A father took his two sons, ages seven and five to the playground. The seven-year-old was very proud as he was able to read the sign with all the rules to his brother. “Do not jump on the merry-go-round when in motion.” “Go down the slide while sitting only.” “Only one child on a swing at a time.” There were about twenty rules and the boys promised to obey them all, if the father would trust them and let them play without standing by. They said that they were too old to be watched and their friends would tease them calling them babies if Dad stayed. He made them promise to be good and obey the rules, and left them.

    When it was time to get the children, the father decided to watch them at a distance for a bit to see how reliable they were in following his instructions and keeping their promise. He found that they obeyed most of the printed instructions. There was one, however, that they completely disregarded. They would get on the tall, semicircular slide, and go down head first or backward.

    Angry and disappointed, the Father picked up the children and took them over to the posted regulations. Once again, he made his seven-year-old read the rules aloud. Then he asked the boys what they had to say for themselves, having blatantly disobeyed the rule on using the slide.

    The five-year-old answered immediately: “Don’t be silly Dad, you’re the one who told us there’s no use for a slide rule anymore.”

    Some of you younger readers will be asking, “What’s a slide rule?” I have to admit, I often used one in college rather than a calculator (primarily because it cost over $100 to get a calculator that would do logarithms!). Of course, I also typed my term papers on a portable typewriter, and was thrilled when “Pong” was invented! (You younger readers may need to talk to your parents to fully understand today’s message about slide rules, portable typewriters and Pong.)

Some things, however, don’t change.

    Many things have changed. There isn’t more use for a slide rule today than an abacus. Pong would seem terribly dull and drab compared to computer games today. A portable typewriter would merely be a heavy, messy antique in today’s world of laptop computers.

    Some things, however, don’t change. Numbers are the same, whether they are calculated on a slide rule or a scientific calculator. The answers generated to mathmematical calculations come out the same when done correctly on a calculator, slide rule, or abacus.

    It’s much the same way in chrisitianity. Our methods of teaching people may change. We may use television or radio (or e-mail!), methods that were unheard of 100 years ago. But the message does not change. It cannot change. God’s Word is as true today as yesterday, a hundred years ago, or all the way back to the first century. While we may not need to have slide rules today, it is essential that we have God’s truth! Remember how Peter said it?

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:22-25)

    Have a great day!

© 2001, Alan Smith. Used by permission. This devotional was reprinted from Thought for the Day.

Title: "The Slide Rule"
Author: Alan Smith
Publication Date: October 9, 2001

Share with Others	Related Heartlight Resources
Print this Article Send it to a Friend Discuss	And Nothing But the Truth Slide Rules