Feast on The Word

 One of my favorite memories is being at my Dad's parents' house - we called them Daddy Bill and Nanny. At nine o'clock sharp each night was "picnic" time, a time when everyone got up from their chair in the living room and went to the kitchen to fix their bedtime snack - their "picnic." There were always choices - not necessarily healthy choices but choices: ice cream, cheese toast, cake or cookies or fruit. A few minutes later, back in our respective chairs, we had ... picnic. I'm so thankful for those good memories but my thankfulness goes way beyond what happened there at nine o'clock sharp each night. My grandparents loved the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength! After picnic was over and the television was off, they read the Bible and prayed ... without fail. It wasn't just "what they did" or some element of their bedtime ritual (we all have those). No! They loved The Lord and found their greatest peace and contentment in showing Him their love through faithful obedience to honor Him [at the very least] all the days of my life. It's not surprising to me that when it came time for my Nanny to go to her heavenly home, some of her last words were those of her Lord's words: "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread." (Psalm 37:25 KJV). You see, although picnic time was certainly a fun part of the day, the real picnic was feasting on The Word of God. Jesus said, “I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35 ESV). In this New Year, let me encourage you to seriously and carefully consider what you feast upon: if it is merely the fading and temporal things of this life, you will be in a constant search for real satisfaction. God's children are not of this world (John 15:19), and what satisfies us cannot be found in this world. Feast on The Word!

Consider Our Steps

The presence of tracks means something. To Mister Bill, the hunter, it means some form of wildlife has been in the area, which he readily identifies [by its tracks]. On a sandy beach, the tracks are typically those of human feet with or without shoes; occasionally, however, there will be tire tracks meaning a beach patrol has crossed the sand. The Prophet Jeremiah said, "I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23 ESV). Jeremiah's knowledge of his own way is wise; this leads me to ask myself ... how wise am I? As it is indeed The Lord Who directs the steps of man, how foolish when I only casually consider the way in which I go! God kindly yet firmly says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go" (Psalm 32:8 ESV) yet so much of life, I just plow-ahead in my own wisdom, strength and wherewithal. What does that say about the tracks I leave behind? Jesus' steps were carefully taken: "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). Jesus' steps led Him to the cross as full-payment for every wrong step I had taken or ever will take.  Some people I know wear a smart device that tracks the number of their steps in a given period of time. How well am I counting my steps - giving careful thought to - as  I endeavor to walk in The Spirit? For sure, I'm leaving tracks but do my tracks lead others to the cross? Yes, we are wise to ... consider our steps.