On this day in 1654, a meteorological office established in Tuscany, Italy, began recording daily temperature readings.

How often does your family check the weather forecast? It’s virtually impossible to miss because all the radio stations give regular updates. And you can get the latest from the meteorologists on TV. If you’re really into temperatures, fronts, and isobars, you can watch the Weather Channel.

Knowing the weather helps us prepare. If a winter blast is predicted, complete with ice, snow, and howling winds, we bundle up from head to toe and stock up on hot chocolate for when we come in from the cold. And in the summer when we learn of a coming heat wave, we wear shorts, make sure the air conditioning is working, and get those cold drinks and ice ready.

Today’s verse isn’t about weather, but it does touch on temperatures. Maybe you’ve found it confusing. So switch gears here and think of hot and cold drinks.

Let’s say you’ve been out in the cold, shoveling snow. You’re freezing and tired. You come in and your mom says, “How’d you like some hot chocolate?” You eagerly take the mug and put it to your lips expecting the sweet hot liquid to warm you up. But it’s lukewarm instead. How awful!

Or imagine it’s summer and you’ve finished playing ball. You reach into the cooler, pull out a juice bottle, and take a swig. It’s lukewarm—yuck!

God wants believers to be “hot” or “cold”—fully committed. Lukewarm just doesn’t cut it. But sometimes followers of Jesus are just that—lukewarm. Blah. Bored. Blended into society.

So what’s your temperature? How do you think you “taste” to God?

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15, 16).

To Do

Make yourself a cup of hot chocolate or hot tea. As you drink it, ask God to help you be hot for him.

Also on this day

This is National Bill of Rights Day.

This is One Day! Day.

1939—The movie Gone With the Wind, based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.