Being in Boy Scouts was one of the greatest memories in my life. Even though most of the time (in the beginning) I was trying to convince my mom to let me quit. But as I kept doing things such as trash duty at Blue Grass, or going to Trappers ever year, and the highlight of my experience, Philmont, I enjoyed it more and more.
I remember in my first year at Quivira Scout Ranch, my scoutmaster told me that I should shake my boots out before I put them on in the morning because spiders, snakes, scorpions, and any other creature that started with an S and wanted to hurt me would crawl in. I, of course, thought this was ridiculous. Why would they ever want to be in my stinky old boot? Not even I wanted to be in them.
You see, we had these old army tents that we used. They didn’t have floors in them so we were just on the dirt. Still, when I woke up in the morning, I shook my shoe out. All that fell out was only dirt and grass from the day before. I did this every time I went camping and still do. And only once, maybe two or three years later, did something actually fall out. It was a scorpion which made me jump, surprised that it was there. Let’s just say that scorpion is no longer with us.
Now, what would have happened if all those years before, I hadn’t been told to empty my shoe out every morning? Or just not have followed instruction after all those years of not having anything fall out? I could have been stung, and that would have hurt.
Reading the Bible is the same way. We may read a verse that we don’t necessarily need right then in our lives, but down the road, we might recall that verse that we read before. Philippians 3:1 says, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, To write the same things again is no trouble to me and it is a safeguard for you.” Many of the same topics are repeated over and over in the Bible. Many of the things we do at church or in our daily relationship with Christ are done over and over. We pray daily because that is what we are called to do. We pray even if we have nothing specific that comes to mind. He wants our hearts to be prepared for anything that comes our way. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
So don’t forget to have safeguards in your life. Fill your heart with his words, even if you can’t apply some of them just yet. Shake your boots before you put them on because you never know if the serpent is around to bite you.
With love,
Intern Pastor Jc Pappan