…who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age… (Hebrews 6:5 niv)
We had a visitor at our house for four weeks – a puppy named Molly. She’s a lively Boston Terrier with unlimited energy and need for affection. We’ve had a ball throwing her ball for her to fetch – at least the first fifty times. I’ve yet to tire her out with that game.
My dog, Angel, used to being the ‘top dog,’ had to adjust to having Molly around. For four weeks, she had to fight to get her treats. As soon as I doled them out, each dog gobbled up her treat as if it were the last morsel she’d ever see.
Molly has been gone for a week, and I’ve noticed I’m finding treats lying all over the house. For some reason, Angel delights in leaving them in plain sight. She plays with them, throwing them up in the air, and daring us to try to steal them from her. Eventually she eats them, but she doesn’t feel the urgency now that Molly’s gone.
I talk to a lot of Christians who, when in panic mode, take their Bible, and gobble up the Word, searching the Scripture for answers to their current dilemma. After the crisis has passed, the Bible gets thrown on a bookshelf to gather dust until the next time trouble appears. The urgency is gone.
Angel doesn’t live on those treats. She receives her nourishment from a steady diet of dog food specially designed for her health needs. What we need is a steady diet of the Word. We are spiritual beings, and the Bible is our spiritual nourishment designed by God to meet every need. Why don’t we digest a bit each day so that when trouble comes or the devil tries to steal our joy, we’ll have adequate storage of the Scriptures in our hearts and minds? We won’t go into ‘panic mode.’
I’ve seen a billboard that says, “Seven days without prayer makes one weak.” Even one day without the spiritual nourishment of the Word of God makes a Christian weak. You don’t go without food for your physical body. When we are so blessed to have Bibles at our fingertips, why are we spiritually anorexic?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your Word. May I never take it for granted. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
8 comments:
Enjoyed "Treats from the Word!" What truth there is in this piece! You always seem to know what we, the readers, need to read and then apply to our lives...
I needed this today, Donna..
Dear Donna,
Wow, what a great spiritual truth pulled out of an everyday situation. I'd never thought of that while feeding my own dog, but it definitely makes sense. Thanks for giving me some "food for thought." :-D BTW, just a personal reflection, but it sometimes seems to me that oftentimes we choose a Psalm at random each day and call it good. In recent years, however, at least for me, it seems the Psalms oftentimes are reserved for those "special treat" occasions when I'm desperately in need of a Word from God, while the steady diet usually consists of other books of the Bible. Not a stand-fast rule, but one that often applies in my own life, anyway. Thanks again for making me think, and God bless, sister.
Sincerely,
Brooke
Thanks, you two.
Brooke, you bring up a good point. We do need to get to the meat of the Word more as we mature in our walk with Christ. ALL of the Word is good and for our nourishment, and not simply 'fast food.'
Or perhaps we could take it even further for those who pick and choose verses out of context - are they 'picky eaters'?
I could write about this some more! :)
Hi Donna,
Again, a timely and awesome post!
Indeed we need to partake daily of the word, to be strengthen in our inner most being so that we can stand in the dark nights of the soul, as we walk this path of life.
Thanks for the reminder to partake daily of that which will satisfy our soul, bring nourishment to our spirit and cause us to walk in strength.
Like Brooke, my special treat is the Psalms!
Blessings my friend,
Writing for the King,
Paul
Paul, thanks so much for stopping by! I hadn't posted for a while, and it felt good to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully when I get my laptop back, I'll be more punctual with my posts.
God bless you.
Hi Donna....
I always stop by and read your blog, but my comments are few...forgive me for that. Loved this one and as always, your words speak volumes to me!
God Bless
Great insight, Donna. Very inspiring. I think when my banana bread comes out of the oven, I'll take a piece and go out to my husband's prayer bench to have my quiet time. Thanks for the nudge!
Donna, thanks for stopping in, and leaving a comment! I'm glad you received from the post.
Shannon, the Bible and banana bread - what a great combo!
Post a Comment