The Bible and a Tube of Toothpaste

At times, it is good to see whimsical reminders of God, even in small insignificant ways. These seemingly trite eyeing of our Lord confirm GOD IS EVERYWHERE. Join me in one such trivial, yet delightful, encounter of God’s Bible always at my fingertips, if only my hands will open it.

Oh, the joy of having my three-year-old grandson spending a couple of days at GaGa’s house. This ‘ol grammy garnered much wisdom from his visit — the greatest of which was “The Bible and a Tube of Toothpaste”. As you’ve probably guessed, my grandson loves a tube of toothpaste. Most little ones do; but let’s ponder the lesson squeezed within this universal favorite of children everywhere.

First and foremost, the purpose of toothpaste is to prevent decay and destruction of the tool/means by which we are to chew on the food that nourishes our physical lives. In a child’s mind, can he get too much toothpaste? Absolutely not!! In fact, the child is not at all focused on what toothpaste is meant to do/prevent but only on how yummy it tastes.

Let’s parallel toothpaste to the Bible. Is not God’s Word the antidote for keeping our lives free from decay and destruction? What’s more, as a child craves toothpaste in overdose amounts, are we not called to do the same by hungering for the fruits of the Bible in overflow?

Have you ever tried to assist a youngster in squeezing out the toothpaste from the tube? In no way does that munchkin want anyone else to do it for him. He can, and does, want to do it on his own. Yes, it takes his strong squeeze to reap the sweet taste of toothpaste, but the inconvenience never stops the child’s pursuit or reward. What about us in our search for maintaining the sweet joy of Jesus in our lives? Are we willing to squeeze out time in our daily schedules to read the road map of God’s written words — thereby, arriving at the destination of our Heavenly Father power brushing the breath of our being with His direction and peace? May we all not forget that just as a squeeze is needed to get the toothpaste out of its tube, we also have to, even at our busiest, prioritize squeezing the Bible into our daily routine.

There is another, not so whimsical, comparison between the tube of toothpaste and the Bible. A child often refuses to brush his teeth just once. If not stopped, he scores double digit repetition both morning and night. However, upon leaving toddlerhood, the words, “don’t forget to brush your teeth”, often need to be reminded him. Sadly, the same is true for many seasoned Believers. As baby Christians, they hunger for the taste of their Savior. They can’t get enough of God’s Word. Yet, as they mature, they often forget the need to continually feast on the Bible to prevent decay and destruction from crumbling their core.

A tube of toothpaste has become the reminder that for God’s Word to penetrate my life, I must, daily, delight in squeezing its content into my life. God’s Words are packed tightly between the casings of the Bible; but for them to shine in my life, I must squeeze their message from the printed page and into my heart and soul.

As for me, after the blessing of caring for my grandson, I’ll never look at a tube of toothpaste the same. And yes, after his teeth were brushed, we picked up his children’s Bible. Grammy explained to him that just as he loves the taste of toothpaste, he, also, must daily reach for his Bible and brush his life with the sweet taste of God’s Words.