A Fresh Word

Yay!!! The sun is shining and the sky is blue. 

(Ok... here's a thought.  Why do so many songs say, Nothing but blue skies, when really there is only one sky? Just a random thought that popped in my head..)

Anyhow, I'm alternating between being lulled almost to sleep by the windchimes on my front porch and nearly jumping out of my skin when an avalanche of snow comes sliding off my roof. I keep listening to the dogs bark and praying that an avalanche won't happen while they are standing directly underneath it. 

I haven't done a blessed thing all day, except read my brand new Bible and think...

I love new books, but a new Bible is the best.  To be perfectly honest, this is the only new Bible I've had since I really started reading.  I had several growing up, and I'm willing to bet they are down at my Mom and Dad's house on the shelf, where they have been since a few days after I got them. 

Not that I'm proud of that... but there was always so much other stuff to read.

And I never understood the importance of those old, antiquated words.

Words that bring life.

Words that make sense.

Words that connect, even though they were written so many years ago, and so far apart.

Opening a new Bible is a lot like sitting down with a friend you haven't seen in a while.  My old Bible was marked up.  Please don't take this as bragging, because it isn't... but I packed that baby for a while. I wrote in the margins and made notes and jotted down my thoughts, so that everytime I looked at a familiar scripture, there is was.  And it was always neat to see what came to mind three years ago, or to see Wallace's name and the date when he was in Texas jotted down in the margin, or to see the words of a favorite song noted...

But today I got a fresh Word.  No preconceived notions, No intruding thoughts... just me and God and my Bible, and a new ink pen, of course... for new notes.  New notions.

Today I read in Exodus 15 and 16... what a difference a few days can make.  Rejoicing turned to complaining... isn't that just how I am?  Forgetting what God has done because the present is just too difficult.  And worrying about tomorrow...

God showed that He was sufficient... for the day. Manna rained down every day, but if they gathered more than they could eat in a day's time, the next day it was spoiled. 

He's sufficient for my today, too..

And unlike that manna, He'll still be the same tomorrow. And His Word is just as fresh.