“Look,” Josiah pointed to two new holes in the leg of his pants. “I almost got myself.”
I glanced down at the chainsaw in his hands, then back again at the greedy rips near his thigh. “That’s too bad,” I answered, “those were good-looking jeans.”
We both laughed, thankful for the Lord’s protection, remembering the day Papa sliced his leg open with a chainsaw, as well as countless other chainsaw horror stories. Popping our earplugs back in we bent back to work cutting firewood for our every hungry stove.
It never ceases to amaze me how the Israelites can be grateful to God one moment, worshiping Him and singing praises with dancing and timbrels, and testing Him with complaints and demands the next. “God has brought us out to starve in the wilderness!” On the heals of His miraculous parting of the Red Sea. Still, God proved patient and answered the plea of Moses with bread from heaven. Gathered every morning. Jesus taught us that man does not live by bread alone but on every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Does it seem likely that the concept should hold true: we should spend time gathering the precious nutrients from God’s word every morning? And when the water was bitter, God freshened it. When there was no water, He provided water from a solid stone. If ever the hand of God was clearly demonstrated, it was to the Israelites fleeing Egypt. Yet they ate the manna in the wilderness and perished. They passed on to eternity without ever trusting the great Jehovah. It doesn’t seem possible, but I see the same story repeated today in godly families where the children are inundated with God’s word, yet fail to trust Him. We are not saved by witnesses the work of God. We are not saved by eating the food He provides. We are not saved by following godly leaders. We are saved through seeking refuge in Jesus, the Passover Lamb, slain for the purification of our sins.
Lord, I praise Thee that I am
Purified through Thy own Lamb,
Thou demands a sacrifice—
In response, Thy own Son dies.
Thou art merciful and just
Teach my faltering heart to trust
Thou Who gave Thy Son to bleed
Will fulfill all other needs.
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