Perfection

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30

God is perfect AND flawless. Just think about that simple statement for a second. Absolute perfection... that's hard to come by. I can't even bake a cake that's perfect and flawless. An expensive shirt that I buy at the store almost always has a thread dangling or a loose seam. Even the spinach I pick from the garden has a spot on it, or has been nibbled on by critters or bugs. I am certainly not perfect- physically I'm full of flaws and marks and split ends, and on the inside, there is always something to be worked on. Always.

Yet God is complete perfection in every way, and His Word is always flawless- it's true and truthful. One of the best things about reading the Bible is that there is always something in it for us. We can always turn to the scriptures for guidance and to see what God has to say about a particular subject, we can find words of wisdom and words of encouragement, and sometimes words of rebuke and conviction. That's what is so wonderful about the Bible- is that it is timeless. It applied to nations of people hundreds of years ago, and it applies to us still today. Talk about a book you wish you had helped write! (Well, maybe not really.)

You know what I love about God's perfection? Is that he likes to share it with us. We truly had a perfect weekend. We spent it with family, and not once did we feel like we didn't want to be where we were. Family was wonderful the entire time, our children were wonderful- and it was such a joy to watch them have such a great time. Saturday morning I got up really early to go fishing, and it was the most perfect morning. It wasn't hot- it wasn't cold, there was a perfect breeze off the river and the sun was shining. Sitting in the boat we would watch birds fly by and fish leap out of the water, and while the fish weren't biting, it was still wonderful and peaceful. It was one of those moments that a mother doesn't get very often- peace and quiet and the knowledge that my kids were safe and sound in the care of someone else for a few hours. I couldn't have asked for better.

And I wonder, during those times of bliss, those times like today where I just feel like everything is great, that God is love and that everything is just perfect and wonderful, if that is what the second half of this verse today is talking about. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. A shield is a barrier, a means of protection. So when the enemy is firing from this way and that, his hits are missing, they are bouncing off the protection of the Lord and all is well. Life really is wonderful right now, and I know it's because God is our refuge and our strength. And when the time comes where trouble comes along, we will be ready to tackle it.