During the holiday season we tend to eat more junk food than normal. Who can resist the eggnog, Christmas cookies, fudge, and other empty calorie snacks we eat as we go from Christmas party to family gatherings. In my life I would say yes that sweets are a very big distraction to what I would like my diet to consist of. I can be easily diverted and thrown off course.
In the spiritual realm we have similar junk food distractions.
TOO BUSY. TOO TIRED. TOO DISCOURAGED. TOO MUCH TV. TOO MUCH COMPUTER.
And the list can go on and on.
Are we experiencing spiritual malnutrition? Are we joyless, depressed, unfruitful, unsatisfied, unfulfilled, and spiritually sluggish? Satan’s strategy is to cut us off from our food supply. When we overlook bible reading, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers we become an easy victim for the enemy’s attack. Just like we become weak in the physical realm when we don’t eat food, we become weak spiritually when we don’t feed ourselves the bread of life.
In Isaiah 55 it says,
“WAIT and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing].
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy].
Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me; hear, and your soul will revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with you, even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David. (Amplified version)
We are to come, listen, seek, and call on God. His salvation is freely offered. We are to hunger and thirst after the knowledge of the Lord and not after the perishable things this world offers. Let us not forget to strengthen ourselves spiritually! I know how easy it is to get distracted but let’s get back on course to being a healthy Christian.
I was in the Christian Bookstore this past week looking for the next book to dive into. As I walked up and down each aisle and my eyes scanned each title, I quickly grew frustrated.
CHOCOLATE THIS. CHOCOLATE THAT. FRAZZLE THIS. FRAZZLE THAT.
Every woman’s book seemed to have either the word chocolate or frazzled in the title somewhere. Normally, as a woman, I connect with these kinds of books. I even enjoy reading them. But on this day and this season of my life something inside me yearned for something more, something a little deeper. No. Not for something a little deeper but for something WAY deeper.
I want more. I want more of God! I’m tired of going through the motions. I’m tired of the storms that rage around me. I don’t even care to silence them anymore. I just want to draw close into my Father’s arms. I want to feel safe. I don’t care about what is happening around me. I’m tired. I’m tired of trying not to drown in the waves that come crashing down. Gasping for air. I want to let go. Let go of ideas, dreams and visions. Let go of trying so hard to accomplish something. Everything.
“CAN I JUST STOP AND REST AT YOUR FEET?”
In Mark 4:35 Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side.” When the storm came and the waves crashed in all around, the disciples were in fear of drowning. After rebuking the wind and sea Jesus asked His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Maybe like me you are in the middle of the sea, going to the other side just like God told you. The storms of trials are crashing on top of you. You’re desperately trying to gasp for air, you’re scared and you feel alone. Let us remember that Jesus is in the boat with us. He is in that situation, He is right there in the midst of that trial with you.
Jesus said, “Let us go over to the other side”—not “to the middle of the lake to be drowned.” –Daniel Crawford.
I pulled my wedding dress out of the bag. It had a yellowish tint and was full of wrinkles. Why didn’t I think to have it cleaned before the ceremony? Across the room I saw one of the groomsmen steaming his tux. I quickly made my way to the other side of the room and asked if I could steam my dress.
The time was approaching and I knew there was no way I would be ready.
I grabbed two close friends and my mom to help out. Watching my friends do everything possible to help, I felt bad that I didn’t think to ask them sooner to be in the wedding. Now with no time left to find dresses, my heart was sad that they would not be by my side during the most important day of my life.
I glanced at the clock and realized I was an hour late already.
The food for the reception was set out, but after looking at the plates, I didn’t think there would be enough food for everyone. Surely the food would get cold before the ceremony even started. Finding someone in the family, I asked them to help out by making more food.
This time I looked at the clock and was horrified that I was now three hours late.
Then to top it off, I looked down I saw that my stockings were torn and full of holes. My makeup and hair were still not done. I asked my mom to concentrate on my makeup while I pulled my stockings off, deciding not to wear them at all. Wait! My shoes. I forgot to buy shoes. I couldn’t possibly wear the black clunky ones I came in. I’ll just go barefoot I thought.
Slowly the music from the alarm clock woke me up. The first thought that filled my mind was…
…”ARE YOU READY?”
Ephesians 5:27 (New International Version)
“…and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
Ephesians 5:27 (New Century Version)
“He died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be pure and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other wrong thing in it.”
Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.
Matthew 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
