Several weeks ago, I made the once-every-six-weeks Saturday jaunt to Costco with my mother. We always make a day of it (because Costco takes that long!), enjoying the drive down, chatting the entire time, and then doing our shopping together. Because we go on Saturdays, it is, of course, super crowded, but we don’t mind. We take our time, going aisle by aisle, following our shopping lists, and talking our way through the cavernous warehouse.
While at Costco this most recent time, I picked up an industrial sized fire extinguisher for my house. We already have a small one that is located in our entryway, but for some time, I’ve wanted to get a bigger one in case of a significant emergency. I’ve been watching the Costco flyer and when I saw them on sale, I decided to make it official and get it for our home. As I put the box (relatively heavy!) in my cart and later in my house on my side kitchen counter, I felt a sense of satisfaction of “now I’m ready.”
Fast forward to this evening as I was wiping down the counter near my air fryer. The pans were washed, the dishwasher was running, and it was time to get the surfaces sparkly clean. But to do that, I had to move that same fire extinguisher box out of the way momentarily. That box that I haven’t touched since I put it there after unloading my car post-Costco trip.
That’s right, six weeks later, that fire extinguisher is still sitting in the box. Fully packaged up and sealed with packing tape. As I pondered that for a moment, I realized that, in the case of a true emergency, I’d have to go to a lot of work, under high stress and fear, to actually get to the fire extinguisher and use it. It wouldn’t be pointless of course, but how much harder would that emergency situation be with the fire extinguisher still in the box.
Foolish. That’s just foolish. I bought it for protection. I bought it for peace of mind. I bought it to be prepared, and yet there it sits.
The same is true for the Word of God. There it sits. On our nightstand, on our desk, on the arm of the couch. His Word is the lamp for your feet and the light for your path (Psalm 119:105) and yet, there it sits. If everything goes wrong in life, of course, you could indeed grab it in an emergency, open the cover, and flip through the pages frantically trying to find a verse of comfort or guidance.
But how much better to always be on the ready with the Word of God. To have it hidden in your heart so you can pull up a verse in an instant. To spend time meditating on it, dwelling on it, feasting on it, so that in bad times and in good, you have His peace of mind.
I’m no fool – it’s time to open my fire extinguisher box. Even more importantly, I’m going to open my Bible. Want to join me?
Blessings,
Holly