I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

When we were growing up most of us liked cartoons.

Although it may be difficult for us to confess, some of us still can't resist the temptation of turning to the Sunday cartoon pages first. That's right; we look at the cartoons before we look at the front page, the editorials, the obituaries, or the sports section.

If you think back on some of those favorite cartoon characters, you may have noticed they seem to have one thing in common: almost all of those folks are drawn with only three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

Recently, I talked to an old cartoonist who said he had worked for Disney. He told me the "Toons" were drawn that way because it saves time for the cartoonist, and the omission is rarely noticed by the audience.

It was a simple, honest, and obvious answer. I should have guessed it. I should have guessed because that's the way people usually work. They find the simplest and easiest way to do things.

Thankfully, as this devotion is being typed, I find myself giving thanks God doesn't follow humanity's example. Most of us are blessed with four fingers and a thumb on both our left and right hands.

God didn't cut corners when we were made.

Well, He could have. After all, He's God. On the other hand, God doesn't usually work that way. When He made the universe, He filled it with great immense spaces of nothing populated with a multitude of spinning galaxies.

God doesn't usually cut corners. He didn't cut corners when we were made. When God works, He does a good job. In fact, we might rightly say, He does it very good.

He's very good in making mankind -- and for those who see the Christ -- He's very good in saving mankind from its kidnappers: sin, death, and devil.

Now I know this isn't a profound devotion. Seeing as how it started with references to cartoon characters, you're probably not surprised. Even so, I do hope you will give thanks to the Lord for not cutting corners.

And the next time you watch cartoons and you see three fingers and a thumb you will remember this: God, unlike humanity, never takes shortcuts.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are, indeed, the work of Your hands. Continue to hold us in those hands until -- because of Jesus' salvation -- You hold us in heaven. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 10-12    2 Corinthians 3

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