"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."
~James 4:8 (ESV)
This morning, I am hungry but I do not want to eat. Food sounds, for what reason might be, non-appetizing.
Hmmm....
I believe the Lord is speaking to me from this odd little situation this morning. This strangely reminds me of how I often treat God's Word and time with the most wonderful Being in existence--our awesome God.
Where's the tie? Well, hunger is not easy to ignore when present. When our stomache growls, our prompt and desire is to fill it. Spiritually, however, it is far possible to go days, weeks, months, and for many, years starving.
We usually know when we are starving spiritually. I have gone long periods without the Word or minimal Word and the effect is more serious that I've thought. I feel dry. I feel empty. I am far more prone to fill that void with other content. I run after something other than God to satisfy me--something other than God to be God.
A Void is an Entrance for WorldlinessWhat are your temptations? When there is an open tank in your heart for other things to fill it, what are you tempted to "drain" into your heart? How easy it is for us to fill our being--which God and God alone can rightly fill--with other things such as TV, video games, pornography, isolation, idleness, food, friendships, social activities, work, education, study of less-important things, internet, online "social" networks and "communities," e-mail, instant messaging, texting, phonecalls, shopping, spending...
...and you may have guessed my next line--the list, of course, goes on. You are more likely to know what your temptations are than me.
The Deathbed LessonI wrote a post once upon a time called, The Deathbed Picture. When I reach that day when I lie upon my deathbed (should the Lord will that to be the manner in which I leave this earth), I don't want to regret having neglected the Word. And oh, I have. But there is grace to change. Whether there is time is unknown, and is sobering.
The True Reason to Absorb the WordBut is shortness of time the only reason to fill ourselves with the Word? No, it isn't reason, but a helpful push toward the true reason:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
~Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV).
In exposing yourself more and more to the Word, He will refresh you! As you position yourself not as a confident, self-sufficient "I'm gonna love God more" person but as a student of the Word, He will form you into a matured son or daughter of God who is confident in His grace always for spiritual water. The Word is sweet. Dive in. God wants to work in you through it!
The Word is Sweet
A spontaneous Poem of Conviction and joy
The Word is sweet,
It is filled with the face of God
Sweet language of highest wisdom,
Let me leave you not
How much I miss,
When His value I dismiss
Yet, how much I gain,
When I return to it again
Where now are the things,
With which I filled my life
The things I've called my gods,
That shut out Christ's pure light?
Where now are the friends,
I thought would stay my side
The ones whose faithfulness,
I always would confide?
The things of earth have failed me,
My friends are off and gone
Though perhaps they have not sinned against me,
There is no faithfulness as God's Son
There is no reassurance,
No solid hope in all the world
Except that which is spoken to me,
In the pages of Thy Word
Oh, help me, God, to get this,
Incline me to Thy Word!
For to continue to live without it,
Means a life purpose pathetically served
But make Thy glory my only goal,
I know my prayer You have heard!
May the days ahead see me know Thee more,
Sweet Savior and Thy Word
(c) 2010 Franz Schneider
Challenge and Application Questions
- What is the Word of God? It is a helpful refreshing of our desire for the Word when we remind ourselves once again what we hold in our hand!
- How precious is it and has it been to you?
- What are the common things (idols) with which you are tempted to replace God's Word
- Have you asked the Source of strength, God, to help you find satisfaction in Him and His Word? As you do, He will answer! He will increase your staisfaction in Him as you taste more of His Word day by day--as you "taste and see that the Lord is good!" and realize that "blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!." (Psalm 73:25).
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3 comments:
Amen! Excellent. Mark A. once put it that it's "filling up on Cheez-Its" when there is steak available; you may be full, but you don't feel like it because you've haven't filled yourself with something of substance.
The Lord keeps drawing me back to the theme verse of New Attitude 2008:
Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.
Jeremiah 15:16
As only food satisfies our stomach's hunger, only the Word satisfies our soul's hunger. Dear God, help us not try to fill up on dirt!
What a great post and poem, written from a heart that obviously longs for Christ and His precious Word.
Even though we neglect the Bible at times God still wants to see that you miss Him and long for Him. That is precious to Him.
What an inspiring response to the work God is doing in you Franz. Your words are very provoking & so full of meaning & deep life experience. Keep pressing into the Lord...He will meet these godly desires!
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