The Candy Man

For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. (Psalm 18:28-35 ESV). Recently I read the following story. It comes from an unknown author, but it carries an important thought as I think about what David meant when he wrote this morning’s verses. It originally came from Life magazine: Steve Bailey is the Candy Man from Lebanon, PA. Steve has about 20,000 Hershey's Kisses pass his inspection station every 60 seconds! Steve's job is to search for anything less than sheer chocolate perfection. He admits, some pieces don't quite pass the perfect specifications that are required. The public's expectations of what a Hershey's Kiss is supposed to look like when it is unwrapped are so high that only perfection will do! Steve will not allow a defective piece of chocolate to pass his station only to disappoint whoever unwraps it at home. No, when we indulge in a Hershey's Kiss, Steve sees to it that it is exactly 15/16 of an inch diameter at the base, that it has the proper smooth appearance, that it is not leaning to the side, and above all the imperfections his trained and a steady eye checks the curl at the top can't be either standing up too straight or drooping too low. It must be perfect! Now, here's the question. What happens to the Kisses that fall short of these lofty chocolate requirements? Steve tells us that he picks out the imperfect specimens of chocolate and brushes them aside to a catch-off pan where they go into a process that is called, the rework. Here the defective pieces are melted down, the chocolate is mixed with the rest of the pre-hardened candy, and the process starts all over again, continuing until chocolate perfection is reached. David says that God’s way is perfect AND all his promises prove true! He does not require us to be perfect, but through the work of Christ on the cross He perfects us. That is the essence of grace. We are not under some inspector’s eyes that will throw us back into the melting pot when he determines we are defective. The truth is that we all have “defects.” However, when we have come to the Lord, He sends His Spirit to indwell us and make us more and more like His Son in our character. Isn’t it strange how much the legalists demand that we be perfect? They would have us follow a strict list of rules in order to follow Christ. And when the “curl on the top” isn’t quite what it ought to be, they would condemn and reject us. God is not a “candy man.” He is a loving Father, who desires no more than our love in return. Rest in His grace today!