Follow Jesus' Trail
Hansel and Gretel are the young children of a poor woodcutter. When a famine settles over the land, the woodcutter's second wife tells him to take the children into the woods and leave them there to fend for themselves. The woodcutter opposes the plan, but his wife repeats her demands until he reluctantly agrees. They are unaware that in the children's bedroom, Hansel and Gretel have overheard them. After the parents have gone to bed, Hansel sneaks out of the house and gathers as many shiny white pebbles as he can, then returns to his room, reassuring Gretel that God will not forsake them.
The next day, the children's stepmother gives them small pieces of bread before she and their father take them into the woods. As the family walks deeper, Hansel leaves a trail of white pebbles. After their parents abandon them, the children stay in the woods until night falls and the moonlight reveals the white pebbles shining in the dark. The children then safely follow the trail back home, much to their stepmother's rage. Once again, provisions become scarce and the stepmother angrily orders her husband to take the children further into the woods and leave them there. Hansel attempts to gather more pebbles, but finds his stepmother has locked the door.
The following morning, the children's stepmother gives them smaller pieces of bread, before she and their father take them back into the woods. As the family treks, Hansel leaves a trail of bread crumbs for him and Gretel to follow back home. However, after they are once again abandoned, the children find that the birds have eaten the crumbs and they are lost in the woods.
Despite the Devil and his demons' attempts, the "breadcrumbs" Jesus left behind are still there to lead us safely back to Him. If we follow the trail of His Word and His example, we can embrace the hopeful expectation He alone provides.
To know the way is to know Jesus Himself.
"'You know the way to the place where I am going.' Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” (John 14:4-6, NIV).
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
Divine Eyewear
On April 8, 2024, the world stood in awe as God put on a great, cosmic show in the form of a total eclipse of the sun.
According to NASA and Space.org,
The great North American total solar eclipse of April 8 [2024] is over, but remember: Never observe the sun without proper protection. Get a pair of safe solar eclipse glasses from reputable dealers ... to ensure you and your family remain safe when observing future solar eclipses.
If you were actually going to see the moon eclipse the sun you had to put on a pair of specially made glasses. If you decided you were going to do it your way to look at the eclipse without proper eyewear, not only would it appear as nothing more than a big, bright blur, but your eyes would stand to suffer severe damage.
So in other words, to observe the sun, you need special glasses to not only see clearly, but to see safely.
In much the same way, we need God's spiritual glasses to clearly see Him and the world of activity, circumstances, and experiences all around us.
Our spiritual eyes were opened the day He touched us and we believed, but the need for us to daily see His will in our lives requires us to put on the glasses He has provided in His word.
The problem we all have, even if we are already believers in Christ, is that we have a distorted view of what God wants us to see. We go through life ignoring divine perspective.
As we face trials of all sorts that cause us pain, or aggravation, or even anger in us, we struggle to make sense of it all. Yet here are spiritual battles going on all around us. If we could physically see the spiritual world, we would be like the shepherds who saw the angels at Christ's birth and were greatly afraid. We are a part of a greater reality than our 5 senses can perceive.
Only in putting on the glasses of divine perspective, afforded through the Word of God, can we clearly (and safely!) navigate the challenges of life.
"Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law" (Psalms 119:18, Amplified Bible).
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, ESV).
Seasoned Talk
There are a lot of "seasoning salts," but there is only one "Seasoned Salt": Lawry’s!
The history of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt goes back over 80 yrs to 1938 when the famous restaurant, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, opened in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Lawrence Frank, the inventor, developed the blend initially for prime rib, but his family was pleased to find that the salt didn’t only season prime rib to perfection, but enhanced the taste of many other foods as well. The blend contains salt, sugar, paprika, turmeric, onion, and garlic.
Once the blend was perfected, they put Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on the table right next to the salt and pepper. The new seasoning was so popular that guests took to stealing it and bringing it home with them. People just couldn't get enough of this stuff.
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6, NIV).
Are the words we speak, especially in our witnessing, so appealing that others just can't get enough? Are others so blessed by their interactions with us that they just keep coming back for more? Or do our words repulse and repel others, like spoiled milk, or maybe just leave them "meh" and unchallenged, like tasteless porridge?
The Apostle Paul thought our words should be well seasoned! As one commentator put it, "our words should be tasty and delightful," having a positive influence on all who hear them, that they might even keep coming back for more!
This can only come from preparation. Just as the folks at Lawry's worked hard to perfect their blend of spices, we must work to prepare ourselves to be ready to share the Gospel message in a way that challenges and entices the hearer. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).
As we share God's Word with a spiritually hungry world, let's challenge them, as did the Psalmist, saying, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8, NIV).