Substance

Thursday is pancake day in our house. My Shorty and my Crew like me to make the pancakes with just white flour. I don't dislike "white" pancakes, but my favorite are whole grain and nut pancakes. I add whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats and chopped nuts-- almonds, pecans, walnuts, whatever I have in the house. I call them "Mama pancakes". ;) I feel like I'm eating something of SUBSTANCE when I make my pancakes. With "white" pancakes, I feel like I'm eating mostly "fluff and stuff". Don't get me wrong, I love "fluff and stuff"-- donuts, cake, cookies, even candy (sometimes)! But there is a time for substance.

Yesterday it was a "Mama pancakes" day. The kids are content to eat my favorite pancakes every once in a while as long as they still get chocolate chips on them! ;) As I was cooking them up, I thought about reading the Bible. We can approach Bible reading with just a surface reading and get lots of "fluff and stuff", not that God cannot use surface reading, because He does. But if you want SUBSTANCE in your Bible reading and faith, you have to take the time to DIG DEEP. For me this doesn't happen every day. But when it does, it is GLORIOUS!!! =)

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:6-11
 
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 5:24
 
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32
 
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
John 8:51
 
Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
John 14:23