Psalm 37:30-31 “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.” Job 23:10 “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”
It is Day 6 of Lent and wintery weather has created a few days for staying indoors since 2016 began. Yesterday was one of those. Snow reminds me of the need of my feet to be clad with boots for protection. The references to feet in the Bible are many. The washing of feet, feet shod with the gospel of peace, firm footing, feet not slipping, dust shaken off feet, feet following His steps. Feet following His steps closely like Job.
I have friends who give up various things for Lent. Chocolate is common. Sometimes it is dessert. One friend gave up the Words With Friends game because it distracted her away from genuine presence with her loved ones. I should honestly contemplate doing the same thing. Not to mention that I can never beat the one loved one with whom I play this silly game! When comparing common things given up for Lent, a common thing would be only a very tiny shadow of the life-giving sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. I observe Lent in order be reminded of Christ’s huge redemptive work completed out of love for me, shadowy reminders or not. Honestly, I’m still praying about what to give up. I am leaning toward social media… This might take another year of wrestling in prayer…
As the snow melts away after each storm, I confidently gain a firmer footing needed for excursions outdoors. The only reason I would ever denounce the beautiful snow is the impending treachery of slippery walks and roads. When I spend time reflecting on God’s Word in my inner man, I gain the firmer footing needed for the outer world that I will soon meet again. Stillness becomes my close friend, ushering in peace as the gift of God. Like Job, I acknowledge that the Lord knows the way that I take. With each reading of His Word, He exposes the deep and hidden things that steal my heart away from Him. He shows me my need for repentance. I treasure the words of His mouth. That’s where I am on Day 6.
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