(Psa 119:67) Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
Leap year is weird. Every four years there is an adjustment made to our calendar. It kind of creeps up on you and you rarely anticipate it until it’s right there. Can anyone ever commonly explain leap year? I had to search for a definition and this is what I found on the web somewhere: ‘A leap year is a year in which an extra day is added to the calendar in order to synchronize it with the seasons. Since the tropical year is 365.242190 days long, a leap year must be added roughly once every four years. In a leap year, the extra day (known as a leap day) is added at the end of February, giving it 29 instead of the usual 28 days.’ Can you believe that’s the short explanation?
If you think about it, if there wasn’t a leap year inserted every four years then our whole Gregorian calendar would be messed up. There would be added confusion and we wouldn’t know what day it really was. Every four years then we see the importance of an adjustment.
We need adjustments. We are sinners that get off and we need a Shepherd to keep us in line. God sends something into your life. It’s that extra thing you didn’t anticipate. It commands your attention, gets put on your calendar so to speak, and you have to make an adjustment. This is God’s way of loving correction. God sends somebody into your life. They are God’s tool to correct you because you were going off again. By their abrasiveness it afflicted you and it brought you to the Lord. Or perhaps there was a concerned brother who corrected you with an exhortation (Gal 2:11-14). You didn’t like it at first. You bristled and felt resentment. But then the Spirit spoke to your heart and you humbled yourself and received the instruction. Good for you . . . you knew what the Word says: (Pro 6:23) . . . Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
Interesting what you can think about on leap year. When my world is spinning I can wobble. No wonder God has to give me the adjustment I need to set me straight. Thank-you Lord for being such a patient Shepherd to this sheep that loves to wander!
Louie