More Power to Jerky
Did you know that jerky helped settle the West? For mountain men and prospectors, surveyors and cowboys, a handful of jerky provided critical nourishment. This in a time of no preservatives or refrigerators.
Didn’t matter whether the jerky came from beef, deer, elk, or buffalo. All retained their flavor and value. This compact food hardly filled a coat pocket. Frontier folks could take it anywhere. It didn’t spoil or spill. The pieces packed a wallop of energy that overcame fatigue of the most strenuous work.
How They Made It
The Spanish and Indians cut up thin, narrow strips of raw meat and let it dry outside. This jerky survived a long time. It could be chewed as is, simmered in a soup, or ground up like meal.
Real jerky, not the processed food products form sold in mini-marts, still can be found at meat markets such as in the small town of Winchester, Idaho. If you’ve never chawed on a piece of elk jerky, you’ve missed a true culinary delight.
In the Old West
If a fellow had time, he could strip the hams of an animal to leave a thin membrane covering each piece. Then he’d dip them for a minute or two in boiling salt water. Or perhaps let them smoke near the fire before exposing them to the sun.
What We Need
We need spiritual jerky. What’s your source of inner strength and nurture? What helps you survive when you’re hard at work, at wit’s end, when you’re unable to partake of the full banquet of God’s instruction?
Psalm 119:11 gives a clue. “I have hidden your word in my heart.”
Every time you memorize a verse, it’s like stuffing your pocket with jerky. The nutrition of God’s Word lifts your spirit and gives you power to continue. That’s how you’ll conquer the challenges of your personal spiritual frontier.
Stephen Bly
Copyright©1993
Beef Jerky Image by Tomáš Sova from Pixabay
Jerky with Nuts & Cheese Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay
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“How Jerky Saved the Old West” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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