Sweet Confection; Bitter Truth

We stood in the seemingly never ending line and waited for our turn to place an order. Before us on display under a cool glass shield was every colour and flavour of the ice cream rainbow. After you choose your creamy base, there are an unlimited number of choices at your fingertips to create your very own one-of-a-kind sweet confection.

As I took in the commotion around me, I witnessed much indecisiveness as people struggled to compile their favourite bits and pieces into one bowl… and be satisfied with the lump of gooey mess now puddled into said bowl. There was simply too much to choose from. As I watched I thought to myself, “Oh, how often do we treat religion this very way?”

With indecisiveness, we take a little of this and a little of that, trying to blend it all together in order to create some sort of cohesiveness. There are just too many paths to take, and too many gods to pray to. We choose what books we want to read, what verses we want to believe, all while trying to clear our minds of all sorts of matter in order to create openness. And all is done in a vain attempt to fill the very hole God Himself created within us.

James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

When it was my turn to order, I knew exactly what I wanted. Just a little of this, a little of that, stirred into a creamy white palate. I’ve tried too many concoctions and remember well the toothaches they caused me. I too had wavered in my decisiveness, attempting in vain to create some sort of cohesiveness. But there is nothing sweet about this costly concoction for it only causes a bitterness on our tongue. When a soul encounters the power of the Holy Spirit, a soul cannot deny the experience. Once the Holy Spirit begins to fill the hole within our soul, there is a satisfaction that is overflowing. This is called joy. Not a feeling, but a state of being.

And a most beautiful gift that cannot compare to any temporary sweetness the world can offer.

Father, as we are tempted and lured, help us to stand strong in your Word and lean into your power by your very Spirit the dwells within us. May joy seep from our very being, and may it be every lasting. In Jesus name, Amen.

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