"Leather"

Raised on that King James leather,

And some saddle leather, too,

And never knew just whether,

Dad’s leather belt would do,

Whatever I was needin’,

I couldn’t get away,

From all that home-grown seedin’,

God was plantin’ day by day.

And now that I’m an old man,

I can plainly see,

The Bible, ranch and Dad’s belt,

Did everything for me.

My mind goes back to sunshine,

Those sweaty, hayfield days,

Working hard was full-time,

And shaped my future ways.

I thought that old garden ground,

Would surely do me in,

We’d doctor steers that I found,

Would I ever rest again?

And all through that upbringing,

A river of God’s grace,

I hear my Dad’s hymn-singing,

With tears upon my face.

Long gone on to glory,

He now waits there for me,

But I’m part of his story,

That still is yet to be.

My Bible is not dusty,

I’m glad to say it’s worn,

Don’t let that sword get rusty,

Or from my grip get torn.

 And saddled up and ready,

I still take my stand,

Though sometimes now unsteady,

Jesus holds my hand.

And He whose grip is holding,

My life till it’s through,

Discipline, not scolding,

Helps me know what to do.

The Book and belt and saddle,

Will always mean to me,

That God sits there astraddle,

Our lives eternally.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV)

Some of us had the good fortune of growing up with the Scriptures like Timothy. Others did not have that headstart, but once they started never looked back. The value of Scripture is that the Spirit spoke through human instruments to record His words. This gives us a guide to follow, but more importantly, helps us recognize the voice of the Spirit when He gives us specific direction and discernment. Without the foundation of Scripture this is much more challenging. What is the solution if you are unfamiliar with God’s inspired word? Get familiar! Read it, listen to it, and hide in your heart. With contemporary translations and technology, we have greater access than ever before to the words of God. Of all the words we don’t want to miss, these are the ones!

Lord, speak to us from the Scriptures, in Jesus’ name.

Art by. Tyler Crow, tylercrow.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tyler, and God bless you.