Today’s Thought “That’s What You Get Inside of Cracker Jacks…” G. Ward

“^I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

Cracker Jacks is still a most excellent snack consisting of popcorn (coated in molasses) and peanuts. Most every American alive today are very familiar with it and at one time have delighted themselves therein. When I was a child, the challenge was weighing the delight. Meaning, while the taste was great, every small box included a prize at the bottom. It compelled every child to finish quickly to unfold a great mystery. Most certainly, while ingesting this snack, you could hear the jingle of the commercial from television chanting, “What do you want when you gotta eat somethin', and it's gotta be sweet, and it’s gotta be a lot, and you gotta have it NOW..What do you want? Lip-smackin', Whip-crackin', Paddywhackin’, Knickaknackin’ Silabawhackin', Scalawhackin’, Crackerjackin, Cracker Jack! What do you get when you open the top, and you look inside and smack your lips, and turn it over and spill it out? What do you get? Lip-smackin', Whip-crackin', Paddywhackin’, Olagazackin’, Infolackin’, Alliganackin', Crackerjackin’, Cracker Jack! Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize... That's what you get with Cracker Jack!”

Contrary to this notion of treats that produce prizes, we (Americans) embark on an imminent celebration of this nation’s independence (July 4). We’re discovering how mediocrity births waywardness. While being very surprised after supping on the tremendous treats of Americanism, we discover at the bottom of this presumed joy lies misery. Freedom has been extended, yet without parameters. It certainly has made man braggadocios concerning his ability to do anything (cf. Jn.15:5b), while forgetting the premise of his existence in a free land. Expressions exacerbated like, “God and country,” have enabled an equal perspective with our Supreme Master and this strange land (cf. 1 Pe.2:11). Although reading how God is jealous (Ex. 20:5, 34:14, Dt.4:24, 5:9, 6:15, Jos.24:19), from our inception, we’ve adopted governmental principles (i.e. The Constitution) in legislating our productivity vs. implicit trust of the Master of the Universe (God’s Word). Founded on the principles of Holy God to now become oblivious to what HE’s saying, we include every illicit ideology’s pervasiveness to infect generations to come. Let’s go eat some barbeque and see some fireworks…

“All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.” Joshua 2:10

Happy Thursday!