Refreshed again!

Isn't it neat how just a little getaway can do your spirits so much good? This weekend was like that for me. We took a camping trip with about six other families from our church to a local state park... so it's not like we were really roughing it, but we still got to escape from the city for a bit.

Our pastor and his family was along as well, so we had an outdoor service Sunday morning that helped put my "refreshment" into perspective. He taught about Nehemiah. Nehemiah was the Israelite who helped to rebuild Jerusalem's walls after the people were released from captivity. After they finished the walls, Ezra the scribe stood up and read from the Law, something many of them hadn't heard in their lifetimes. They realized they had neglected a particular feast God set aside for them; one in which they were to build shelters out of leaves or branches and live outdoors for seven days. The purpose was to help them to remember what it was like when their ancestors wandered the desert and had no permanent shelter.

What should we take away from that?

It's not enough just to do casual reading. Listen carefully, and God's word still speaks. Read to do more than just read; read to learn and understand.

God's rules don't necessarily always make sense to us, but there's always a method to his decrees.

We should all go camping.

Well, OK... I made a logic jump in order to get to that last point. But I think it does help us to keep things in perspective when we boil life down to our basic needs... and what better way to do that than spend a few days in a tent? Besides... it's fun, too.