Clutched In Caroline Ingalls’ Arms

     It’s true.   A picture is worth a thousand words,   More accurately, I acknowledge that God’s one frame picture out speaks thousands of man written words.

     So very much, God is leading me through right now – and I’m pretty sure all of you in your lives too.   It’s innate for me in times of need to draw even closer to God, lean heavier on His strength and plop harder into His arms.   However, I must confess, though God accepts me any way I come, He did realign my route this week, to which I declare, lesson learned, God.   May I share God’s gift of insight with you?

     In the past months, as life has pounded me with more and more to maneuver through, my compass has remained God.   However, sadly, I admit the encasement for God as my compass has added too many layers of man’s Godly writing over the bare bone of God’s Word.  

     The more stressful the moment, the more I added on one more devotional or one more page of a human’s book about God.   Finally, early yesterday morn, surrounded in predawn darkness and reaching for another word ON God, I cried out, “ I just really want and need to simply talk to you, God, and YOU to talk to me.”   And so, my old fashioned “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV) one on one with God was revived.

     Immediately, I felt inner peace at God’s feet.   I don’t mean to sound trite or disrespectful, but I was in God’s midst over being amidst in man’s words concerning God’s promised presence.   God spoke HIS word to me, not others’ words about Him.   Scripture permeated my being and reinforced God’s will and way.   I realized words talking about God can’t replace God, Himself, talking directly to me.

     Not more than a few hours later, I walked by a TV set and was stopped cold in my tracks.   The image of Caroline Ingalls froze my path.   I could immediately sense the Ingalls family was enduring a serious challenge beyond their power to control, let alone stop.   Clutched in Caroline Ingalls’ arms was a well- worn, open book – God’s Book, the Bible.   Little House on the Prairie was pioneering a message way beyond, and before, our American Frontier.   Directly from God’s Book, His Word, His Bible comes our only source of being carried through life’s momentary storms and into eternal tranquility and glory.

     What am I trying to say?   I’m not trying to state man’s written words about God are useless or without power or purpose.   What I am suggesting is that they must be secondary to God’s own words, the Bible.   We need to remember man’s words are not a meat, potatoes and vegetable substitute for God’s words.   Rather, man’s words are whip cream on dessert.   Dessert is made to be enjoyed, but only after a “heart”y dinner of chewing on and digesting God’s words as our main course.

     Our bookshelves are overflowing with publications and subscriptions charting man’s words concerning the way to God.   Are we purchasing this medicine over pursuing God’s very own prescription for reaching His throne – reading HIS BIBLE?   I confess, I personally was falling into this temptation.  

     Thank you, Caroline Ingalls, for a flashback to the “soul”itary compass that, above all man made road maps, was written to guide my (and all of your) journey through the storms on earth and into the “Sun”shine of heaven.

     One last thought to ponder – when last have you cried out, God, I just really need and want to simply talk to You and You to talk to me?   I promise you, when you do, God will answer.