I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word (Psalm 119:16, NIV).
My hand lifted skyward to entice the Monarch butterfly on my finger to unfold her russet wings. I prayed the morning sun warmed her enough to fly away. Suddenly, she rose, fluttering quickly over the fence, out of sight. The science project was complete.
My daughter stared at me with a look of accomplishment. She’d named the butterfly Diamond. For two weeks we watched as the little caterpillar ate and grew. I was dumbfounded by the enormous appetite it had. Likewise, I couldn’t believe the astounding difference between that crawling, leaf-muncher and the delicate, winged creature it had become.
By contrast, in another corner of our house sits a tiny fishbowl containing a tadpole. His name is Tad and he’s nothing like Diamond. He is not beautiful, but slimy. We’ve had Tad for several weeks, and he has neither grown nor shown signs of morphing into a frog. Honestly, he’s a boring science project. He sits at the bottom and we never actually seen him eat. I’m certain if he ate more, he would grow.
Both of these science projects remind me of my spiritual life. I want to be like Diamond, but how often do I emulate Tad? I long for a vibrant spiritual walk-something more than a slimy, stagnant existence. Yet when I neglect feeding from God’s Word, it stunts my ability to grow. Conversely, I will find myself continually transformed if I gorge on the Lord’s teachings each day.
Robert E. Lee once said, “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” That is a powerful truth. When we feast regularly on Holy Scripture, we’re sure to end up more like the butterfly.
