JULY 9, 2024
ON THE PORCH
IT’S NOT REAL
One day, after a particularly good rain at CircleBack, a low-flying duck flew over our car as we headed to the church.
Benny pointed out that it landed to our north, and we thought that was odd. Benny indulges my picture-taking addiction and knew I would want to go back for a snapshot, so he immediately started slowing down.
When we returned, we found the duck swimming to his little heart’s content with two seagulls keeping him company.
Now, if you know CircleBack, you know it is “dryland” farming and consists of acres and acres of dirt fields. We pray for rain constantly.
We figured these birds had been blown in by the storms the previous week and were disoriented and confused. The tiny body of water in this flooded field looked like a pond, an oasis, when viewed from the sky. It looked like a good place to rest from their journey. I wanted to tell the birds, “It’s not real.”
While thinking about these birds in the middle of the dirt field, I also thought about myself. When I am tired of flying and get disoriented, I also look for an oasis to land and rest. Many times, I substitute the Living Water for small spots that look good from the place I am at mentally….
I scroll.
I binge-watch TV shows.
I craft.
I eat.
I play games.
I read.
I hide.
I generally just check out…
Or to the other extreme, I just add so many activities to my schedule that I don’t have time to contemplate what I’m avvoiding.
In reality, it was still a field of West Texas dirt, and there is no possible way these birds could survive there. It had no fish, no food, and was only about a foot deep. While bathing and drinking, I bet the seagulls got a mouthful of sand instead of the clean, clear water they craved.
Just as these birds had to move on and find true water to live, so must I. The birds were able to rest for a moment, but only a moment.
These activities are not bad when done in the correct proportions, but when used as a substitution for the real thing, they are deceptive and dangerous. They feel good in the moment, but they’re not the real thing. I still sit in the middle of a mental dirt field with a tiny bit of water trying to numb and buffer. If I allow myself to swim in these pursuits too long, I end up worse than when I landed.
No matter what I am facing or running from, the only place I can truly find help is in God and His Word.
**For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
God is the only true sustainer of life. He alone possesses the Bread of Life and the Living Water we need to survive. He is the only one who can bring me back to life from the numbed, checked out, disoriented state I sometimes find myself in. He gives me a true drink to quench my thirst and fills my belly with truth. God’s Word never disappoints, and I never walk away with a mouth full of sand. It amazes me how often I hear, read, or see just what I need at the exact moment I need it. Many times, the same message comes from several directions to make sure this thick skull gets it. God does that because He loves me and cares about me. He has a way of getting His point across, and I pray I get the lesson the first time. Getting schooled repeatedly hurts.
He promises His Word will never come back to Him void. It will achieve what He sends it out to do.
**So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
LORD God, I thank You for sharing the beautiful wildlife You created with us. Thank You for the moisture we’ve gotten lately at CircleBack. Please send more gentle rains to nourish the crops, just as Your Living Water revives and restores my soul. Give me the desire to dive into Your love letter instead of substituting it with activities that numb my mind. Whet my appetite for the Living Water, my oxygen, my life support, LORD. Thank You for Benny’s reminder Sunday how precious Your Word is and how much we take it for granted. May I cherish it as I should, use it to guide my life, light my way, and point others to You, LORD. In Your Precious and Holy Name, Amen.
**How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn and I will confirm it,
that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.
I am exceedingly afflicted;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
Psalm 119:103-107
THY WORD
(OLDIE BUT GOODIE)
ON THE PORCH 