Squirrels, Bird Seed and God's Word

In our backyard, we have several very large oak trees...and along with the oak trees we have quite a large population of squirrels. I love to watch the squirrels running through the tree tops, jumping from limb to limb, chasing each other and frequently jumping from a limb to the roof of my house...with quite a thud! I remember several years ago in the spring and summer watching the squirrels diligently gather acorns from the oak trees and then bury them in various parts of our yard. They were busy little squirrels, in almost constant motion, storing up food for the winter. When winter came and all the acorns were gone from the oak trees, the squirrels knew exactly where to go to find the "treasures" they had worked so hard to put away. I was amazed to see them over and over again dig up acorns, never once missing the mark but every time finding the food they had buried months before. It occured to me when I first began to watch the squirrels work to put away food for winter that I could learn a lesson from them. Taking a cue from my friendly, furry friends, I, too, need to hide God's Word deep in my heart so that when "winter" comes...when the cold wind of trials blows or the icy fingers of discouragement squeeze my heart...I can "dig up" those "acorns" of God's Word that I buried long before they were needed...and I'll know just where to find exactly the "acorn" I need for that moment. But I've begun to notice something about our squirrels lately. A few years ago we put up a bird feeder in the backyard. Believe me when I tell you it was no small task keeping the squirrels out of that bird feeder. My brilliant husband finally devised a way to keep them out and it has worked for quite a while now. But the squirrels are very resourceful. They've learned that all they have to do is wait for the birds to come to the feeder and shovel out handfuls of birdseed onto the ground...where the squirrels are patiently waiting to enjoy a feast of food they didn't have to work for at all. Now our squirrels seem quite content to just sit and let someone else feed them. I'm sure that they still store away a few acorns here and there, but for the most part they just wait for the falling birdseed. But they've encountered a small problem. Eventually, the bird feeder runs out of birdseed. There's one thing the squirrels didn't bargain for...their free meal depends completely on me! If I fill the feeder with birdseed, they have a feast. If I forget to fill it, they have a famine. And that's exactly what happens to me if I depend on somebody else to provide my spiritual food for me...to spoon feed me, if you will. As long as I'm getting my "birdseed" provided for me, I don't have to put out any effort and can just sit back and enjoy being fed. But sooner or later the birdseed is going to run out. I cannot depend solely on someone else to feed me what I need spiritually any more than our squirrels need to depend on me to fill the bird feeder so that they can feast on birdseed. It's a great thing to listen to preachers and teachers of the Word and be built up in the faith because of them. But we must do our own "digging" and bury our own "acorns" too. When the preachers and the teachers are gone and you're alone facing the "winter," it's those buried acorns of God's Word that will feed you and sustain you, no matter how hard or how long the "winter." I think Job said it best ..."I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12b)

A New Year's Commitment

2009!!! Wow, it's hard to believe that all the Y2K worries were nine years ago! My mama used to tell me that the older you get, the faster time flies. Boy, is that true! I pray that all of you have enjoyed the Christmas and New Year holidays and have been able to spend some time (even if it was just by phone) with your family. It seems that all I've heard on TV for the last week is about "New Year's Resolutions" and how hardly anyone keeps their resolutions. Why make them if you're not going to keep them?!? It's never made sense to me. But then I began to think about all the times I've "resolved" to do something for the Lord...like be a better witness to those I come in contact with, or be more committed to Bible study, or reach out to someone who has a real need...but have not "kept my resolution." What about all the times I've "resolved" to do something for the church...like be a part of a particular ministry, or working in the nursery, or teaching a class, or even cleaning out a flower bed...and then, after a short spurt of "resolve," I've faded into the background with my "resolution" in tow. So I've decided not to make any more resolutions! This year I've decided to make COMMITMENTS. Wikipedia defines "commitment" as "A promise or agreement to do something in the future; Being bound emotionally/intellectually to a course of action or to another person/other persons." When you're committed to someone or something, you are bound to that person or action with all of your being. When you're committed to someone or something, you'll follow through with your commitment...no matter how you feel, no matter how tired you are, no matter how inconvenient if may be...because you've made a promise and you are bound to fulfill that promise. So this year I think I'll make commitments instead of resolutions...to the Lord, to our church, and to each of you in the WIW Life Connections class. I hope that you will do the same!

Deuteronomy 23:21-23 (The Message)
When you make a vow to God, your God, don't put off keeping it; God, your God, expects you to keep it and if you don't you're guilty. But if you don't make a vow in the first place, there's no sin. If you say you're going to do something, do it. Keep the vow you willingly vowed to God, your God. You promised it, so do it.