Well, it happened again. I’m kind of a sucker when it comes to animals, especially when they are hungry and helpless. The other night, I heard cats meowing below my bedroom window. I thought it was another tom cat trying to woo a girlfriend. The meowing continued until I finally drifted off to sleep. In the morning as I headed out the door for the office, the source of the previous night’s racket was sitting on the stoop: two young cats, colored black and white like miniature Holstein cows, huddled together with their fur all puffed. I addressed them, “So you guys made all that noise, huh?” As soon as I acknowledged them, the young cats sprang toward me. A few feet from me, they broke into a skittish, circling dance, meowing. They wanted to rub up against my legs or to even be petted, but they weren’t sure about me, the new guy. I got in the car and headed to the office. At the end of the day as I pulled up the drive, I saw the little Holsteins sitting on the next door neighbor’s block wall. I got out of the car and greeted the pair, “Hi, guys.” They came running again, except this time they were meowing very loudly. Then, it dawned on me: these young cats had been dumped, were half starved and were lonely. I warmed some milk and fed the pair. The rest is history…….
That episode made me think of the stories we have been studying on Thursday nights in Bible Study. The specific story I’m thinking of is the bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). After being freed from slavery in Egypt, God’s people lit out into the wilderness. Without any provisions, God cared for His people by giving them a cracker-like bread called “manna.” Every morning the people gathered the bread from the ground. Prime rib it was not! It was always there, though, and there was always enough for the day at hand. God provided the manna day by day for over 40 years. When they finally crossed the Jordan and took their first bite from the produce in the Promised Land, the manna ceased (Joshua 5:11-12).
God had been faithful, a day at a time.
It seems to me that one aspect of having a growing faith is having a shrinking faith. By this I mean, a faith that’s anchored and grounded in the immediate, the here and now, today. Certainly, the past is important. Jesus died on the Cross for our sins 2000 years ago. The future matters too. Heaven is our destiny. No doubt the past and the future affect our faith. When it comes down to it, though, our faith is lived out and experienced TODAY. Today we need forgiveness for our sins. Today we need wisdom. Today we need strength to do what is right. Today we need our hearts changed. Today we need to forgive. Today we need the gifts of the Spirit. Today we need to love better, more fully. It all happens and is lived out TODAY.
I’m not sure what to call it, this shrinking faith. Maybe the Manna Principle would do. You see, God is faithful. He’s faithful day by day. He’s faithful TODAY. When we walk with Him today and humbly ask Him for the needs of today, the manna starts falling. Grace is given, not for yesterday, not for next year, but for today. The old song had something profoundly right about it: “One day at a time, sweet Jesus. That’s all I’m asking from You. Please help me today. Help me to take one day at a time.”
God is always faithful…..TODAY.
I better wrap this up. The little Holsteins are meowing. I can’t replace the meals they have missed. I can’t stuff them with enough food to last them until next week. I can give them some warm milk today.
That will be more than enough.
In Christ,
Bob Adelsperger
That episode made me think of the stories we have been studying on Thursday nights in Bible Study. The specific story I’m thinking of is the bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). After being freed from slavery in Egypt, God’s people lit out into the wilderness. Without any provisions, God cared for His people by giving them a cracker-like bread called “manna.” Every morning the people gathered the bread from the ground. Prime rib it was not! It was always there, though, and there was always enough for the day at hand. God provided the manna day by day for over 40 years. When they finally crossed the Jordan and took their first bite from the produce in the Promised Land, the manna ceased (Joshua 5:11-12).
God had been faithful, a day at a time.
It seems to me that one aspect of having a growing faith is having a shrinking faith. By this I mean, a faith that’s anchored and grounded in the immediate, the here and now, today. Certainly, the past is important. Jesus died on the Cross for our sins 2000 years ago. The future matters too. Heaven is our destiny. No doubt the past and the future affect our faith. When it comes down to it, though, our faith is lived out and experienced TODAY. Today we need forgiveness for our sins. Today we need wisdom. Today we need strength to do what is right. Today we need our hearts changed. Today we need to forgive. Today we need the gifts of the Spirit. Today we need to love better, more fully. It all happens and is lived out TODAY.
I’m not sure what to call it, this shrinking faith. Maybe the Manna Principle would do. You see, God is faithful. He’s faithful day by day. He’s faithful TODAY. When we walk with Him today and humbly ask Him for the needs of today, the manna starts falling. Grace is given, not for yesterday, not for next year, but for today. The old song had something profoundly right about it: “One day at a time, sweet Jesus. That’s all I’m asking from You. Please help me today. Help me to take one day at a time.”
God is always faithful…..TODAY.
I better wrap this up. The little Holsteins are meowing. I can’t replace the meals they have missed. I can’t stuff them with enough food to last them until next week. I can give them some warm milk today.
That will be more than enough.
In Christ,
Bob Adelsperger
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