Planted

      You perhaps have seen this scene.  The batter steps up to the plate, hits his shoes with the bat, swings it a few times, digs his feet into the dirt, glances out towards the pitcher and waits for the first pitch.  We have seen it thousands of times.  Our town, well, the one next to us, has a minor league baseball team that is associated with the Boston Red Sox.  Sometimes, we go to a game or two during the season.  There seems to be a routine that the players go through as they get ready to take their turn at the bat.  No one just walk us with the bat on their shoulder and waits for the first pitch.  Routines are in our lives in almost the same way as the batter going to the plate.   Sometimes, we as believers, feel just like that batter.  We get ready for work, start planning what we are going to do, kick a few tires on our way out the door, plant our feet and try to imagine what's going to happen today and how it is going to affect us.  There may be that feeling that you never know what's going to happen but it's going to be an interesting day.  We know that we need some strength for what the world is going to throw our way.    First Peter 5:10 says, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."   
      The theme of First Peter is "Suffering leads to Glory."  We know that we are going to suffer in this life and we have been told that fact in this book.  The good news is that while we may be experiencing some suffering in these days, that glory is coming.  We can count on it.  It is something that is going to happen.  No matter what gets thrown our direction today, the Lord is there to strengthen us and to keep our feet planted.  Only in this case, we are not planted in the earth, but we are planted in God's Word.   You may have some left over items from yesterday that are facing you this day.  You may have something new that is going to pop into your life unexpected but you can always rest in the fact that God will do just what His Word says He will do.  In fact, we remember that our citizenship is in heaven.   In this case, you will be perfect, established, strengthened and settled.  Now, what can be better than that.  So, you might be like the batter that prepares for the first pitch of the day.  Keep you feet planted in God's Word.  You can't go wrong.  Praise God today for the fact that He is with you and strengthens you every moment.