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HOLY,
HOLY, HOLY
“But
as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your
conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am
holy.’"
1
Peter 1: 15 - 16
AN ERMINE IS a cute little animal with shiny black
eyes and beautiful fur...
It has short legs and a narrow body that's some twenty
inches long from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail.
The agile animal is found in the northern region of the
northern hemisphere. In summer, its coat is a rich
chocolate brown except for the undersides of the body and
legs. In winter, the color changes to a clear white,
broken only by a black tip on the tail.
If you looked up a picture of the ermine at the
library, you would be shocked by the purity of its white fur.
The ermine seems to realize the beauty of its coat and takes
great pride in maintaining it. Indeed, the animal's most
unusual characteristic is its hatred of anything that might
soil its fur.
Hunters who know this will fill an ermine's burrow with
filth and wait with their dogs for the furry animal to return.
Once the ermine spots the dogs, the snow-white creature will
dart for the safety of its burrow. But the ermine will
not enter the soiled safety of its home. Rather than
flee into the burrow, the ermine will fight the dogs to the
death. It would rather die with a bloodstained coat than
live with a dirty one. That's why the ermine's fur is
used on the robes of rulers and judges. It serves as a
symbol of the purity of justice and law.
THOUGHT:
Christians need a similar instinct. We need to realize
that personal holiness is a value worth fighting for.
Bill
Perkins
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