7 July 2017
Cage Free
Psalm 18:30
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
Perfect, True, Protection. These are all really good and considerate things. God doesn’t trick, manipulate or deceive, so trusting in his promises and obeying his will doesn’t lead to misunderstanding and disappointment even though lots of people mistakenly think so.
Recently in California, everyone voted for chickens (the kind consumers will eat) to be cage free. The advocates for this law are very happy with themselves because they’ve projected their feelings on to barn animal raised for food and truly believe they’ve made the life of a roasted chicken much better. My sister took a tour of a chicken facility recently. The barns with cages were quiet, clean, and undisturbing. The barns with cage free chickens were loud, dirty and disturbing as the chickens were crammed in there neck to neck picking away at each other. Gross. What the voters probably thought they were voting for was for all chickens to be free on a range somewhere, roaming around and living a good life full of fresh air before they meet their end. But the law just says they’re no longer in cages, and that doesn’t mean they’ve been given access to a chicken utopia.
This way is not perfect for sure. This law was only fulfilled in word not spirit; it isn’t truly what chicken sympathetic voters were hoping for. And there is no protection for the chickens hacking away at each other before they get their heads chopped off. This is a backdoor deal. The voters think one thing and the lawmakers give the appearance that something good is being done when the opposite is actually true.
But God doesn’t do that. He is always looking out for us. When we pray, he knows the spirit with which those prayers are offered and truly helps us not embarrasses us because we didn’t use the exact right words. He knows what we need and offers it to us anyway because he truly has our best interest at heart.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:26-28
Some people view Christianity like they’d be in a cage not being able to do what they want. But if what they want are good things then following God is the only place to be. His promises to care for us (Psalm 121:2), protect us (Psalm 121:7) and even avenge us (Romans 12:19) when necessary are real not a trick. He doesn’t want us proverbially sleeping in the proverbial beds we’ve made. He wants to rescue us and give us real and good things. He’s not a lawmaker from California who doesn’t deliver what was promised because he’s not looking out for himself or out to make himself look good. He just IS good, and so is following all of his ways that are perfect, true and full of protection.
Dear God,
Thank you for your perfect promises that are true and full of protection for my life. Thank you that your character is giving me good things and that your plan for me is for me to always be with you. Thank you that you do not trick or manipulate or hope I mess up. You are kind in all your ways and I just can’t thank you enough. I love you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Cage Free
Psalm 18:30
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
Perfect, True, Protection. These are all really good and considerate things. God doesn’t trick, manipulate or deceive, so trusting in his promises and obeying his will doesn’t lead to misunderstanding and disappointment even though lots of people mistakenly think so.
Recently in California, everyone voted for chickens (the kind consumers will eat) to be cage free. The advocates for this law are very happy with themselves because they’ve projected their feelings on to barn animal raised for food and truly believe they’ve made the life of a roasted chicken much better. My sister took a tour of a chicken facility recently. The barns with cages were quiet, clean, and undisturbing. The barns with cage free chickens were loud, dirty and disturbing as the chickens were crammed in there neck to neck picking away at each other. Gross. What the voters probably thought they were voting for was for all chickens to be free on a range somewhere, roaming around and living a good life full of fresh air before they meet their end. But the law just says they’re no longer in cages, and that doesn’t mean they’ve been given access to a chicken utopia.
This way is not perfect for sure. This law was only fulfilled in word not spirit; it isn’t truly what chicken sympathetic voters were hoping for. And there is no protection for the chickens hacking away at each other before they get their heads chopped off. This is a backdoor deal. The voters think one thing and the lawmakers give the appearance that something good is being done when the opposite is actually true.
But God doesn’t do that. He is always looking out for us. When we pray, he knows the spirit with which those prayers are offered and truly helps us not embarrasses us because we didn’t use the exact right words. He knows what we need and offers it to us anyway because he truly has our best interest at heart.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:26-28
Some people view Christianity like they’d be in a cage not being able to do what they want. But if what they want are good things then following God is the only place to be. His promises to care for us (Psalm 121:2), protect us (Psalm 121:7) and even avenge us (Romans 12:19) when necessary are real not a trick. He doesn’t want us proverbially sleeping in the proverbial beds we’ve made. He wants to rescue us and give us real and good things. He’s not a lawmaker from California who doesn’t deliver what was promised because he’s not looking out for himself or out to make himself look good. He just IS good, and so is following all of his ways that are perfect, true and full of protection.
Dear God,
Thank you for your perfect promises that are true and full of protection for my life. Thank you that your character is giving me good things and that your plan for me is for me to always be with you. Thank you that you do not trick or manipulate or hope I mess up. You are kind in all your ways and I just can’t thank you enough. I love you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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