well, it was close. They were within inches of linking up when…oops!

The state’s section was nine inches lower than the city’s, and the city’s was eight inches too far east.

"Why didn’t