A little food for weekend thought on the first day of a new month--
First, did you know that October is National Pasta Month? Yes sir, that should put a spring in your step. Not only is it October, surely one of the loveliest months of the year...not only is it time for pumpkin cakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin anything and everything (yum!)...not only is it the start of the Thanksgiving season (I believe in kicking off Thanksgiving on October 1) which is surely one of the most wonderful seasons in the whole year...not only is it the time to bring out your pilgrims and be reminded of all we have to be thankful for...but now we learn that it's National Pasta Month! What's not to love? If you're prone to complaining, just contemplate the month of October, and you'll surely find ample grounds for gratitude!
Thank You, Lord, for October...and pumpkins...and pilgrims...and football...and the state fair...and fall skies...and crunchy apples...and sweater weather (but not yet coat weather, thank goodness).
And here's another totally unrelated thing I'm thankful for--the gift of insight and wisdom from God's Word and from great books. I guess a perfect fall moment might be eating pumpkin pasta, followed by pumpkin cake, all while sitting in front of a blazing fire with your family and reading a great book together. Throw in some chocolate and a few pilgrims and you've got autumnal paradise. And speaking of good books, I read these words the other day from one of my favorite authors, Paul David Tripp. Some mighty good stuff, so here's a little food for weekend thought--
"It is not biblical faith to try to convince yourself that things are better than they actually are. It is not biblical faith to work to make yourself feel good about what is not good. Biblical faith looks reality in the face and does not flinch. On the other hand, there is a crucial difference between facing hard realities and allowing those realities to dominate the meditation of your heart.
Here’s what biblical faith does: it examines reality, but it makes the Lord its meditation. It is only when you look at life thru the window of the glory of the One who has been the source of your meditation that you see reality accurately. The more you meditate on your problems, the bigger and more insurmountable they seem to be. Meditating on God in the midst of your trouble reminds you once again that the God to whom grace has connected you is magnificent in His grandeur and glory. He is infinitely greater than any problem you could ever experience. Then your responses are shaped by HIs glory and not by the seeming size of your problems."
Thank You, Father, that as we meditate on You and Your Word--and thereby on Your goodness, greatness, and grace--we not only see Your infinite glory and grandeur, but we also see our problems in relation to who You are and what You've done. And suddenly the astounding beauty of our Savior far, far, far outstrips any and all of our paltry problems.
Thank You for the treasure of Jesus, for the joy of our salvation, and for all the other daily gifts You sprinkle along our paths...and today that means starting with October's blessings. To God be the glory.
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