by Dona Hake
I can remember around this time last year when my German Shepherd thought it would be grand fun to chase down a skunk. It was the end of a very long day for me and I was exhausted. I enjoy walking around my yard on hot summer evenings because I find it peaceful except for the evening I am about to share with you. Aasha was walking about the yard, and out of no where she tore off full speed, and I just knew it was bad news. She dove head first into some bushes on our property, and I heard her do a weird sound, and I just knew something bad happened. I was holding my breath hoping she did not catch a rabbit. She ran toward me and sure enough she smelled like a skunk. I mean she SMELLED like a skunk. My eyes were burning just to be near her.
My husband and I moved quickly and I created a solution to remove the odor. It took days for our house to be free from this odor, and Aasha smelled badly especially around her face for awhile. It was a constant reminder of the whole ordeal. The odor was so bad in our house we could not even get a good night’s sleep the first night. The next morning I had certain things I needed to accomplish and due to the lack of sleep it really hindered me.
We all will face those days in which there are demands on our “plate” and it seems as if the strength or inspiration that we need is not there. In the midst of my being tired and lacking focus, God was faithful to minister to me in a fresh way. I began to read this scripture from Psalm 37:7
“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him…”
Did you ever read a scripture over and over and all of a sudden you read it with God’s fresh breath and touch upon it, because it is shining on your present situation, and bringing you the strength that you need. This caused me to meditate on how God meets us each day with the “daily bread” that we need. I realized that in my being tired and a bit weary that I needed to stop and just lean against Him and receive His strength. He is our Shepherd and even in the midst of exhaustion and need, WE SHALL NOT WANT! I began to ponder the scripture from Hebrews 4:12 (ERV)
“God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.”
Today I encourage you to allow Him to meet you with the “fresh bread” of His Word as you read it. His Word is fresh and alive! Whatever it is that you need He is well able to minister to you. His Word is able to cut deep into our souls and help us judge our thoughts and feelings. Praise God today for
His living Word that is able to accomplish great and wonderful things in our life!