“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.” (Psalm 119:1-2 MSG)
It was a fixture in our house during the 60’s; a gas stove that sat in our small kitchen table. This stove was a multi-functional, multi-purpose fixture in our house that was used for a variety of reasons. To tell the truth, for many of these reasons, the stove was our sole alternative. Of course, as you would suspect, it was used for baking, warming up leftovers, and “cooking” inexpensive TV dinners, but this fixture in the barely furnished kitchen was also used to dry tennis shoes that had been washed by hand. The same was true for drying traffic boy belts that were flung against one of the four chairs that was moved over, positioned close to the open oven door. I never thought of it until today, but we only had four kitchen chairs and there were six people who make up our family. Aha! Now I know how we solved that matter! We had those old metal TV trays that could be taken into the TV room; a room that doubled as my younger brother and sister’s bedroom. I know! I digressed again! Back to the multi-functional stove, adding to the list of ways it was used. In the winter, the oven door was open to serve as a source of supplementary and sometimes the primary source of heat. The stove also served as a storage unit for pots and pans. In our shotgun style house, there it sat. But it did not just sit there. As you have read, it was used! Thus we would be able to respond that we share the same opinion with the admonition above, “It’s There, But You Have to Use It!”
Nowadays I’m sure you have one of the most modern stoves sold, along with a microwave and other multiple cooking equipment, right. I’m certain that your stove is not used for the same purposes that I recall our stove being used as a teenager. However, you do have another multi-functional, multi-purpose fixture in your house. Oh, it’s there, but you have to use it! It’s called the word of God; the Bible! It is capable of serving many purposes.
It’s a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is a source of revival when we are exceedingly afflicted. It is a sin preventer when we hide it in our hearts! It is a hiding place, a shield, a source of true wisdom, a guide to keep our feet going in the right direction, a source that produces reverence, a strengthening agent when the soul weeps with grief, and it can help our eyes to behold the wonderful things it contains! That’s just a partial list! Your Bible, a fixture in your Christian home is multi-functional and will aid you fulfill multiple purposes and in many ways! Let me say it one more time so you can get on with your Saturday; get everything out of the way before tomorrow when we worship the Lord corporately in spirit and in truth; in person or virtually. “It’s there, but you have to use it!” Be blessed!
“Give me life, so that I may praise you; may your instructions help me.” (Psalm 119:175 GNB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King