February 6–No Substitute 

Happy Wednesday. Are you doing well? Have you spent time in study and pray with God this week? There just is no substitute for quiet time alone with our Lord. Monday, I had Mia and Ozzie for a little bit and we ran through McDonalds and to pick them up some chicken nuggets and fries. (Side note, If you know me very well, you know I love Chick-Fil-A—I’ll grab those grilled nuggets two or three times a week). When we got home I asked them “Are the fries as good as waffle fries?” They answers together, “Nope. Waffle fries are the best.” Then Mia asked “Do you have any Chick-Fil-A sauce for these nuggets? You know...there’s just no substitute for the best. Anything else is just a fill-in and it certainly isn’t the same. 


“Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”” Mark‬ ‭7:6-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬


There just isn’t a substitute for God’s word and Jesus had very strong words for the people who made up their own “Bible” and called it the Word of God. He called them frauds—people who say the right things but they disregard what God has said and the things God has in store for them. They were more concerned with their traditions and the most popular trends. It’s not a place we ever want to find ourselves. There simply isn’t anything that we can use in lieu of scripture, whether it advice from family and friends, our “gut” or the easiest. Gods word is sovereign and that’s what must guide our steps. 


“so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬


Lord of Heaven, thank you for the gift of your precious, holy Word. We are blessed to have this roadmap to follow and to help us better understand you. Help us Father to never take it for granted and to never let man-made traditions trump your laws. You are a good God who only wants the very best for us and have set standards for our own benefit. Grant us the wisdom to follow what you tell us rather than listening to the popular fads and trends pf the world. Our faith is in your power. We worship you Lord and we lift your Name. Praise to you, Jehovah Nissi, the Banner over us. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one, 

Pam

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