The small town barber found himself facing some financial difficulties.
When he was the only barber in town, he had made a reasonable, if
not a good living, at his trade. But now he was no longer the only
barber in town. A franchise had set up shop and, in two-foot tall
letters on its front window, proclaimed, "All haircuts $3. Walk-ins
welcome."
Three dollars? The experienced barber had been charging
$5.
He knew he couldn't survive if he tried to beat his
competition's price.
Now there are certain advantages to living
and working in a small town. One of those advantages is that many people
still believe in supporting local businesses, even if that support is
going to cost them a dollar or two.
Because of that attitude, the
barber found many of his clients kept on coming. And although there was
a slow, steady drop in profit, there wasn't any mass exodus to the new
salon. Even so, after two years the barber realized his business wasn't
going to survive. That's when he visited with a wise friend and asked if
he might find a solution.
The friend asked for a day or two to
think it over.
On the third day, the friend showed up with a sign
that he hung in the barber's window. Very simply the sign read, "We Fix
Bad $3 Haircuts!"
Business turned around immediately and stayed
turned around.
Now, if you remember nothing else from this
devotion, I would be happy if you remember that Jesus fixes the bad
deals we have made in our lives. Looking back at your years you can
probably identify a good many times when you made a bad deal. Satan may
have encouraged you to do something wrong, and you made a bad deal. Some
fine temptation was laid in your path, and you made a bad deal. Time and
again we have been wooed away from the Lord and made a bad deal.
But Jesus, with His life, suffering, death and resurrection fixes those
bad deals.
Through the Holy Spirit we are called to faith in our
Substitute. With faith in the Christ our sins are forgiven, and we are
brought into the family of faith. The bad deals are forgotten, and we
are once again God's children.
Salvation is ours all because
Jesus fixes bad deals.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks my
sins and bad deals with the world and the devil are forgiven because of
Jesus' sacrifice. May I rejoice in all He has done to save me and bring
me back into Your family. In my Redeemer's Name I ask it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries All rights
reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.
