The Old Barn

Psalm 119:28(MSG)
My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn;  build me up again by Your Word.

I stuck my arm way back in the back and feeling around with my hand, I gently began to sweep all of the contents of the cabinet into a box that I had cleverly placed just beneath the lip of the shelf.  As items fell out one by one, I shook my head in utter amazement at the stuff that had been shoved beyond arms reach over the course of time. 

Let's see.  There were the water filters that were still neatly in their boxes unopened.  These were the ones that I have to special order for the refrigerator.  The very ones that I was looking for about a month ago and thought I had run out of, so I ordered more of course.  I also found a box containing a carefully placed humming bird nest that my daughter and I had found on a "nature walk" over three years ago.  We were thrilled to have discovered it.  It was empty and obviously no longer in use as it was lying in a heap of dirt by a tree.  We couldn't bear to part with such a unique treasure at the time.  I continued to sift through the contents finding several loose dog biscuits that had somehow managed to escape from the bag.  There were also leashes, dog brushes, a dog coat, some doggie bows and the list could go on, but time is a precious comodity, so I will stop.

There was one long white cardboard box about the size that a necklace would come in that caught my eye and seems worth discussing after reading tonight's verse  Hmm....what was in it, I thought?  I scanned my memory and came up empty.  I carefully lifted the lid, and peered inside.  Lying neatly inside of this box on a soft cotton bed similar to what a strand of pearls would lie on was a red "dilapidated" collar with silver rhinestones.  Warm, beautiful memories began washing over me one by one.  It was the actual collar once worn by my very first pet dog from over thirty years ago!  Wow, what a fun thing to discover and jeteson me back to years gone by and the carefree spirit of my youth. 

It is true as I think about this verse that our life or the "barn" is not a permanent structure.  Over time, the boards begin to splinter and warp with an eventual collapse.  But not so with God's Word.  His Word is here forever to build up and restore the brokeness of our lives.  It is a permanent help during times of trouble.  The Word of God is a source of comfort in periods of grief.  It is an excellent map for direction in seasons of confusion. 

Luke 21:33(NIV)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

God,
I am so thankful to be able to have Your Word available to me.  You have provided us with such an incredible gift through the pages of scripture.  Please help me to never take that for granted.
In Jesus name,
Amen