Psalm 23 and Porcupines

I thought I didn't understand what she was saying. It's a common occurrence when conversing with a three year old.
"Jake? Is his name Jake?" I asked tentatively as Rose pointed at a picture of a man.
"NO! HIS NAME'S SAKE!" Exasperation peered at me out of big grey eyes.
Okay, who do we know named Sake? Is she just making up a random name for this random man's picture? Ahhh, it clicked.
"Oh Rosy do you mean 'He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake?!'"
"Yeah," she points at the picture again, "His name is Sake."
I laughed and hugged her and thought, okay that was random. But it wasn't.
It happened again a few days later. She was sitting at the kitchen table telling me about something she had done with Rowan.
"He's such a good brother to you isn't he?" I prompted praise.
"Yeah, he leads me beside still water."

In science this week we are studying insectivores. A hedge hog belongs in this class. One difference between a hedge hog and a porcupine is that a hedge hog's quills are needle-like and a porcupine's quills are barbed.

I'm am reading two very good books right now, A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming and Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach. I would highly recommend both. They jab me with quills of beauty and hope and shame and desire. But, the quills are hedge hog quills, they sear for a moment but for the most part heal quickly.

The Bible is a porcupine. It's words, quill-like, pierce and then stay there under the skin, reeking havoc. They demand response. Every movement I make jostles these God words and I can't get away from them. I don't want to (generally).

So the Word of God makes the wound. But it doesn't leave us wounded. It heals and restores and enlightens and delivers. So I read. So it works it's way deep. And I writhe at the nerves it touches. I grieve that it must still pierce so much. But I am unutterably thankful to God for giving us His Word.

In the words of God and Rose, "Me cup runs over."

James 1:25
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of god is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."