The Thief Who Destroys

I gather many spiritual lessons from the wildlife around our mountain home. A recent thief who destroyed a source of sustenance intended for smaller creatures formed a perfect example this week. I hope you’ll read his story and leave your comments at the end!

 

 

2MefromHim Devotional

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

We had a thief. Pieces of plastic yellow flowers lay on the ground and crumbled into the sticky-sweet water of the hummingbird feeder. We watched carefully to catch a glimpse of the culprit, and were surprised to discover who it was.

Feeders that usually buzz with activity from early until late, throughout the summer were abandoned while robbers took over, gorging themselves on the delightful treat. Finally we discovered the offender. Rather than a beautiful hummingbird, a downy woodpecker perched in triumph, poking his beak into the enlarged hole. A little later, we saw a fat squirrel drinking his fill too.

I normally cook sugar water by the gallons in the summer, keeping the feeders full of fresh sustenance for our little visitors. When they fail to come, the food spoils in the sun, and runs out due to wind or thieving visitors. Mold begins to grow and ants crawl through the holes, finding their way to a syrupy death.

God has prepared a source of sustenance for me in the form of His word. It is available in any season, always ready with the nourishment I need for the day. If I feed on it daily, God’s life-giving word stays fresh and abundant, available for my every need. Left abandoned, my Bible grows dusty and the remnants in my mind become stale and tainted with worldly ideas. My heart begins to die.

I rescued my feeders from the woodpecker’s beak, washed them and put them away. If a hummingbird comes, its source of nourishment will be gone. Likewise, if I ignore God’s word for too long, its meaning for my life is lost. The presence of His Holy Spirit will become grieved and I will no longer enjoy His beneficent presence. My heart will die within me.

Just like the manna that God provided for His people wandering in the wilderness, God’s word is fresh only if used every day. When I ignore it, the portion remaining in my heart becomes tainted by the world and spoils, crumbling into uselessness.

If I am starving for help and sustenance, I have no further to look than the Bible. God is always there waiting. He is faithful, but if I am not, thieves will steal whatever remains of God’s truth in my heart, just like the woodpecker destroyed the hummingbird’s food.

© Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, July 11, 2015

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 20 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 39 years. They have two adult children.

Connect with Norma:

Website: www.normagail.org

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites

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Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2

Book Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864?ean=9781941103173

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/